Valentina pov.
When Julian said he would take me out to a club, he seemed to have forgotten to mention one crucial word before “club.”
Strip.
Yes, he took me to a strip club.
Since waking up from whatever coma I had after the accident, I’d never met anyone quite like Julian. He seemed like a different breed of human altogether. How should I put it… he was nothing like Alexander, who was always so serious, or Sebastian, who looked like a jokester. He wasn’t like Daniel, who seemed both sweet and kind, or even Felix, the cutest kid I had ever seen. Julian was indeed different – like my kind of breed.
“Oh my heavenly father!” I gasped, covering my mouth in shock as a stripper crawled toward Julian, smiling seductively and throwing in a playful wink while giving him a lap dance.
Julian smirked, his hands gripping her waist as he guided her movements against him without a care in the world.
“Gosh, my eyes! Get a room, you people!” I exclaimed, covering my eyes in embarrassment, my face burning with a deep blush as I tried desperately not to watch the scene unfolding in front of me.
“We’re already in a private room,” Julian replied in a low, teasing voice, shooting me a wink.
I dramatically rolled my eyes, unable to argue since, true to his words, he had apparently paid for a private session with the strippers.
“Julian-” I started, wanting to tell him I wanted to leave, but my words caught in my throat as a stripper slid onto my lap. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she leaned in to kiss my cheek before whispering against my ear.
“Relax, pretty boy. Don’t be so tense-loosen up a bit,” she purred, her teeth grazing my ear.
Almost instantly, I swallowed hard, a shiver running down my spine.
I seemed to have forgotten to also mention one crucial detail about this particular strip club-Julian had told me before we came here that it only catered to men. No females allowed.
At the time, I’d stared at him as if he’d lost his mind when he handed me some of his clothes and asked me to dress like a man.
I had laughed, thinking he was joking, but the dead-serious look on his face wiped my smile away in an instant.
“Who on earth would believe I’m a guy?” I’d asked, pointing at my chest.
You should have heard his ridiculous reply:
“Eh… don’t worry. They’re not that obvious in the first place.”
“I I…” I stammered like a fool, my body frozen in place, unable to move. Damn it, what was happening?! She must think I was a man; that had to be why she was doing this.
“What? Pretty boy? Are you shy?” she teased, leaning back with her face only inches from mine. A bright grin spread across her lips, and she raised her brows in amusement. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you tonight.” Her hand cupped my face, her thumb brushing against my bottom lip.
“You’re really my type. I like cute, short men, so don’t feel shy. Just…” She grinned mischievously as her other hand began moving downward, attempting to touch the nonexistent crotch I didn’t have.
“Oh my God, stop!” I gasped, quickly grabbing her hand, my heart pounding violently against my chest.
Beside me, Julian burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter, clearly amused by the entire scene.
“Haha! She said she liked cute, short men! Oh my, this is hilarious!” he cackled.
I shot Julian a glare, and he froze, clearing his throat before awkwardly shifting his attention back to the stripper in front of him.
“I’m sorry…” she began, pulling her arms away from me as she sniffled and wiped her tears. “You must not find me attractive. I shouldn’t have come onto you. Please forgive me… it’s my first day here,” she said, breaking down into sobs.
My eyes widened in shock, and I shook my head so fast it was a miracle it didn’t snap off. My goodness, did I just make a woman cry? All because I didn’t want her to touch me? This was getting bizarre.
“I-it’s not that! Of course, you’re a very attractive woman, so please don’t think otherwise!” I quickly blurted out with a nervous smile.
Almost instantly, her eyes brightened, and she blushed, covering her mouth.
“Thank you, sir! I’m so happy you think so. Now, let me make you feel good to show my appreciation,” she added with a playful wink.
I froze, a jolt of realization hitting me-this woman had tricked me.
What the hell?
She reached for my chest (boobs), but before her hand could make contact, I shot up abruptly, breath uneven, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground with a soft thud. My eyes widened as she rubbed her back in discomfort.
“Are you okay?” Julian asked, concern evident in his voice, but the stripper only stared at me in disbelief.
“Why would you-”
“The restroom!” I blurted out. “I need to use the restroom real quick. I’ll be right back!” Without waiting for a response, I bolted out of the room, my heart racing.
When I was out of the room away from being molested, I closed my eyes and clutched my chest as I tried to control my breathing.
I opened my eyes and sighed, taking in the scene before me. Strippers danced on poles, gave lap dances, and served drinks while men hooted and showered them with money, their faces painted with lustful smiles. The place was crowded, the air thick with smoke and the overpowering scent of sweat and alcohol.
This was a bad idea. Why did I listen to Julian of all people? I shook my head, placing my hands on my head in frustration.
“Hey, pretty boy. Would you like a drink?” I looked up to see a woman holding a tray filled with drinks, smiling warmly at me.
I cleared my throat, wanting to shake my head and decline the offer, but I was thirsty, and one drink wouldn’t hurt, right?
“Thank you,” I said with a soft smile, taking a glass from the tray.
“Of course, no problem. Thought you needed it. Enjoy yourself, and remember-what happens in Sin City stays in Sin City,” she replied with a mysterious wink before sauntering off to hand others a drink.
I raised a brow, confused about what she had said, but I didn’t think much of it. I downed the drink in one gulp, feeling the burning sensation slide down my throat.
“It tastes strange,” I muttered under my breath, smacking my lips together. As seconds passed, a strange sensation washed over me. My vision blurred, my legs wobbled, and before I could comprehend what was happening, I collapsed to the ground.
What was going on? I had no clue-but damn, I felt good!
Ten minutes later.
“Wow!” I screamed, shaking my hips wildly to the beat, arms flailing in the air as I moved without a care. The crowd erupted into laughter below me.
“Look at him move! He’s killing it out there!”
“This is the first time I’ve enjoyed a male dancer-maybe because he’s got such a pretty face!”
Their voices echoed around me. Grinning, I gripped the pole tightly, attempting to climb onto it. Instead, I lost my balance and crashed to the ground with a loud thud.
Everyone instantly fell silent-nobody moved, their eyes fixed on me with concerned expressions. I tilted my head to the side, blinking as I tried to process what had just happened and the pain shooting through my body. But within seconds, I shot up again, a wild grin spreading across my face as I started dancing once more.
Screw the pain-I just wanna dance.
Everyone cheered again, spraying money all around me. I was honestly surprised that these people had so much cash to spare, but I shrugged it off and got on my knees, eagerly gathering the bills and stuffing them under my bra.
“Thank you, thank you!” I said while frantically packing as much as I could.
But then I froze. My eyes caught sight of someone in the crowd, just for a fleeting moment. My breath hitched as I squinted to be sure.
Alexander?
What the hell was he doing here?
“Hey! Keep dancing for us! Don’t stop!” one of the men screamed, but I ignored him and got off the stage – though not before falling face-first onto the ground.
Groaning, I got up and adjusted the cap hiding my hair before heading in the direction Alexander had walked. If I wasn’t hallucinating, that was definitely Alexander. I could have sworn I saw Adrian walking behind him too.
Pfft, what was he doing here at a strip club? I was definitely going to have a word with him.
I pouted, but as I walked, someone suddenly grabbed me and yanked me backward. I groaned as I collided with a chest, almost immediately feeling hands gripping me tightly, pulling me closer as the pungent scent of alcohol wafted toward me.
“Hey, pretty boy. I was watching you on stage. Care to spend the night with me? I’ve got a lot of money and will treat you well,” the drunken man slurred, smirking as he held me closer despite my attempts to pull away.
I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes as I struggled against his grip, my voice cold and firm. “Let me go.”
The drunken man chuckled, clearly amused by my resistance. “Aw, don’t be shy, pretty boy. I can make your night unforgettable,” he slurred, his breath reeking of alcohol.
My patience snapped. “I said, let go,” I repeated, but I barely had any strength to get him off me.
The drunken man seemed oblivious to the warning. “Playing hard to get? I like that-”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was suddenly yanked away from me, the sickening sound of bones breaking echoing in the air, making me stiffen.
I froze, my gaze locking with a pair of piercing blue eyes filled with an unreadable emotion-sadness, relief, or perhaps hatred. I couldn’t tell.
“Emily,” he muttered under his breath, and my breath caught painfully in my throat as I stared at him, unable to look away.
“What the hell! Let me go this instant, you bastard-ahhhh!” the man yelled as the stranger effortlessly hurled him against the wall without even glancing his way.
My eyes widened, and my heart raced as the stranger took a step forward, prompting me to instinctively step back. He noticed this and frowned, his gaze locked on me.
“Emily-”
“Luca! Oh my God, I’ve been looking for you!” A chubby man came running toward the stranger, clutching his chest as he gasped for air. Yet the stranger’s eyes never left me.
Luca?
Who the hell is Luca, and how does he know me?