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Martina’s eyes light up. “Tomorrow at five, then I can make sure you’ve got everything you need. Walk you through everything. Schedule, breaks, and get you fitted—” she breaks off. “I should have asked this before. The outfits aren’t exactlyrevealing, but they cover only a little bit more than a bikini would. Are you okay with that?”
I hide my wince. Normally, I wouldn’t be. Flaunting my body means bringing attention to it.To me. But these are extenuating circumstances. And as much as I want to say no, I need this job. “I’ll be fine.”
She smiles brightly. “Welcome aboard, Stevie.”
5
ALESSA
The gold choker around my neck reminds me of Dante’s firm hand gripping my throat, whispering about pleasure in his deep voice. He is the last thing I want to think about, yet, consistently, he’s there in my mind whenever I stop paying attention.
“You look gorgeous, Stevie,” Mel says, changing into her black dress behind me.
Golden beads fan out from my choker in an intricate spider web design, stopping just above my belly button, covering the skin not hidden under the golden bikini. There is another set of beads nestled around my hips like a skirt designed to reveal yet obstruct the view. “It’s much less than I like to wear,” I mutter. “Still, more than I was expecting, I guess.”
“Well. I think you look like a queen. The gold really suits your skin tone.”
Looking at myself in the mirror, I have to agree. Martina did my makeup tonight, walking me through every step so I can replicate it next time. Somehow, the golden eye shadow she chose brings out the flecks of amber in the green of my irises, and the highlighter on my cheeks makes my skin lookiridescent. Martina even added gold feathers in my hair to complete the look, attaching them to my wavy strands so that each time I move my head, a different feather would catch the light. I actually love the full effect. But I’d love it even more if I didn’t have to go out in public and dance in front of a room full of strangers.
The one thing making me feel better about the situation is the fact they will all be behind glass, watching me from afar, not able to touch me. With little luck, they’ll be more interested in their game than me.
“Honestly, Stevie. You’ll be fine. They probably won’t even look at you, too busy gambling to pay you any attention,” Mel says, her hand reaching out to grasp mine and squeezing it in reassurance.
“Have you ever done it?” I ask.
“No. But then, I’ve never been offered,” she shrugs. “I probably would, though. A week of dancing in one of the cages would pay a month’s rent. Not that the tips on the ground floor are bad.”
“Really?”
“I swear. Your shift will be over before you know it, and then you’ll be walking home with a nice chunk of cash in your pocket.”
“Hotel.”
“Sorry?”
I sigh. “I don’t have a place yet. I’m staying at this small hotel at the moment.”
Mel leans against my vanity table. “How long are you planning to stay in Blackwood?”
“I’m not sure yet. Hopefully, for a while. That’s why I needed a job.”
“You’ve got one now.” She winks at me. “Nothing stopping you from looking for a more permanent place.”
I laugh. “I need to make some money first unless theydon’t require a month’s rent in advance in Blackwood.”
Mel looks thoughtful as she studies me. “I might be able to help you,” she says. “Let’s go for a drink this weekend.”
“I’d like that.” It would be good to make some friends, especially since I want to stay here.
“Stevie, you ready?” Martina pops her head through the dressing room door.
As I’ll ever be.
Thankfully, the staff dressing rooms and break-out space are all on the first floor, so I can go directly to where I’m supposed to be dancing without stumbling into any of the patrons here. The cages are fastened to the ceiling via a horizontal lift mechanism, so with one push of Martina’s red-tipped finger, my place of work for the next four hours slowly moves toward me.
“Remember, there’re water bottles at arm level hidden in all of the four thick bars. Make sure to drink throughout your shift. If you feel faint or something is wrong, press the buzzer on the door and we will get you back here,” Martina rattles off as she helps me into the cage. “You good?” she asks, closing the door.
I nod, even though I’m not feelinggood,at all.
