Chapter two

Catherine.

Adrian Peterson, the new transfer student in my class who just walked in now. Tall, rich and egoistic and a bad influence, I nearly sighed out loud. The man of my dreams. In my 20 years of life I've never been in love, didn't even believe in it but this, this is it. Mrs Catherine Peterson, rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? Or thoughts rather since no one knows of my love for him. Except of course Beast and Emerald. They think it's just a crush and he's a jerk who doesn't deserve my affections but they don't know him like I do. Since the first time I saw him slam the door on a lecturer I knew our first son's name was going to be Adrian junior. Yeah, he's an antisocial guy with anger issues but he has his reasons I'm sure.

The class ended and as I was walking out of the lecture hall, I was trying to get my vibrating cell phone out of my bag while walking and bumped into Adrian who seemed to have been distracted too.

He mumbled an apology and I couldn't help it. I giggled. Out loud.

He gave me a puzzled look and then left.

I am going to combust. Adrian looked at me. Our love was true after all.

"So?" Emerald said trying to make sense of what I had just said.

"You don't get it. After we made body contact, he looked at me.” I tried to explain.

"Like I said, so?"

"So, now that he's noticed her,that is progress." Beast supplied helpfully.

One of the reasons Beast knew more secrets than Emerald was because of his positivity, not at all because of the fact that he agreed with me a lot. At all.

"The guy looked at her. Do you know how many guys have looked at me versus how many guys actually dated me?"

"Not sure about the former but pretty sure the latter is zero.” I smirked.

"Ya think."

"I know. And we are talking about my impending marriage here not your dating life, or lack thereof." I cooed.

"You're not getting married, least of all to a guy like that. And I will have you know that I have dated seven guys."

"That's seven relationships you were alone in." I said as Beast and I laughed and high fived.

"Atleast it wasn't in my head."

"Neither is Adrian. We are in love and are getting married. "

"Just like you were getting married to Paul and Ryan and Tom and John and -?"

"This is different. I can feel it."

"Just like you felt it with Brian and William and Andrew-?"

"Okay, okay, I get it." I said and glared at Beast who was trying and failing to hide a grin.

We walked over to where Beast and Emerald parked their cars and as usual Emerald offered her a ride and as usual I declined.

"Is it the awful part of your life that you'll never let us talk about or just my driving that is scaring you."

"Like you said, we are not talking about it."

"Cathy..."

"My step mother's a bitch there's nothing to talk about."

I said trying to end the talk noticing how awkward Beast felt.

Another reason I like Beast? He minds his business. Until that day.

"You know Cathy I think its unfair how three of us solve mine and emerald's problem but all we get to hear are your crush stories which you probably use as an escape or coping mechanism. We are asking you cause we care."

I also think it's unfair how you both have perfect grades, perfect family, and mine is in the crapper. But I don't say anything.

"Okayyyyyy. We'll meet tomorrow I guess."

Emerald said and got into her BMW.

I got into the bus as I always do, picked a corner seat at the back and cried.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I got home.

A moving company loading our furniture, not just furniture I realized as I saw my stuff being taken into the truck.

I saw my sister crying silently sitting on the patio and went to her.

"What's going on Emma?" I asked sitting next to her.

"She's selling the house." My little sister said between broken sobs.

"What?" I exclaimed angry and confused.

I got up and went into the house looking for my stepmother and found her putting down the house telephone after finishing a phone call.

"What do you think you're doing? He and mom built this house together and you think you can just sell it? You took everything away from us you can't sell this house." The words kept coming out of my mouth fueled by anger.

The calm demeanor she maintained only infuriated me further.

"Your mother and father built this house you say, tell me something Anne." She started to stroke my hair and I roughly shoved her hand away.

"Where was your mother when he landed himself in gambling debts to the extent where he went bankrupt? Oh that's right six feet under. But I'm here and I'm in charge. So talk to me with respect or better still don't talk at all."

She placed some papers on the desk and I read them hastily through blurry eyes. The proof in my father's signature was in front me but I couldn't believe it. I refused to.

"You're lying. He wouldn't do that. You did something. These are fake."

She put another paper on the table the name Blue Silver was written boldly on the top.

"What is this?"

"That is for you. I got you a job. You didn't think you'd get out of this scot free did you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Starting this night you'll be working in a gentlemen's club as a stripper. Don't worry it won't affect your education unless you let it."

"You're crazy if you think I'll ever sleep with men for money."

"Having sex with them is your choice."

"You really think I'm going to do it."

h"Have you ever heard of human trafficking, Anna? Do you know the hefty price they'll pay for a thirteen year old?" She asked referring to Emmy.

"You wouldn't." I could barely hear myself.

"They'll pay more than enough to clear your father's debt without me having to sell your dear mother's house. And yes, I would."

I couldn't help the tears that fell down my face as I signed where she told me to.

That night I arrived at Blue Silver wearing so much makeup I couldn't recognize myself after explaining to my sister that I was going to be doing night shifts at a nearby place. No need for her to know the gruesome details.

I entered through the servants entrance and even through my hate I couldn't help but admire the club, it was... exquisite.

It was fitted with exclusive Jacuzzis and pools, twelve individually themed nightclub rooms for people with.... different tastes.

Six VIP Luxury rooms. Three super Restaurants seating 410 and a midnight cafe. A Sports Central Game room with over 102 TVs with various world sporting events and over 198 Gaming devices for customer entertainment. About eighteen rooms for entertainment, which were all no doubt sophisticated. Exterior beach pool with mountains and waterfalls for conducting summer parties.

A parking lot for fifty five thousand people including six helicopter landing pads to accommodate high-profile business executive travellers and the high class members. And a different area for executive members.

I opened the first door I saw and was engulfed into a cacophony of barked orders sometimes in French and people in white aprons nearly tripping over themselves in the massive area. The sizzling sounds were nearly drowned out by the sound of dough being manually kneaded. Someone was operating and an electrical blender and I saw a blob of pizza dough being tossed in the air. The smell that wafted out of the ovens was divine and I'm sure I would have lost myself if the person I assumed to be the cook didn't suddenly pin me down with a glare.

"You the replacement? Wash, wear apron the things useful or I knife you."

The person who I assume to be the head chef spoke the english with a heavy accent pointing a rather scary looking steak knife at my direction.

Looking down at my large over coat I started to panic as I wondered what to say.

I didn't come to cook I came to take my clothes off?

"She's with me Mr Lavingne. You raise your voice far too much for a handsome man."

A pretty woman who looked to be thirty or so said on my behalf making the fifty something year old man involuntarily blush.

"She no cook, she go out."

Mr. Lavinge man insisted.

"As his majesty wishes."

My guardian angel said good naturedly and lead me away from the kitchen.

As we left I silently wished I had come here to work as a cook not a stripper.

After she closed the door when we entered what seemed to be the powder room /back stage she addressed me for the first time.

"You must be the new girl they sent. I'm Garcia I'm a prostitute."

So my guardian angel was a prostitute. Great.