“Abigail, put on the damn shoes and leave this damn house.” This had been the third time that Najay had to speak to her friend, but Abigail wouldn’t budge. She sat on the couch, shaking like a leaf for the past thirty minutes. “No.” Abigail couldn’t bring herself to move. Even with pep talk after pep talk which led to scolding, she found it impossible to get up. Why? She had no clue. “Just so you know, you signed a contract, remember?” Najay pointed out with a raised eyebrow. ”I know that,” Abigail hissed before squeezing her eyes shut. The contract had arrived two days ago, and she didn’t hesitate when she was reading and signing it. In fact, these nerves didn’t come until today, only God knows why. She had learnt enough about Theodore, right? So, what was she afraid of? Najay sighed, seeing that her way of coaxing her friend wasn’t necessarily working. She took a seat beside Abigail and took her hand. “Tell me what’s wrong, babe,” she urged in a small voice. Abigail preferred this approach, and so she sighed in defeat before meeting Najay’s gaze. “To be honest, I don’t know but… But what if this changes the way things are?” Najay’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion as she shuffled more to face her friend. “What do you mean?” Abigail shrugged. “I guess after knowing him in a friendly way, I kind of like it that way, you know? Which is odd considering…” Najay simply nodded, as she understood completely what Abigail meant. Abigail doesn’t have male friends. And she worse doesn’t take a liking to a male’s company. This Theodore, however, did the impossible it seemed. “So basically, you want the friendship to remain the same?” “Yes.” She nodded, seeing how easy it was being said out loud. Najay shrugged casually as if she had the most obvious answer in the world. “So, don’t let it,” she said, and Abigail gave her a deadpanned look. Najay chuckled a little before expounding more. “Didn’t you say that you will continue being Kitten?” “Yes, why?” Najay stared at her as if she had grown another head. “That’s your answer, Abi. You told him not to expect you to be Abigail, and he already knows that you’ll be a completely different woman. So why stress now? As far as I know, seeing you as Kitten and seeing you as Abigail is completely different. I bet he won’t even remember that you are the same people.” Oddly, Najay’s speech made her both relieved and concerned. Was her stage personality that different from the real her? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Sighing, Abigail brushed away her doubt and anxiety and held onto Najay’s words. She didn’t like that a single man could mess with her emotions like this—having her fear the loss of their friendship, and this had never happened before. But she couldn’t deny the fact that Theodore is special. He is kind, sweet and he doesn’t use his power to try and intimidate or deteriorate her. In fact, he actually respects her wishes, and tries extremely hard to keep physical contact to a complete no. The thought of Kitten getting in between this new bond of hers had surely been a reoccurring thought to her. Plus, she was nervous. She was about to show him a side of her that he’s never seen before. He will either like it or despise it. Well, there’s only one way to find out. The elevator door pinged open as she arrived at the top floor. The living room was void of all life, and the lights were slightly dimmed. Her feet trembled as she took the first step inside, and her hands hugged the coat around her body impossibly tighter, as if it would’ve fallen from her body any minute to reveal what she wore underneath. Her blonde wig was straightened down her back today, and her make-up was done to perfection as usual. She surely looked different, and soon, she would have to lose the Abigail side of her to wake the feisty feline inside of her. It’s either now or never. “Hello?” she called, gazing around as she walked further inside. She frowned. Was he still out? The doorman wouldn’t have let her up if he was, right? Then again, after the cursing he got the other day, and the looks he received when they went for food would’ve probably had him sending her up even if she showed up at the middle of the night. It was already eight thirty. She was a bit late, seeing that she spent quite some time on her own couch at home. She sighed. Maybe he got sick of waiting. He is a businessman, after all. Time is surely an important asset to him, right? She brought out her phone, deciding to phone him instead, but his number went straight to voicemail. Abigail sighed again. Great. It was only the first night, and she already ruined it. “Hello Abigail,” a voice said suddenly from behind her, which had her whipping around quickly with a tiny yelp. Even though she knew it was him, the two seconds that her brain needed to process it was far less than her fright. He towered over her at his 6’3 height, and his eyes glimmered under the dim light of the ceiling bulbs. He still wore his business suit, except there was no tie, and his first few buttons were undone, showcasing a glimpse of his chiseled chest. Abigail gulped. His proximity, plus the way he said her name and the way he held his glass of wine did something to her—something she recognized as new. “Oh sorry, I meant Kitten,” he corrected in an even huskier voice as a smirk teased his lips. Abigail gulped. The way her stage name rolled from his tongue was far different from how other men said it. He said it as if he was acknowledging her, as if he saw her, and that made all the difference. “I-I thought you weren’t home,” she managed to say after putting a few feet between them. This didn’t bother him though, and he slowly shook his head as he brought the glass to his lips. Oh gosh. “Where else would I want to be?” He raised his eyebrow at her, as if expecting her to answer, but she didn’t. “I’ve been waiting for you. Come.” He turned on his heels and led her down the dimly lit hallway. Had he purposely done this? Was he setting the mood for her dance tonight? It was surely a possibility. The way he acted was different too. It was masculine, daunting and almost…sexy. She was more aware of him now, and he of her. Though this was a formal agreement, Theodore couldn’t deny the fact that his day had been filled with thoughts of only her, dancing and stripping for him. Maybe she was slow. Maybe she was teasing. She addressed the dance as a ‘striptease’. So teasing, he knew it would come. Theodore didn’t know if it excited him or irritated him. He knew this would be hard—not having the chance to reach out for her and touch her while he finally gets to see what lies under all that… “Here we are,” he mumbled in a gruff tone as he pushed the door open. Abigail gasped in shock as she stepped through. It was the most exotic thing she’d ever seen, yet it slightly excited her to get her pedicured hands around those poles, and climb those chairs… Stripping wasn’t something she ever minded, but it wasn’t something she enjoyed thoroughly either. Yes, most times she liked the rush of adrenaline, but it wasn’t necessarily a hobby. But this? This was something else. Did he really get a whole room ready only for a six-month contract? She shook her head as a smile pulled on her lips, and when she gazed up at him, he was already looking down at her. As they met eyes, standing in a red lit room that screamed ‘sex appeal’ and sucked tension from each their lungs, both of them knew that this experience will surely change both their lives forever.