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Madison

CHAPTER FIVE

The pain in my feet disrupts my mental dive into this afternoon’s interview. As I'm squeezed inside the crowded train on my way home, I regret not having brought a pair of sneakers in my bag. Being stylish is painful, and not just for the wallet. The sharply pointed scarpin is destroying my big toe, which, oddly enough, is chubby compared to the rest of my toes.

A woman gets up, and when I try to move to take her seat, an elderly lady appears out of nowhere. I give up the seat, of course. Few things annoy me more on the subway or train than seeing grown men casually ignoring pregnant women and the elderly, not offering them their seats.

Some smartass presses against my back, attempting to rub against me, and without looking back, I stomp on his foot. I barely hide a smile when I hear his groan of pain. I grew up having to take care of myself and Brooklyn, even though she's older, and I know perfectly well how to defend myself against abusive men.

The conversation with my new employer comes back to my mind. After the first ten minutes, I tried hard to follow through on my intention to hate Ares Kostanidis—yes, I'm like that: I either like you or I don't, no middle ground—but I couldn't.

He's brutally honest, and I believed him when he said he genuinely thought I was a "gift" from his idiot friends.

What kind of imbecile does something like that? Apparently, the very rich and idle.

When we managed to talk about what really mattered, he explained to me in more detail what I already knew from the initial interviews: that SIN is a unique nightclub where billionaires from all over the world go to fulfill their fantasies without getting too involved.

A sort of safe space where almost anything is allowed and semi-naked young women, a third of the age of the members, dance while business deals are made.

It's amazing how they can work with an erection, those perverts.

Apart from the pole dance show, there are also private dances.

Whether to strip completely or not is each dancer's choice, not mandatory, although he told me there's a twenty-five percent bonus for that.

I didn't hesitate and said I'd rather earn less.

Dancing in a bikini or lingerie is going to make me die of embarrassment, but I can still close my eyes and focus on the reason I'll be there every day.

However, getting naked in front of a stranger when I've never done it with any other man is out of the question.

There's no amount of money in the world that could make me do that.

I respected Ares Kostanidis a little more when he simply nodded upon hearing my refusal.

The only thing still making me very nervous—besides dancing for an audience on a stage, of course—is that I forgot to ask why I need to speak Spanish.

What really interested me, apart from the more than generous salary and bonus, was the fact that Mr. Ares insisted that there was no prostitution at SIN. It's a place where the sinners who frequent it partially indulge their fetishes.

Sure, he's classy and used the word "fantasy," but I'm just a regular person, so I'll call it a fetish, because when I asked for an example of what this so-called "fantasy" might be, I had to stop myself from laughing.

He said there are various kinds, ranging from clients licking the dancers' shoes—contact is only allowed with the footwear, never the skin—to clients also wearing women’s lingerie in the private lounge. That's why he made me sign a confidentiality agreement, which stated that I could never even discuss what happens inside with my family.

God, may this never happen to me —a client wanting to wear lingerie, I mean.

There's no chance I could dance for a man dressed in panties and a bra without bursting into laughter.

Regarding these private dances, he told me there will be security guards on the other side of the curtain, and a simple call from me will bring them inside.

I sigh, disheartened, thinking that this wasn't what I had planned for my life; instead, I wanted to go to college and get a good job.

With all my current responsibilities, however, I have to seize this opportunity because I'm not only responsible for my own life anymore.

The train jerks and stops. I step out into the New York summer heat, mentally kicking myself again for wearing high heels, but my bad mood disappears the second I see who's waiting for me at the station. Three out of the four most important people in my life.

Forgetting the pain in my foot, I run to greet my stepmother and my niece and nephew.

"We came to welcome you home because I have no doubt you got the job." Eleanor is the most positive person in the world, and God only knows how she managed to be married to my father for over ten years.

I play it up for a moment, pretending to be excited, as if this job is my dream come true. "I got it," I say, hugging her. Then I kneel to kiss the rosy cheeks of Silas and Soraya, who are flushed from the heat. "Now we can buy some new clothes for this duo that keeps growing."

I nibble their bellies, and they laugh. It's the best sound in the world for me. Pure music. My dear sister's children, who she's not here to protect.

"You're unbelievable, Madison."

I stand up again and take an elastic band from my bag to tie up my voluminous hair. Lord, it's so hot! "Why?"

"So young, yet so responsible. These babies are lucky to have you as their aunt."

I look at my stepmother, wondering if she'd still find me responsible if she knew I'm going to take off my clothes to prevent the social worker who's been pressuring us from taking the children to foster care. Eleanor only knows I've made it to the final round for a position at one of the Kostanidis companies and that the job is at night, but nothing more.

"No, I'm the lucky one. I'll do whatever it takes to keep our family together."

"As long as it's not illegal," says the only mother I've ever known.

"I give you my word. Nothing illegal. And now, enough worrying. I thought we could go to the market and get something special for dinner. Some soup for them, burgers for the two of us. What do you think?"

"With soda?" Eleanor asks.

"Oh, yes. If we're going to indulge, let's do it right."