Chapter 70
Kenji stepped into the club. The sweet flavor of weed mixed with beer and sweat, coupled with the loud sounds blasting from speakers all over the room, and the disco lights on with the zebra-striped female against a pole, told him he was in the right place. He slipped past the audience, and exchanged handshakes with the DJ, before he pulled the curtain away and walked backstage, closing it almost immediately.C0pyright © 2024 Nôv)(elDrama.Org.
He looked around and found no sight of the woman he was looking for. Kenji heaved a loud and long sigh. He did not know why, but his heart was racing in his chest.
He found Bentley stepping out of a room, and closing the door behind her. He hurried to stand in her path, just to make sure the woman did not move, until she gave him the information he needed.
When Bentley turned sharply, she found herself almost crashing into the man’s chest. She frowned and looked up at him, but Kenji was in no mood for one of his wry smiles.
“Where’s Ashley?” He asked. The woman narrowed her eyes at him and turned back to the door.
“She is in there; she’s going out next. Why? Did she do something?”
Kenji stared at the door with malicious intent. It was the only thing holding him back from meeting the woman he was almost desperate to see, and even more desperate to speak to.
“No, she didn’t. Just call other girls to the stage. I need to speak to her urgently.” He spoke.
Bentley stared at him for a short while, before she turned her back to him. Kenji watched her retreat into the room, and when she stepped out, she did so with Ashley by her side.
Ashley’s eyes rested on him. She stopped in her tracks and whispered something into Bentley’s ears. Kenji watched with keen eyes. The woman looked up at Ashley, shook her head, and walked away. Ashley waited until she was out of sight and turned her back to him, returning into the room.
With one swift move, Kenji caught her right wrist in his.
“Ouch!” Ashley’s smooth voice cried out, but he paid her no mind.
He dragged her into what looked like a bathroom stall with no bathrooms and closed the door. He released her and she fell back, colliding with the wall.
Kenji turned towards her. His heart was pounding against his chest now, and a strange form of adrenaline coursed through his veins. He narrowed his eyes at her.
“You did not tell me you were going to be at that party that night, Ashley. Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”
She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and scoffed. Kenji was partly infuriated, partly turned on. Everything she did was driving him crazy.
“You didn’t look like you wanted me there.” She spat out, and his scowl deepened.
“What is the matter with you, Ashley? Is this a game to you? Do I look or come off as a joke? What is this, huh? You’re trying to mess with me? Play games with my mind?”
A deep frown formed on Ashley’s face. Kenji found himself stepping backward.
“Between the both of us, I think we know who the real player is here.” The accusation was in her voice, he could hear it loud and clear.
“You fucking broke our agreement first, Ashley. I told you, I made you understand that if you did personal dances for anyone else, whatever it is that we had between us would come to an end in that instant. But, what did you do? You went ahead and did just as you liked. And now, you’re blaming me?” He was exasperated, but he couldn’t stop himself from speaking to her. He had to say anything, anything at all.
Ashley stepped away from the wall and found her feet on the ground.
“I am not blaming you for anything, beta. I cannot blame you for anything because I never expected anything from you, or from… whatever we have.” She gestured her hands in the space between the both of them.
“But all this, dancing on stage, giving personal dances to VIPs and VVIPs, all of this is part of my job. The job that gave my life meaning, the job that made me know who I am, the job that I found friends, that I found family.”
Kenji stood there, awestruck. He had imagined a million ways their conversation would go, but none of those ways took this path.
Ashley’s eyes were wet, but no tears slipped out. Kenji swallowed hard as he watched her in silence.
“I care about this job and I am not the least ashamed of it. I was a nobody before I was employed here, just an orphan from the slums. I had no friends, and no family, but in this club, I found Hadley, Zelda, Brandy, Zita, and even Jojo. My friends care about me, no matter what or where I am. They love me, despite all my flaws. I met people who are not ashamed of me. Yes! Even though I do not enjoy the personal sessions, I would continue to do them because it’s part of the job. I love my job, I love dancing and I would not stop until I get what I want.”
Ashley was red, burning hot, with something that looked and felt like rage to Kenji. But, why would she be outraged? He was the one who should have been boiling, but all he wanted to do was step forward and… embrace her.
But, he stood still. His pride only allowed him to scoff bitterly.
“And what is that? Money?” He summoned the morale to take one step towards her, slowly closing the distance between them.
“Haven’t you had enough of that already? How much more money can you make? How much more millions do you need in your bank account? How much more would quench your freaking greed, Ashley?” His questions attacked her, and he only did that to shield himself from her own attacks.
No matter what happened, it was important to always strike first.
Ashley blinked intermittently as if to stop tears from running down her eyes.
“Really, is that what you think of me?” She spat out, her tears choking her voice.
Kenji took in a deep breath and felt himself relax.
“What else could it be?”
She looked over him, with something that felt like disdain. Kenji felt his intestines form a tight knot in his stomach.
“Never mind. You cannot give it to me, even if you try.” She barked, Kenji frowned.
“Tell me what it is that your heart so desires that it cannot stop this job.”
“Family!” Ashley yelled out. Kenji was amazed by how she had gone from calm to a flaming fire in a space of three milliseconds.
“Can you give that to me, beta Kenji? Can you?”
Kenji stood, tongue-tied. He didn’t know the answer to her question, and neither did he know the words to counterattack.
Her eyes swept over his appearance. She shook her head and threw it back. A loud chuckle escaped her throat.
She finally rested her eyes on him once more.
“I thought as much. Well, these girls are the only family I have for now. If I leave them, you won’t be able to fill the void in my heart.”
“So, you’re saying I’m not worth it.” It was both a statement and a question, but Ashley chose to take it as the former.
“You basically said it yourself.”
With that, she turned away from him. She held on to the doorknob and opened it, before trotting out of the room.
The door banged itself shut, leaving Kenji alone in the white walls of the cubic room, alone with his thoughts and his crushed pride.