Chapter 15
Tessa
“Inlightofrecentevents, Marissa Stone has been recast for all of Miss Bradley’s current roles. Still no news on her whereabouts or the reason for her disappearance. Other news outlets are beginning to assume the worst…”
“… Ransom…”
“… Kidnapping…”
“… Murder…”
“With no updates by local law enforcement, Hollywood remains at a standstill as to where their beloved Actress could have gone, most believing she is no longer with us…”
This was all too easy. The escape, the job… Something was about to go wrong with my plan; I could feel it, my luck ready to run out. It shouldn’t have been possible for me to walk into this club on a whim and be offered a position without undergoing a thorough background check. Then again, I was officially assuming the identity of Evie Sinclair—whoever the fuck she was.
Without a doubt, I knew that Levi had figured it out during my audition routine. He remembered who I was in that moment we shared. By the way he gripped my chin, he had to. There could be no other explanation for the way he reacted to my advances. And now I needed to figure out his angle for playing ignorant…
The most common attire worn by the dancers who worked at Pulse was brightly colored string bikinis, fluffy leg warmers, and anything that dangled off their bodies to lure attention. However, the employee handbook did note that I could dress as I pleased, provided it was in line with the overall atmosphere and vibe of the nightclub.
I perched myself at one of the open vanities along the back wall of the lounge and got to work on my hair and makeup for my first shift. I applied some quick, dark, and dramatic eyeshadow before fluffing my hair with a can of volumizing dry shampoo, just to give it a little extra perk.
That was the one benefit of wearing a wig when I wasn’t stuck hiding in my apartment during the day. I always looked put together with minimal effort. The downside was how hot it got underneath, especially in the scorching Nevada heat.
Why the fuck did I have to choose Vegas as my escape—aside from the fact that it wasn’t a far stretch from home and I didn’t even expect to make it this long without being—
“You’re Evie, right? The new girl?” I peered over my shoulder in the mirror’s reflection, spotting a blonde bombshell of a womanstanding behind me, dressed in nothing more than a gold shimmer bikini and matching strappy heels. She looked as though she were about to walk the Sports Illustrated runway as a sexy Cleopatra.
“That’s me. Can I help you?” I wore my most innocent smile as I set my eyeliner on the vanity and spun around in my chair to give her my full attention.
“My name’s Brandi, I’m one of the senior dancers on staff. Levi told me to give you a brief rundown of what to expect before you start your shift, so here I am to help in any way I can.” She sounded genuine and nice. Honestly, I was expecting someone more like Marissa to be my first interaction here.
“Oh, okay. Yeah, that would be great, seeing as I’m so new to all ofthis.” I beamed, finding her kindness refreshing for a change.
“Right…” She drawled, her tone shifting into something far less friendly, a lot more catty. “First things first.” Brandi started picking all my things up from the vanity and roughly shoved them into the nearest bag before dropping it onto my lap. “Whatever you do, don’t leave your cheap shit lying around. I don’t want to see it, and most of the other dancers are kleptos just waiting to steal anything left available, including the men...”And there it fucking was—the venomous bite of a territorial bitch pissing all over the place.
For a second, I thought there might actually be friendships worth building here. But… fuck that.
Brandi didn’t come over to make friends; she came to stake her claim, and I needed to adopt that very same mentality for myself if I were to survive. This was dog-eat-dog territory, and I was all in for the fight—gloves off, fists up, the whole nine fucking yards.
Not allowing her the satisfaction of getting under my skin, I played it cool. Ignorantly nodding my understanding and withholding the backtalk and a few choice words I had for the cunt, all while swallowing my pent-up aggression and pride.
Be a shark. Be the fucking shark, Tessa—Evie… fuck.
“Then there’s the nightly rundown. We dance in intervals, so as not to overexert ourselves while dancing—forty-five minutes in, fifteen out. And since you’re new, you get the cage at the far end of the main floor, in the back corner—closest to the emergency exit, to be precise. Placement is performance-based; you’ll have to earn the right for better visibility.” Her tone was bored and arrogant, as if she’d recited this speech a million times, and I continued to nod like an obedient little girl, holding back the countless eye rolls and unrelenting urge to punch her in the throat while my gaze drifted elsewhere.
Oh, to be at the bottom all over again…
“And one last thing, before I forget…”
I returned my attention to Brandi as she pretended to fluff her lush, wavy locks in the mirror over my shoulder before standing tall and proud in her nine-inch heels. “The owners are off limits.”
Wait… excuse me? Now, hold the fuck on—
“The own—What?” I shot her a confused look, my brows furrowing together as I assessed just how serious she was trying to be. When I interviewed, Levi stated that he was the owner, with no mention of a second, and I know for a fact that he’s single...isn’t he?“I’m sorry, I—”
“You do notflirtorfuckaround with either of the owners. Plain and simple. Got it?” Bold, demanding, egotistical, and she couldn’t possibly be fucking serious…
I didn’t need to drag myself from the pit of one hell straight into another so soon. So I chose to adapt, submitting myself to this new match of chess, well acquainted with the rules and politics of a game I fucking ruled before stepping a single foot into this club.
