by Layla Arts
I stomped towards him and stopped instantly when there were a few inches between us.
“You're literally fucked up.”
“Wow!” Hadrian raised his hands up in defense. “Since when are you talking to me like that?”
“Since you screwed Michelle in the bathroom.” I retorted.
“Did she tell you what has happened?”
“No,” I responded forthwith. “I was in the bathroom, too.”
“Have you enjoyed the show?” he questioned playfully and winked cheekily.
I rolled my eyes out of anger and folded my arms. “You're pathetic, you know that? You don't do that to Michelle when you have been walking behind my ass for the last couple of days. I don't see why you’d do such thing towards her. She is harmless, and you fuck it up.”
Hadrian needed to know that what he had done was beyond the bounds.
“I can do it with everyone who wants me. You don't have any say in it,” Hadrian proclaimed. “I am an adult.”
“But I have an opinion, and I share it whenever I want. Also, you consider yourself as an adult, but I don’t see you acting like one.” I pointed out angrily. “I really thought you were better than that, Hadrian. I thought that maybe you would realize that if you badly want something, you need to work hard for it. Not everyone is going to crawl toward you.”
“Like I would put much effort in you,” Hadrian said.
Maybe I have never been hit by someone in my life, but it felt as if Hadrian just did. I swallowed my pride, and I got the impression that I had been trying too hard to make him realize that he needed to change – I failed.
I was too dumb not to notice that he wouldn’t change. He wouldn’t take me seriously. Why did I even have the smallest amount of faith in this guy?
“All right,” I said, and endured the feeling of embarrassment. “Glad that we share the mutual feeling,” I stated and stomped out of his office furiously. I slammed the door shut, and I heard Hadrian cussing something before I was completely away.
He was outrageously awful. He was exactly what Red said.
I didn’t imagine Hadrian to be this tough. He came across as an unapproachable man, but throughout the days I had gotten to know him better. Clearly, I had underestimated the entire situation, and he was hardly up for a conversation.
I made my way through the Empire at a rapid pace. I couldn’t face him anymore. I had treated him normally, and I wanted to show him that he shouldn’t think insanely high about himself. But he was too blind to notice. And since I didn’t give in, he had to punish me for it. I didn’t want to be around someone who had to get back at me, because I didn’t give them what they wanted.
“Vicky, wait!” I heard him behind me.
But I kept walking away, I didn't need to hear his apology. It would be the worst ever. He had the chance to be properly kind to me, but he chose not to. Red was right; Kent was right; I assume everyone was right about him. He was a pompous asshole. He wasn’t worthy of my presence or my help.
“I am s-”
“No, Hadrian, let's clear things up.” I cut him off. I turned around on my heel and shook my head in disappointment at him. Somehow, he seemed legitimately sorry for his actions, but I had to look past this. “Everything beautiful comes with a price tag. You’re one: the cockiest attitude in the entire world. I wonder who would even want to stay an eternity with you.”
“Can we talk about it in my office?” He partly begged.
I laughed shortly. “Do you really think I want to?” I asked him. Hadrian looked at me as if he thought I’d say yes to his idea. “I think we should keep distance between us today like you said.” I suggested.
Hadrian didn’t object when I walked out of the building.
***
“Shouldn't you be at the Empire right now?”
“No,” I told Kent. I sighed deeply and counted the straws on the counter.
He didn't want to give me alcohol because I didn't want to tell him why I had left the club so persistently this time. It was better for him not to know this because he would go literally insane if he heard about Hadrian's words.
“The show will start later, it isn't such a problem if I am not there right now,” I murmured softly.
“You know, you can tell me the truth,” Kent assured me.
“It would be too much, Kent,” I proclaimed. “After the past days, and everything you already know, this wouldn't be lovely too.” I brushed my hand through my black hair and put all the straws back. I started to spin around the chair – I became way too dizzy to continue after five rounds.
After I said those words to Hadrian, he didn't respond. I walked away, without saying where I was going to. He didn't need to know what my intentions were right now. He wanted distance, then he could get it.
I was genuinely hoping that Michelle would stay the only one. But it was Hadrian, and he didn't listen to my words. Only when they were about him being allowed to touch me, then I was the only one he obeyed.
“I prefer to see you smile, Vicks.” Kent sat down next to me. “This isn't making my day any better if you are sad.” I looked over at Kent, and I saw how interested he was in everything that was going on in my head.
He cared, Hadrian didn't. He could talk properly, Hadrian couldn't.
A weak smile appeared on Kent's face, and he was beautiful. People like Hadrian could learn from Kent.
“Why is Hadrian Smith a dick?” I questioned Kent.
A chuckle left his mouth as he met my gaze. “If I may correct you, you mean a spoiled dick.” I giggled softly at his words. “He has everything he can have. He doesn't know how to stop with acting vulgar, rude, and inappropriate. He has always done everything he wanted to do, and he still does. If I wouldn’t be working right now, I was at the Empire telling Hadrian Smith exactly what he deserved.” Kent pointed out.
I could already picture this happening, Kent being furious at Hadrian. Kent would be the last one to fear him.
“Are you coming by one day?” I asked.
“Sure, I would love to see you perform,” Kent told me excitedly.
I smiled genuinely at Kent. My parents weren’t capable of visiting me, so no one who knew me outside the Empire would be able to see me dancing – except for Kent. I had grown rather close to him during the last couple of weeks. If I wanted someone to see me, it would be Kent and Clarity.
“Nice,” I chirped. “The club looks very unique, and I think you're going to be highly entertained if you pass by. I have heard that we serve the best cocktails from the entire city,” I beamed.
I was pretty stoked about inviting Kent to one of the shows. I hope that he didn’t mind to pay such price to see me – I thought about arranging something with Hadrian, but he shouldn’t be on my mind. He had to be completely erased.
“Then I will definitely come,” Kent said, and he gave me a cheeky wink. “I have a surprise for you soon.”
“A surprise?” I asked in shock.
“Yes, and I think it will cheer you up a lot.”
***
Every dancer was getting herself ready for the show. I was stumbling around in my satin black kimono with the costume underneath. I had the privilege to be seated next to Red. It would be so uncomfortable to sit next to Michelle. She was a lovely girl after all. Perchance, Hadrian was already having more intimate contact with a few other dancers, and I just wasn't aware of that. Maybe, I was a number to him.
Elena entered the room with a tray of drinks. She thought that coming back with beverage would be the best idea ever – everyone was delighted with her idea. We all grabbed one cocktail from the tray, and I held it. Finally, I was able to taste one of these cocktails myself.
“Tonight, we will smash it!” Julia cheered happily.
“Don't entertain my boyfriend; that is already my job,” Renee warned everyone – she had told all of us he was seeing her perform for the first time.
“Everyone is getting into relationships, and I cannot even w
ear matching socks!” Red exclaimed throughout the dressing room.
We were laughing loudly. Thankfully, we didn’t have this bitch in our group. We managed to get along with one another so wonderfully.
I saw Elena placing the tray away, and she took a seat on her chair. “Can we get a bonus if we perform magnificently?” she questioned us all.
“Hopefully,” Julia chirped.
“We deserve one after our long days of practice,” Carmen said. “If you see how much effort we have put in this entire performance, we deserve to win the lottery.”
“Did you guys heard the rumor?” Julia suddenly said.
“Which rumor?” Renee asked her.
“Judy told me that Hadrian is planning on throwing a party for us, if we have a splendid performance. We better make this a sick show, because I am so in for alcohol and a party at his residence. He lives in a big white modern mansion. How lucky are you if you live there,” Julia spoke excitedly.
I didn’t know whether I needed to be happy that I had already seen his house.
“It's Hadrian. Obviously, he will throw a party.” I scoffed. “As long he has women around himself, he is happy,” I said matter-of-factly. Not in the mood to protect him whatsoever.
“I think he is just proud of us,” Keeton beamed.
You should know girl, you should now.
After Keeton's words, everyone continued with adjusting their appearance. We weren’t allowed to put makeup on that looked natural. We had to put the entire pancake on our face to finish the look for tonight. At the exact same time when I stood up to get myself a glass of water, I heard a low voice speaking in the room.
“Girls!” Hadrian greeted us excitedly. Some of the dancers were looking at him while others were still busy with getting themselves ready. I, on the other hand, was holding my kimono around my body protectively. “The show will start in fifteen minutes, so please stop with unnecessary stuff, and follow Marcel to the side of the stage. I want everyone to look ridiculously beautiful, but all of you girls are already diamonds for me.”
Everyone started giggling, except for me. This was a disgusting persona of his.
“Oh, I forgot something,” Hadrian said. “If everything goes as planned tonight, we will have a party at my house afterward.”
God please save me now.
More shouting and yelling were heard throughout the room, but my facial expression stayed emotionless. Sadly, Hadrian and I locked eyes, and I shook my head in disappointment. I knew that he had planned to get his second girl tonight. If it wasn’t me, it would be someone else. I just hoped he wouldn’t touch Red with his filthy hands.
“Is there something wrong?” I shrieked when I heard Red asking me a question out of nowhere.
“Just nervous,” I lied.
“Don't be, you're going to shine,” Red assured me.
Red and I walked over to Marcel – who was counting down the minutes before the start of the show. I saw Julia standing across from me, and she was muttering a few last words my way. She was at least nice, and wanted to give a wonderful performance. I didn't really know the other girls, but I would be in a room with them for a lot of days, so there was plenty of time to get to know them.
I took a deep breath when I heard the music being played and the curtain going up. Renee and Carmen started dancing slowly, and one by one we got into the group. I needed to look seductive, so I did. But at the same time, I was shocked with the number of people present right now – I hadn’t seen the Empire like this.
There weren’t any free tables in the club at the moment. The crowd was asking for heaps of drinks while we were dancing. The songs we had for this show weren't that dirty, luckily.
I felt the euphoria from being on stage, and I wished that this would never end – that I could dance for my entire life and share my knowledge in the future to the ones who wanted to chase the same dream. But most of all, I wanted my parents to see me now.
I saw Hadrian. He stood on the balcony in front of the stage. It was definitely a private area.
He was joined by a few people up there. A man in a suit, and a woman who was stroking Hadrian's hair now and then. I rolled my eyes when I was standing with my back toward the crowd. He was such a thirsty man. He had already moved on to the one next to him. I didn’t know that he was this fast with women.
I was finally able to get off the stage. I had my last dance, and Keeton was doing the end with Julia. They were a talented dancing couple together, and I grabbed a wooden chair. I was admiring their show from a distance. Hopefully, I could stand there one day with a solo performance for one night.
While the curtains came down and people were clapping loudly, the jazz band got on stage.
Everyone was stumbling back to the dressing room – being too happy about how the show went. I was glad I hadn't failed, neither had done something bad in someone's eyes. I grabbed a bottle of water and drank from it. I rotated my body when I heard Hadrian entering the room and coughing forcefully before he spoke the words I didn't want to hear at this moment.
“Who's ready for a party?!” Hadrian shouted boisterously through the dressing room.
Everyone went wild at Hadrian's words, and they all followed him – still wearing their costumes.
“I told you he would give a party. He is proud of us,” Keeton said.
I shot her a fake smile. When she was walking away with Jess, I let a groan leave my mouth. As I was packing my bag, I saw that most of the dancers were already gone. I didn't feel like joining them at Hadrian's house; seeing them sitting in the hot tub or pool, playing at the tennis court, or watching a show with four televisions. I just didn't want that right now. I couldn’t stand to be around Hadrian and observe him getting a new girl.
“Are you coming?” Red asked me happily.
“I think I’ll pass.”
“Pass? Are you insane?!”
“I think I am.” I joked around and laughed it away. “I am very tired, Red. We need to dance tomorrow, and I don't want to crawl on the stage and perhaps knock-out, because I haven't had enough of sleep. You will entertain yourself with the other girls. Don’t let me hold you back.”
“They aren’t you,”
“Then it will be extra special the next time,” I guaranteed her.
“Okay,” she whined. “I am so getting you to his house another time.” Red waved me goodbye, and I cleaned my spot before I decided to close everything down and go home.
My reflexion in the mirror had captivated my interest. After this show, I felt complete yet alone. No one dear to me had witnessed my first performance here. I sighed woefully. I could have decided to join everyone – to fake a smile and pretend I was enjoying myself over there. But I had lost my respect for Hadrian, and I couldn’t force myself into going to his house and act like everything was fine.
I bet he was already drinking at his residence with women surrounding him. I knew not every dancer was going to walk after him. Still, alcohol could change people’s behavior; you could feel weak after a few sips. I wanted to hear memorable stories about the party tomorrow. At the same time, I didn’t want to hear a thing – not even if it was fun.
The entire dressing room was empty, so I decided to head back home. I couldn’t wait to fall asleep.
Fresh, cold Los Angeles air came into my lungs. I was glad I didn't join them. I wasn’t going to wake up with a hangover. Even so, I was slightly contemplating whether I should drink a few glasses of wine at my apartment on my own. But just knowing that I couldn’t give my hundred percent tomorrow morning made me already push the crazy idea out of my mind. I promised myself that I’d soon be able to put my feet on the table and watch a reality-show while holding a glass of wine.
“Finally.”
I squealed softly when I saw Kent standing against the side of his car.
“Kent!” I said and slapped him against his chest. “What are you doing here so late?”
The lights from the two lanterns on the parking
lot showed me his face.
“I knew you were feeling horrid this evening, so I had to stop by.” Kent shrugged casually.
“It's after one,” I pointed out. I was baffled that he showed up here unannounced.
I saw Kent holding a couple of keys up in the air; unfamiliar to me. “It’s an excellent time for a milkshake and pancakes,” Kent said. It became evident to me that those were the keys to the café.
I didn’t know where he got the idea from, but to me, it was absolutely fantastic compared to a party at Hadrian’s house. Kent had the ideal timing to help me escape to a different world; where money, alcohol, and sex were the least of our concern.
Out of excitement and tiredness, I wrapped my arms around Kent. I felt him holding me by my waist, and I nuzzled my head in the crook of his neck.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
I hadn’t noticed how much I needed this until now.
07
Hadrian Smith
It felt impeccable to be successful. I was having the time of my life in the private booth. Music was entering the room, but because of today’s technology, I could hear my visitors exceptionally well. Again, I had made sure this show would blow people away. While I looked at the visitors, I knew I had pleased the majority of the crowd. The evening just started, but I assured myself there was nothing to worry about.
“Hadrian, honey, you did it all again.” She complimented me.
When did I not make it? I always did.
Once the Empire was open, people were coming in – eager for a place. With the incredibly hot dancers, I could turn everyone on from a distance. And one woman, in particular, made it happen to me. She moved her hips so smoothly, licked her lips when they were once again dry, and looked at me with those mesmerizing eyes. She was the brightest diamond among them all.
It didn't matter to me that I fucked Michelle because I got to watch Vicky after all. I just wished Michelle wasn't emotionally attached to me after the simple rendezvous we had under the streaming water. She was hot, like proper hot. Her hair was soft, her lips tasted like my favorite food, and she could moan my name like a perfect melody.
