Afterwards, I took Gabriella's number and promised to get in touch with her. That night, when I went to bed, my conscience pricked me. Was that really the right thing to do? My parents would have me beheaded if they ever found out what I was up to in Lagos. But then, I had no choice. Time was ticking fast!
I worked for Madam Sussan during the daytime while I left with Gabriella and other girls who worked under Lady B at night. I came to understand that Lady B was their mistress and fifty percent of whatever money they made each night went to her. Genuineness was one working factor I observed between Lady B and her girls.
On my first night, Gabriella made me up and taught me how to walk on heeled shoes. It took me time to adapt to the awkward change, but Gabriella was forbearing and patient with me. As we stood by the roadside, a car pulled over to us. The way all the girls ran to catch this customer baffled me. Being new, I stood at a corner waiting for another customer, but this same man who other girls had gathered around beckoned on me to come. I walked clumsily up to him and checked him out — the man was old enough to be my father.
"I am Chief Olusegun, and you are?" he asked.
"Barbra," I responded.
"Such a beautiful name for a beautiful damsel like you," he flattered.
I smiled to the compliment, revealing my gap tooth. Thereafter, he took me in his car to an expensive hotel and booked a room for us. He asked if I would like to take anything, and I told him that a citrus juice would be okay. I was just being cautious not to take alcohol. He left to get the order himself. When he returned, he gave me the juice as I sipped through it.
He began to massage my feet as he told me how he was a renowned business tycoon in Lagos State. After a while, I began to feel drowsy. And then, I slept off. By the time I woke up, it was morning. The hotel attendant came for room service. I looked around for Chief Olusegun, but he was nowhere to be found.
When the hotel attendant demanded my bill, that was when it dawned on me that Chief Olusegun had used me. He preyed on my naivety and escaped. I cried my eyeballs out. It was Gabriella who came to my rescue when I called her on the phone. After narrating my ordeal, she felt sorry for me and paid off my bills.
Soon, I began to live big in Lagos State. Unlike other girls working under her, Lady B asked me to keep the ten percent I was to give her to myself. Twice or thereabout, Gabriella and I visited a deluxe shoprite in Lekki to buy stuff for ourselves. While I picked goodies for myself, Gabriella was busy buying provisions, clothes, and male stuff for her younger brother studying at UNN. I was deeply touched, but I didn't express my feelings.
One day, I told Lady B that I was going to spend the weekend at Gabriella's place. Earlier on, Gabriella had sent me the address of where she lived in a duplex flat via WhatsApp, so I was able to locate her house with ease. Gabriella was delighted to see me. The warm reception alone attested to that.
"Babe, you can't believe it!" Gabriella exclaimed as she handed a glass of red wine with a plate of cookies to me.
"What happened?" I asked, sipping through the glass.
"Hmm! There was this millionaire girl I was chatting online with. She offered to give me 1.5 million naira if I could come spend a night with her."
"What? Is she a lesbian? That's disgusting! I mean, you wouldn't do that, would you?"
"You know me too well, Natasha. I blocked her instantly. Of what use is the money when I have sugar daddies capable of giving me that at my beck and call?"
"Baddest! I fear who no fear you! You too tough!!!" I hailed Gabriella as we both convulsed into laughter.
As we were still discussing, my phone beeped. It was my mum. I excused myself and went to attend to the call at a corner of the house. My mum had just called to know how my assumed studies were going, and I replied affirmatively. It was untypical of me to brainwash my mother, but then I needed to keep safe.
On getting back to Gabriella, we mapped out our next screw driving business schedule. Gabriella showed me a picture of a man in his mid-forties, an Alhaji to be precise, who she was planning to go out with. With that, she pleaded that I give her a nice hair plait as she promised to share the money she makes out of it with me equally.
I was astonished. I thanked her a lot and without further ado, I set to work at once.