A Payment to the Mafia: His Little Obsession

ZOE

I swallowed hard, and took a deep breath, "You could say that. For starters, what exactly do you expect from me? Adeline made it sound like I'm just a temporary distraction for you."

Mr. Gonzalez chuckled a low rumble that sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. "Adeline has a flair for the dramatic, but she's not entirely wrong." He paused, taking a sip of his coffee before continuing. "You see, Zoe, I'm a man of particular tastes, and I expect those around me to cater to those tastes without question. In exchange, I provide a certain... lifestyle. A life of luxury and pleasure, if you will."

I felt my stomach twist into knots as the implications of his words sank in. He wanted me as his plaything, a living doll to dress up and parade around for his amusement.

"And if I refuse?" I challenged, my voice trembling slightly.

Mr. Gonzalez's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Let's just say that refusal is not an option." He leaned forward, his gaze boring into mine with an intensity that made me shrink back. "Your parents made a deal, and you are bound by that deal, whether you like it or not."

I clenched my jaw, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. This wasn't just about repaying a debt, it was about control, about using me for his stupid desires.

"Now," Mr. Gonzalez continued, his tone shifting to one of authority, "I have a business to run, and I expect you to be an active participant. Tonight, you'll be working at my club, serving drinks and entertaining the guests."

My eyes widened in shock. "Your club? But I–"

He held up a hand, effectively silencing me. "No arguments, Zoe. This is the life you've chosen, whether intentionally or not. It's time to embrace your new life."

As he stood, his figure towering over me, I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. This was only the beginning, and already, I felt like I was drowning in a twisted nightmare from which there was no escape.

"The club opens at 8pm. Get ready before then, and Adeline will show you around. Goodbye." He said and left the dining room.

His club? Everything I'd heard about the Gonzalez club wasn't anything good. He was pushing me to my death. I need to escape.

********

"Wear this," Adeline's voice echoed through the roof of the room as she entered holding a white shirt and a black mini skirt. She tossed the clothes on my body carelessly like I was a garbage can. "Hurry up, the time is 7:30 and you need to be there before 8:00,"

I picked up the clothes from my body with a look of disgust, the shirt would barely cover my belly button and the skirt was worse with a pantyhose that seemed to have more holes than a fisherman's net. The skirt looked tight and extremely short, I can't bend in this, else the whole world will catch a glimpse of what my sacred place looks like. 

"Did you not hear me? Hurry up!" Adeline yelled, shaking me out of inspection. Reluctantly, I stood up from my bed and walked into the bathroom. "Where did Mr Gonzalez pick up this sloth?" Her faint rants managed to find its way to my ears.

Her harsh words pierced my heart, a sharp pain that left it bleeding. Is this what my life will become? Gonzalez's plaything and Adeline's dumping bag. I stared intently at the mirror as though it was revealing my future to me but there was nothing but pure pain and suffering. 

A tingle on my cheeks made my eyes move to them, strings of tears were rolling down my eyes rapidly. I no longer recognize the girl staring right back at me in the mirror. The innocence is gone, and the eyes hold more pain than before. The once striking blue eyes were now dark blue with saggy bags underneath them from lack of sleep and crying. 

A loud bang on the door, made my legs away from the mirror as I quickly wore the piece of materials in my hands they called clothes. It was worse than I thought, I was barely clothed. The pantyhose felt thin on my thigh, the skirt was a low-waist extreme mini skirt, the hem was a few inches away from my underwear and the shirt stopped on my waistline with a little black bow hanging on the collar.

I rolled my thick black hair into a bun, it was messy but there was no time to get it right. 

"Do I need to call the paramedics to bring out your dead body?" Adeline blurted out from behind the door.

"No, I'm done," I quickly responded, opening the door. My voice was low but audible for her to hear it. She examined me carefully, checking every hook and crook to ensure that there was no mistake in the attire. 

"Good, let's give your ugly face a touch-up," She said with contempt in her voice. 

I have heard and received many insults from Isabella but never Ugly. I knew I wasn't ugly but arguing with Adeline will add more torture to this already painful life.

She took me to her room and asked me to sit in front of her makeup table, which I did reluctantly. After a couple of minutes, she was done. 

I was horrified when I saw my face in the mirror. A shiny golden shade was on my eyelid, my brows were thinner and my lips red as blood. An artificial mole lay on top of my mouth a few inches away from my nostrils. The urge to wipe off the horrible mask of beauty grew stronger within me but I'd be a fool to wipe it off.

She glanced between my reflection in the mirror and me, then grinned from ear to ear with satisfaction, "Now you are good to go. Let's go before Gonzalez has your head."

***

The cold night breeze grazed past my face as we got out of the taxi. I dragged the jacket on my body instinctively to cover my body more. Echoes of faint music could be heard from outside where we were. Some disgusting people trying to eat each other's faces stood by the wall of the club. Each step we took brought us closer to the back door, where more nasty things were going on. The air reeked of puke mixed with ethanol. It made me sick and nauseous.

A giant bouncer stood in sight, ready to toss away any nincompoop. "Hello Joe," Adeline greeted him and opened the door for us. As she entered, her fingers rubbed his chest seductively. How disgusting. He smirked as he seemed to enjoy the touch, but his mood changed instantly when he saw me. I flashed him a smile nervously and ran inside. 

I followed behind Adeline as she led me through the sea of drunk, sweaty humans. The strong stench of ethanol hit my nose almost throwing me off balance but I didn't let it show. My eardrums felt like exploding under the weight of the loud bass music being played by the Disco Jockey. 

The rainbow lights display blurred my vision, making me lose sight of Adeline in the crowd.