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TO REACHING OUR DREAMS
KARINA
Iwas an assignment. Nothing more.
And if that was what Nathan wanted, then I’d finally give him that.
Sneaking out of the window was a bit too easy. For a trained guard, Nathan should have caught me as I was leaving, but he didn’t, and I wouldn’t complain. My friends were waiting for me.
A five-hour drive out to Crystal View City, New York was all it took to get to them. The driver, a man my father had recently hired, promised to keep his mouth shut throughout the entire ride. All I had to do was show him an exclusive modeling shoot, which wasn’t a problem. I just had to choose one from the hundreds on my phone. Only, he wouldn’t get the kind he was hoping to get.
Unlike most of the girls at Risque Dreams, I didn’t add nudes to my resume. Something had to cover my body in some form if I was completely undressed. I had made it clear when I first started who I was and what I was there for, what I would do and what I wouldn’t. Some of my co-workers thought I was just stuck up, but the truth was, I had an image to uphold. I didn’t care who knew I had standards, and with that mindset, I gained respect from the higher-ups in the company and photographers.
“Here we are, Cherry Pops Strip Club.” He looked at me from the rearview mirror with a smile, one that said he knew my dirty secrets. In reality, he didn’t know how far from the truth he was.
“Thank you. When I get back, I’ll show you those photos.” I reached over and pulled the latch, pushing the door open.
“As long as I get to see them.” He chuckled.
“A Vasiliev always keeps their promise,” I assured him, sliding out of the car.
My heels clicked upon the sidewalk as I walked to the front of the line, brushing a loose strand of hair from my shoulder.
I locked eyes with the bouncer. His smile grew as I reached him. “Karina Vasiliev. I haven’t seen you here in months.”
“It’s been far too long.” Six months to be exact. I smiled at him in return.
“You girls are in the usual spot.” He unhooked the red velvet rope, and I stepped into the club.
A raspy voice sang to the banging drums, an electric guitar version of Pony overhead. That was Bunny’s song. My eyes drifted to the stage, seeing one of my best friends. For a small woman, she had curves to make the men go crazy for her. They tossed dollars in her direction as she crawled to a guy in a chair. She pulled him by the collar, bringing his face close to hers. I smiled, internally cheering her on. My best friend was a tease, but she was also one of the best people I knew.
A hand on my shoulder pulled my attention. I turned, seeing my other friend, Vivianna. Her brown hair looked almost red under the dimmed lights of the club. She smiled brightly at me, and without a word, she took my hand in hers. I followed her lead as she brought me towards the back of the club, behind one of the soundproof doors.
The second the doors shut, she wrapped her arms around me. “I can’t believe you’re finally here!” Vi squealed. I hugged her in return. It was nice to be alongside real friends for a change.
Vi was one of the first friends I made when my father moved to the states from Russia. Always busy, he shipped me away to boarding school. A private elite school for the rich, five hours away from Boston and more than a fifteen-minute drive from Cherry Pops. Vi and I were only two years apart, but clicked instantly. Ever since then, we were like sisters.
“Neither can I. Almost thought I wouldn’t be able to come.” Thanks to a certain bodyguard of mine.
“But you’re here now,” she said with a smile. “So, what’s been going on? What are you doing back?”
Neither of my friends knew why I moved back. I didn’t need them worrying about me when the situation would be investigated and dealt with. “I’m taking a mini-vacation.”
Vi sighed, the look in her eye telling me she knew there was more to the story, but she also wasn’t one to push me into saying things I didn’t want. “As long as you’re ok, Rin.”
“I am, promise. My father will handle things.”
“Still.” Vi stepped back and walked over to the large red couch across from the entrance. She lowered herself down on it elegantly, the way only Vi would, and poured two glasses of Primo Amore Moscato.
“What about you?” I asked her, taking a glass.
“The usual. Dad is always elsewhere, gambling while I take care of the house and check in on my sister.”
That’s what I liked about Vi. She was responsible, loving, and caring. Mr. Delacroix, her father, owned a spa business, and when his wife passed away, he fell into depression. Gambling was his coping mechanism. One that slowly became an addiction. Instead of losing it, my father proposed a partnership. Unfortunately, that never stopped him from wagering other things.
“I’m sorry, Vi.”
“It’s fine. It’s not like I even know what I want to do with my life. You have modeling, Bunny has dancing, and I… have people’s problems to take care of.”
“I can change that.” I smiled and took a seat beside her.
She shook her head. “But you know I would rather fix my life on my terms.”
“Yeah, I do.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and placed a gentle kiss on her head.
The door swung open and my eyes shifted up to the small brunette who had been dancing on stage, dressed in nothing but blue lingerie, a smile on her lips. In her hands, she held a stack full of cash. Stepping inside, the door closed behind her, cutting off the loud drum solo from the main room.
“Thirty bucks.” She waved the money around. “Not bad for the first dance of the night.”
Her eyes drifted to me, a look I knew all too well. “I am not paying you for a lap dance,” I told her.
She laughed. “You always offer to give Vi money, but never me.”
“That’s because I bought your family's house and pulled you out of an unpleasant situation.”
When I first met Bunny—Banessa, she was fourteen, working under the table at the academy, helping in the cafeteria. Her mother was a lunch lady and to make things easier, the school allowed Bunny to take part in classes. Unlike Vi, Bunny didn’t come from money. So, we always tried to help her out as much as we could.
“What about my dreams?” Bunny pouted.
Yes, the dancing, “Last time I checked, you never showed up to any of the auditions I told you about.”
“Because I was busy, right Vi?”
Vi nodded and leaned over. My arm slid off her shoulder as she poured another glass of wine for us. “She has been busy. Working here to help with her brother.”
Singular. “What happened to the troublemaker?”
“Other than the usual crimes? Nothing, he’s still in jail.”
Bunny’s life wasn’t easy, and I knew I would never understand the type of world she lived in. Bunny’s entire culture differed from mine and Vi’s. Her older brother stole for money and although he was in the wrong, Bunny always hoped he’d change his ways.
“And the little one?” I asked.
“At school with your brother and Vi’s sister.”
I hummed. “Well, I’m back in Boston, so we can go to an audition together. That way, I’ll know you made it.”
Bunny squealed and rushed over to my side, hugging me tightly. “Thank you, thank you! This is why I love you,” she told me, planting a big kiss on my cheek before letting go. She placed her money down on the table, grabbed the glass nearby, and held it up to us. “I propose a toast.”
Vi and I followed along, grabbing our glasses, holding them up close to one another. “To Vi, not having to deal with her father’s bullshit anymore. To myself, soon to no longer be an exotic dancer, but a professional dancer for…” she paused for a moment. “I’m not sure yet, but whatever I decide.” She chuckled. “And to Rin, for always being there and being her own person outside of her father’s shadow.”
“To reaching our dreams.” I smiled. We clinked our glasses together and took a sip of wine.
A loud knock caught our attention. All three of us whipped around to see what it was. The door opened with a thud, revealing the one person I really didn’t want to see here; Nathan.
His gaze traveled over the three of us, taking in Bunny’s appearance first. His attention lingered on her before making their way to look between Vi and me.
Nathan smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, making his muscles strain against the fabric of his suit. He stood tall, a gleam in his gray eyes. “So, this is your secret hideaway. I didn’t think princesses were into such sinful places,” he said, a smirk on his lips.
Bunny nudged my shoulder. I looked over at her, but her eyes never left Nathan. She wanted to know who he was, and I couldn’t even blame her. There was no denying it. He was attractive, probably one of the most attractive men my father had ever assigned to me. Still, he had an arrogant and playful, as well as a cocky, attitude.
I didn’t know much about Nathan, and after catching him in the dungeon the other day, I was sure I knew nothing at all.
I sighed, glancing back over to the man who refused to take his eyes off of me. “What are you doing here, Mr. James?”
He chuckled. “We don’t have to be formal, Miss Vasiliev.”
“Does that mean I can call him daddy?” I heard Bunny mutter beside me.
His hand went up to his mouth as he cleared his throat. Oh, he definitely heard her. “I’m here because I’m doing my job.”
“And what exactly is your job?” Bunny asked loudly.
His eyes drifted to her. “To watch over Karina and make sure she’s protected by any means necessary.”
“I’m safe here. You can go.” I waved him off. He looked back at me with a smirk.
“I don’t think so.” He stepped closer to us, leaning over. Quickly, before I could stop him, he grabbed the bottle of Moscato from the table, the only thing separating us. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. Besides, you’ve been drinking.”
“I had a glass with friends…” I told him, “to whom you are being very rude to.” I pouted.
He laughed, looking over at Vi. “Miss Delacroix. It’s nice to see you.”
“Vivianna. I don’t think I can say the same.” Vi tilted her head to the side, a glare in her eyes as if they had met before.
“How is your father? Is he looking for more companies to run to the ground?” Nathan asked, an eyebrow raised at her.
Vi’s silent but deadly glare had Bunny jumping between them. “I’m Banessa… Bunny,” she said, her best flirty smile on her face.
She held her hand out to Nathan, but he didn’t take it. Instead, he simply smiled at her.
“Nice to meet you. Nathan James, personal bodyguard.” He told her, that ever-present mischievous glint in his eye.
Bunny leaned over to me, not thrown off by him, not taking her hand. “Can I borrow him? Just for like a day... or maybe a couple of months?” She asked, loud and clear for everyone to hear.
I scoffed. “You can have him.”
“Sorry. I’m off-limits. For Karina only.” He chuckled, looking at her.
His eyes trailed over her partially naked body with ease. Unlike the way he pealed his gaze from me, he simply looked away, unfazed. Still, Nathan was a man. Partially naked women distracted Nathan. All I had to do was find him someone, and my friends and I could escape.
“Right,” I said. “And as my bodyguard, it’s only fair I buy you a lap dance.” I looked between the two girls. They were both smiling back at me, knowing exactly what I was getting at.
“Oh yes, definitely.” Vi chimed in.
“And I know the perfect dancer for you.” Bunny smiled, standing up. She walked around the table and reached for his hand, but he was too quick for her, stuffing them in his pockets.
But Bunny was Bunny, and she simply wrapped her arm around his elbow, pulling him. “You are going to love her. Her name is Candy.”
Nathan didn’t seem to resist, but he looked back at me, mouthing words I comprehended.
I’ll get you back for this.
