CHAPTER THREE

I snuck out through the back exit of the compound to avoid having to explain myself to the several servants my father hired to run the house.

They were obsessed with pleasing him and would definitely tattletale on me the second anyone found out what I was up to. I only get to use this entrance because Bethram, who's in charge of it, is my guard, and I agreed to let him come with me every time I had to go.

Sneaking out wasn't easy but it was something I could do without sweat now, unlike before.

I was wearing a short, glittery dress but I had a large coat on top of it to conceal the brightness.

My mask was in Vivi’s car because I feared it getting discovered and I'd be interrogated like a beginner thief by my Dad.

He could be a bit too much sometimes, you'd think the family was involved in some sinister business or something.

I hurtled across the small distance between the backdoor from the kitchen to the gate at the back, giving Bethram a tense smile before passing through the gate he held open.

He secured it tightly behind me, and I could hear his receding footsteps as he went to get in his own car and leave from our front.

“Open up quickly,” I urged Vivi from her shut window, looking around the street to make sure no one saw me leaving. Although that shouldn't be an issue, all of the people living in the estate had a weird relationship with my father and would definitely inform him of my weird usage of the back entrance, getting into a beat-down Toyota car driven by a girl in a stripper outfit.

And yes, my best friend is a stripper, and she's the best human I've ever met; she just won't accept help from me or anybody, and I was tired of shoving dollar bills in her clothes only to find them in my purse when I got home.

Opening the car after I heard the click, I got in and my excitement returned back, unrestrained.

“Girl you took way longer than usual. Did something happen?”

“I don't know, they didn't leave on time. Very unusual… But hey! They're out and so are we, whoo!” I cheered in excitement as she drove off.

I checked that my seatbelt was secure because as much as I loved this girl, her driving was shitty and would cause me a heart attack someday. I could feel it in my bones.

I couldn't complain, however, because I only know how to drive enough to get a driving license, I've never driven a car before.

She turned up the radio and blasted cool, fast R&B tunes as she drove us there, masking us in a loop of excitement with the occasional swearing at strangers she accused of driving wrongly.

Finally, we got to the club, and she opened the door, her precaution against getting robbed a second time. According to her, the first time was enough, and that was the only time she allowed me to help her out.

“Tonight is gonna be different; I can feel it,” she said as she double-checked that the car was locked.

“Really? Who's coming?”

Sometimes celebrities came around here to have fun as well and even though we pretended we didn't know them to preserve the anonymity of the experience itself, we definitely know how Megan’s body looks from a mile away.

She was my only rap obsession; Vivi always complimented my music taste but what else can a girl do with so much free time?

“Megan the stallion has better things to do than Salsa, woman,” she giggled at my pouty face. “But I hear some hot guys just moved downtown and are coming to check out the club. Rich too, if you know what I mean,” she winked at the last part.

My mood fell.

“Can we not do this tonight Vi?”

“I'm not saying you have to do anything, just dance and have fun with a man that's actually attracted to you. Maybe you'll change your mind about sacrificing your entire life based on something that's not even your fault. Who even allows their parents to choose a life partner for them in this time and age?!”

I paused, trying to hold back the torrent of tears that was about to pour out of my face.

“Maybe I should just go back home. I'm not feeling up to dancing anymore,” I murmured, turning around towards Bethram’s SUV packed a few cars away from ours.

“Oh fuck, I'm so sorry,” Vivian said from behind me, rushing to grab me and stop me from moving. “I want to hold my tongue, I swear but it's just so difficult. I'm really sorry, you don't have to go. You've been looking forward to this all week and I don't want to be a bitch and ruin that for you. Please forgive me?” she begged me, cleaning the tears that were hanging on my lashes.

“You have to stop talking about it Vi. I'm not happy doing this either, but I don't have a choice, so can we just leave it at that? There's no point in being miserable over something I can't change; it's best to find joy in little things around my life, like you and Salsa. Even my horse is a victim of me trying to focus on everything else that excites me. Can you let me just do that?”

“You're so strong and I really admire that in you. If I was a tiny bit as strong as you, I would have been able to make better decisions for my life.”

“You were a child! Stop blaming yourself for the failures of people who decided to have a child they weren't prepared for. Although I'm grateful they didn't swallow you, I need a best friend that simply is you.”

“Oh don't go making me cry too, my makeup is expensive!”

“I'll buy you another one.”

“Yeah, sure, fairy godmother, and when did you start saying words like swallow? Whis ruining my angel’s mind?” She asked, laughing as she dragged me back to the entrance of the club.

I wasn't sure if this night was going to be just like every other night since Vi was in way more high spirits than usual but I was definitely going to dance as much as I could. I had so much to get off my mind.

We got inside and the party was already in full swing; people were partnered up with different shades of masks covering their eyes, swaying left and right with excellent precision.

I'd learned the dance as a child, among several other forms of artistic expression, but this one stuck, and I loved how good I was with it.

Many guys in here loved that as well, probably more because the moment they saw me, I was getting waved over to partner up with someone.

Seems I didn't need to bother about that after all.

In no time, I was moving my body to the music, following steps that were ingrained in my brain for years now.

But then the doors opened again and three men walked in, changing the air in the room.

They didn't look like they were here for Salsa.