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Marty puffs more eagerly on his Cuban. The smoke billows up and nearly cloaks the leprechaun’s all-knowing grin.
I grin back wider. At least my smile lies.
I turn back and stomp out the door. My fists are still clenched. And they’ll stay that way until I’m well away from Marty Murphy.
I’ll knock on some doors alright. The first two will belong to Lena and Fritz.
They had better have a damn good reason for exploiting me like this.
A damn good reason.
CHAPTER 21
Cheyanne
It’s the next practice session with Mac. I get to the gym early so I can get my head on straight. The last thing I need is for him to see me royally screw up again. I open the double doors. The place is quieter today. Most every wrestler has their sketch together by now for the weekend performances but me. If that’s not embarrassing, I don’t know what is.
As I’m wrapping my hands with tape, I hear the locker room door swing wide. It slams into the cement wall in the back.
I jump, assuming it’s Mac on the war path again.
Then, I sigh. It’s only Dee Dee Dauterive.
I feign a smile like I’m thrilled beyond all measure to see her grace my space. But I’d rather have bamboo shoots shoved into my nail beds than have to confront the groupie. Dee Dee is one heck of a fan but one heck of a nuisance, too.
I had hoped for some alone time to get centered. So much for what I want. I smile wider.
“Hi, Dee Dee. This is a surprise. What’s up? Whatever is on your mind, can we cut this short? I’m late for practice as it is.”
Another lie. I’m getting rather good at the prevarication parade. One thing I’m sure my Mom would not appreciate. I gulp back the guilt and keep my smile pasted.
Dee Dee slithers in. She leaves a slime trail wherever she goes, physically and metaphorically. I swallow my urge to chuckle at my inner slay of the looming swampster.
“Yeah, sure. I watched you the other day and was wondering if you’d like me to put in a good word about your character to Ronan. You know, not a romantic thing. A training thing. You see, Ronan and I are close.” Dee Dee crosses her scaly green claws.
I smile again. For the first time, a groupie has got me feeling jealous. I seriously need to get my head on straight if I’m thinking that about Dee Dee Dauterive. She’s about as desirous a creature from any deep lagoon a self-respecting orc would take a beeline from.
I’ve seen Ronan at work with Dee Dee when she corners him. All professional and polite, but his face screams for help. Dee Dee has obviously taken his courtesy as some kind of come-on. Poor Ronan. I try to treat her the same way while making my exit.
Dee Dee clamps onto my arm. Her slime is icy-cold.
“I’ve figured it out, you know? Your new moves. You’re Disastra, aren’t you? I’ve seen the shows, and Disastra uses the same moves you pulled out on Lottie the other day. And I’ve seen Ronan at the Disastra shows, standing in her corner. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put things together. You guys are moonlighting, right?”
Dee Dee’s expression flashes devious, one bulging eyeball bigger than the other. Her face spreads in some kind of elongated jaw smarmy grin I never knew swampsters could even form, let alone want to. Who needs a bullhorn when you’ve got Dee Dee Dauterive lurking on your side? I try not to have my sigh be audible.
Dee Dee catches my widening-eyed shock.
“Oh, no, dear. I would do nothing as horrendous as tittle-tattling. I get your moonlighting. Not good for business, huh?”
Again, with the smarmy swampster grin. I shiver on the inside.
“I only wanted to tell you that I adore Disastra! I mean the whole look. The satin caps, the evil mask and make-up. And those stone-cold aggressive moves. Cheyanne, it’s not you, not Archimedes at all, when you’re that character. Talk about night and day. If Ronan hadn’t been by your side the entire time, I’m not sure I would have clued in that Disastra is you.”
She shakes her head. “I almost came up to you two at the last show, but you guys took off so fast. My little legs couldn’t keep up in the crowd. More’s the pity. I would have asked for Disastra’s autograph, too!”
Dee Dee is gushing so the drool is seeping out through her serrated teeth. I’m at least relieved she likes me and doesn’t want to eat me. With Dee Dee, you never know.
Dee Dee smiles like she just caught a deer in her jaw. The drool is now a puddle on the cement floor. I step slightly to the right to avoid her gleeful effluent.
