officiallyjm

[officiallyjm]

Zaria

It was a Friday morning and normally I don't wake up this early but I have work tonight and I feel like it's better to start my day off right. My alarm sounded, and I immediately became annoyed so I just decided to get up anyway because I have a breakfast date with Jimin. I honestly forgot about him, because this week has been so hectic but nevertheless, I have to get ready to see the bestie. I really need to check the weather outside so I can be prepared for today, actually, scratch that I need to call Jimin so I can figure out what to wear.

"Hey Siri FaceTime jay bae" rinnggggg .......ringggg ........ Ringgggg........

"Hello," said Jimin.

"Hey, babes!!! I called you to figure out what to wear for our breakfast date this morning," I exclaimed.

"I am wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, with a white shirt, my black jean jacket, and my click clacks," Jimin explained while driving to my house.

"Okay, sounds great, I think I'll match with you. Are you on the way over here now? Cause I haven't showered yet and you know it takes me a long time to get ready," I said in a frustrated manner.

"Yeah I'm on the way, you should have woken up sooner because we have had this planned for two weeks so there's no excuse for you to not be ready," Jimin exclaimed.

"Well I guess you're right, Can't you wait for me? You are the king of running late, but when I do it there's a problem," I semi-yelled with a bit of annoyance hidden in my voice.

" Zaria watch how you talk to daddy you know I don't like it when you talk back. You wouldn't want to walk into work wobbling like you did last Friday, do you?" He questioned while having the biggest smirk on his face.

" Wanna bet? I'll see you later Daddy or should I say shortie?" I say while laughing and hanging up in Jimin's face so I can go and get ready.

I turned the shower on so that by the time I picked out my clothes the water would be hot. I walked into my closet and turned the light on hoping that I could find something in a timely manner. What I saw shocked me because I don't remember the last time I actually cleaned my closet. There were clothes and shoes everywhere and I didn't have much time to look for anything because Jimin would be arriving in 15 minutes.

I looked to the right of me and saw an orange crop top and I looked to the left of me and saw some tan cargo pants and my orange Converse. I need to hop in the shower so that I can do my skincare really quickly because I haven't washed my face in days.

                                                        #

"I hope he gets stuck in traffic or something because I know when he sees that I'm not ready he's gonna kill me," I laughed to myself. I was doing my skincare and I heard banging at the door and it startled me, causing me to drop my niacinamide in the sink. After I picked that up and screwed the top on it, I slowly walked down the stairs to get to the front door and looked out the peephole to see Jimin standing there with flowers in his hand.

"Awe are these for me?"I asked while grabbing the flowers and allowing him to come inside so I could close and lock the front door.

"Of course, they are what other brat am I supposed to give these flowers to? And what was all that stuff that you were talking about on the phone?"Jimin teased as he gripped my waist.

"Well I guess you have a point there but I need to finish getting ready for our date, you can come in the bathroom with me. That was my Gemini sister Monica talking on the phone, please forgive her for her behavior," I beg as I drag him towards the bathroom.

"Okay fine just make it quick, we have a reservation for 11:00 and it's 10:38 right now. And don't let that little incident happen again because you almost brought the Libra out of me," he winked at me as he positioned himself on the sink.

Okay", I said smiling, while brushing my edges and fixing the bun on top of my head.

                                                       #

"Jimin, I truly enjoyed myself today. With the rough week I've been having, I needed this break. I love that I always have a friend like you that always has my back," I say while trying to wipe the stray tears away from my now watery eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey look at me, don't ever let me see you cry again. You're too beautiful to be crying, you know that I will always be here for you sunshine. No one and I mean no one can break us apart, our friendship will forever be solid," Jimin explained to me while pulling me into a warm comforting hug. He knew how I grew up and just seeing me achieve so much in my life made him even more proud of me.

"Okay sorry about that I don't know why I got so emotional right then, anyway I unfortunately have to get ready for work tonight. I'm kind of dreading it but knowing you'll be there eases me somewhat. Thank you so much for today, I haven't had this much fun in ages," I said pulling away from the hug, and then they started walking up to my doorstep with Jimin slowly following behind me like a lost puppy.

"Like I said it's no problem but I know you have to get ready for work so I'll see you later baby girl. And you know you can always text or call me if you need me at any time," he said. He kissed my forehead and walked back to his car while waiting for me to walk into the apartment building.

I waved goodbye and dropped everything by the door so I could start rushing to get ready for an eventful night at work. "Okay so all I need to do is run a bath and pick my clothes out and I need to call and check up on the girls to see how they're feeling." I thought to myself as I scrambled to get ready for work.

                                                     #

I think I'm going to call the girls and let them know that I'm on my way to hell.

" Incoming call from Gia," said Siri. I pressed the answer button as I was adding the lip liner to my lips using the car mirror so I could see.

"Well, I guess they beat me to it," I thought to myself as I answered the call.

"Hey girls," I said to Gia and Xiley while letting the car warm up because I haven't driven it in a while and I definitely do not want engine problems because I didn't let my car warm up.

" What are you doing? Are you on your way to work?" They asked as I was getting ready to pull out of the driveway. I was trying to check my work bag to make sure that I had everything in there because with this job I need to be prepared for any type of situation.

"Yeah I'm pulling out of the driveway now, I'll just be a little early today because I'm leaving early instead of late like you Gia,"I explained as I was shifting my gear to drive.

"Are any of y'all at work yet 'cause I don't want to be there by myself, especially on a Friday night?" I said as I was cruising down the road with the windows down enjoying the city air that I was breathing in.

"Yeah I'm here Zaria and it is a little busy but it's nothing that the great trio can't handle," Xiley exclaimed.

"Okay well I'm about 5 minutes away from the club so I'll see y'all in a bit," I said while taking deep breaths. I'm still confused as to why I chose to work in a club knowing I hate this type of scenery.

Maybe it's because of the good pay or maybe I actually enjoy serving some of the nice customers that come through those doors. All of those maybe's are uncertain, what I do know is that if my friends weren't working alongside me then I'd probably find a job that I actually enjoy and that I am more comfortable at.

"Hello and thank you," I said to the bouncer as he opened the club door for me. I'm not really ready but it's a Friday night and the club is always packed during the weekend.

I am kinda introverted so the club isn't really my type of scene, but when we have the right staff working and we have our regular customers I feel really comfortable. I'm kinda here early but that gives me time to prep the bar before the club gets really packed.

"Hey girl, what time did you get here?" I said to Xiley as I was putting my belongings in one of the lockers.

"Hey girl I got here maybe 15 minutes before you got here and girl let me tell you it's some fine men here tonight," she said as she was getting ready to go back out onto the floor.

"Yeah, girl I'll believe it when I see it you know we mainly get regulars and we get newcomers on rare occasions," I say as I was twisting the dial on the lock to ensure that one would be able to get into my locker while I was gone.

"You'll be surprised," she said as she walked back into the club to start serving bottles to people in the VIP room and to people that were on the dance floor. I highly doubt that anyone in this club tonight is actually good-looking tonight but why do I care?

I'm just here to make money so I can go home. As I approach the door I look at the schedule for the night on the right side of the door and I look to see that I am working in the regular part of the club tonight. This isn't great for me because that means less money that can go to my paint supplies, but it's okay because I do work in the VIP lounge sometimes.

Welp, I guess it's time for me to go and prep my station so that I won't have to run back and forth between the storage room and the bar to refill the alcohol bottles when rush hour comes.

"Ugh, these bottles are so heavy idk why I carried all of them at once," I say while walking to the bar area. I placed a tray of alcohol on the bar and then BOOM. "Owww," I said as I rubbed my head while sitting on the ground trying to figure out what happened. I tried standing up but I saw a hand reach out so of course I took it.

"Sorry about that Zaria, I truly didn't see you standing right there," said Joe with a smirk on his face as he was helping me up.

"It's fine," I said while dusting myself off and adjusting my top.

"I'm kinda glad I ran into you because I really need you to work the red room tonight," he said while looking at my cleavage and licking his lips.

"Ummm where's your favorite bartender Jennie? Did she not show up today as usual or did you tell her that she could be 2 or 3 hours late for her shift?" I said, crossing my arms because this is not out of the ordinary for them, sometimes I swear they have something going on.

He really pisses me off because favoritism is crazy, if me, Gia, and Xiley pulled the stunts she did we would be fired.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood tonight because if not you would be fired, but to answer your question I don't know where she is but that doesn't matter. I need you to be the bartender for the night whether you like it or not. So go and prep the bar downstairs and stop fucking complaining and do the job that you're barely good at," he said while walking away from me in a hurry.

Xiley walked up to me and I told her about the conversation between me and Joe. I asked her to work with me in the red room because Jennie hadn't come in for her shift yet and we needed a bottle girl downstairs. Plus I didn't want to be alone with all of those men.

I know this nigga did not insult my work ethic and then proceed to sit here and talk to me like I'm a child. I swear I can't stand this job, at this point either I'm gonna cuss his ass out or I'm gonna go outside and take a breather.

Let's weigh my options if I cuss him out I'm going to be fired and I probably won't be hired at any other club in this vicinity. Or I can choose option B and still have a job, ...... sigh....... I think I need to take a breather before I lose my shit.

I grabbed my jacket and walked outside of the club I don't know if it was the cold air or if reality just struck but I couldn't help but cry. Damn, I need to stop being so emotional all the time I think as I slouch to sit on the stairs that's on the side of the club.

"What's wrong beautiful?" The deep voice asked as he closed the door to come and sit down beside me.

"Hi sorry to disturb you, I was just getting ready to leave," I said standing up quickly and adjusting my jacket getting ready to leave.

"Waitt, I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted to explore the club and I stumbled upon this door and I heard a woman crying so I wanted to check it out," the mysterious man said, grabbing my wrist to prevent me from leaving.

" You didn't scare me, I was just startled that's all, and thank you for checking up on me but I should be leaving," I said as I pulled away from him. As I opened the door I turned around to get a glance at the mysterious man and he was one of the most beautiful men that I had ever seen. I mean besides Jimin of course, but something about this man is so addictive.

"Okay good and no problem sweetheart. I'll let you go but I do have a request, come join me and my friends in the paradise lounge," he said to her wanting to see her face again after their little meetup.

"What a coincidence, I'm bartending for that part of the club tonight so you will definitely see me again Mr," I said, teasing him while biting my lip.

"That's great I'm looking forward to seeing you," the man said while holding the door open for her.

"Okay, I'll see you then, and by the way what's your name again I don't remember catching it," I ask out of curiosity while thinking about all of the nasty things that he could do to me.

" The name is Namjoon and what's yours, beautiful lady?" Namjoon asks while glancing me up and down to look at my attire.

"My name is Zaria and I have to go Namjoon but we'll talk soon," I say while winking at him and strutting away, making sure to add a little extra oomph to my walk.

                                                         #

"Hi, what can I get you tonight?" I asked the gentleman as I was speaking over the loud music in the lower part of the club.

"Umm I'll just take 3 shots of tequila and 1 bloody mary," the man said while trying his hardest not to laugh. By the looks of it I could tell that he was already tipsy on the verge of being drunk but I mean hey what other reason would you come to a club?

"That'll be $76 even sir," I say smiling as I pour the shots of tequila into the shot glasses. Once I finished those I started working on the bloody mary which was pretty simple to make. All I need is vodka, tomato juice, salt and pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and two olives to place on top.

I like how I'm the worst bartender but I managed to finish everything in under 1 minute. I would love to see Jennie do something like this but she's never at work or if she is at work she's never actually working. She only flirts with all of the customers and seduces them just so she can fill her pockets, if anything she's the club's personal hoe.

"Okay here you are sir, I gave you one extra shot of tequila because you spent so much money," I say, placing the drinks down in front of them on the table. I slowly raised back up and I happened to look up at the men sitting right in front of me.

I don't think I have ever seen this many fine men ever in my life, all of them are giving me cold gazes. Which makes me want to crawl into a hole and bury myself, but then I see Namjoon. He was the man that I talked to outside, he looks 10 times better in the light, he wasn't ugly at first but he's damn sure not ugly now.

And then I look to the right of him and I see the man who ordered the drinks at the bar and he looks good as well. In my opinion he doesn't look as good as Namjoon but he looks very good. And then I look to the right of him and I see this fine man, he has tattoos and piercings and he looks kinda grungy. Collectively these men are fine as fuck but I need to get my thoughts together if I'm going to get through the rest of the night.

" Thanks, sweetheart, that was very generous of you, and here's $200 keep the change," the man in the middle said as he was handing me the money. I took the money and thanked all of them for the generous tip. The night was going pretty well, I enjoyed hanging out in paradise with the guys, we didn't interact much but when we did it was pretty chill.

At that point in time, it's like 11:00 at night and I haven't seen Gia or that bitch Jennie in a while, knowing Gia she probably left. And as far as the bitch Jennie, I haven't seen her yet but I'm not complaining.

If she was down here she would have been in all of their faces when her ugly ass is supposed to be behind the bar serving them. I was deep in thought when I heard some footsteps make their way down the stairs. I was cleaning the bar and I looked behind me to see who it was.

"Hi babes," a familiar voice says coming from behind me meaning they are waiting at the bar to order a drink I guess. I slowly turn around and to my surprise I see Jimin standing there wearing a bright red leather jacket, a black shirt, black ripped jeans, and his specialty, the click clacks.

"Jimin," I screamed, throwing the cleaning rag down onto the counter. I ran around the bar to run and jump on him, I knew I had seen him earlier but I missed him so much.

"It seems like someone really missed me," he said while holding me in his arms. I always enjoy seeing him but I heard something in the background that made me try to squirm away from him.

He placed me back on the ground and I turned around to see that gremlin Jennie, she was walking towards my direction. Truth be told, if she says anything to me I'm going to walk out and leave because if I fight her I am going to get fired.

"Why are you on him like that? Why are you working down here with these beautiful men? When you should be up there with those peasants like yourself,"she says to me while looking at Jimin up and down, making me and him uncomfortable.

"Jimin if you don't grab me in the next second I'm going to pounce on this bitch," I say as I'm rolling my sleeves up and moving my septum piercing to the side. I ran at full speed straight for her, I said I wasn't going to fight today but the universe had different plans. Luckily Jimin caught me and was holding me back.

"Zaria go home you don't want to lose your job and don't worry about her she's nothing special," Jimin whispers in my ear as he's trying to calm me down. I don't say a word to him, I go behind the bar grab my jacket, keys, and purse, I look towards the guys and make my way over there because I owe them an apology.

"Hey, I'm sorry about tonight, I'm going home before I beat a bitch ass. It was fun hanging with y'all, I hope to see y'all soon," I say as I walk in the direction of the Jimin.

"Goodnight Zaria and don't worry about it, you're still the coolest bartender we've ever had," they say in unison. I smile to myself thinking maybe they aren't so bad after all.

"Hey Chim I'm leaving I'll text you when I get home, see you tomorrow," I whisper and kiss his cheek as I make my way up the stairs so I can leave this hell.

"Oh and Jennie, next time you should show up for your shift on time so someone won't have to fill in for you. I guess that doesn't make a difference though because it's not like you actually work while you're here anyway," I say with a hint of malice hidden in my voice.

"See you later babes," I hear him saying knowing that he's worried about me.

[officiallyjm]

Xiley

It was sundown and the club was beginning to become packed. I threw a few shots back and closed my eyes tightly, tensing as the burning sensation ran through my body. My feet were vibrating, and I could feel the bass booming in my fingertips. The club seemed to be where I was the least free. I feel so trapped here from time to time, almost like I can't make it through the night if I don't have alcohol in my system. I need tonight to go smoothly. This week has been slow and I have to make at least $200 in spending money. I imagine tonight will be quickly paced seeing as though I just arrived, and the club is filled with more than the regulars.

Working at the club has been fun, and it's usually enjoyable. Free drinks, hot girls, and great music make for a good time, I couldn't complain. However, my life and the club have somehow intertwined. Just like the outside world, I've gotten used to the creeps who cat-call and barely give a dime to the woman who's delivering their drinks, but I assume it's because they're focused on the women shaking their asses. I can't blame them. The women who work here are breathtakingly gorgeous. It was almost as if a Greek God dropped them down from the heavens, and guided them to this club, whispering in their ears that this was their calling.

Interrupting my thoughts, I could feel my body heating up. My limbs started to loosen and I felt more wired, my mind quickly registered that my pre-game began to run its course.

I looked myself over in the mirror, assessing my body and taking myself in. My brown lip combo had smudged a bit, so I reapplied it. Just as I was finishing, my phone started to ring and I was met with a familiar face on the screen. "Hi Mingi, what cha doin'?" I sang into his ear with a grin on my face.

"Nothing pretty girl, just sitting down debating if I should come over tonight." He awaited my answer, knowing it would be the same as always. I sat down with my phone to my ear, and a tube of lipgloss in my hand, applying it as I replied to Mingi. "Is that even debatable?" Mingi let out a chuckle and I could hear him shuffling on the other end.

"I consider a lot of things debatable, I guess you just make me question things."

I smile at his corny attempt to flirt with me.

I hurriedly rushed him off the phone, "I have to go. Just be at my house when I get there. You wouldn't want me all hot and bothered waiting for you, now would you?" Mingi couldn't help himself from smiling from ear to ear, loving the bond the two of you had formed.

"See ya later, sexy." Mingi ended the call, and I couldn't help but squeal. Mingi just gave me the perfect way to end my night.

I stood from my seat in the back room and adjusted my daisy dukes, swimming a finger through the holes in my fishnet leggings. My vision seemed to disappear and all that remained was an empty cloud above my head. Thoughts began to whir into the bubble and I was left gazing at myself in the mirror. Working at the club had its perks, but I felt the pressure of the world and grind culture on my back. It seems that taking a break and enjoying the world around you is illegal nowadays. Oh, how I wish I could just take a walk in the park and paint the scenery. But alas, that just isn't possible.

I let all my worries and frustrations go, and walked into the front of the club, spotting Zaria at the bar. Seeing as though we haven't talked much today, I decided to spark up a conversation with her. "Hi, my lovely. I've missed you. How long has it been, 10 days?" I sarcastically asked, beckoning her in for a hug. "It's been like a good 10 minutes. I can't believe this." She used her hands and motioned as if she were wiping away a tear. "Joe asked me to work earlier today, and I would have, but I like this schedule I have going on right now. I'm quite literally a night light. I'm glowing." I beamed, slightly yelling due to the blaring music.

Most of the energy I had tonight was being fueled by my desires, and the few drinks I had going through my system. If I wanted these people to be more tolerable and appealing to my eyes, I had to take at least one more shot to get my blood pumping. "I do love this thing you have going on." Zaria let out a laugh as she was prepping her materials for the night. I watched intently as I noticed she seemed a bit more comfortable tonight, and I made a mental note to ask her about it later.

Time seemed to slip by me, grazing my fingertips as each minute passed by. It was 7 p.m. which meant my shift had officially begun. I rounded tables, and people, inquiring them to buy more bottles and inciting cheers. Dancing and singing along to songs that I felt nobody understood more than I could. I watched as one of my close friends, Gia, stumbled in late, but to my surprise, she was only around 20 minutes past appropriate arrival. I waved at her and I think she was too high to see what was happening in front of her.

I scanned the club, landing on a group of regulars I attended often. They assigned me the nickname, Marly. It honestly made me a little uneasy, but I allowed it because I could stretch these men out of $100 if I sweet-talked them enough. It was like taking candy from a baby. Needy men were my easiest targets, and they boosted my ego. Was there a better way to make $100 in this economy?

I walked over to the men, sending a smirk toward my favorite. He was an older man who always had on business attire, and he tipped the most. He's never given me his name. I summed this up to him not wanting anyone he may have been associated with to know where he spent most of his evenings. He'd usually be gone by 8, which meant I had to work fast if I wanted the quick money. "Hi, everyone. Today we have a special deal going on. You tip me well, and I give you the usual service of a bottle and a smile. Of course that comes with you watching me dance from across the club." I joked with them and watched as they lit up.

"You know, Marly, you're the only bottle girl who jokes with us. These other stuck-up bottle girls barely come our way." One of the men expresses. I laugh and try to defend my colleagues, explaining that not everyone possesses the same attributes as me. They were persistent and continued to drag my coworkers through the dirt.

Shifting in my stance, no name sent a glance my way, signaling me to move toward him. I walked over, becoming addicted to the attention and praise I was receiving. I looped an arm around his neck, keeping the tray with the bottles steady using only one hand. He wrapped his arm around the nape of my back sending a wave of goosebumps down my arms. He was the type of man that shouldn't be allowed to touch women he hardly knew anything about, simply because he looked as if he couldn't be trusted. He stared at what seemed to be my entire body, and I swear I could hear him taking sniffs of my perfume. "How about I take one of these bottles, and you take this." In his hand sat $200, and on his face sat an unrecognizable grimace that made my skin crawl.

I took the money out of his hand and he reached for the crisp bottle of tequila that stood on my tray. Once he grabbed it, I waved goodbye in a sensual manner and made my way over to the bar to request more bottles. There were plenty of bartenders working tonight, so I assumed it wouldn't take very long to get them. On the flip side, I saw Zaria having a conversation with the club owner, Joe. It wasn't likely that he was praising her work ethic, much more like he was increasing her workload. In this profession though, an increased workload meant increased pay. No one ever complained about more money here at House of Cards.

When I figured Joe was long gone from Zaria, I walked over to her to greet her for the third time tonight and ask her about her short interaction with Joe. "Hi, what was that all about?" I asked Zaria, curiosity drawn neatly over my face. Zaria gathered herself, pinning her gaze on me, and responded, "Joe needs a bottle girl in the Red Room, would you care to join me?" I laughed at her formality. "But of course! I'd love to accompany you in the Red Room." With a smile on her face, she nods and accepts my response.

"If the rich niggas out tonight, I gotta take a shot... so they can take a bite," I said.

Zaria laughed and we proceeded to converse about other things before we would follow through to the Red Room. It was then that Gia walked over to us, spilling information about a man she had recently interacted with. It was no surprise that Gia received attention from random men. She was stunning. A real beaut that made even the most secure doubt themselves.

After our chat, I decided it would be the perfect time to head to the back and fix myself up. I wasn't completely inebriated. I could still feel my toes, and my head wasn't spinning with useless thoughts and images of a perfect world. I looked at the bottle that I kept in the back room. It was a must for almost every shift, especially during this point in my life. I really tried to get myself out of the funk that I was in tonight, but it was following me everywhere. I throw back one last shot for the night, knowing I've reached capacity, and make my way over to the lounge.

Working in the V.I.P. lounge sometimes made me feel a bit at ease because the money was great there. It was more secluded and the men gave you money for being pretty. On big occasions, they practically spread their riches to others. I do suppose  it could be seen as charity, but I enjoy it nonetheless. Charity or not.

As I approached the lounge, I looked up at the lit sign that read Paradise in a bold purple. The employees at the club call Paradise "The Red Room," due to its signature red dim lights that give a sinister vibe to the room. The Red Room was the best part of the club. It smelled so sweet, a hearty scent that landed in your nostrils and stayed there for hours. Paradise held only the best workers. Contrary to the upper level, the Red Room wasn't as quickly paced. It made you realize how calm and collected an ablaze setting like this could be. Pandemonium was the most convincing word I can think of to describe it here.

I walked down the stairs and saw my fellow coworkers, and three men, who were sitting from tallest to shortest. There was a very subtle difference in their height, but they all looked of decent height. I began to saunter over to my friends and give a formal greeting to Gia, who I'd hardly seen tonight. There are a few regulars in the Red Room who are being tended to by other employees. The employees who get racy, and can't help but to run to those who have the most money.

In the blink of an eye, I stroll over to the three men with bottles in my hands, telling them the same line I gave to my regulars earlier in the night. They didn't find it as amusing as I would have hoped, so I hit them with something new. "Well, since y'all aren't feeling my pickup line, how about I feel on you, and you tell me what you'd like then?" The words seemed to spill out from my mouth, and I caught them once they were unbound.

The guy I pointed at had a smirk on his face and watched me intently as I got closer to him. I stood strong, letting my left arm rest on my left leg, wearing a small smile on my lips. I could feel his warm breath on my stomach, a compelling synergy forming between our breathing. He looked up at me. "Oh yeah? Try." My heart began to race. No man in this club had ever had this effect on me. He was almost perfect, and not what I was expecting to see tonight. Most good-looking men stayed on the upper level, not being able to afford the Red Room standard entrance fee. So seeing this beautiful man beneath me caught me by surprise.

His orbs were the most perfect shade of brown that glimmered under the dim lights. They held a certain magnificence that I hadn't seen often in this lifetime. His skin was pale, yet he had a soft tan that made me think he protected it even when he never stepped foot in daylight. He wore a subtle cologne that made my nose hairs raise, searching for his scent without being noticed. The tattoos that coated his arm taunted me. The ambiguity of this man drew me in. I felt that I may have to be physically held back.

Forging confidence, I lean in towards him. "Well, you see... This is a no touching zone," I point to a sign that reads NO TOUCHING, "And I don't break rules."

He let out a silent laugh, turning his head to one of the guys he was with. From what I could make out, the guy he wished to gain the attention of, had eyes that were set on Gia. He turned to me. "I wish I gave a fuck about rules." His gaze went a bit cold, and I loved every second of it. I giggled at his antics, giving him a toothy smile.

I hated that he was making me feel this way. I didn't even know this man, yet he already had such a strong grip on me. I wasted no time moving my body lower to reach his face. I whisked my face towards his neck and took a swipe of it. Slowly teasing him, waiting for him to put a hand on me, or even a finger. I was met with disappointment because he didn't even flinch when I touched him. I couldn't help but become curious about how he wasn't accepting my advances. Nevertheless, I took this as an opportunity to make him yearn for me. "$40 for the bottle, $100 for me," I whispered in his ear.

He shifted in his spot on the sofa, grabbing my waist and sitting me on his lap.

"Dance for me." He demanded.

I wrap my arms around his neck and bring my face directly to his. "I think you've got the wrong idea about me. I'm not a dancer. But, if you'd like, I can find you one..." I trailed off at the end, plastering the best puppy dogs on my face. Puppy dog eyes were my key to roping a man in, and I was guiding him through a maze. I averted my eyes to his lips. He had a lip piercing that he showed more attention to than me. He would swipe his bottom lip with his tongue, and bite it afterwards. It seemed like an invitation, but I didn't want to assume. I disregard his actions, raising my eyes and meeting his.

I start to unravel immediately. He had been watching me watch him. I scanned his entire face and noticed his smirk. He does that a lot. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "Dance for me." He repeated. My mouth fell agape. I didn't know what to do. It was at that moment I began to come down from this high he had me on. We were clearly breaking rules, and now he wanted me to dance for him. Like a dancer. Here in this club. That I work at. I didn't know what to think. I needed the money and I didn't want to cheat myself out of a couple hundred.

A thought crossed my mind, and I reacted quickly. I stood from his lap, grabbing his arm, and leading him into a different section of the Red Room. Somewhere for the two of us to mingle without having too many eyes on our backs. He didn't ask any questions, he just allowed me to drag him through this large room, listening to me throwing "excuse me"'s at every person I bumped into.

The section I found for us was brighter. The Red Room had areas where the lights weren't faint, and you could speak without squawking at someone. There were little cracks that would seep moonlight into the room, spilling a beauty that only I seemed to admire. I trusted those spaces.

I sat the man down, trailing a finger down his torso.

"Because dancing isn't part of my job description, and is out of the ordinary, could I ask of you... something out of the ordinary?" I questioned, taking the same finger and looping it around the string attached to his hoodie. His eyes followed my finger. He took his arm and wrapped it around my waist, pulling me closer to him. He inhaled the perfume I wore and fluttered his eyes closed. "Ask." I spread my legs apart, lifting each one over his, straddling him. "Wha- What's your name?" I hesitantly asked. His arm remained encompassed around my waist as he let out a sigh. "It's Jungkook, pretty sexy right?" He answered, eyes still closed. I started to grind on him, trying to find a good rhythm to the song that was playing. "Yes. Am I?" I asked in a hushed voice, delighted by the view of him below me.

"Beyond." He responded after a few seconds. I could tell he was amused by me. If he opened his eyes, he would believe the same about me.

As the song went on, he tucked bills in my shorts. Smacking my ass from time to time. I was moving in silence. Becoming so caught up in the moment, I developed the sense that we were the only two people left in Paradise. It was like we were in slow motion. I could hear his breathing so clearly and he could hear mine. I grabbed his free hand and put it over my chest, wanting him to feel my heartbeat. I wonder if he could hear it. He finally opened his eyes and looked deeply into mine. "You never gave me your name.." It almost wasn't even a question. It felt like he already knew my name and I tried to stop myself from thinking, you already know my name, stupid. But he didn't.

"Xiley. With an X, not a Z, and don't forget the E-Y." I recited the phrase my mom taught me when I was younger. It felt good hearing it roll off of my tongue after so many years. "Cute. It suits you." He chuckled, gliding his hand up and down my back.

His left arm remained on my chest, feeling the blood-pumping muscle that palpitated at the sound of his voice. We never broke eye contact, and we continued to move in sync until the song ended. It was like we were here forever. When I finally realized the song was over, I quickly jumped off of him, using a hand to cover my mouth. I wasn't ashamed. Far from it actually. I was just kind of embarrassed that I got this carried away at my job. That I was feeling things for a stranger I met in a club.

Jungkook turned his head over to me and laughed. "Oh, embarrassed now? Guess I got you a little out of character." I could feel my face burning up.

"Psh, please. I wasn't even fully in character. You just caught me at a bad time."

"Bad time... meaning your work. I get it. I usually keep business and pleasure separate." He said.

"Oh, so that was pleasurable for you?" I replied, letting out a small laugh.

"Maybe." He shrugged, "I wanna feel more of you, though."

"Really now? How much more?" I asked, not breaking eye contact.

"How much more are you willing to let me have?"

"Enough."

Just then, my phone buzzed in my back pocket. I pulled it out, seeing it was a message from Mingi.

Mingi <3

Waiting..

Attached to his message was a photo of him laying in my bed, wearing a gray shirt that was fitting, and hugging him in all the right places. Jungkook watched as I smiled at my phone. I put a hand over my face and laughed to myself. Checking the time, I was flabbergasted to find I had spent most of the night with Jungkook. It was odd for me to have fun at work with a customer, and even more odd that the customer was a good-looking guy like him. I stopped myself from thinking about the subject any longer.

Without wasting any time, I stand from my seat. "Well, I should get going. It's almost time for me to leave, and you probably wanna get back to your friends." I let out a nervous laugh. He stood as well, wiping his hands on his pants. "Yeah, you're right. You should take my number?"

His demeanor changed. I tried to comprehend the sudden alteration. He went from very demanding, and sexy, to cute, and nervous. It made my heart thump.

I looked around, trying to see if anyone had noticed my absence. "How about I give you mine?" Jungkook smiled and accepted my request. I gave him the 10 digits and pleaded with him to store my contact as Xiley with a cute smiley beside my name, but he insisted on My light because I took him to the brightest part of The Red Room. It wasn't easy agreeing to the name, but I allowed him to do as he pleased. "I'm gonna head back to the guys now. Have a good rest of your night, Xiley with a Z. And I won't forget the E-Y."  I smiled, waving him goodbye. He waved back.

I stood in place watching him walk away from me. It almost hurt a little to see him go. Even though I only met him tonight, I felt like part of me left. Could this feeling be explained? I had no intention of finding out, and I had bigger plans tonight. I prepared myself to walk past him and his friends, putting on my chummiest smile and strutting as if my life depended on it. I could feel his eyes on me. It made my stomach flutter with butterflies.

I made it to the back and gathered my things, trying not to waste too much time here in House of Cards. I headed to the exit door, hitting the button on my keys seeing my car light up inside. My car was a mess and I made a promise to clean it before I made any serious plans. My plans would serve as a reward for my clean car.

During my drives, I love the sound of the car drifting through the air. It makes me feel less on edge. Music is all I hear for hours on hours, and driving serves as my time away from the frequencies that live in my body. I ghost the thoughts as I arrive at my home. Mingi's car was parked out front. All the lights are off but one. A room lit up in blue, cool as the ocean, but once I stepped foot out of my car, all I could see was gray.

-

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you will enjoy it, and not be too hard on me. - S

[officiallyjm]

House of Cards Introduction

Hi!

Thank you for choosing to read our story.

House of Cards was brought about by another writer and myself, and we figured, why not publish it?

To give a simple summary of the book, there are two main characters, Xiley and Zaria, that you will follow throughout the story, as each chapter is written to their tailoring.

We wanted to give lengthy chapters to those who may read, so if we're not on a roll with publishing, you will at least be sitting for a good minute reading one chapter, haha :)