The plane ride was shorter than I expected, especially since the flight attendants didn't tell me where we were going until the last twenty minutes of the flight.
New York City. The city that never sleeps.
I had never been. Hell, I'd never been anywhere outside of Louisiana.
There should've been a rush of excitement, moving to one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
If the circumstances were different, I'm sure I'd be as hopeful as they come, but considering I'm only here because I was traded to settle a debt really takes the joy out of it.
I've been trying to convince myself that leaving the El Royale is a good thing. The quality of the club was so shitty, I wouldn't even allow myself to die in there.
Then again, I'm walking into my new job completely blind, not knowing anything about my new boss, other than his last name, Giordano.
I'd read it while I was boarding and when I asked the flight attendants what company the plane was from, they said it was privately owned by that man.
The name sounded familiar to me, but then again, so did a lot of names. I'd been around Richard long enough to hear his mafia phone calls, and names like Romano, Diego, and Giordano came up frequently, though I never knew who they really were.
Well, I guess I was about to find out.
The plane landed just as the sun was coming up. Since I've never been on one before, the sunrise 30,000 feet above the ground was one of the most beautiful I'd ever witnessed.
When we landed, I was escorted into a black limo alone. We drove for about thirty minutes, the whole time I felt like I was gonna throw up.
Being brave enough to accept my situation was one thing, but no one is prepared to go through it.
This man could be ten times worse than Richard. He could be one hundred times worse.
Richard and his little mob were one thing, but a real mafia leader? I wasn't prepared for that.
Still, we're given the cards we dealt, and even though I should've paid attention to who I circled, I have to do what I'm supposed to do, which actually hasn't been specified yet.
I waited for tables not danced on them. Even though they made more money than me, I was conservative. Wearing sexy lingerie in front of a hundred people would make me extremely self-conscious, hence the waitressing.
The car pulled up to a tall, black building that stretched so high you'd think it was a plane hazard.
Then again, this was New York, a city famous for its skyscrapers.
I was impressed by its beauty, but nothing was more stunning than New Orleans.
The only thing odd though was the feeling of being cold something I'm not used to.
The closest thing to freezing I ever felt was leaving my ac on all night in my apartment.
The driver opened my door for me and I stepped out. My eyes instinctively darted around the city, taking in the giant screens and the luxury shops.
Okay, this might be an interesting place to live, but nowhere near as extravagant as my real home.
My eyes fell on the building in front of us with its name written on the glass doors, Giordano Hotel.
Before I could take it all in, the man ushered me through the doors a doorman had held open for us. Everything was grey and white but there wasn't a sterile hospital vibe to it, but more of a calm yet luxurious feel to the place and this was only the lobby.
And once again before I could notice any real details, I was shoved away into a glass elevator.
"Where are we going," I asked.
The man didn't respond. I tried taking my luggage from him but he moved it away from me.
The lift took us up and I was able to get a better view of the city. The people faded away compared to the skyscrapers. They were so extensive and creative with their architectural styles.
And even this early in the morning, the streets began to flood with tourists and businessmen.
The elevator door dinged and I was escorted down a hallway. He swiped a white card and opened the door, pushing me inside along with my bags.
"Wait."
Before I could ask him anything, he closed the door. I didn't dare try to open it and I doubt they'd leave it unlocked.
Sighing, I grabbed the handle on my suitcase and turned around. He brought me to a hotel room. A very luxurious one.
The bed was queen sized with a quilted headboard. There was a white bench that stretched across the window, which was pretty much the wall, except for the bookcases that stood on each side.
At least I had a place to stay. Or did I? I could only be here for the night and then sent to find an apartment.
Oh well, I thought. There was a bed right in front of me and I haven't slept yet, not including my mini coma from when I was kidnapped.
I placed my suitcase beside the bed, took off my shoes, climbed on top of the silk sheets and fell asleep.
~*~
My eyes shot open when I felt someone grip my arm. I rolled over quickly with wide eyes to find a maid standing beside the bed.
"Miss Merritt," She said softly, "I've been sent to help you get ready."
"Ready for what?"
"The other girls. They need to observe you."
Observe? And what other girls? I didn't get the opportunity to question her as I was rushed out of bed and given new clothes to wear. The maid instructed me to shower and I did but she stood outside the door hurrying me.
I changed into a creamy white dress and put my hair into a ponytail and was brought into the elevator again, but we went down this time, past the lobby and probably past the basement.
When we finally got out, it was nothing I expected it to be.
Everything from the crescent booths to the bar was draped in black with white lighting coming from the sparkling chandeliers.
The bar stretched across the entire perimeter and in the back of it all was a stage with deep red curtains.
A hidden gentleman's club most likely was unknown to the guests in the building. Compared to the El Royale, this place was like the white house of strip clubs.
The woman brought me to a back room that turned out to be a private section, probably for VIP guests. We kept walking through another door down another hallway until we came upon a room with a sign that said, 'Dancers only'.
She opened it and inside were at least twenty girls doing their makeup and changing in front of everyone.
The woman clapped to get their attention, though we mad most of it when we walked inside.
"Everyone, we have a new member. This is Anastasia Merritt. She will need some help in getting started. Ms. Park? Do you think you could handle it?"
"I take offense to that," an Asian girl said, standing up from her vanity. She had long, silky black hair and wore a black robe like many of them did. "Hello, I'm Lily. you know, it's not often we get new girls this late in the year. Were you transferred from another Giordano club?"
"Oh, um, no, not exactly. I'm from another club not owned by him."
"Hm, that's odd. We almost never get outsiders. What did you say your name was again?"
"Oh, you can just call me Anna."
"Well, Anna, it's nice to meet you." She shook my hand and smiled. "Word of advice, most of the girls here are attracted to drama so if you're not into that kind of stuff you should stick with me."
"Oh, okay, well, the lady said I needed to be observed? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's just something to do with all the new recruits. Don't worry, it's just a simple evaluation. We need to see your strengths and weaknesses during a dance."
"Dance? Wait is second-,"
"Oh, a new girl," said a light-skinned beauty. "Didn't know we were getting one today. How's it going, I'm Isabelle but you can call me Izzy."
"Nice to meet you."
"We should start with your dancing. What size shoe are you? I hope you're comfortable with 6-inch heels."
Six inches? Oh no.
"No."
"Oh, okay. How about a wardrobe change. I sure we have something perfect for you. You look like a red kind of girl."
"That's what I was thinking," Isabelle agreed," Her skin tone and hair really balances out the color."
"Wait for a second, there's been a misunderstanding."
The girls looked baffled. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not a stripper."