AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The barmaid,” he drawled, his voice low. A hint of amusement came into his eyes. A cynical smile played on his lips. “And here I was thinking they never let you out to play.”
He’d said it like he recognised me. Like I wasn’t just a faceless, nameless barmaid to him.
My cheeks were blazing now, his piercing gaze unsettling me. I quickly set the Scotch down in front of him, eager to retreat to the safety of the club floor.
But I couldn’t leave. I waited, as I’d been trained to, in case he needed anything else.
He watched me, like he was expecting me to say something. I raised my chin, pretending like every sane thought hadn’t fled from my usually rational head.
Taking his silence to mean he had no other requests, I turned to flee.
“Wait,” he commanded.
I froze, not daring to turn towards him. I felt him walking up behind me, and then his breath warm on the back of my neck. He was so close, his body heat warmed me.
He held out a rolled-up note. A tip. A far too generous one.
When I didn’t move to take it, he chuckled, and slid it into the shoulder strap of my dress. With my heart pounding in my chest, I shot him a tight smile and beat a hasty retreat.
“Don’t work too hard now,” he said as I left, his tone laced with mockery.
Outside, I chided myself for being such a fool. I wasn’t a mindless nincompoop. Why the hell had I frozen up like that? The man was already full enough of himself without my acting like a worshipful moron.
I sighed as I walked through the club floor, and exited into the back corridor. It was a relief to leave the pulsing atmosphere of Bordello behind, the music turning into a distant echo as I ascended the stairs and went into the locker room.
I was glad no one else was in here. The solitude offered me a chance to gather my thoughts. As I swung open my locker door, a flash of red caught my eye.
Hanging from a hook was a tiny, tight red mini dress, the fabric shimmering under the fluorescent lights. A scrawled note was stuck to it.
‘Put this on. We’re going to have some fun tonight! Meet me downstairs.’
I stared at the dress, apprehension knotting in my stomach. It was bold, daring, perfect for Dolly’s vivacious personality and her big dreams. I had never worn anything like it in my life.
I groaned. It was either wear this, or stay in what I’d already been wearing all evening.
My phone buzzed. I checked it, worried it might be a text from Bernie. But it was from Toby instead.
Toby:Come on baby, call me will you? You know you want me back. I bet your life is lonely without me. You need me. Who else would have you?
Anger flashed through me. The nerve of him!
I found myself reaching for the dress, my fingers tracing the delicate tiny sequins, which promised to make me into a whole new person.
It promised I could be Fun Beth. What was the harm? Wouldn’t it be amazing to just stop worrying about everything and be someone else for one night? Someone utterly carefree and I-don’t-give-a-fuck, like Dolly?
I slipped into the dress, the fabric clinging to my every curve. Once it was on, it wasn’t as scandalous as I had feared. The built-in bra and bodice stopped me from looking naked in it.
It felt strange, foreign, but also thrilling. I liked the girl looking back at me from the mirror, her smile pouting and confident. I coiled my long brown hair into a loose bun, and pinned it up, liking the elegant touch it gave.
Dolly had even put matching stiletto heels in my locker.
Ten minutes later, I took a deep breath and descended back down into the club, my heart pounding. I looked for Dolly in the crowd. The atmosphere had shifted, the crowd wilder, the music more intense. As I moved through them, a familiar voice called out.
“Barmaid!”
Marco’s voice sent a shiver down my spine. I turned to find him leaning against the bar, his icy dark eyes sparkling with a hint of surprise and something else I couldn’t quite place.
“Dance with me,” he said, a command wrapped up in his velvet voice.
