In December 2024, I landed a job as a bottle girl at an unnamed establishment, thanks to a friend’s recommendation. After struggling financially for a long time, this opportunity seemed like a blessing. Believe me, I made over R10k in just a few weeks from tips and… other things. It’s those “other things” that bring me to telling this story.
On my first day, I was excited and ready to start. The club opened, and we stepped out dressed to impress, popping bottles while the crowd cheered us on. As the night went on, we started focusing on the VIP section, tending to high-paying guests.
One by one, the girls I was working with were called to the back rooms and disappeared for a while. Eventually, it was my turn. I was handed a bottle of Hennessy and instructed to take it to a VIP guest in a private room.
I walked in, all smiles, and popped open the bottle, pouring some into a glass. The gentleman lounging on the couch smiled at me as I approached, looking drop-dead gorgeous in my uniform. I handed him the drink, but then he asked me to sit on his lap.
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When I politely declined and mentioned we weren’t allowed to drink on duty, he put his drink aside and started touching me inappropriately. First, he fondled my chest, and then he reached for my private parts. That was the moment I lost it. I slapped him hard across the face and stormed out of the room.
As I left, he followed, shouting obscenities at me. “You ungrateful b**ch! I paid good money for you, and this is how you treat me?” His voice echoed through the hallway, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
The club owner appeared, clearly familiar with the man I had just confronted. “Relax, my man. I’ll get you another girl,” he said, trying to calm him down. He then turned to my friend Nkele, who had brought me into this job.
“Nkele, talk to your friend before I fire her right now!” he yelled.
My friend pulled me aside and asked, “What’s going on, chomie?”
“That man tried to touch me inappropriately, so I slapped him!” I shouted, still shaking with anger.
Nkele gave me a tired look and said, “Chomie, didn’t I ask if you understood what being a bottle girl ekasi is all about? You said you were up for the challenge. Well, this is it.”
“What?! You mean prostitution?” I blurted out, loud enough for everyone to hear.
The other girls stared at me with a mix of shock and disdain.
“Where did you even find this girl, Nkele?” one of them muttered.
Nkele dragged me into a nearby room, clearly frustrated. “I can’t believe you’re embarrassing me like this,” she hissed. “I brought you here to make money, and now you’re causing drama. Do you even know how lucky you are? Some girls would kill for this job!”
As I tried to process what she was saying, my eyes wandered to a corner of the room, where a man was lying completely naked, openly pleasuring himself. He winked at me and asked, “Is she joining us?”
“No,” Nkele snapped, turning back to me. “You need to decide now, chomie. Are you in or out? Because I’ve got things to do.”
Without waiting for my response, she disrobed, walked over to the man, and began performing explicit acts in front of me, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. The man moaned, grinning at me as if daring me to join them.
Standing there, frozen, I realized I had a choice to make. Was this really the life I wanted? The money was undeniably good, but at what cost? The glamour and excitement of being a bottle girl had quickly faded, leaving me face-to-face with a reality I wasn’t prepared for.
Should I stay and adapt to this world, or walk away and return to a life of financial struggle but moral clarity?
This was just Day 1, but it already felt like I had lived a lifetime of regret.