Chapter 4

Grace’s POV

How would you love working as a babysitter?

His words ripped through me like a bullet, and I gasped.

I looked up at him, hoping to see a grin that would say he was teasing me, but his eyes shone with seriousness.

“A babysitter?” I repeated blindly.

“You seem very eager to prove your worth to me. I’m giving you a chance to do that.”

“I want to work at the company, not look after your kids,” I snapped.

His eyes darkened for a bit, and then he chuckled. “Right. I see you have turned down my proposition. Have a nice life, Grace.”

As though on cue, the elevator chimed, and its door opened. He stepped out in a hurry and moved toward his car.

I raced after him. Was this some kind of test?

“Mr. Morgan, hold on.”

He turned to face me, and I could see the expectancy in his eyes. “Did you change your mind already?”

I ignored his question. “Aren’t you uncomfortable that someone clumsy like me will take care of your kids?” I was hoping he would rethink and place me back in my former role.

“If I recall correctly, you are eager to demonstrate your competence. If you do a good job with my kids, I can rethink taking you back to the office.”

My heart sank. “I don’t want to be a babysitter,” I said quietly, hoping I didn’t offend him with my lack of enthusiasm.

“A lot of people love being around kids. I see you aren’t so keen on children,” he taunted.

I swallowed hard. I hated what he was doing; it seemed he wanted to goad me into accepting the offer.

“I don’t think I’m great with kids. I mean, I’m an only child, and I never had to look after anyone. I don’t have any experience with children.”

“That’s a lame excuse, Grace. Why do you make it sound like kids are monsters?”

I shook my head quickly. “Quite the contrary, Mr. Morgan. I believe children are sweet creatures deserving of the best.”

“Have a good day, Grace,” he said and started walking briskly to the gleaming black car before him.

I wondered why he chose to be on a first-name basis with me. I moved quickly and grabbed his hand. It was an adrenaline move, and I wasn’t thinking straight anymore.

“Can I at least think about it?” I asked. I didn’t intend to, but I hated the anger I saw on his face. I would probably pass out if I had to babysit anyone.

“I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you,” he said smoothly and slid into the driver’s seat.

I watched helplessly as he drove out of the garage. I swore aloud, and the tears fell again, hard and fast.

“Asshole,” I whispered as I dabbed my wet cheeks.

***

“He’s really an asshole, Grace. How could he be so mean?” my best friend, Kimberly, said and reached out to rub my palms. We were seated in our favorite restaurant, having dinner.

It was Kimberly’s treat.

“Maybe he’s just concerned about his kids,” I said softly.

Kimberly scoffed and dug into her ribs. “I can’t believe you, girl. That man tried to make a fool of you by suggesting he hire you as a babysitter? I wish I could punch his handsome face.”

I smiled a little and poked at my food. I was no longer enthusiastic about the delicious meal I ordered. “I broke a really expensive vase and made a complete fool of myself.”

“And he chose to pay you back with an outrageous offer.” She closed her eyes for a few minutes and reopened them. There was a strange light in her eyes.

“What are you thinking, Kim? Please don’t tell me I should have considered his offer.”

“Did he mention how much he’s paying?” she asked.

I took a sip of water. “No. I really don’t care if he’s handing out gold bars. I’m not going to babysit some rich, spoiled brats.”

We shared a laugh and were quiet for a while. “What are you going to do now?” she asked.

I sighed. “I’m going to be alright. I will find one of our friends to have me for the night, and tomorrow, I will figure something out.”

The waitress arrived with our drinks, and Kim paused her response. After the smiling blonde left, she resumed. “Why don’t you tell your mom?”

I groaned and dropped my porcelain spoon. “She’s going to fret and run home. I will feel guilty about that.”

“What about your dad?” she tried again.

I dabbed my lips with a towel, my appetite completely gone. “Come on, Kimberly, I don’t even know which part of the world he is in at the moment. Plus, he wouldn’t care if I was homeless or dead.”

My father and I shared a love-hate relationship. He was never there long before his eventual divorce from my mom. I stopped caring about him, and he matched my energy.

“Then come stay with Mike and me.”

Mike was Kim’s boyfriend, and she had recently moved in with him. She didn’t know yet, but Mike had already sent me samples of rings to pick from.

I shook my head sadly. “I can’t. I need to figure this out on my own. Thank you for asking, though.”

Kimberly and I have been friends since high school. She was like a sister to me, and she had been my anchor after my ex eloped with my stuff. We had shared the studio flat until she moved in with her boyfriend.

She gave me a smile and grasped my palm again. “Hey, you got me. Call me if you change your mind. Mike and I would love for you to stay. You are like a sister to me, Grace.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Speaking of jobs,” Kimberly reached for her purse and extracted an index card toward me, “I ran into Maya, and she mentioned they were hiring.”

I snatched at the card and skimmed through the information on the tasteful business card. “It’s a club. Some kind of exclusive club for the very rich.”

Kim chewed her food slowly and continued: “Yeah. Apparently, she is a manager there, and the pay is mind-blowing. I guess you don’t need it. They are probably looking for strippers.”

“I will take a chance,” I blurted out.

Kimberly spluttered. “You want to become a stripper?”

I glanced down at the card again. “Why not? I could save up some money to find a place. Who knows?”

Kimberly wasn’t so sure. “It could be dangerous. You don’t know the kind of men you will find there.”

I felt a tinge of fear clutch my heart, but I waved it off quickly. “Come on, Kim. It’s an exclusive club for the very rich. It’s not a trafficking ring. Thank God I took those dance classes back in college.”

Kimberly looked into my eyes and asked, “Are you sure about this?”

I took another sip of water. “Of course. I’m going to do this while I job hunt.”

“Promise you are going to be careful. I never imagined you as a stripper.”

I slipped the card into my purse. “Me too.”

***

The taxi rolled to a stop in front of the club. In the daylight, it looked like a Fortune 500 company. I walked to the double glass doors, rethinking my decision. I wasn’t so sure about being a stripper now. I thought about my misfortune and the ridiculous offer from Kelvin Morgan, and my resolve was strengthened.

A bodyguard at the door checked me for weapons before handing me a visitor’s tag and ushering me indoors.

The aesthetic inside made my mouth go dry. The whole decor screamed opulence, class, and old money. I saw a few girls loitering in a corner, and the dawn of realization hit me as I made my way into the large room.

“Grace?” a voice called.

I turned to the sound and beamed at Maya standing behind me. She was dressed in an olive green business suit, her blonde hair cut short with highlighted roots. I was taken aback by her glow. She moved forward and gathered me in a hug.

“I didn’t think you would make it down here after our chat on the phone. Please follow me to my office.”

I followed her up a flight of stairs to an airy office with a great view of the city. She waved me onto a tasteful black couch and joined me.

“What are you doing here?”

I decided to cut to the chase immediately. “I need a job, Maya.”

She narrowed her eyes at me and said nothing in response. She hit a button next to her, and a man appeared with drinks.

She took a glass of bubbly champagne. “Drink up.”

I took a glass and sipped slowly. Her office was done nicely, and I couldn’t spot any sign that gave away the club’s true objective.

“Why would you want to work here?”

I didn’t want to share my sob story anymore. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you yet, but I can assure you getting a job here will be such a relief.”

Maya didn’t speak for a while; she simply continued sipping her drink. I held my breath, hoping Maya wouldn’t turn down my request.

“Can you dance?” she asked suddenly.

I nodded enthusiastically. “I took dancing classes in college, and I look good in lingerie.”

Maya smiled. “Are you sure about this, Grace? I have a feeling you won’t last here.”

“Positive. I thought long and hard about it. Don’t worry, I’m going to be fine.”

Maya exhaled, “Alright. I’m counting on you. You will need a quick tutorial on what’s expected of you and to sign a few contracts. Your makeup and uniform are on the house.”

I nodded at the pieces of information. Maya continued. “You are free to use a disguise or mask.” She smiled at my widened eyes. “We aim at making everyone feel relaxed here. You can go as far as adopting a false name. We just want to keep your identity safe if it makes you feel better.”

“That’s a relief,” I said.

When she mentioned the hourly pay, my knees buckled in relief. I could get my life back if I worked a few months.

“Grace, there’s something else,” Maya’s voice dipped.

“What’s that?”

She dropped her glass. “Sometimes clients request a private session. It pays higher, and you can decide to go all the way. Of course, it must be consensual.”

My jaw dropped when the realization struck, and I almost whispered when Maya confirmed my fears.

“I’m saying it’s okay to have sex with your exclusive client as long as it’s consensual.”