Flora continued to clean the table, pretending not to notice.
Candy happily followed Dylan out, and the others left as well.
The private room went from suffocatingly busy to eerily quiet in just a snap of that man’s fingers.
Flora quickly tidied up the table, which was now adorned with several unopened, ridiculously expensive bottles of red wine.
A smile spread across her face; she had some extra cash coming her way.
After swiftly cleaning up, Flora went to the break room to change out of her work clothes. She took out the money from her bra, totaling eight or nine thousand dollars.
The residual warmth of the money burned her hands. Money sure was hot to the touch!
Flora sniffed and told herself it was no big deal. She secretly stashed a few bottles of wine in her bag and left Desire.
By the time she got home, it was nearly two in the morning. As soon as she opened the door, the living room light came on. Monica, wearing a coat, emerged from her room, “Flora, why are you so late?”
“Oh, I’m tutoring a foreigner who works during the day, so we have to meet up late at night. You wouldn’t believe how our fluent Chinese sounds completely flavorless when spoken by them,” Flora said casually as she took off her shoes, trying to brush it off. “Mom, it’s late. Go to bed.”
“Alright, you should get some rest too.” Although Monica was still suspicious, seeing her daughter home put her at ease. She returned to her bedroom.
Flora collapsed onto her bed, too tired to move. She pulled open her bedside table drawer and took out a resume.
In the photo, a woman with long black hair and a natural face looked strikingly beautiful. Her captivating eyes gazed forward, slightly askew, as if focused on something in the distance.
Someone used to be standing there.
A bitter taste crept up on Flora’s upturned lips. An indescribable sorrow began to spread in her heart.
She buried her head in her pillow. Ever since she joined the workforce, her life had been tainted with endless superficiality.
She carefully placed the resume aside. There was no day shift the day after tomorrow, so she should find a stable job. She was exhausted.
After another long day standing in the mall, Flora didn’t rest for a moment. She hurried back to Desire.
In the break room, a group of women chattered nonstop, occasionally letting out excited squeals.
As soon as Flora walked in, she saw a crowd gathered around Candy, questioning her, “He was amazing, right?”
Candy smiled dreamily, “Oh, come on, don’t ask me like that.”
“Hit the nail on the head! They say Mr. Bowles is quite the playboy, and very generous. Come on, how much did you make last night?” Lily, curious and gossipy, leaned in for an answer.
“A check for ten thousand dollars.”
“Wow—”
“Oh my God—” The revelation sparked a chorus of shrieks. “No way, ten thousand in one night?”
The women around her looked envious, wondering why such good fortune never came their way.
“Hey, Candy, how many times did you guys do it last night?” Lily unabashedly sat down next to her, her crimson lips opening and closing with each word.
Candy blushed, a hint of shyness in her voice, “I don’t know, I hardly slept at all.”
In truth, Dylan hadn’t touched her the night before, but she couldn’t admit that. She couldn’t let herself lose face.
The women giggled suggestively, “He really is amazing , huh…”
One woman spoke enviously, “If I could have just one night like that, I’d be happy even without the money.”
Lily’s disdainful gaze swept over the woman, “Mr. Bowles wants clean women, no, clean girls. You, on the other hand, should try your luck in your next life.”
The woman scoffed, unimpressed, “If I have to wait for my next life, I wonder how long some old ladies will have to wait. They’ll be waiting until the cows come home.”
“What do you mean by that?” Lily shot up from her seat, pointing at the woman.
Unfazed, the woman stood her ground, thrusting her chest out, “Can’t you understand what I’m saying?”
As if she were invisible, Flora changed into her work attire. At Desire, there were no friends, only the constant scheming and backstabbing.
“What’s all the commotion?” Their manager, Tina, strode over to them, “Keep it up, and none of you will come back tomorrow.”
The arguing women finally stopped, but their eyes continued their silent battle.
Life at Desire was full of drama, and Flora was growing more and more tired of it all. With her day off approaching, she knew it was time to find a new, stable job and leave the chaos behind.
“Clap, clap!” Tina brought her hands together, signaling everyone to gather around.
“Does anyone here know how to dance? Our lead dancer is sick and won’t be coming in today. We need a replacement.”
Tina looked at them, her eyes already filled with anxiety. It was down to the wire, and they needed a stroke of luck.
Flora’s heavy eyelids lifted slightly before drooping again.
During her time in college, she had learned to dance. The school even had a special dance class, which she had taken and mastered.
But Flora didn’t step forward. She learned those dances out of interest and never intended to perform them in front of those pleasure-seeking playboys.
Seeing that no one was responding, Tina paced back and forth, the thin heels of her shoes tapping anxiously on the expensive floor.
“The manager said that whoever goes up there and dances for fifteen minutes will get one thousand dollars.”
“Wow, that’s a lot!” The gathered crowd gasped in surprise.
Even Flora was tempted. Five thousand dollars would be more than what she could earn working at a supermarket for half a month.
Tina crossed her arms, her eyes scanning over everyone’s faces, her impatience and anxiety showing clearly.
Hesitating for a moment, Flora finally raised her hand with a heavy heart, “Tina, I can do it.”
She didn’t know what her emotions should be at that moment; all she knew was a strong feeling spreading in her heart, as if she were selling herself.
“Really?” Tina pulled her out of the crowd excitedly, “Did you learn how to dance before?”
“Yes, during my time in school. I even performed at the school’s anniversary.” Flora confidently looked at Tina, not hesitating for a moment.
“Great.” Tina happily led her out of the break room, “Follow me.”
The two entered a private room next door, where Tina found a fitting outfit for Flora to change into. “Hurry up,” she urged, “you’ll be going on stage soon.”
Flora changed into ultra-short hot pants and a pair of black thigh-high boots, incredibly seductive. The tight, midriff-baring top she wore accentuated her slender waist.
With a gentle pull of her hairband, her jet-black hair cascaded down to her waist.
She was naturally full of charm, no training needed.
In the center of the dance floor, a tall T-stage towered over the entire bar. It felt as if it was suspended in mid-air like a cloud drifting across the sky. The DJ, wearing headphones, kicked off the night of revelry.
“Up next, please welcome Desire’s hottest and most charming beauty! She’ll take us all to a whole new high, so let’s get our applause and bodies moving!” The DJ’s voice, accompanied by the flickering lights, elicited enthusiastic cheers.
Flora stepped onto the glass walkway as the central T-stage slowly lowered. She stepped onto the platform, which slowly extended into the air above the crowd.
“Ohhh!” The people below clapped non-stop, accompanied by occasional whistles.
Suddenly, amidst the noise, the dim lights on the dance floor went out completely.
In mid-air, spotlights converged, casting a bewitching red glow.
Flora grabbed the shiny steel pole with one hand, her body moving like a snake. Her graceful figure, illuminated by the lights, was enchantingly captivating.
Her tight hips pressed against the pole, moving seductively in time with her body.
Her black hair wrapped around her arm, she half-turned, her eyes enticing. Her sensual dance moves made the atmosphere in the dance floor rise wave after wave.
Using the strength of her legs, Flora wrapped both hands around the pole, her lower body spinning in the air.
At the pinnacle of desire, her slender legs clung to the pole as she hung upside down, her body arching gracefully. She grabbed the pole with one hand and slid down slowly.
Her voluptuous chest and perfect hips were showcased to the fullest in her pole dance, exuding an indescribable allure. Her face was hazy and mesmerizing.
The atmosphere below reached its peak as Flora effortlessly completed the 15-minute dance, looking down at the crowd below with a sense of accomplishment.
In a corner on the third floor, a large floor-to-ceiling window was covered with black beaded curtains, completely separating Desire into two spaces.
A hand pulled the curtains open slightly, and Dylan brought his wine glass to his lips, taking a sip.
The corner of his dangerously seductive mouth curled up slightly as he extended his long index finger, gesturing.
As the T-stage descended, Flora returned to the walkway under the security arrangements. Just as she was about to step off, she was stopped by two people.
“Our big boss wants to see you.”
