I knew what turned Breed men on. They all had a touch of hero syndrome due to their natural instinct to protect women. Strictly speaking of certain Breeds, of course. A Mage couldn’t care less, and the same went for most Vampires. But Shifters and Chitahs? Those men responded to a damsel in distress and ate up any routine that ventured into hero territory. On my next theatrical dance, I planned to bring in chains and play captive.
Daphne slipped on a shiny red skirt that matched her lipstick. “What about a schoolteacher? I could get one of those long rulers…”
Skye sounded like a chimpanzee when she laughed. “Are you kidding me? Most of those men have never been inside a school. And I can guarantee you that they have no desire to be spanked with a ruler.”
“On the contrary,” I muttered with a surreptitious smile.
“Do tell.” Skye gasped, scooting beside me on the bench. Her brown hair swished above her fanny, and eyes as blue as the Texas sky beamed at me.
“Some of these tough men are turned on by an assertive female in the bedroom—even the baddest of the bad. It’s the one place they’re allowed to give up power.”
“Why would they want to do that?”
I shrugged. “Submission is a curious thing I know little about. Maybe they’re tired of being in control all the time, but I have a feeling that some of these men are broken and feel like they deserve to be punished. From my personal experience, when Shifters see a woman in a position of authority, they become putty in her hands. That’s the kind of dancer you want to be onstage and the kind of woman you want to be off. Then you’ll have them eating out of your hand.”
Her gaze floated toward the ceiling. “Most of the men I date just want to screw and get it over with.”
I put my arm around her shoulder. “Hold out, sweetie. Don’t give away your cookies to every hungry man. Make them crave it so badly they chase you for a nibble. By the time you say yes, you’ll already have them wrapped around your finger. You’re young. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“How old are you?”
Fifty-three, I thought to myself. With the body of a twenty-five-year-old. That’s how Shifter magic worked. “You mean how young,” I corrected with a tap on her button nose. “Better hurry up and get dressed, girly. Why don’t you walk the floor for a little bit and warm up the men—get them excited to see your act? Don’t worry about what one girl is doing on the stage. Those men aren’t going to empty their pockets after two beers. You know that.”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t get so worked up about money,” she said on a sigh. “Unlike Daphne, who just wants to save up for a trip to Italy.”
“Hey! Don’t wipe your feet on my dreams,” Daphne barked out. “I’m going to live in Italy for a year and find me a nice Italian man who speaks in one of them dreamy accents and makes love to me every morning before breakfast. I’ve heard Italian Shifters have stamina, so maybe it’ll be lunchtime when we’re done.” After giving her hair another fluff, she sauntered out the door.
Skye got up and stripped out of her jeans. “I’ve got a little girl to think about.”
I whirled around. “I didn’t know you had children. Honey! Where is your man?”
She shrugged. “I was mated, but Keller was killed in a bar fight two years ago. That’s why I started working here, even though for the first year, Dean would only let me waitress. Now it’s just Lola and me. She’s three and the sweetest little thing in the world, but I can’t take care of her by myself. She stays with my cousin while I’m at work. I’m not happy about the situation, so I’m trying to make some money and… It just seems so hopeless sometimes.”
“Skye, you’re a goddess.” I stood up and fanned out her silky hair, letting it fall over her shoulders. “Long hair, heart of gold, beautiful eyes—what man wouldn’t want to make you his mate? Why not find a pretty dress and go to one of the Shifter bars to find yourself a good man? You need help taking care of that baby so you won’t have to work in a place like this forever. We all have dreams to get out. Well, most of us,” I said with a wave of my hand. “I can’t imagine how tough it must be with a baby.”
“This is where the money is, and that’s why I decided to start dancing. Soon she’ll need to be homeschooled, and that’s not free if I have someone else do it. The tips I got waiting tables were nothing compared to what I make onstage. Dancing will give me a head start, and then maybe I can find another job. It’s pointless to hold out for a man to take care of me; most Shifters don’t want to take on another man’s baby. It’s up to me to care for my little girl. I want her to have a better life than her mommy.”