“Are you okay?” Alia asked. “You look like you’re going to throw up.”
“Not helping,” I wheezed, trying to calm my racing heart and sweaty palms. I had a wicked case of stage fright.
“Once that spotlight hits you, you won’t even know there’s an audience. Besides, you’ve rehearsed out the wazoo—you’re completely ready for this. And Mr. Campbell isn’t even going to be in the audience tonight.”
“Thank God,” I muttered. One good thing about Flynn still being on his business trip was that he wouldn’t see me vomit all over the stage. Though Flynn was on board with me performing, I wasn’t sure I wanted him to watch. What if I was terrible?
Alia and I stood in the wings of the stage and I swore everyone could hear my heart running a seven-minute mile while I waited for Lacey to introduce me.
“Ladies and Gentleman,” Lacey began, “it gives me great pleasure to present to you a new performer this evening. Without further ado, please put your hands together for the musical stylings of Miss Brandy Alexander!”
There was a smattering of polite applause as the lights dimmed—it was my cue to take center stage. When the lights came up in a spotlight, the piano began its introduction. I thought I would forget my lines, but I recovered and sang out in a seductive voice.
Adrenaline overpowered the fear. I removed the pearl strand and tossed them to a random guy in the audience who howled in excitement as I sung “Take Back Your Mink” fromGuys and Dolls.With each correlating piece of clothing I mentioned, I took it off until I was in nothing but a satin pearl-colored 1920s teddy, garters, and stockings.
The crowd whistled and clapped in appreciation as I strutted and sang the last of the song. Scooping up my pile of garments, I blew a kiss to the audience and then headed off stage. Once in the safety of the wings, the other dancers hounded me.
“I was okay?” I asked breathlessly. I had to remember this feeling. Though it had been terrifying, I faced a fear and let go. I felt alive.
“Okay?” Shawna smirked. “Are you kidding? You were awesome!”
“Tonight we’re drinking champagne,” Alia remarked. “We have to celebrate.”
“Brandy Alexander?” I asked Alia with an eye roll. “Whose idea was that? Yours or Lacey’s?”
“I take full credit for your stage name.” She shrugged and grinned. “Classy with a hint of slutty.”
Shawna and I laughed.
“Ladies and Gentleman,” Lacey said into the microphone, “we hope you had a wonderful time here at Rex Burlesque. That concludes our show for the evening.”
“Guess I better get dressed,” I said.
“Put your costume back on,” Alia said. “And we’ll go out and work the crowd.”
“Work the crowd? You guys don’t normally do that.”
“We’ll stay in character,” Alia said. “It’ll be fun.”
Fun. I liked the sound of that. “All right. Someone help me back into this dress. I’ll work the crowd but not in lingerie.” I needed to find Lacey and thank her for her amazing costume skills since she’d been the one to outfit me. Five minutes later, the other dancers and I walked out onto the club floor. Whistles and applause greeted us.
“Looking for these?” A hand held up my strand of faux pearls.
Through the sweep of my lashes, I looked up at the man I had tossed my necklace to and grinned. “Maybe.”
“May I?” he asked. At my nod he settled the necklace around my neck.
“Thank you.” He was attractive, tall with dark hair, and he looked good in a suit. But not as good as Flynn. No one looked as good as Flynn in a suit.
“Buy you a drink?” he asked.
Before I could answer, Alia and Shawna joined us and Alia handed me a flute of champagne. “Cheers,” Alia said, clinking our flutes together.
“Guess you don’t need a drink after all,” the dark stranger said.
“Guess, I don’t.”
“But you do,” Shawna told him.
