AllFreeNovel
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They are here. They are back. Oh, God. What am I going to do?
“Who are they?” Faye asks, a lipstick in her hand, her long blond hair in plaits. Her show is right after mine tonight and she’s dressed like a cleaning maid. It seems men are all over that act. They love it. “Those guys you’re ogling? They are pretty damn hot.”
I hum in reply.
“Are they here for you?” She widens her eyes at me. “Atta girl. Looks like a pack. Are they courting you?”
“They’re not… it’s complicated.”
They are so hot, and so not supposed to be here. Last time… last time I teased them and tormented myself. What do they want from me?
But I can’t think about them, or I’ll screw up my number.
“Break a leg,” Faye says as I lift my chin and strut to the stage.
Whispers wind around me, and I hear my stage name among them. I feel like I’m hovering one foot above ground, and not only because of my heels. I always feel like that before a show. I both enjoy and dread it.
I used to throw up before every performance. It’s better now. Though the boss is making me more nervous by the day. I’m afraid he expects more from me.
And I’m afraid I’ll give in for the promise of cash, cash I need.
As I twirl around the pole, doing my thing, giving the audience the sexy kitten act they crave, I manage to empty my head, let the worries go. It’s a temporary reprieve, and I embrace the quiet in my mind, letting the music fill it instead. The faces below me blur, the boundaries between reality and dream vanish.
In this dream, everything is bright and perfect, and I’m twirling with my brother, running through fields, diving into lakes. Everything’s resolved.
And then he is replaced by Sawyer and the pack, and I lose my rhythm. I blink and there they are, yanked out of my dream and thrust into reality, leaning forward in their seats, their eyes sharp on me.
Thankfully, the music winds to a stop, and I try to catch my breath. It’s impossible. It’s more than the dance. It’s their presence and what comes next.
Because like clockwork, Archer is up on his feet, waving the money in his hand again, calling for me to join them.
He’s the first to call out. The amount of bills in his hand is impressive. What am I supposed to do?
I manage to climb down from the stage without falling and breaking my neck, my face too hot, my heart pounding. The other customers grumble when I head toward him.
I know my boss is watching. But Archer’s wad of money is bigger than the others’. And he was the first, holding the money up before I even stopped dancing.
This is business, right? What does the boss expect me to do?
What do I expect me to do? Ignore them? Walk away? Go with another patron? Just the thought of anyone but them touching me makes me gag. I did my mini lap dances for customers before, like I said, but now that I’ve danced for this pack and Sawyer, being so close to anyone else makes my skin crawl.
Insanity, I think as I stalk toward them. This is insanity.
And Sawyer… His face is set in hard lines.
I pretended not to know him at the library.
I thought I’d never see him again.
He’s upset. Justifiably so. I’ve been awful, but my secret… it’s not really mine to give, and without telling them the truth, I don’t know how to be around them.
How to be around anyone, much less people I feel so attracted to.
They watch me as I reach them, eyes blazing, their handsome faces tight with intent, hands clenched on the back of their chairs, or on their muscular thighs. Their entire being blazes with arousal, interest, attention.
They don’t know me, don’t know my backstory or my present life. They only see this version of me—this, and the quiet bookworm—and they may think this is it. If only… I’m high maintenance, and nobody in their right mind would want me to hang around if they knew it all.
Roman beckons, leaning back in his chair, and I approach him first. Sawyer is glaring daggers at me so I guess I won’t be dancing for him tonight? Why is he here, if he’s so upset, anyway?
