summary: After escaping a long-term abusive relationship, Ciara leaves everything she's ever known behind and starts over in Atlanta. New city. New apartment. A chance to finally breathe. With no support system and bills piling up, stripping becomes more than just a job, it becomes her way of surviving. Quiet, reserved, and trapped inside her own worldjk, Ciara keeps everyone at a distance. Beneath her confidence on stage is a woman still trying to heal from the life she escaped. Jimmy Uso has built a life for himself, cutting hair alongside his twin brother, Jey, and their cousins. He has a successful barbershop, loyal family, and a relationship he's committed to. The last thing on his mind is another woman. But during a guys' night at the strip club, one quiet dancer catches his attention in a way no one else ever has. She isn't the loudest in the room. She isn't chasing anyone's attention. She's simply trying to survive. What begins as a lingering glance slowly turns into something neither of them expected, forcing them to question loyalty, healing, and whether two broken paths can ever lead to the right destination.
fanfic is 18+ NO MINORS ALLOWED
warnings: explicit content,
smut warning: it’ll come in the story randomly so PLEASE PLEASE look out for it I’m not really good at writing ✍🏽 smuts but I am improving at the moment
comments, likes, repost are appreciated I would love the constructive feedback in what area I need to approve in. 🤍
ALSO! I don’t not want nobody stealing my fanfics or take it as theirs that will be an issue fasho so keep it cute respectfully.
I only own my OC along with the make up scenarios
again mdni you have been warned.
title inspired by the song “Novacane” by Frank Ocean
thanks to my friend @charmed-dreamssss for helping me with the summary 🫶🏽
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Nashville, Tennessee - Ciara and Leon’s house.
She didn’t look back once when she stormed out the front door running for her life away from the person she thought she loved the most, but in reality that was a lie and a really bad lie that she told herself.
She only had time to pack only a few little things before running out the house and towards her car, hands shaking violently as she unlocked her car door slamming it shut as she had seen her now ex boyfriend running up towards her door banging on it like a maniac.
Trying to open her car door almost breaking the handle off—scaring her half to death.
“Open this fucking door Ciara! Or imma bust this fucking window open my damn self!” Leon barked, eyes filled with nothing but pure anger.
“You fucking bitch! You gon leave me!?Where you gon’ go Ci? Huh!? You need me! You fucking need me!”
Banging on the window, hooting and hollering at her.
She looked at him one last time before starting the engine of her Honda Civic pulling out from the driveway of their house—the same house she and he wanted to build a life together until things started to get worse once she found out he cheated on her with some random girl he met.
And she tried and tried to tell herself that he’ll change and never do it again.
He cheats on her like she didn’t mean shit to him.
And when she went to confront him about it, it always turned into a fight or him putting his hands on her like he did just a few seconds ago, she couldn’t take it anymore.
She placed her car in drive, almost hitting him and drove off—she didn’t know where she was going to go but it had to be far away from here and away from him.
Tears poured down her face making her vision blurred as she wiped her tears away from her face quickly while focusing on the road ahead, her body shaking violently trying to control her breathing and kept driving.
Ciara didn’t know how long she was driving but she continued driving only stopping to get some gas one time and kept pushing not looking back. She had made it to the nearest city that was close to Tennessee and that was Atlanta Georgia, she didn’t really know anywhere from there except for her best friend Jasmine.
Her phone kept blowing up text after text from Leon, hell even twenty missed calls from him but she didn’t dare to reach for her phone to see what he was saying.
She glanced over at her rearview mirror seeing the bruise on her left eye that he had left her with when backhand the fuck outta her that made her leave—but she had more bruises from him it wasn’t just the one on her left eye.
Lucky for her she saved enough money to get her something of her own just for now until she got back on her feet, she drove to her best friend’s house since she’s the only person she knows.
The music was playing in the background of her car on low so she could listen to her thoughts, feeling tired and mentally exhausted. She thought if she didn’t leave what would’ve happened?
Would he have put his hands on her some more until she was bleeding from his actions or end up doing something worse than what she thought.
Ciara made a left turn heading down the street to her best friend’s house. It was only two-thirty in the morning since she left from Tennessee to Atlanta, when she pulled into her best friend’s driveway she immediately grabbed her phone to call her.
She placed her phone near her ear, heading it, begging that her best friend would answer the phone by biting down on her finger nail as the phone kept ringing.
“Please pick up Jasmine…please.” Ciara whispered.
And that’s when she heard her best friend’s voice behind the phone voice groggy from sleep.
“Hello?” Jasmine answered.
She could feel her eyes getting glassy and her voice cracking. “J-jasmine…? I’m outside…can you open the door?”
She could hear her best friend sitting up immediately through the phone.
“What you mean your outside Ci? What happened?” she asked.
She sniffed. “I drove down here…alone only bringing what I can and I left him Jasmine.”
“Leon? You left Leon? Hold on, let me go unlock the door downstairs okay?”
“Okay.” With that the phone call had ended as she turned off the engine of her car—grabbing her things that she was able to bring along with her phone.
She shut the door behind her, locking her door while throwing her bag over her shoulders, already hearing the door unlocking as she and Jasmine made eye contact with each other—which made her run up towards her and hug her.
Ciara started breaking down immediately in her arms feeling Jasmine rubbing her back.
“It’s okay Ci, I’m here. I am here for you.”
She pulled Ciara inside of the house, shutting the door behind them, taking Ciara inside of the living room so she could sit down while Jasmine went inside of the kitchen to get her something to drink.
When she came back she opened the bottle of water passing it to her as Ciara drank the cold water feeling it go down her body like she needed it badly.
Jasmine came and sat next to her with her face full of concern, when she looked at Ciara’s face and her body her expression changed.
She grabbed her chin to get a better look at the bruise on her eye.
“He did this to you? Leon did this to you?” Jasmine asked.
Ciara felt embarrassed to say but nodded her head.
She heard her best friend scoff. “I knew that bastard wasn’t no good for you the moment he started acting all funny and shit when did this happen?”
Ciara didn’t want to relive the moment where he backhanded her with his hand and yanked her hair making her feel scared for her life.
“It happened after I confronted him for cheating and things went left—he started yanking on my hair and…” Ciara paused for a moment. “We kept going back and forth with each other until he had enough and backhanded me in my face leaving a whole bruise on my face.”
Her best friend’s expression softened hearing that pulling her into a hug.
“I’m so sorry that you had to go through that Ci, but I’m glad that you escaped from that shit who knows what would’ve happened if you didn’t, I’m proud of you okay?” Ciara smiled lightly, feeling herself getting sleepy.
“Look, we will talk about this later on in the morning okay? I need you to get some sleep alright? If you need anything I’m upstairs.” She said.
“Okay, thank you for letting me stay.”
“Of course, you’re my best friend, you know I got’chu.”
With that Jasmine had gotten up from the couch heading towards the stairs as Ciara watched her walk up the stairs as she wasn’t in her sight anymore—she grabbed her phone as it turned on seeing the twenty missed calls from Leon and messages from him as well.
20+ messages and missed calls from Leon❤️
She read every single message that had popped up from her notifications.
Leon❤️: where tf are u Ci? Huh?
Leon❤️: yk that no other nigga would want you other than me you’re so insecure like literally insecure
Leon❤️: hell I should’ve cheated on you some more
Leon❤️: should’ve beat you some more
Leon❤️: yk I didn’t mean it right?
Leon❤️: the girl I was with she was so much prettier than u you’ll never find nobody else like me Ci you’re worthless always complaining, whining, so insecure about everything no nigga wants to deal with that and insecure bitch like u
She immediately felt tears coming down her cheeks reading his message. It hit her like a bullet hard, covering her mouth sobbing quietly.
He always knew how to make her feel worthless just to have her apologize and come back to him like an idiot but this time she didn’t. With trembling hands she went towards his contact number scrolling down until she saw the block button and clicked on it.
And deleting his contact number off her phone.
Ciara had curled up in a ball with her head between her legs crying softly as she kept replaying his messages over and over again in her head—started to believe everything that he was saying.
Only breaking her own heart some more.
“Maybe he’s right…maybe no one wants to deal with me and maybe I’m just not pretty enough…” Ciara whispered.
Sniffing her nose as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Maybe I won’t find love ever again….im just unlucky.” She said softly before getting comfortable on the couch.
She laid on her back against the soft cushion of the couch as she threw the blanket over her body—staring up at the ceiling watching the ceiling fan spinning around.
Her eyes began to feel heavy fighting the urge to stay up but her body was exhausted from the running and driving around, crying her eyes out. So she closed her eyes letting her chest go up and down letting her body relax.
And when her body relaxed, she fell asleep
Forgetting about everything.
And when she woke up it was going to be a fresh new start for her.
As the morning creeped by the sunlight from the sun was beaming through the curtains in the living room and the birds chirping in the background outside, Ciara had slept through the rest of the night with her face being buried in the pillow in her favorite position that made her body look like a number four.
Jasmine had already come downstairs seeing her best friend knocked out cold on her couch which made her chuckle as she walked inside of the kitchen to cook them some breakfast, gathering all the necessary ingredients and seasonings from the fridge.
As she cracked the eggs into the pan, ensuring there were enough for both of them, she began sprinkling her seasonings on top before scrambling them in the pot—she added some shredded cheese to elevate the flavor of the eggs.
Once the eggs were cooked, she covered them with a plate and placed them in the oven while she started preparing some sausage and French toast for them—she had been craving French toast for quite some time.
Meanwhile Ciara stirred from her sleep, awakened by the enticing aroma of the breakfast she was making. Rubbing her eyes, stretching her body, yawning heavily. And checked her phone not seeing any new notifications.
That made her heart feel less heavy than it was yesterday.
She had seen her best friend finish cooking them their favorite breakfast to eat that her best friend's mother used to make whenever she came over when they were kids.
She rose from the couch heading towards the kitchen catching Jasmine's attention.
“Good morning bestie, I hope you slept well. Cause girl you were knocked out cold.” Jasmine said.
“I wasn’t snoring was I?” Ciara asked.
Jasmine chuckled, shaking her head. “No girl, you was just sleeping peacefully.”
Something she’s been needing for a while now.
“Yeah, it was very much needed.” She pulled the chair back from the table to sit down waiting on her breakfast.
Jasmine turned off the stove grabbing both of their plates as she walked towards Ciara’s direction placing her plate in front of her that was filled with scrambled eggs, sausages and French toast that made her mouth water.
She saw Jasmine sitting next to her turning on their favorite TV show on Netflix in the kitchen while eating their food together.
While they were watching TV they had both laughed at whatever the person had said on the TV, munching away.
It felt like weight over her shoulders was gone but still lingering around but that didn’t matter because she was with her best friend.
That’s when Jasmine began to speak. “So Ci, you wanna start looking for apartments. I know some good ones around here.”
She read the mind like a book.
“Yeah, we can. I do have enough money saved up to get an apartment…I wanna have my own shit you know?” Ciara replied while eating her French toast.
“I understand bestie, we can start looking for some apartments after breakfast and then see if we could get a tour of the places because you know most apartments are.” She said.
That made her chuckle, mouth stuffed with food. “Yeah, I know girl.”
After that they both continued to eat breakfast together along with watching TV, Ciara completely forgetting about whatever happened yesterday between her and Leon.
All she could think about was how much she felt safe around her, the only person she could trust, if she would’ve gone back to her family they would’ve told her to work things out with him.
Being sheltered all her life, not being able to go anywhere, not being able to experience the world or learn anything about being an adult—her parents kept her sheltered which caused her to be the way she is now.
The quiet type that doesn’t do big crowds and overthinks everything, being a girl who felt insecure about how she looked and compared herself to others without any reassurance or validation.
She barely got any from Leon.
And she met Leon through one of her father’s best friends, assumed that they would be the perfect couple but no.
Ciara had really bad daddy issues.
Until she met Jasmine all of that changed her and Jasmine clicked immediately and started doing things together. Hell even teaching her how to drive, teaching her all the normal adult things that her people should’ve taught her.
But they felt like she didn’t need to know any of that thinking that she’ll always depend on them.
She proved them wrong when she moved out of the house to be with Leon.
Jasmine cleared their plates by putting them inside of the dishwasher for them to get cleaned before going back inside or grabbing her laptop that was on the counter—opening it up.
“Alright girly, let’s start finding you some good apartments.” Jasmine said.
After getting a tour of a few apartments Ciara had finally decided which one she wanted to move in the most and the first option caught her attention. It was perfect for her.
One bedroom apartment just for her and her alone, having her own space without feeling overcrowded in her own space. It was needed after living with Leon for a whole year or two until this happened.
With the money she had saved she managed to move into her new apartment and whatever she had left over was going to go to groceries and furniture. Making sure that she was straight for the rest of the day.
Ciara and Jasmine had ordered her furniture online which would take a couple of days or weeks so until then they went to the store to look for an air mattress for now and some other things.
That was on the checklist for right now as they had gotten everything from the store with the help of Jasmine’s older brother Jersey who was helping them carry all the bags inside of her new apartment on the lower floor.
Putting all of the groceries up one by one in the refrigerator as Jasmine lit up one of the incense inside of the house to make the smell good.
Jersey had placed her Japanese floor mattress on the floor inside of her room that down the hallway to his left, the bed had LED light underneath the bottom of the mattress—he wrapped the LED lights they had bought from the store all over her room wiping the sweat from his face.
Once he placed them all around her room he grabbed the remote to turn on the lights just to make sure they work and they saw the room bright up almost instantly.
“A’ight, the led lights are working Ci!” Jersey shouted.
“Okay!” Ciara shouted back.
She checked how much money she had left in her account and to her surprise she had enough money to cover for rent for next week but she had to start looking for jobs soon if she wanted to keep a roof over her head.
She and Jasmine had started putting up the decorations in her living room making it more homely for her, they put up the paintings, pictures, and a home sign on her wall.
Jasmine wiped her hands down, placing them in her hips.
“Well, this place is already starting to look good Ci.” she said.
She looked around her place seeing everything coming together so fast and so quickly.
“Yeah, everything is coming together just taking it one day at a time you know?”
“I get it honestly, you’re starting over. starting fresh after leaving that piece of shit I still can’t believe he did that to you.”
Ciara placed her hand underneath her chin, sighing deeply. “Blame my parents for hooking us up.”
“I can’t stand your parents either, no shade.”
Jasmine hated Ciara’s parents heavily with her heart for treating their daughter like a punching bag and then hooked her up with someone’s son she barely knew about.
She always told her that Leon wasn’t a good man all the time but Ciara didn’t want to hear any of that nonsense just because she was deeply in love with him.
Until Ciara had called her one night crying saying that Leon had cheated on her with some girl he met at the club when he was out with his boys.
She told her to leave not once but twice did she listen to her?
No she didn’t and the same thing kept happening and happening up until now.
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, if I would’ve listened to you I wouldn’t be here in the first place.” Ciara apologized.
Jasmine shook her head giving her a light smile.
“Girl, you were mad in love with him and I wasn’t to force you to leave someone if you were ready.”
“I mean—“ she cut in. “Ci, none of that matters anymore. What matters is that you have your own shit and far away from him you hear me?”
She nodded her head as she and Jasmine hugged each other.
“I love you okay? If you need anything I’m here.” She said softly.
With that they continued with the rest of their day fixing up Ciara’s apartment the best way they could until all of her furniture arrived soon, that’s when the real fun starts.
After fixing up her apartment she had cooked dinner for Jersey and Jasmine while the both of them were fighting over the remote to pick what movie to watch as Ciara looked at the two siblings and shook her head grabbing the remote from the both of them.
“You guys suck at picking a movie.” Ciara said.
“Says the person who likes to watch the same movie over and over again just to watch the sex scenes.” Jasmine clapped back.
Ciara gave her the middle finger while munching on her food.
“365 days is a good movie!” she responded.
Jasmine and Jersey laughed at her as they finally picked out what movie they wanted to watch together—they laughed at whatever the person said to the other person in the movie.
They all finished their food placing them inside of Ciara’s dishwasher before heading back over to the living sitting on the floor bundled up in the blankets they had bought from the store.
Whenever a sex scene came up on the screen Ciara would cover her face up with the blanket or cover her ears not wanting to hear the moans and grunts coming from the TV.
She never had sex before, not even with Leon.
So seeing these scenes made her all shy and embarrassed.
“Ciara? Are you really hiding your face?”
“Yes? Is that even a question?”
“Bitch, they’re just sex scenes. you acting like you've never had sex before.”
Ciara didn’t say anything. She just pulled the blanket higher over her face, cheeks burning hotter than the food she’d just finished. The exaggerated moans from the TV filled the living room, making her shift uncomfortably on the floor.
Jasmine cackled, nudging her with her foot. “Bitch, you really hiding? It’s just a movie!”
Jersey shook his head, grinning as he reached for another handful of popcorn. “Leave her alone, Jas. Not everybody built like you.”
Ciara finally lowered the blanket just enough to glare at both of them. “I’m not hiding. I’m… respecting the art,” she mumbled, which only made them laugh harder.
The truth was simpler and more embarrassing: she had never had sex. Not with Leon. Not with anyone. He had always pushed, always complained, always made her feel like something was wrong with her for not being ready. And after a while, the fights about it became just another reason for him to put his hands on her. So she stayed a virgin—quiet, untouched, and ashamed of it.=
The movie kept playing, but Ciara’s mind drifted. Tomorrow she’d have to start looking for work. Her savings were already disappearing faster than she expected. Rent, groceries, utilities… it all added up. She couldn’t keep depending on Jasmine and Jersey forever.
The next few days blurred together.
Ciara spent her mornings filling out applications—waitressing, retail, cleaning—anything that would give her quick money. Most places wanted experience she didn’t have or couldn’t hire her fast enough. Evenings were spent unpacking the rest of her furniture when it finally arrived and trying not to think about Leon’s blocked number.
One night, while scrolling through job listings on her phone, Jasmine walked in with a knowing look.
“Still nothing?” she asked, plopping down on the couch beside her.
Ciara shook her head. “Everything either pays trash or wants me to start next month. I need something now.”
Jasmine chewed on her lip for a second, then sighed. “Look… I wasn’t gonna say anything unless you asked, but there’s this club. It’s high-end. The girls there make in one good night what you’d make in two weeks at a regular job. It’s not easy work, but it’s fast money and they’re always hiring dancers.”
Ciara froze. “A strip club?”
“Yeah. It’s called Eclipse. The owner doesn’t play about safety—bouncers, cameras, strict rules. A lot of girls there are just trying to survive too. No pressure, but… you’re beautiful, Ci. Quiet energy like yours? Some dudes eat that up. You wouldn’t even have to do full nudity if you don’t want to.”
Ciara stared at the floor. The idea made her stomach twist. She had spent her whole life being sheltered, hidden, controlled. Now the thought of getting on stage and being seen—really seen—terrified her.
But the fear of going back to nothing, of failing at starting over, terrified her more.
“I’ll think about it,” she whispered.
Jasmine nodded and didn’t push. “Just know you got options. And whatever you choose, I got your back.”
That night, Ciara barely slept. She kept replaying Jasmine’s words. By morning, she had made up her mind.
The next morning, sunlight poured through the curtains of Ciara’s new apartment, casting a soft glow across the living room. She woke up with a knot already twisting in her stomach. The conversation with Jasmine from the night before kept replaying in her head like a loop she couldn’t pause.
She stared at the ceiling for a long moment before dragging herself out of bed. After a quick shower, she threw on an oversized hoodie and leggings. Jasmine showed up shortly after with coffee and a determined look on her face.
“Morning, bestie. You still thinking about it?” Jasmine asked, handing her a cup.
Ciara nodded slowly, taking a sip. “Yeah… I am. I don’t know if I can actually do it, but I need the money. Bad.”
Jasmine gave her a soft smile. “Then let’s go shopping. Even if you just audition, you’ll need something to wear. Nothing too crazy — just something that makes you feel confident. We can look, no pressure.”
Ciara hesitated, then agreed. The two of them headed out to the mall, the Atlanta heat already warming the air as they walked through the parking lot.
As they moved from store to store, Ciara’s mind wandered. She tried on a few simple outfits — cute tops, jeans, and some comfortable heels — but her thoughts kept drifting back to the club. What would it feel like to be on stage? Under bright lights? Strangers watching her every move? The idea made her hands tremble as she held up a black bodysuit in the dressing room mirror.
She looked at her reflection. The bruise on her eye had faded into a faint shadow she could cover with makeup, but the ones inside still felt fresh. Could she really do this? Could quiet, reserved Ciara — the girl who had been sheltered her whole life — get on a stage and dance for money?
Jasmine knocked lightly on the dressing room door. “How’s that one looking?”
Ciara stepped out, tugging at the bodysuit. It hugged her curves in a way that made her feel exposed but… powerful. Different.
“Damn, Ci,” Jasmine said, eyes widening. “You look good. Like, really good.”
Ciara turned side to side in the mirror, biting her lip. “It’s… a lot. What if I freeze up? What if they laugh at me?”
“They won’t,” Jasmine said firmly. “And if you hate it after the audition, you never have to go back. But at least you’ll know. Plus, I’ll go with you if you want. Moral support in the car.”
Ciara stared at herself again. The girl in the mirror looked scared… but she also looked like someone who was tired of running and hiding. Tired of having nothing.
She took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll audition. Today.”
Jasmine’s face lit up with pride. “That’s my girl. Let’s get this, a couple more pieces, and some makeup to cover that last bit of bruise. You got this, Ci. One step at a time.”
They finished shopping — adding lingerie-style pieces, a sleek robe for stage presence, and some clear heels that made Ciara feel taller than she ever had. Every item felt like both armor and a risk.
On the drive back to the apartment, Ciara’s leg bounced nervously. Her mind raced with questions.
What song would she dance to? How much would she have to take off? Could she really move the way the other girls probably did?
But underneath the fear was something else — a small, quiet spark of determination.
She had already escaped one nightmare. Maybe she could survive this one too.
When they got home, Ciara laid the new clothes out on her bed and stared at them. Tonight, she would audition at Eclipse.
And nothing would ever be the same.
The sun had already started to set by the time they left the apartment. Ciara sat in the passenger seat of Jasmine’s car, hands clasped tightly in her lap, the new outfit folded neatly in a bag at her feet. The black bodysuit, sheer robe, and clear heels felt heavier than they should have.
The drive to Eclipse was quiet at first. City lights blurred past the window as Jasmine merged onto the highway. Ciara’s heart beat so loud she was sure her best friend could hear it.
“You good over there?” Jasmine asked, glancing at her.
Ciara swallowed hard. “I’m scared,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “What if I’m not good enough? What if they take one look at me and laugh?”
Jasmine reached over and squeezed her hand. “Then they’re idiots and we leave. But I’ve seen you dance in your room when you think nobody’s watching. You got something, Ci. Quiet… but sexy. Mysterious. That’s rare.”
Ciara gave a small, nervous laugh. “I dance like nobody’s watching because nobody is watching. This is different. People are gonna be staring. Judging.”
“Yeah, but they’re also gonna be paying,” Jasmine reminded her gently. “And you don’t have to be loud or extra up there. Just be you. Move how the music makes you feel. The right ones will feel it.”
The rest of the drive was filled with soft music playing from the radio. Ciara tried to breathe through the anxiety. Every red light felt like a chance to turn back. Every green light pushed her closer to the unknown.
Fifteen minutes later, Jasmine pulled into the parking lot of Eclipse. Even from the outside, the club looked upscale. Black and deep purple lighting glowed against the building. A large neon sign spelled out the name in elegant script. A few cars were scattered in the lot — mostly staff, since it was still early.
Jasmine parked near the side entrance. “You ready?”
Ciara stared at the building for a long second, then nodded. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”
They walked in together. The inside was dim but clean. The main stage was lit with soft purple and blue lights, poles gleaming under the spotlights. A few girls were practicing on side stages while staff set up for the night. The faint smell of perfume, alcohol, and cleaning products hung in the air.
A tall, muscular bouncer with a clipboard nodded at them. “Audition?”
“Yeah,” Jasmine answered for her. “This is Ciara.”
He looked Ciara up and down, not in a creepy way — more like he was sizing up whether she could handle the environment. “Boss is in the back office. Go down the hall, second door on the left. He’s expecting walk-ins tonight.”
Ciara’s legs felt like jelly as they walked down the hallway. Her grip on the bag tightened. When they reached the office door, she took one last deep breath.
Jasmine gave her a quick hug. “I’ll be right out here. You got this.”
“Come in,” a deep voice called.
She stepped inside. A man in his late 30s sat behind a desk — dark skin, sharp fade, expensive watch. He looked up from his laptop and gave her a professional once-over.
“You here to audition?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Ciara said quietly, trying to keep her voice steady.
He leaned back in his chair. “Name?”
“Alright, Ciara. I’m Marcus — owner of Eclipse. We keep it classy here. No touching the girls. No extras in the back. You follow the rules, you stay safe, you make money. Simple. You got a song picked out?”
“I… I was thinking ‘Spin’ by Megan Thee Stallion,” she said softly.
Marcus raised an eyebrow, a small smirk forming. “Interesting choice. Intimate. Alright. Go get changed. You’ve got ten minutes, then come out to the main stage. We’ll see what you got.”
Ciara thanked him and stepped out, legs shaking as Jasmine helped her to the dressing room.
She changed into the black bodysuit, slipped on the clear heels, and stared at herself in the mirror. The girl looking back looked like a stranger — beautiful, terrified, and on the edge of something new.
Jasmine fixed her hair and dabbed a little extra concealer on the fading bruise.
“Remember,” Jasmine whispered, “this is just a stage. You’re not giving them all of you. Just enough to survive.”
Ciara closed her eyes, nodded, and whispered to herself:
“I survived Leon. I can survive this.”
She stepped out of the dressing room, heart pounding, and walked toward the main stage.
The audition was about to begin.
Ciara’s heart hammered against her ribs as she stepped onto the main stage. The lights were brighter than she expected, casting a soft purple hue over the polished floor and the gleaming pole. A few girls lingered near the bar, watching casually. Marcus sat in a booth near the front, arms crossed, waiting.
She handed her phone to the DJ with trembling fingers. “Spin by Megan Thee Stallion, please.”
At first, Ciara froze. The bass vibrated through her body, but her legs felt locked. For three long seconds, she stood there, the weight of every insecurity crashing down on her. What am I doing? This isn’t me.
She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering Jasmine’s words. Just move how the music makes you feel.
Her hips started to sway — slow at first, testing the rhythm. The clear heels clicked against the stage as she found her balance. She let her hands glide down her sides, feeling the fabric of the bodysuit, then gripped the pole with one hand.
The nerves didn’t disappear, but something shifted.
She began to spin — a slow, controlled rotation around the pole, back arching just enough to show the curve of her waist and hips. Her movements were not loud or aggressive like some of the other girls she’d seen practicing. They were smooth. Fluid. Almost hypnotic. Quiet confidence mixed with the heavy bass of “Spin.”
As the song built, she grew bolder. She dropped low into a squat, thighs flexing, then rolled her hips in a slow, sensual circle that made the robe slip off one shoulder. She didn’t force the twerk — instead, she let it come naturally on the beat, controlled but powerful, her body moving like she was releasing months of tension, fear, and anger.
Every spin, every body roll, every time her hands trailed over her own skin — it felt like she was proving something to herself.
The song hit its final chorus. Ciara climbed the pole slightly, legs wrapping as she leaned back, hair falling behind her, then slid down smoothly into a split on the floor. She ended on her knees, chest heaving, eyes finally opening to meet the empty club.
Then Marcus let out a low whistle and started clapping slowly.
“Goddamn,” he said, standing up and walking closer to the stage. “You came in here looking like a scared kitten, and then you gave me that?”
Ciara stayed on her knees for a moment, catching her breath, cheeks flushed. She felt exposed… but also strangely alive.
Marcus continued, nodding approvingly. “You’re raw. Not polished. But that quiet fire? It works. A lot of these niggas are tired of the loud, over-the-top shit. You give ‘em something to wonder about. Something to chase.”
He crossed his arms. “You got the job. Start tomorrow night. We’ll put you on the rotation — short sets at first until you get comfortable. House mom will show you the ropes. Tips are yours. Any problems, you come straight to me or security. We clear?”
Ciara blinked, almost in disbelief. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”
Marcus smirked. “Don’t thank me yet. This shit ain’t easy. But you got potential, Ciara. Clean up, get some rest. Tomorrow we see if you can do it with a full crowd.”
She stood up on shaky legs, grabbing her robe and wrapping it around herself. Jasmine was waiting at the edge of the stage, grinning from ear to ear.
As soon as they got back to the dressing room, Jasmine pulled her into a tight hug. “You killed that! I knew you had it in you!”
Ciara let out a shaky laugh, adrenaline still rushing through her veins. She had done it. She had actually auditioned… and gotten the job.
On the drive home, the reality started to settle in.
Tomorrow night, she would no longer just be the quiet girl who escaped an abusive relationship.
Tomorrow night, she would be on that stage again — under the lights, for strangers.
And the thought both terrified and excited her.
a/n: heyyy guyss im not even gon say im back with a new mini series when I wrote this story a bunch of times before in so many different ways but I always ended up losing the plot or a writers block be kicking in 😭😭 but I hope yall like this.