Instead of dragging my time out as long as possible in the hopes of making more money, I hurried through and rushed off the stage with less than half of my usual takings on my person. I pushed my way to the one available bathroom backstage and stood over the sink,.

I turned the tap on and splashed my face with cold, it was obviously a hallucination, I reasoned with myself, drying my face and looking in the mirror. I pulled out the make up case, always kept under the sink in case of emergencies and re-applied the majority, which had washed off with the water and rubbed off onto the towel.

Calmer, I walked out of the bathroom with my head held high, ready for when Mr. Black would call me to have a private audience with my first client. Sitting on a hard chair, I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths, maintaining my calmness.

After a few minutes Mr. Black’s voice cut through the chattering of the girls around me. “Belle!” he yelled, “You’re up.” He ushered me towards one of the plushest suites in the club.