Private Dancer (19 page)

        
"So any broken bones lately?" Cori slithered around seductively.

        
"Nope, just typical toss outs. No one gives me any trouble any more." She frowned.

        
"I'll tell you what, the way Reece has been acting lately, you'll get your chance at some blood and guts soon enough."

        
"That bad, huh? It's the blonde girl, ain't it?"

        
"Yeah, she's totally freaked, and she's gonna blow." Cori leaned down to whisper in Sam's ear. "Would you believe, she's afraid of her?"

        
"I'd be afraid too, Cori, she can be pretty scary."

        
"I'm talking about Reece!"

        
Sam stood up in disbelief and Cori nearly fell on her butt. "Reece is afraid of
her
?"

        
"'Fraid so. I think she's in love. You should see how they are together. It's like electricity is flaying off of them. I half expect to see her hair standing straight up on end when they touch."

        
That image just floored Sam, and Cori caught on quickly. Both of them were rolling on the floor in no time.

        
"Hey. What's up?" The boss walked up to the two crying women, who took a look at her and started laughing all over again.

        
"I truly hope you're not laughing at me."

        
"No, boss, believe me, we'd never do that," Sam managed to get out before turning her back to compose herself.

        
Reece narrowed her eyes at them, not quite believing them. She tried to give Cori the Look, but all Cori could see was Reece's hair standing straight up in the air, and turned her back too, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably with giggles. Feeling very upset, the tall woman growled and stalked off to her office.

        
"God, Cori, why'd you have to give me that picture for?"

        
"Sorry, but it's true. So, what are we gonna do with her when Faith starts dancing at The Playhouse?"

        
"Oh shit, I don't know. Does she know about it? I spoke to the bouncer there and he told me they're using this to their advantage. You know, stealing away from us."

        
"Oh, I can only imagine how that's going to go over. I'm so over her attitude. I swear I'm going to tie up Faith and lock them both in a room together until they fuck."

        
"Well leave me out, hon, I don't want any part of that."

        
"No problem. I swore I wouldn't get involved, but this is getting on my nerves."

        
"What are you gonna do?"

        
"Oh trust me, I got a plan."

        
Sitting behind her big desk, the club owner was getting antsy. She needed to do something to burn the energy. Usually getting laid was the answer, but she had sworn to herself, and she intended to follow through. She shuffled and paced around the room, and finally decided to do push ups…lots of them. She
was
going to get through this. Fifteen minutes later, she was already stalking around the club looking for Cori. Sam called the dressing room to warn her and damned if the dancer wasn't excited about it. The bouncer shook her head.
Women, who can figure them out.

        
Cori stepped out of the room and Reece was already standing there looking guilty.

        
"What's up, boss?"

        
"Nothing. I was just going to ask you how things were working out."

        
"Huh? With what?" She raised her eyebrow in confusion.

        
"You know…new room mate...."

        
"Oh, fine. Is that all?" She smirked.

        
The woman shrugged.

        
"Boss, call her up. Ask her."

        
"What? Do you think she's all I think about?" She was angry and not a little bit defensive.

        
"Frankly, yes, and it's becoming annoying."

        
"Well, you're wrong, asshole." Reece turned and started walking away.

        
"Then you won't be concerned with the fact that she's claiming the stage on Saturday, huh?" The boss' back stiffened. "No, I thought not."

        
Just then Sam came up. "Sorry to interrupt, Faith is outside and wants to talk to you..." Reece spun around expectedly. "...Cori."

        
"So, what's wrong? Why didn't she come in with you?" The dancer looked puzzled.

        
"Um, she's not allowed in." Sam looked down at her feet.

        
"Reece, I don't believe you!" She glared at the tall woman who glared right back. "Grow the fuck up, boss." Cori ran to the front door.

        
Faith was literally shaking in the cold. "Cori, I don't think I can do it. I was just there and everything was fine, until this one guy got drunk, and grabbed one girl's breast so hard, she cried. I just left."

        
Cori put her arms around her friend and walked her into the club, daring anyone to stop them. "Okay, babe, I'll talk to Sam and we'll make sure you don't have that problem,
if
you want to go back. I still love ya either way." She smiled.

        
Faith laughed. "Yeah, I guess I just overreacted. I mean, I've seen Sam throw guys out, too. I'm just really nervous. Do you know how much they're paying me?" The two girls talked to Sam, who immediately called Tony, and Faith went back to work at The Playhouse a lot more confident.

        
"Hey, Cori?" Sam spoke softly.

        
"Hmm?"

        
"Are you serious about her dancing?"

        
"As a heart attack."

        
"Reece isn't going to let her, you know."

        
"I know. And I think it may actually be a good thing. She's not a dancer, she's an actor She won't make it. I'm only hoping that Reece uses her head and doesn't scare her off the stage, that's all."

        
"Good luck." Sam went back to keeping watch over her girls.

        
*  

        
Earlier…

        
The Playhouse was a huge affair, all gaudy red leather and flashing lights. The stage was more like a cat walk twining around everywhere, inches away from the customers' stools, whose faces would be knee level to the dancers.
Oh, I think this spontaneity thing needs some work. This was the stupidest thing I have ever done,
she grimaced.

        
When the nervous blonde first stepped foot in there to apply for work, she was so fired up she didn't take notice. Tonight however, it was highly intimidating to her. She really felt as if she might be sick. It was so much so soon lately that she was just waiting to crash. In the beginning, arriving alone in NYC was the scariest thing in her life. Now she had things she would never have dreamt of securely under her belt. Living in the worst part of the city, sleeping with rats, working with freaks, serving drinks in a titty club, Cori, the Reece enigma, and soon, she would be dancing topless in this hideous stereotypical club.

        
God,
she thought taking it all in. The stage was weird enough, but it seemed as if each dancer had a theme of some sort. Cowgirls, cops, geishas....
Lord! I don't have a theme!
she thought in a panic. Working her way towards one of the bars, she asked the topless waitress where the dressing room was and went directly there, afraid to look at this awful place anymore. Was she in for a rude awakening. The dressing room was lit with red lights, making her eyes hurt. There were girls in various stages of undress laughing and talking, a few even doing drugs right out in the open. Something she herself had never done, or witnessed, before.

        
"Hey, blondie, you okay?" the tallest one asked. "You're not gonna puke are you, cuz if you do, I will. It freaks me out."

        
"Um no, just a little nervous." She tried not to make eye contact with anyone and looked for her locker.

        
"Whattya need, sweetheart?" a woman with humongous breasts asked.

        
Holy Mother of God!
The little blonde's eyes nearly fell out of her head.

        
The terribly top heavy woman beamed with pride. "You like 'em? They're double H's...Roy loves 'em. Brings in a lot of tit lovers."

        
"Oh, they're lovely."
If you're a cow.

        
"You sure you're not gonna barf? You look sick," the tall one asked again.

        
"Do you know where I would find my locker?"

        
"What name did they give ya? A very bleached blonde plunked her needle-scarred arm on Faith's shoulder. Faith looked at the limb like it smelled.

        
"Um…name? I don't know. I thought..."

        
"Ah! I think this is yours." Another woman with disgustingly huge breasts guided her to a locker which had the name "Peaches" scrawled on a piece of masking tape. "You gotta get your own lock, sugar, and make it a good one. We gotta lotta thieves and junkies floating around back here at any given time."

        
Faith opened it up, the smell nearly physically slapping her face. "Woo!" breast woman #2 waved the air, "This is a good place for a stick up." They laughed and Faith mustered up a sickly little smile.

        
Breast woman #1 sat down on the bench next to her while three girls worked out a dance number in the mirrors that would have Hugh Hefner blushing. "So, Peaches, when do you grace the catwalks with your loveliness? I'm Betty. Betty Boob."

        
"Saturday."
I want my mommy,
she whimpered to herself.

        
"Oooo, what are you gonna do? Got any pole routines? Those thighs look like they can crack a coconut."

        
"No, I uh..."

        
"Betty, leave her alone. She's scared." incushion came over to talk. "Habit, bills, fetish?"

        
"Excuse me?" The blonde was confused.

        
"Why are you dancing? You don't seem the type who enjoys it, and I'm guessing by your olive drab hue this isn't a conscious career move."

        
Faith thought about the reason. "Revenge?" It even surprised her. "And money."

        
High fives erupted around the room. It seems it wasn't as strange as she thought. "Hey, are you the one from The Lounge?"

        
Faith nodded guiltily.

        
"Oh boy! How'd tall, dark, and rigid take to this? I mean, look at you! She probably had a fucking cow!" Laughter overcame the room. "I could just see her now..." She did an imitation of Reece's Look. More laughter.