10. Trouble
The next morning Bree managed to pick up Mrs. Mancini before she goes to work in the afternoon. Lexie and Ivy, the other stripper moms had called asking about Hazel. They suggested her to stay at Lexie’s when they heard the news. Bree was grateful for the offer, but she felt more at ease when Mrs. Mancini volunteered to babysit for her again.
“Thank you again for doing this for me.” She told Mrs. Mancini once they arrived at her new apartment. The older woman was busy complimenting her new place while Hazel quickly took her spot in front of the television playing with her teddies, sitting on the very comfortable sofa. Bree still couldn’t believe that the apartment came fully furnished.
“Oh, Bree darling, your luck is changing, I can feel it. That boss of yours is very generous.”
Bree blushed the second she mentioned her boss, Gage. She had told her about him, though she had said that he was doing it out of the kindness of his heart, Bree couldn’t push the feeling that there might be something more than that. But she didn’t dare to think about it further, she had so much going on in her life that she needs full control of her situation. Bree didn’t want to get too comfortable, she didn’t need another Everett in her future. Not that she’d think Gage was taking the same path as her ex, but still. There’s always a possibility.
“I’m thankful for everyone’s help, Mrs. Mancini, including yours you know that, right?”
“Oh, honey please, like I have better things to do. My son pays for my bills, I know it’s his guilty conscience on his side for living so far away from me. Besides I love your little Hazel, I just hope my kid will give me grandbabies soon enough.” She caressed Bree’s hand assuring her that she loves babysitting for Hazel.
Bree left the apartment a couple of hours later after she fed and gave Hazel her medication. She felt guilty, and Mrs. Mancini lets her take care of the little toddler while she bakes a cake for Hazel.
When she arrived at Babes, Bree went straight to Jojo. She needs to know about her payment plan for Hazel’s additional room upgrade at the hospital.
“Gage, haven’t given me any receipts, Bree. Take it easy, I think he’s busy with his other businesses. He will give it to me once he’s available. Go, dance, and make some money.” Jojo told her off after she assured her one more time that everything will be fine, and that Gage is a nice boss and would help his employees whenever he can.
The last bit of information was exactly what Bree needed to soothe her mind.
“Bree, hey, I thought you were still off. You’re one tough momma aren’t you?” Cassidy asked smiling while she was clasping the last hook on her sheer corset, making her breasts look fuller.
“I need the money.” She smiled wryly and Cassidy sighed. “Look, this is why we’re all here, Bree.” The struggling student hugged her and Bree basked in her kindness seconds longer before she asked her about Jade.
“So, Jade and Gage?” Bree didn’t have to explain further Cassidy knows what she was referring to.
“Jade? yeah, I thought she used to you know, date the boss man. But she’s always been secretive among us. I’m sorry, did I… are you and Gage?”
“No… no… oh, god no…” Bree replied a bit too quickly and nervously.
“I mean, it was last year, I think. I saw them together. But I’ve been seeing her with different men since then, so… I don’t know.”
“Yeah, no… it’s just that I saw you looking at both of them at the hospital so I assumed…”
“Bree, please don’t mind my own assumptions.” She laughed trying to ease the situation and luckily Bree got called out to see Jojo again and their discussion ended a bit awkwardly.
Bree decided to dismiss their conversation and focus on her job instead. “Bree, here’s your new schedule. You’ve been moved up to the main stage which means you’ll be practicing your dance routine with other dancers.” Jojo gave her a scheduled routine, Bree had seen how it works. They would dance in groups, then work the floor for a private lap dance.
“Thank you,”
“Don’t thank me, honey, the big boss seemed to be really fond of you. Keep up the good work.”
Bree’s mind wandered to Gage as soon as she left Jojo’s small office. She was greeted by Jade and Ivy who she followed to practice their routine and put the thoughts of her boss to the back of her mind.
The night passed quickly, she had three private lap dances. The last client scared her a bit when he started caressing her thighs as she was doing her lap dance. Bree was quick to distance herself and told him sweetly that touching is not allowed in the club. The man groaned and adjusted his bulge but kept his hand to himself. She had to maintain her facial expression, trying to keep her seductive manner while the sleazy man rubbed himself as he watches her strips naked inches from him.
Bree knows that she was safe at the club and she didn’t complain. She felt dead tired the second she was behind the steering wheel and on her way home, she was mentally exhausted and physically needed a good long rest.
The apartment was in front of her, she sighed when she found a parking spot thinking that she was going to treat herself to a nice hot shower before she gets into bed for a couple of hours. It was almost dawn, she needed to sleep before Hazel woke up.
“Hey, beautiful.” The man pushed her flat to the passenger door when she was grabbing her stuff from the backseat of her car. His hand was to her neck cutting her airways, he was breathing heavily, alcohol reeks from his mouth as he tried to kiss her and force himself onto her.
His other hand was to her waist shoving her, forcing her to the backseat where Bree finally managed to put all her strength as her adrenaline surged through her. Bree kicked him on the crotch resulting in loud cursing from the man’s mouth. He was grabbing the door, but she was quick to lock herself in. She was trembling, crying, trying to find her phone in her bag.
She shrieked when he smashed her window with a huge rock, the commotion made a few people get out of their apartment and yell at the man. Bree didn’t know what happened next as her panic was too overwhelming, her tears cloud her vision, and her hands were still shaking so hard. But slowly Bree recognized Mrs. Mancini’s voice, she was knocking softly on her side of the door, assuring her that the man was gone.
A couple of her neighbors were there, she was embarrassed, she hadn’t even moved for twenty-four hours, she hadn’t even introduced herself to them.
“Bree, sweety, you’re safe. Come inside, let me take care of you.”
It was then when she finally found her phone, her hands were still shaking when the older woman opened her car door through the broken window. Bree couldn’t help herself but sobbed so hard when Mrs. Mancini pulled her into her arms.
She was in her apartment minutes later, her neighbors were gone. Bree heard Mrs. Mancini thank them, but she was still trying to process what happened. She was drinking her tea when Gage burst into the apartment and curses lowly when he saw the state that she was in.
Bree didn’t seem to notice that her side was trickling with blood from the impact of the broken car window. Her neck was starting to bruise and he could see marks on the exposed skin on her hip.
“Mrs. Mancini, I’m going to send my guy to pick you and Hazel up in a couple of hours. I’m taking her to a hospital, I need to report this to the police. I can’t let Hazel see her like this.” He gave her Bree’s phone, not wanting to waste time informing her of his number. He told her that a man named Elvis will call Bree’s phone and she will go with him.
Bree let him usher her to his car, his hand was warm, his voice was gentle, and she was listening to him until he said that he was going to take her to the hospital and file a report for the incident. From there her mind went miles ahead, she would be exposed to permanent hospital records, and police files, all can be accessed in the future and her occupation will be known. She couldn’t lose Hazel, those records won’t look good when her ex-husband finds out.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“No, no… hospital, please, no police,” Bree started sobbing again as she imagined that she would lose Hazel to her ex. “My ex, I’ll lose Hazel when he finds out…”
“Fuck, okay, okay… I’ll take care of this. But you’re going to let me take care of you.” Gage muttered while Bree nodded frantically as she sobbed and thanked him.
The man turned at the next roundabout and headed in the opposite direction of the hospital and went straight to his home. It took them twenty minutes until they arrived. Gage pulled up into his garage, shut them out from the outside, and somehow that made her sigh in her body start to relax. He locked them in and helped Bree out of his car.
The garage door opens to the kitchen, but Bree was not prepared to see his home. It looked beautiful, comfortable, homey and a perfect reflection of Gage. She was still shaky when he took her to the leather sofa.
“Sit, I’ll get the emergency kit.”
She did as she was told, her mind was busy calculating other expenses for her car repair. Bree was exhausted, she was tired and desperate and crying again when Gage was back with the kit.
“Hey, everything is going to be okay.” He hugged her and she finally broke down in his arms, whispering softly, barely audible, “no, everything is not okay.”