Chapter 1: Chapter 1

"Val, hurry up you can be too sluggish for my liking. urgh!" I rolled my eyes at Mandy my bestie and continued applying the rouge lipstick on my lips. Whenever she finishes first on an outing, she feels like the next person should look like rags and follow her out.

I stood and brushed my chestnut brown locks, down. I contemplated tying it up but a dark look from Mandy, and I let it cascade down my back in waves. Moving to the shoe racks I picked up my nude stiletto to compliment my peach short peplum gown with a matching bag and turned to her.

"Can we go now, miss timely?" She huffed and stomped toward the door of my brief well-furnished school apartment.

Ever since Mandy called to tell me about this cool club she just discovered in town where one of her hot picks has taken her to the last week, I have been very expectant. Yes! I am because she told me it wasn't your usual kind of clubs where you meet dumb-ass broke guys with nothing but their bad breath, empty wallets, and frigid pinus to offer. She said I could meet the caliber of men that could change my life__my kind of men.

I wasn't a fan of stress and pressure living. I always had this dream of meeting my Prince charming who would probably come from Disney city and would sweep me off in his dollar_gold bullion van, whatever that means. But the point is, I have always had an eye for heavy wallets. I mean what more can a girl wish for?

My mum always brawled and cawled on how lazy she thinks I am and blablabla, on how I had to buckle up if I wanted to survive this cold earth. It scared me like shit, yes it really does. But then, as much as I try to do something to help, the next minute am back to square one. So I gave up. Suffering is not for me.

My elder sister Harriet, she is the bump. Hardworking, industrious, brainy bitch. She's my mum's favorite. She graduated college at 21, master's at 25, bagged a job the same year, and just in 26, she's already the manager of a mega bank in New York City. Sometimes I envy her. No, I don't. She works too hard, that is definitely not for me. I love her just the way she is and she loves me just the way I am. My Dad agrees with my philosophy too.

Now here I am, the ever jolly, Valeria Briggs, a girl of wondrous dreams and expectations. A girl with multi goals and purposes and yet a fig for fighting. Here I am, being dragged off to a big gooned club by my best friend to catch that man that would make my life less arduous _monetarily of course.

"Bitch, are you even listening?" I glimmered and turned to look at Mandy. She was saying something but I didn't hear any of it. But I couldn't let her know that. "Yea, you are absolutely right" I nodded and feigned great interest in her conversation.

" So, we are going to meet with Jerry. He is my friend and very lucrative too" she emphasized the lucrative and giggled. "Babes, you can have all the fun in the world. Trust me, this club is top-notch. By the end of tonight, I bet you would have your dream prince charming" she cooed. That was the only thing she said that actually made sense to me.

"That is exactly my point, Mandy. The prince charming, I mean. I mean, I'm tired already. I have stocked up bills to pay and college rifts. I hate bothering my big sis all the time for money. Not that she complains but, I feel for her." Mandy giggled and flipped her discolored green hair behind her ear.

I met Mandy in my Freshman year at the sorority party. We had been paired for one of the damn wretched games. I fell in love with her instantly, because we both hated the damn initiation process. We ganged up and snuck off while the initiation was still on, one of the reasons why the seniors termed us "rebellious". Ever since then, we have stuck as thin as sleeves. She was the uptown girl and exposed my timid eyes to stuff, albeit I used to be shy around even though I internally nursed them.

Here we are two years down the line and awaiting graduation by next year. She was super cool. By June, I would be celebrating my 23rd birthday, which is the main reason I needed a quick fix as soon as possible. Mandy's birthday had been the talk of the school because it was celebrated by one of her hot picks. I had sat in one of the adjourned rooms and gushed throughout the party. I wanted that for myself.

"Here we go!" she squealed, getting my attention back to her. I looked around as she drove into the parking lot of a tall building. We alighted and I took my time to admire the serenity of the place. The only thing that gave off this place as a recreation space, was just the neon-lighted billboard bearing a naked damsel with her curvaceous body crooked to the side in a seductive enchantment.

Everywhere was quiet. I turned to Mandy. "Are you sure we are in the right place? I mean a club is supposed to have people milling around and not like that" I motioned around the building. This looked more like someone's private property.

She chuckled "I felt the same way on the first day Drek brought me here. Come on" she waved me on as she led the way. I followed closely, still feeling uncertain about the entire movement. I know I wanted to party and have fun and in the process, catch myself a sophisticated big goon, but I don't intend to sacrifice my head for it.

"Wo!" Mandy squealed and rapped once at the door. It slid smoothly open and there stood two bulky hunks, staring back at us, their eyes concealed by their black sunshades. Like dude, it's night what's the sunshade for?

"ID's" I heard the sound of thunder rumble and flinched. It was one of the hunks.

"I'm here for Jerry," Mandy said while showing off her sexy white dentition to the men. I saw one adjust his pants and waved us forward. All through the process, I hid behind Mandy and didn't as much as make a squeak. These men were looking too big for humans, had me shivering.

"Here we go!" Mandy flipped her hands up and started moving to the beat of the now audible music. We walked down a dimly lighted hall and entered into a wide space filled with people. Well, not many people. I feel selected few. They were seated in different corners of the room engaged in chitchat with a partner, male or female, or had a half-naked female perched in their arms.

Firstly, am not new to all this, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, I feel like this is unusual to me. "Valeria. Come on. What's wrong? why are you standing there gawking like some lost puppy" Mandy hailed me forward. I let my legs move in her direction as we moved to the bar.

"Four shots of tequila and a lemon" Mandy shouted at the top of her voice at the barman. He slyly smiled at her connoting that he was familiar with her.

She brought out her phone and was busy typing something, while I used the opportunity to drive my eyes around the place. The room was built in a squared means. To the north is the stage with a pole bearing a stripper who was moving her curvy body, to the sublime music. To the south and other parts of the club, were isolated posh plush mauve chairs with mini lounges with people occupying each of the spaces. With the look of things, it appears this place isn't meant for so many people considering each of the lounges had not more than a person or two roosted on it and most people prove to be partners.

"Okay, we will just have to wait for Jerry down there" Mandy pointed to a corner of the club and we turned about to leave before she paused and whirled around to talk to the barman "We'll be sitting over there. Make it six shots" she ordered as we walked to the direction she had pointed at. Mandy was the perfect example of a party queen. As we moved, she was already swaying her hips to the beat of the music. I moved past her and went ahead of her to the couch to seat down.

"Bring on it baby!" she branded excitedly and dropped her purse close to me to have no constraint to her dance. I relaxed back to watch her entertain me head-on. "Don't you want to dance?" she asked me enthusiastically. I shook my head at her and withdrew from her extended claws. I wasn't yet in my mood for a dance. Maybe it was because this is an unfamiliar environment to me, but I wasn't feeling myself around here.

I like the boisterous general clubs where you meet the random pals of similar classes and statuses. But then, I can't find my spec of men in those kinds of clubs.

A waitress arrived to drop off our order. She winked at me before turning to leave. I cringed inside, why would she do that? I definitely don't look like a Les. Do I? I rummage through my phone instantly as I felt a vibration. I pulled it out and checked the caller. My sister. Umph! Bad timing.

I switched off my phone and tossed it back into my bag. I picked up one shot and tossed the content in my mouth. I surely needed a shot if am going to survive this dreary club this night. How did Mandy feel I was going to find my prince charming in a club this dry? She followed suit and picked up one of the shots and in the next couple of minutes, we had donned the shots of tequilas.

Feeling more emboldened now, I stood and started moving to the bang of the music. The Dj had improved this time. I was feeling it inside whether due to the drinks I've had, I didn't care anymore I just have to survive this night.

"Hey, pretty ladies" I heard a raspy voice before Mandy squealed and threw herself at a blond-haired man. I was still dancing but the tempo reduced to a slow move. I waited for them to finish their familiarity for an introduction. I let my eyes take in the man in his unconscious awareness. He had wavy blond hair that looked ruffled somewhat from the wind. His eyes sparkled due to the fluorescent light fixtures reflecting in the club.

He is good-looking but, not my kind of man, I surmised. They finally finished making out before Mandy recalled I was somewhere close by. She turned with her bevy smile stretched on her face.

"Valeria, meet my sweet spot, Jerry Adams" I waved at him nervously, accompanied by a returned smile from him. He extended his hand to me which I took and shook quickly before retrieving mine "Valeria, you are as beautiful as your friend told me" he drawled lazily. I looked up at him "Thanks" the words left my mouth before I hold to them. Why I'm I feeling this nervous around this man?. Maybe because I feel he is from the eldorado part of society.

"So hope you guys are having a good time? What are you having?" his eyes roved around the rectangular furniture in the center of our couches. "We need to do something about this" he more like mouthed. I was only able to hear him because I was close enough.

At the same time, a waiter arrived carrying a bucket of ice bearing a...I looked at the drink closely my eyes widening. Champagne? I looked at Mr. Cherry... or is it, Jerry. He also looked appalled, Mandy inclusive.

"Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. Mr Cameron said I should drop this here for the Auburn haired lady" I froze and unfrozed. Me? Mr Cameron? My eyes quickly flipped to the direction he pointed, to see a man sitting in a very dim isolated couch all by himself with a marijuana in between his fingers and his eyes pinned on me like I was literally naked while he fed on me.

Lord Almighty, is that human? And why is he buying me a drink?