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For a moment, I wanted to fight back.
That was gone in a flash. Not because of the music. Not because I knew I needed to dance if I wanted to keep this job.
There was a woman in the audience staring at me.
It wasn’t uncommon to find women at the strip club. They came with their friends. They came with their husbands or boyfriends. They giggled into their cups and showed their discomfort as we stripped off each article of clothes.
This woman was different.
With her short black bob and her bright red lips, she was beautiful, and a thousand times more confident than any woman I’d ever seen sitting out there before.
And her gaze, as she held her cell phone up like she was checking out her makeup in her camera, was locked right on me.
There was no shaking the feeling that this woman wasn’t here for the show. Not when she sipped at her drink. Not as she ignored the scum sitting next to her as he tried to get her attention turned toward the tent in his pants.
Not as Leni went to her and the two women gave each other air kisses like they were the best of friends.
I stumbled through my set, my skin burning with embarrassment while this woman and Leni stared. The minute the music cut out, I grabbed the grubby cash from the stage, then snagged my boa before racing to the locker room.
“Where’s the fire?” Roscoe pushed through the door behind me, his hand gripping my arm and pulling me to face him. He barely blocked the blow of my fist racing toward him as my money scattered like confetti between us. “Hey, hey! What’s going on?”
Shoving him away, I crossed my arms over my chest, wanting to hide away from his watchful gaze. “Don’t touch me!”
He held his hands up, palms facing me like it could prove he wasn’t a threat. “Not trying to hurt you. Just trying to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.” I backed away a step, wanting to put space between us. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tanica and Delilah watching me.
As if realizing they were there himself, Roscoe shot a glance their way. He gave them a nod before turning his attention back to me. “Someone try to touch you out there?”
Why did it feel like someone did? “No.”
His shoulders seemed to drop, like he was no longer ready to pummel someone in the face. “You need a break?”
Over his broad shoulders, I saw Leni step into the room. I narrowed my eyes. “Why?”
“Man requested you for a private dance.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “If you’re not up for it, I’ll get Leni to take him.”
Fucking hell.
Leni got most of the private dances since I started. She’d never liked me, but her attitude got worse after the first time someone requested me instead of her. As if one dance was taking her livelihood away, when she had them lining up for her anyway.
The ugly smirk on her face had my anger raging back.
“I’m fine.” I said it to Leni more than Roscoe, and a shiver of delight raced down my spine when her smirk turned into a scowl. She spun on her heel and stormed out of the room, and I turned my gaze back to him. “Give me a minute to change.”
Roscoe didn’t look like he believed me, not as he cast a glance at the cash strewn all over the floor. He nodded anyway, wiping his hand across his jaw. “Get cleaned up. I’ll get the guy in a room.”
I wanted to collapse the minute Roscoe turned and left the locker room. In fact, I might have had Tanica not rushed forward to support me.
“Are you okay?” She helped me over to the wooden bench in front of my locker.
“Just a little lightheaded.” It wasn’t too far from the truth. I was shaky, both from my routine and not eating enough.
“Here.” Tanica spun to face her locker, and she dug through her bag as I watched Delilah pick up my money from the floor. When I looked up, Tanica was holding a granola bar in her hand, offering it to me. “It’s not much, but it should help.”
“Thank you.” I forced the words through a tight throat. These two. No matter how hard I tried, they didn’t get the message that I wasn’t looking for a friend.
Wouldn’t life be easier if they treated me like Leni did?
