Chapter 16
I had never ached so much in my life as I lay in the bath, the foam covering my modesty. Tess sat on a small stool beside the bath at my feet, eager to know what had happened.
“So how'd it go?”
“It was....good actually.”
“Yeah?” Her eyes were perky, wide and childlike.
“I mean, better than I expected it to be. My instructor - Mrs Jones - she has a way about her. I dunno, she made me feel at ease, like it was a privilege to be in my position or something. I guess I haven't looked at it in thatway.”
“I'd say babe. What is it you're gonna get? Like $500 dollars per dance? Girl that's insane. Screw the feminists and all this selling yourself rubbish, if you can earn that much money for shaking what God gave you, you gotta take it!”
“It's intense though. I had no idea there was so much to it. She had me stretching, doing yoga, doing all these drills and a load of other stuff before we even got to the actual dancing part.”
“You mean stripping part?”
My laugh was abruptly halted by the aching in my ribs. “That's what I thought! She just insisted on calling it dancing. I didn't want to say anything - I think it's her way of making it sound nicer.”
Tess nodded her understanding. “Well, let me know if they're looking for anyone else down there.”
“Yeah right, you don't need it.”
“It's not the money babe, it's the excitement. All those men wanting you, but they can't have you. F*ck it makes me hot just thinking about it.”
“You're such a slut!” I said playfully. “So sweet to look at but you've got a dirty core!”
“Hey,” she said, splashing some water at me, “bitch!”
We giggled and chatted on for a little bit as I lay there, my aching muscles soothed by the warm water. I hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. The heavy weight of money had lifted from my shoulders, the constricting feelingat my chest loosened.
Kyle had given me some money to pay my rent. He told me that he was investing in me, that he didn't want me to worry. I'd pay that money back with personal dances just for him. Personal dances for practice, personal dances for pleasure. A dirty smile hit my lips at the thought.
Tess seemed to notice it. “What are you smiling at?” she said, that inquisitive look that I often saw planted smack on her face.
“Nothing,” I said, my words more coy that I'd have hoped.
“I know what it is. It's that guy....you like him don't you! Who's the slut now huh!”
I splashed water in retaliation, soaking her top and starting something of a mini water fight. It was one she was never going to win - I was already naked in the bath!
“OK OK,” she said, putting her hands out and waving a small towel as a white flag, “you win. If you don't want to talk about him I understand.” She kept that cheeky look on her face.
“Fine, he's cute all right? Well, more than cute actually. Look, you'll know what I'm walking about when you see him. I defy any girl with a pulse not to like him at least a little bit.”
“Yeah but Alice, he's a strip club owner and he clearly has a questionable code of ethics. He broke into your room for Christ's sake!”
“Hey I didn't say I was in love with the guy. Just that he's hot, OK. You of all people should get that, the neanderthals that you go after!”
“Hey, like who?”
“The whole football team!” How could she not see this. “There's hardly a brain cell between them, and if there is they do a damn good job of hiding it!”
She went quiet for a moment, before conceding that I had a point.
“I just want you to be careful babe. Don't go falling for a guy like that.”
Fall for him? She must have been mad. I hadn't fallen for anyone in forever.