𝟎𝟑- 𝐉𝐀𝐙𝐙

CHAPTER THREE

Jazz.

❂

THE next day Aria spent her day resetting.

Her week was full of long nights at the club and afternoons at the city's local library.

Los Angeles' economy was no joke.

It wasn't all that easy balancing the two very different jobs as a young woman in the large city of Los Angeles. California was a place that Aria had called her home for years. Her parents weren't approving of the "shameful lifestyle that she so badly wanted to partake in", so she was quick to move to the infamous City of Angels and begin a life of hard, dedicated work.

Naturally, the young redhead stumbled upon an even more challenging mountain than the one before every other sunrise. But what was important was her drive. The constant thought of living a lavish life in her future, screaming a thundering "I made it, bitches" to all of those that ever doubted her potential is what made her thrive.

The only people that she could possibly ever see in her future were her best friends and her sisters.

Rylee and Lorenne were twins. They were five years older than the redhead but nevertheless they gave her their utmost support.

It was a hassle every time the sisters attempted to make plans to visit one another so hangouts were limited.

Lorenne was a fashion designer who was never in one place for too long and Rylee was busy with a life full of chaos. She had a son and was already ready to burst with another. If her boyfriend wasn't such a sweetheart— Aria would only think of him as a goddamned narcissistic asshole who only wanted to knock up her sister on multiple occasions. Thankfully, the couple's obvious love and affection proved their true intentions.

Aria considered herself loved. Her parents did hold a deep level of affection for their youngest daughter, but her path of life wasn't something that they could fully wrap their traditional minds around.

So when Aria couldn't fall back onto the warmth of her parents' loving embrace, she did it in a shitload of money in her rented loft apartment.

Aria's apartment wasn't a lot to take in but it was hers. The warm lighting that didn't give her a headache, lit candles that she kept away from her bookshelf, comfortable white furniture, and Sade— her cat.

It was all hers.

Aria might've not been the richest girl in the city, but she was living her dreams wildly based on her dedication to her lines of work.

The redhead sighed as she removed the carton of ice cream from her freezer, the curious movements of Sade making her laugh.

Sade was a new addition to Aria's life. She had only gotten him a month ago so he was still adapting.

The boy cat was just about the closest thing that she'd ever get to a man in her home.

The petite black cat watched as Aria scooped the butter pecan ice cream into a glass bowl. Aria felt empathy for the little guy, so she twirled around to grab him a treat as well.

As the two walked over to the two seater couch, Aria plopped down onto it with a soft blanket and her bowl of sweetness. Sade jumped onto the couch, with the help of Aria, and hesitantly nibbled on the offered cat treat. Seeing that he was much satisfied, Aria got comfortable in her seat while turning on Gossip Girl.

❂

TODAY had been a very unproductive, lazy day for Aria and Sade.

The two warm bodies stayed cuddled up on the fluffy couch together, their bellies full and eyes droopy from sleepiness.

Eventually they did fall asleep. Sade's body was tucked in Aria's lap, his little breaths of contentment matching the redhead's snores.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Aria's phone.

Again.

For the third time.

She fluttered open her eyes with a meek yawn tumbling out afterwards, grabbing ahold of her phone.

Goddamn Parker, Aria thought.

She answered the phone for her best friend, refusing to move her body from its comfortable spot.

"OMG finally!" Parker squealed.

Aria hummed into the speaker, "What?"

Her voice was soft and low from just waking up.

"Um what do you mean 'What?' Your ass is supposed to be at this bar right now." Parker scoffed.

That's when the realization hit. Parker and Aria had planned a night out a week before. Aria had forgotten. The redhead was too interested in the "off day" that she had, that she'd forgotten about her and her best friend's Saturday night plans.

"Shit." Aria mumbled, running her hands through her untidy hair, "I'll be there soon."

How soon? Aria wasn't sure. But with the sudden motivation to get up, she ended the phone call and set Sade aside.

Aria went ahead and did her hair and makeup first, so that she had time to plan her outfit without wasting time. Her hair held waves in it so to save time she only put it all up into a neat bun, allowing a few pieces to frame her face. She'd decided on a minimal makeup look, it was different than her original look though as she went for more matte elements than glowy this time around.

Standing up from her vanity in only a matching bra and thong set, Aria hummed along to her playlist while laying out her outfit. Cleo Sol lowly played from the redhead's speaker as she slid the printed dress onto her body.

The bar that Aria was going to played strictly jazz music so she wanted to dress the correct vibe.

Her dress was leopard printed— a current fashion trend.

Bandwagon or not, Aria looked damn good in the dress.

It was strapless and clung to every curve of the redhead's body all up until a little below her knees. She'd decided on a pair of black, kitten heels that made her closer to her original height compared to the boost of her dancing heels. Aria accessorized with golden accessories; small hoops and a singular bracelet on her left wrist and a petite watch on her right.

Aria took a few minutes in the mirror to admire her appearance. She touched up her lipliner and smoothed her hands down her dress, deciding last minute to grab a handbag that had a golden buckle attached to it.

Her confidence was through the roof.

Aria glanced down at her vanity table with a bit of hesitation once noticing the wallet that sat on it. Last night she was exhausted and had snuggled into her sheets right after showering, not paying much attention to the stolen belonging.

In all honesty, Aria sort of regretted her actions.

Memphis was gentle with her in their private room. She didn't need to be told 'don't touch' three times in a row and she gave appropriate responses to Aria's movements. When the redhead straddled the brunette, all they could do was stare into one another's eyes as Aria's body moved along to the rhythm of music. Aria had never actually allowed herself to get too intimate with her patrons, but Memphis was so alluring and respectful that Aria couldn't help it.

Nothing more happened than the lap dance, but it was definitely different than normal routines.

So, yes, there was a bit of guilt that flooded Aria's mind for taking advantage of someone who actually seemed genuine. The woman was so used to aggression that she acted upon it before anything happened.

To get the upper hand.

Aria snapped back into reality once the ding of her phone replaced the slow music from her Spotify.

She cleared her throat and grabbed her phone, disconnecting it from the speaker as she walked to her front door. It was a text from Parker. Sade was now awake, so Aria smiled and placed delicate kisses on her baby's head while mumbling a swift goodbye, responding to Parker's text with a quick 'otw'.

Aria received a notification from her Uber driver just as she was exiting the elevator to the main lobby of the apartment building.

The air outside wasn't too cold or warm, which Aria thanked the heavens above for. It was only eight at night, so the sky was still stained a bit with what was leftover of the sunset. Horns blew, people talked, and music played somewhere down the street— most likely by someone looking for tips.

Aria was more than used to LA's culture, so without any second guessing, she slipped into the car that matched the description on her phone and got comfortable. Her Uber driver was an older woman who didn't talk much. After introducing herself, she hummed lowly with the radio the rest of the ride.

When Aria arrived at the venue, she was sure to exit the car with a soft smile and a tip.

Parker met the redhead at the entrance of the club. Parker was a pale-skinned blonde. Her style was classy and elegant. She was model-like in every sense— from her tall height to her mind blowing beauty. Almond french tips always adorned her fingernails, her hair remained blown out, and her lips were never not glossy.

The two women's friendship was nothing special. They both ran into one another in the middle of a Chanel store after Parker complimented the color of Aria's hair. The two gushed about fashion after that, soon developing a strong friendship over the next few years.

"You bitch!" the blonde exclaimed, pushing Aria's shoulders once they were facing one another.

Aria pouted, "I'm here. . . aren't I?"

"Pft. Yeah. After I called you to remind you of the plans we made together." Parker scoffed.

Aria rolled her eyes and pulled one of her closest friends in for a hug.

Parker dropped her tough act and immediately melted into the familiar warmth of Aria's arms.

"I'm still mad at you." she mumbled into the air that had developed a small breeze.

"Can I make it up to you in drinks?" Aria laughed, pulling away from the hug with a mischievous smile.

Parker's eyes only lit up. She grabbed ahold of her friend's arm, linking them, before walking them into the dimly lit bar in their matching kitten heels and petite handbags combo.

The rest of the night would soon be full of martinis, loud laughs, and soft jazz music.

❂