The Contracted Stripper

Ryan woke up with a pounding headache, the events of the previous night a blur.

He groaned, sitting up in bed and trying to recall how he had gotten home.

He noticed he was clean and in fresh clothes, but the details escaped him. Iris was downstairs, making breakfast.

Her mind was still reeling from her discovery. She needed to talk to Ryan about the drugs, but she didn’t know how to approach the subject.

Ryan slowly made his way downstairs, his head throbbing. He saw Iris in the kitchen and felt a pang of guilt.

“Morning,” he said softly, trying to gauge her mood.”Morning,” Iris replied, her voice strained. She placed a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of him. “We need to talk,” she said, sitting down across from him.

Ryan’s heart sank. “About what?” he asked, though he had a feeling he knew.”I found something in your room last night,” she said, looking him in the eye.

“Hard drugs. Care to explain?”Ryan’s face paled. “Iris, it’s not what you think,” he began, but she cut him off.”Then what is it, Ryan? Because from where I’m standing, it looks pretty bad,” she said, her voice trembling with anger and hurt.

Ryan took a deep breath. “It’s for my father. He lied, He’s been battling addiction for years. I keep it hidden because I don’t want anyone to know.

It’s been a struggle trying to help him while dealing with everything else.”Iris’s anger softened a bit, but the hurt remained. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.

“Because I didn’t want you to worry. You’ve been through enough already,” Ryan said, his voice sincere.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Iris sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Ryan, I can’t help you if you don’t let me in. This marriage… It’s a partnership. We need to support each other.”

“I know, Iris. I should have told you,” Ryan admitted, reaching across the table to take her hand.

She hesitated but let him. “Okay. But no more secrets. We face things together, understand?”

“Yes, I promise. No more secrets,” Ryan said, his eyes meeting hers with genuine remorse.

Despite their conversation, the tension between Ryan and Iris remained palpable. Iris tried to trust Ryan, but the incident with the drugs lingered in her mind.

Thanks for last night Iris, he said softly.

For the first time in her marriage to Ryan, she saw him smile, genuinely it was beautiful.

She gave a light nod as they continued with their breakfast, Ryan eating absentminded knowing he just lied to her.

************************

Luca walked into the grand house, nodding at the familiar faces of the staff. He asked one of the guards about Ryan’s whereabouts and was told he was likely upstairs.

He made his way up, glancing at the closed doors until one slightly ajar door caught his attention. Curious, he peeked in.

Inside, Iris was completely engrossed in her sketchbook, oblivious to his presence. Luca stepped inside, mesmerized by the intricate designs she was drawing.

“Wow, these are beautiful,” he said, unable to hide his admiration. Startled, Iris looked up. “Oh, Luca! I didn’t notice you there. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, Iris. You were busy with your drawing. Are these already made designs or fresh ideas?” he asked, stepping closer to get a better look.”They’re fresh ideas,” Iris chuckled, slightly embarrassed but pleased with his interest.

“Wow, they are so good. I haven’t seen anything like this before. I hope you bring them to reality soon,” he said, genuinely impressed.”I hope so too,” Iris replied, her eyes clouding with uncertainty for a moment.

“You would do great in the fashion world,” Luca said, pulling out his card.

“Call me so we can talk and work on this.”

“Really?” Iris’s face lit up with excitement.”Yes,” Luca confirmed, smiling. “Oh, thank you so much. I’ll definitely give you a call,” she said, her spirits lifted.

“Do you by chance know where Ryan is?” Luca asked, glancing around.”I think he should be in his study room,” she replied.”Okay, thanks. Bye,” he said, waving as he left her room.

Luca walked down the hall, heading toward Ryan’s study when he nearly collided with Ivy. “Are you bi…..” she started but stopped herself when she saw it was Luca.

“Hi, Luca. Been a while,” she said, her tone immediately shifting to one of charm.”Hi, Ivy. How have you been?” he asked, keeping the conversation polite.

“I’ve been great! You know, modeling for top designers. I really don’t have much time, always from one trip to another, one shoot to another,” she said, giggling and blushing, acting like a high school girl who was with her crush.

“Oh, I see. That’s a good one. Well, I’m here to see Ryan, so I’m heading to his study room. Catch you some other time, and sorry for bumping into you,” he apologized.

“Oh, it’s fine. I wasn’t watching where I was going either,” she replied, smiling brightly.”Alright, bye,” Luca said and left, Ivy’s eyes following him until he was out of sight.

She stood there for a moment, daydreaming about him. He was everything she wanted and more, but he never seemed to notice her the way she wanted.

When Luca was out of sight, Ivy walked towards her room. As she passed Iris’s room, something caught her attention. The door was slightly open, and no one was inside. She noticed books, pens, pencils, and a sketchbook with beautiful, elegant designs scattered on the desk.

Her curiosity got the better of her. Ivy stepped into the room, quickly grabbed the sketchbook, and hurried to her room, looking around to make sure no one saw her.

Once inside, she locked the door and sat on her bed, opening the sketchbook. Her mouth opened in amazement as she flipped through the pages, seeing the elegant sketches. “These are incredible,” she murmured to herself, a mixture of envy and admiration in her voice.

Luca found Ryan in his study, staring at a pile of documents but not focused. “Hey, Ryan. How are you holding up?” Luca asked, closing the door behind him.

Ryan looked up, his eyes tired and red. “Luca, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t get Iris out of my head.”Luca sighed, taking a seat across from him.

“You’ve got to talk to her, man. Keeping all this bottled up isn’t helping anyone.”

“I know, I know. But every time I try, I just make things worse,” Ryan admitted, rubbing his temples.

“Well, you’re not going to solve anything by drowning yourself in work or alcohol. You need to be honest with her, with yourself,” Luca said, his tone firm yet caring. Ryan nodded, knowing Luca was right. “I’ll try. Thanks for being here, Luca.”

“Anytime, man. That’s what friends are for,” Luca replied, clapping Ryan on the shoulder.

“By the way, Ryan have you noticed iris and ivy kinda look alike and have similar features?” Luca asked.

“Really? I haven’t noticed it or had time to look at both of them, I don’t think they look alike. Maybe you are just having symptoms of face blindness” Ryan replied, giving a light laugh.

“what am I even saying, maybe I’m just assuming things, they don’t look alike right?” he asked.

“No man they don’t, they can’t even stand each other,” he said.