"Stop touching my stuff." My sister, Victoria, voice broke through my sleep haze.
"Oh please. I just took your sweater because mine has a thousand holes in them." My other sister, Penelope quipped back.
"I don't care if you die of cold, don't touch my clothes again or I will break every bone in your body." Victoria yelled.
I groaned. Great! My sleep was being interrupted by my two younger sisters arguing. I rolled to the edge of the bed and stared at my alarm. It was 8:30am. Aren't they supposed to be school? Why were they still at home?
Slowly getting up from my bed, I walked downstairs to find Victoria and Penelope hand in each other's hair fighting like cats and dogs.
"Get your hands off me." Victoria yelled. Even though she was the older than Penelope, she had trouble handling her.
Penelope laughed and pushed Victoria back.
"You are mean, you know that?" Victoria yelled.
Victoria reached back for something but before she could grab for anything, Penelope tripped her.
"You bitch." She yelled.
They fell on the floor and started to wrestle. Normally, I would separate them but I was too tired to do that.
With my job on the line for my bad dancing and rent due in a week, I was feeling extremely stressed out. So I decided to let them fight it out.
After mother's accident which led to her vegetative state and father taking off years ago, I had to become the responsible one.
I paid the bills, tried my best to keep a roof over our heads, and took care of my sisters.
"Why aren't you guys in school?" I asked, walking towards the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.
"We were told not to come in. You know you still haven't paid the development fee." Penelope answered, sitting in a chair at the dining table.
She glanced at Victoria who was still on the ground, screaming in pain.
I rubbed my temple. The development fee. How could I forget?
"How much is it again?" I asked.
"A hundred dollars," Penelope answered.
I sighed. I didn't have that kind of money. Especially since the last money I made was used to pay for a week's worth of food.
"I will get the money later today." I said trying to sound confident.
"Will you really?" Victoria answered, finally getting up from the floor. "This is the third time you promised to pay it."
"Come on Victoria." Penelope snapped at her. "Zoe is trying her best. She's the only one working here. Besides, what happens if something happened to her? We will have no one to look after us and we will be homeless."
Penelope expression suddenly went cold. I could see the tears forming in her eyes. But she quickly wiped them away and hid herself behind a mask of anger.
That was usually how she dealt with her emotions. Ever since father left, she tried to hide her pain behind an angry face. She might be thirteen but I could tell she wasn't dealing with anything well.
"Hey nothing is going to happen to me. I promise. The three of us are in this together. I promise to get the money by the end of today and tomorrow, you two will be back in school." I said holding onto my sisters hands.
Both of them smiled but deep down I knew it was fake. They didn't believe me.
And I guess neither did I.
Where was I going to get a hundred dollars?
******************************
"15 Emerald Ridge Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210." I read the address over and over again as I walked out of my apartment building.
The busy street of Los Angeles was filled with people rushing here and there. Everyone seemed so focused on their own problems. I guess that's just the way life was.
I couldn't help but feel lost.
It was 12:00pm and I needed to see the 'Master' guy before my next shift at the club. I hoped that he would be as helpful as Marge had promised or else I did have to kiss my strip club life goodbye.
"Taxi!!!" I yelled, waving my hand around to attract some attention.
Finally, a yellow cab stopped beside me. I paid the driver and climbed inside.
"Where to?" He asked.
"15 Emerald Ridge Drive. Beverly Hills." I replied.
The driver turned and gave me quick glance.
What a jerk!
I guess he wasn't expecting me to call such a fancy address, considering I was being picked up from one of the worst cities of LA.
It took a few hours to get to Beverly Hills, passing through several heavy traffic areas. Finally, we arrived at my destination.
I couldn't help but stare as I got out of the taxi. The houses were huge, each one more luxurious than the other. They looked like the ones you see in movies.
The street was lined with palm trees and exotic flowers. It was hard to believe that the city I was standing right now was actually in California.
I tugged on the strap of my bag and headed towards the house in front of me.
It was a glass house, with floor-to-ceiling windows that sparkled in the sunlight. The front gate was made of ornate wrought iron, and there was a fountain in the front yard that shot water high into the air.
As I walked up the driveway, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. This was definitely the most expensive house I had ever seen. The door was massive, made of heavy wood and adorned with intricate carvings. I rang the doorbell and waited nervously.
When the door opened, I was greeted by a butler in a black suit. He stared down at me, looking at me as if I was lost.
"Good afternoon Miss. How may I help you?" he asked, his voice monotone and uninterested.
"Ummm….." I replied while rummaging through my bag for the business card.
Finally, I pulled it out and handed it to him. "I am looking for Master." I said.
"Ohhh…." He trailed off. He had a disgusted expression on his face and I could tell that he knew what type of job I was doing. "You're one of them."
I furrowed my brow. "Excuse me?"
He smirked. "One of those girls from the club. Let me guess, you came here for extra lessons on how to please a man?"
"No! No! I mean yes, but not because of that!" I started to explain.
The butler rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Well, if you're not here for the extra lessons then why did you come here?"
I sighed. He was right.
I had come here to learn how to be better at dancing—stripping.
I was about to speak when I heard a deep voice.
"Benjamin. What did I tell you about judging the girls that come to my door seeking for help?" A tall man walked towards us.
My mouth fell open.
Describing the man standing in front of me as sexy would have been a gross understatement. Such a simple word couldn't do justice to his striking appearance.
Though "gorgeous" hardly seemed adequate to describe him either, I couldn't think of a better word.
His soft, dark waves of hair were elegantly swept away from his face, unveiling a distinct widow's peak. Crystal-clear eyes were set in close proximity to his well-defined brows. His long, prominent nose gracefully led to a chiseled, square jawline adorned with a hint of stubble, while his perfectly pulled-back ears framed his features.
Every one of his movements exuded a captivating grace and fluidity.
He wore an exquisitely expensive suit that draped perfectly over his muscular frame, emphasizing his power and enigmatic presence. He was almost a foot taller than me, and I felt dwarfed by him.
Suddenly, my throat went dry. This man wasn't a regular man.
He was a sexy god.