Chapter 31

"What happened to you?" Violet asked appalled by the state Doris was in. "Why are you bleeding?"

"My baby." Doris said in a trembling voice. "He beat kicked me several times in the stomach..." She said, grimacing in pain.

"Who?" Violet asked, puzzled and quickly glanced back towards the small gate but they were pretty much alone. "Who did this to you?"

"My boyfriend..." Doris answered before her eyes slowly closed and she passed out, leaving Violet more confused, worried and scared. When Doris finally came to an hour later, she realized that she was on a bed and a drip was connected to the back of her hand. When she slowly looked around, trying to figure out where she was, she saw Violet leaning with her back against the wall and arms folded under her chest. When Violet noticed that Doris' eyes were open and were fixed on her, she unfolded her arms and approached her.

"What happened?" Doris asked in a weak voice.

"You passed out and I had to bring you to the hospital." Violet told her.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through the stress, I had to flee for my life." Doris whispered in a hoarse voice

"It's nothing..." Violet smiled, pulling a chair and sitting down next to the bed.

Doris gently lifted her head now to look down at her belly. "And my baby?" She asked with fear in his eyes.

Violet hesitated, contemplating whether to tell her the news or not, then swallowing hard, she finally revealed with an empathic look on her face: "You lost the baby, Doris. I'm sorry."

Doris suddenly began to sob now and Violet drew closer to the bed to comfort her. After crying for a few minutes against Violet's shoulder, Doris finally pulled back and said: "He never wanted me to keep it anyway... He believed it would hinder me from doing my job and earning enough cash."

"Wait a minute!" Violet suddenly said. "Your boyfriend actually knows that you're a stripper?"

"Yes." Doris nodded her head slowly. "He's my pimp... He was the one who got me this job too..."

Violet was flustered. "Hold on, if I'm really getting this right, are you saying that your boyfriend forces you to sleep with men and strip for money?"

"Yes... He told me that if I loved him then I would do it. He promised that we would get married if I agreed to do these jobs for two years. He said he would save the money for our wedding preparations. I thought we were in love until I discovered that I was not the only one he has lured into prostitution. I later found out that he pimped young girls into prostitution for a living and promised to marry most of them. He hits me anytime I refuse to do what he wants but yet, I still stayed with him."

"Then why didn't you leave? You have been working here for the past four months now, Doris, why didn't you just save up, pack up and leave?" Violet asked in concern.

"That's because I don't get my salaries directly into my account. They are paid into his own account and he gives me only twenty-five percent. Besides that, I just couldn't leave because I still loved him and I held on to the fact that we were going to get married since he made me believe that no man would be willing to marry me after indulging in prostitution. This is not the first time that I'm getting pregnant for him. He has impregnated me eight times and since I was so scared for my life, I refused to go for an abortion and decided to keep this baby but he would have none of it, especially when a new mouth-watering deal just came up."

"What deal?"

"Pornography. A white man saw my Instagram pictures and contacted me. He claimed that he's a producer and would want me to travel down to his country and he would pay me forty thousand dollars after shooting three movies for him."

"A porn movie?"

"Yes, the money is tempting. I mean, forty thousand dollars is more than fourteen million in naira and such an amount would have changed my life forever but the conditions attached to that money were what I couldn't do."

"What was it?"

"It was pornography on bestiality. He wanted me to sleep with a dog, a horse and have two men fist me."

"Oh my God!" Violet said in utter disgust.

"Well, I told my boyfriend about it because I hide nothing from him and he told me to accept the proposal... I was shocked, I thought he was joking until he went to contact the man himself. Now, the passport and flight tickets have been paid for and the man is expecting me in two weeks’ time. He promised to pay ten thousand dollars into my boyfriend's account once I arrive and he has promised to pay the remaining money in ten thousand dollars each after I'm done shooting each video successfully."

"Why didn't you report to the police?" Violet asked now. "This guy is only using you to enrich his pocket!"

"Well, I'd have but he's pretty popular. He knows people in high places because he pimps ladies to them. If I run to the police station, they will only detain me and end up returning me to him. I can't possibly trust anyone." 

Violet sighed deeply now. She thought her life was worse when it was nothing compared to what Doris was going to. She held Doris' hand now and assured her. "Don't worry, Doris, we'll figure out a way together. I'm already tired of this job too. I'm just waiting to find a better job that pays more so that I can quit this one. I've no family member here in Kaduna and no man willingly helps a lady without expecting something back in return."

"Right now, I don't mind being a school teacher. I'm tired of stripping, sleeping around and slaving away for a man who treats me like crap. I really need to turn my life around before things get out of hand..." She said then paused a but now before she blurted: "Did something happen between you and that man that night?" Doris suddenly asked now, catching Violet by surprise.

"Who?" Violet asked, confused.

"That man I saw you going to your room with some weeks back and has never visited the club ever since then. After that night, you completely changed, Violet. You get easily irritated and you now pole dance without the usual enthusiasm and passion that were in your eyes before."

Violet exhaled and briefly lowered her eyes. She didn't like the fact that she had just been reminded about that dreadful night with Stephen but she couldn't blame Doris for just showing genuine concern. "I don't want to talk about it...at least not yet." She told Doris who nodded in understanding and let the topic go.

A nurse walked into the ward now and said: "Please Doris, get enough rest, the doctor said that you'll be discharged in the evening." Then she turned to Violet and said: "And ma'am, you could help her go get some food please."

"Alright." Violet answered, assured Doris that she would be back, got up and left.

                                                                              ★★★

Two Nights later, on a Friday night, Stephen stepped into the club with his friends. They stood for a while looking around until Stephen sighted Violet and secretly pointed her out to his friends. "There she is."

"Wow!" Rufus exclaimed as he watched Violet spread her legs wide open as she held onto the silver pole upside down. "Damn, she's good at what she does."

"Let's just go to the bar and wait till she's done." Jerry suggested and began to lead the way to the bar. As they passed by, Violet who was now dancing on her feet, caught a glimpse of Stephen and the expression on her face suddenly hardened.

"Damn, she looks like she'd love to do nothing more than tear you to shreds." Rufus said to Stephen.

"I might actually assist her." Jerry added as they found several empty spots at the bar and occupied them.

Stephen tried not to meet Violet's eyes as he ordered a drink. "I'm really nervous." He said and all the men sat down and waited for Violet to finish dancing.

"The girl's outfit is unique. She's on a mask, would you recognize her if you were to meet her in public?" Rufus asked now.

"No." Stephen answered. "I didn't really see her face that night."

"There's something striking about her. If I didn't already have a girlfriend, I'd have gone for her." Jerry said.

As Violet danced, she kept glaring at Stephen and Stephen was almost melting under her intense glare. She was dressed in all red, including her mask but he could still feel the intensity of the hatred in her eyes which was directed towards him and he felt like calling this off and just going home but he knew that his friends would definitely object. After Violet finished dancing and gathering her tips with the help of Doris whom she had become very close friends with, she gently seductively walked down the stage. As she approached the bar to order for a drink, her angry eyes still remained fixed on Stephen who grew rather anxious as she drew closer.

"Hi." Stephen nervously and quietly said to her when she reached the bar and ordered a shot from the bartender.

"You have a lot of nerve showing your face here again after what you did." Violet said tersely as she grabbed the shot which the bartender had served her on the counter and she downed it at a go.

"I had to see you..." Stephen's voice trembled a bit and he glanced over her head at his friends, who quietly urged him on.

"Really? What for? So that you can relive what you are good at, raping helpless women?" She asked in contempt. "Perhaps, you have come for another round."

"Please, Violet, just give me a listening ear. I assure you that I never meant to do that. It's been more than three weeks now and I still feel as guilty as fuck. It still feels like that unfortunate night."

"Well, if you feel guilty as fuck which I don't actually believe, you should go to a church and confess your sins, what the hell did you come to the club for?"

"Can I at least take you out on a date?" He quickly asked now, swallowing hard as he both dreaded and anticipated a reply.

She scoffed now. "What do you think I'm? Stupid? After what you did to me, you think you can simply compensate me by just buying me lunch or dinner?" She flared.

"I'm not trying to compensate you, Violet, I just want to make things right between us, just give me a chance, please. You gotta know that even though I gave you a very first shitty impression about me the first night we met, I'm not really what you think I'm!"

"Just fuck off!" She hissed, turned and started to walk away when she saw a man step into her path. 

"I'm sorry but you can't leave just yet." Rufus told her politely.

With a frown, Violet scrutinized the man from head to toe before she asked: "And you are?"

"Rufus...and this..." He pointed at Jerry who got up and stood beside him now. "...is Jerry."

"And what the hell do you two want? Please step out of my path."

"You're a good pole dancer, you know?" Jerry commended.

"Thanks, but who are you two?" She glanced from one man to the other.

"They are my friends." Stephen answered, rising to stand at her other side.

"Oh! I see... So, what you did was not enough? You have actually brought two of your friends to come try me out too?" She pointedly accused.

"That's not true." Rufus quickly refuted. "Listen, missus, Stephen told us what he did and we came here to see you."

"What for? Are you gonna arrest me now after your colleague raped me?" She asked.

"No, no..." Jerry said, stepping forward. "Please know that we are not here to take sides with our friend, if anything, we should be helping you screw him up real bad, but we have come to apologize on his behalf, Violet. He did a really stupid thing and it was because he got ditched on his wedding day. Man is still hung up and hurt."

"Really?" Violet said in partial surprise and when she turned her head to look at Stephen, his face was already dark with anger and his angry eyes were fixed on Jerry. "Could you please not bring Susan into this?!" He said through clenched jaws.

Jerry ignored him and focused on Violet again. "On his behalf, we really want to atone for his foolish act and we'll compensate you whichever way you want."

"I see..." Violet said, folding her arms under her chest now. "Not that I can totally forgive him for what he did to me because I still hate him very much but for your sakes, did you say anything I want?" She asked, her eyes glinting in mischief now.

"Great! She's gonna take real advantage of this now!" Stephen complained in a low voice.

"Shut up!" His two friends told him and then focused on her again.

"And yes, we mean anything!" Rufus assured her.

Violet contemplated for a moment but as she was about to speak, Doris approached now. "Hi guys..." Doris smiled at them while Rufus gazed at her in admiration. "Violet, you are up in twenty minutes." She said to Violet and shyly smiled at Rufus before walking away while Rufus slowly turned to watch her go. 

"Damn..." He whispered.

"Could you focus?!" Stephen stated now.

"Well, I've to be on that stage in the next twenty minutes which means that I've to go change my costume." Violet told them now. "Why not fix a date next week and we can all sit down and discuss on my terms after I must have come up with what I want."

"Fine with us." Jerry said and quickly handed her his complimentary card. "Just give me a call when you're ready to talk."

"Hmm..." Violet said as she stared at the card. "First lieutenant, uh?"

"Yeah..." Jerry said. "Please do not forget to call."

"Right..." She slipped the card into her bra now.

"And please come with your friend...um...the lady who just left here..." Rufus quickly said.

"Ignore him." Jerry said, turned Rufus around and nudged him forward.

As the men began to leave, Violet called now: "Stephen?"

When Stephen turned, Violet suddenly lifted her hand and slapped him hard on the face. Stephen's hand suddenly flew to his face as he asked: "What was that for?!"

"For raping me! And there's more than enough where that came from and I still have ninety-nine more to go!" She hissed, shot him a last mean look and stalked away.

Jerry watched her go with an amused look on his face. "Damn, she's good! I think I like her already!"

"That was totally uncalled for!" Stephen said in anger as he continued to walk towards the exit.

"If you ask me, I think she likes you but you already screwed up any chances you might have had with her." Jerry told him.

"Well, I for one will really want to witness the other ninety-nine... She slaps like a soldier. Are your ears ringing, Stephen?" Rufus asked but when Stephen shot him a mean look, Rufus and Jerry suddenly burst into laughter.

"It is not funny!" Stephen stated in indignation, his hand still on his cheek. They had already left the club when Colonel Anthony, Nosa and two other soldiers who acted as escorts stepped into the club fifteen minutes later.

After glancing around and noticing all the naked strippers moving around, giving some patrons lap dances and stripping on the stage, Colonel Anthony smiled wickedly. "I think I'm really going to have a great night." He said then continued further into the club towards an empty table in front of one of the stages.