"Are you going to keep working during the days?" Julie asked. I had started my new job as a cleaner in Rhianna's home. Now, I worked late mornings at **NAME**, after lunch, I went to Rhianna's where I worked afternoons and then in the evenings it was back to **NAME**. Was it exhausting? Sure, but what else was I supposed to do?

"I'm not sure," I replied. In truth, I really hated working during the daytime, but I also was having a hard time imagining what I'd do without Julie in my life. Through everything lately, she'd been helping me find my way.

"Aww... well, I really hope you will. I don't know what I'd do for fun around here without you."

"It's not meant to be fun, that's why it's called work," I joked.

"I know," she responded. "Did you make any decisions about how you're going to handle Nicole yet?" she asked.

"No," I sighed. It was such a hard decision to make. Nicole had really let me down this time, but I didn't want to let her go because she'd been there for me so many times. "She found me at my worst, and instead of walking past, head held high like everyone else, she chose to lift me up on her shoulders, carrying me with her until I was finally ready to stand on my own. My first real friend in a long time."

"Yeah, she was. I understand that. But maybe it's time to walk on your own too. You're so strong, Reina. You don't need anyone to hold your hand anymore. Make your own path for yourself."

"Oh, Julie," I giggled, throwing the squishy ball on my desk at her. It bounced off her forehead and rolled out the door. "You're so young. Live your own life and stop worrying about mine."

"But your life is interesting. Mine is boring." She crossed her arms and legs in a full body grump. "Oh, but I got accepted into a dance school for the fall! I'm going to have to take out lots of loans, but I did get a scholarship that pays for half my tuition!"

"Ok, what!? That's literally amazing girl," I shrieked.

"Shh, some of us have actual jobs to do," a grumpy custodian grumbled. We rolled our eyes and continued our conversation, though, slightly quieter than before.

"I'm actually really so proud of you, though," I repeated. "You like dancing?"

"I actually do," she responded. "And also, it'll help me be a better stripper. See, Reina, now you've got to stay so that you can see me on stage!"

"Alright alright," I laughed. "Have you thought of asking another one of the dancers here to give you some lessons? They might even do it for free if you can offer a service in return. Oh actually," I realized, "you should try Becki. She just came back a week ago from visiting her parents, but I think you'd get along really well. She often acts as a mother hen to the other dancers already, so I'm sure she'd be happy to take another young woman under her wing."

"Thanks Reina," Julie smiled, pulling me into a big hug. "You're the best." As unsafe as it might appear to an outsider, the club was home to me. I felt safe there.

Rhianna's home was the opposite. It was a large house at the end of a cul-de-sac in a beautiful neighborhood. Flower boxes, white picket fence, you name it. It was a picture of perfection.

The inside, however, left much to be desired. Supposedly, the last woman who had held the same position left the week I was fired, and Rhianna hadn't done any cleaning since.

The shower was covered in hair, dead ants was stuck in the dust on top of books in the library, moldy food crammed in the back of the fridge contaminated any possible good food, and the remnents of anything edible was stuffed underneath the couch cushions, and these were only the rooms I'd gotten to so far.

To say Rhianna was messy would be an understatement. Every day I arrived, I was handed a list of tasks to accomplish and I had yet to make it past the first step: cleaning the room of her choice.

Today's task, was the bedroom. Apparently, Rhianna's husband was often away on trips for work, which I assumed to mean that he was searching for new places to build apartments that he could rent out. This meant, that he was never around, which explained why only her things were left lying around.

"Reina," Rhianna called out. "Reina, where are you?"

"In the bedroom," I responded, picking through a rather large pile of stinky panties. I couldn't help but notice they weren't all the same size, however, I was here to clean and what Rhianna did while I wasn't here wasn't any of my business. "I didn't realize you were home."

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed, stepping into the room. "Do you think that you could rub my back for me, I'm feeling sore. It sent me home from the office."

I was going to say no, after all, it was my job to clean, not give massages. But then, Rhianna waggled a handful of hundred dollar bills at me that she had pulled from her bussom. Just ten of those bills would make a decent dent in the rent.

"Alright," I agreed, snatching them and stuffing them in my pocket greedily. "Come sit down on the bed and tell me where it hurts."

"Everywhere," she moaned. So, I started by adding a small amount of pressure to her shoulders, working my way down her back.

"Thank you so much for that wonderful experience, darling," she moaned.

"Of course," I responded. "Do you need me to do your feet while we're at it?" I was being sarcastic, but I would definitely consider it, if, she was willing to pay another hefty price.

"No, dear, I should be all set now. Would you like me to rub your own back?"

"Oh, no thank you. You've already paid me," I told her hurriedly.

"Please, allow me. I'll even pay you." She pulled out a few more bills. A funny feeling had twisted itself into my stomach, telling me that there was something that wasn't quite right here, but the allure of money and my exhaustion led me to going along with it anyways.

"Ok."

"Trust me," Rhianna said, lying me down on my stomach on the bed, lifting up my shirt all the way up and over my head. Cold air seeped in to fill the space, freezing my stomach and making me feel uncomfortable, but as her hands got to work on my tired body, I gave in.

Fists pressed into my back, working out the knots in my neck. A gentle pounding to the sides of my spine caused me to let out sighs of relief. It was all making me so relaxed. Giving into my sleepiness, I let my guards down, to give in to the massage and sleep.

I woke up with a start, just a few minutes later, shivering. That was when I realized, I was no longer wearing my pants.

"What are you doing," I demanded, sitting up and hugging my breasts, happy to note I was still wearing all of my underwear.

"Calm down, Reina. This is standard massage procedure. I just pulled your pants down because they were getting in the way. I couldn't do your lower back properly," Rhianna stated calmly.

"You could have just pulled them down!" I demanded. "Or at least asked. You're supposed to ask before you pull down someone's pants. Don't you know that?"

"Calm down," she urged, remaining perfectly calm herself. She reached out her hands, putting them on my shoulders and with a strength I did not know she contained, pushed me back down on my stomach. "I know what I'm doing."

Too tired to fight, I gave in to the soft mattress once more and closed my eyes, this time, forcing myself to stay awake. Rhianna, however must have assumed I was asleep, because she started to talk about me.

"Why can't girls just do as they're told?" she mumbled. "Why do they always have to be such trouble about everything? I told her to wear pretty lacy panties for me, and she said she would, but look at her now," she snapped my plain, grey panties. I tried hard not to wince. "Boring." She paused. "I do like my girls feisty though."

As she spoke, I recalled a discovery I had made with Rob only nights earlier.

"Did you ever realize," I had told him, partway through our weekly rom com marathon, "that the bad guy always let's himself be known loud and clear, and yet, the woman does nothing!?"

"Are you just realizing that now?" Rob joked at me. "That's like, movie one oh one. Everyone knows that!"

"I suppose so," I had responded. "Though, I guess that means that if anyone ever comes after me and they start monologuing that I should probably stay far away. That, or run."

"Sure, if you're in a movie. These things just don't happen in real life. You don't need to worry about it, I'll always be here to protect you."

"Rob," I whispered, tears forming, in a voice I hoped wasn't audible. I knew what was going to happen. I let go of myself when Rhianna's hand slid under the edge of my underwear. "You were wrong, you're not here to save me now."