The spark in her eyes was mesmerizing. It would be a lot of fun to break her, turn her skin red, and leave marks on her flawless skin.
I would watch as the brightness leaves her, making her vulnerable to me.
I sat in my dark corner, watching her dance, moving that sinful body to the music. She had no idea who was watching her or whose attention she’d gotten.
But I had my eyes on her.
And all I had to do was wait…wait for the right moment.
I paced back and forth in the room anxiously. This was my first real show and I had no idea if I got the job.
I needed this job. I needed to be here.
This mantra put a pressure on me—I couldn’t silence the voice that replayed in my mind. It was the responsibility I felt with my every breath.
When I heard the knock on my door I stopped moving and took a deep breath before answering, “Come in.”
William Harrison, my soon-to-be boss, closed the door behind him.
There was something about him that I didn’t like. I only saw him once before tonight but the look he gave me—along with his crooked smile—kept me on guard when it came to him. It was just a gut feeling, but I was nervous. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was alone with him or because I was afraid of his decision about the job. I anxiously started to play with the strap of my cheap silk robe.
“Well, well, Violet…that was a good show you gave in there,” he said smugly. I looked at him with surprise. That must mean I got the job, right?
“Thank you, Mr. Harrison,” I murmured.
“Oh, Violet, love. Call me Will,” he said in a manner that was too friendly for my taste. But I didn’t say anything. The desire to be here was so strong it pulsed through my body. His hungry look made me shift my weight from one foot to another, feeling uncomfortable.
To be honest, he was good-looking. His hair was sandy blonde and messy in an attractive way. He was in dark jeans and a white shirt but he wasn’t neat. His shirt was half outside of his jeans. Even though he was appealing in this sexy-careless-bad boy look, that wasn’t enough to ease the uncomfortable feeling inside of me. I got the impression that he was one of those guys who got everything they wanted, one way or another.
When he took a step toward me I couldn’t stop as I moved back nervously. My move brought a smirk on his face as he brushed his thumb against his bottom lip slowly while looking at me from under his long lashes. If there wasn’t the sinister look in the depth of his eyes, he could have looked hot in that moment. But the darkness was there, behind his green orbs.
“Am I making you nervous, Violet?” he asked. He knew the answer very well but I didn’t give him the satisfaction of admitting it.
I shrugged.
“I am just nervous about your decision, Mr. Harrison,” I said and remembered he wanted me to call him Will. Actually, I didn’t like calling him by his first name but didn’t want to sound like an arrogant bitch, either.
“I mean, Will,” I corrected myself. “Am I hired?”
He took one more step toward me and touched the loosened strand of my violet hair.
“You are hired, love. I wouldn’t miss the chance to see your perfect body every night on my stage. I believe we will get along well, Violet,” he said with a husky voice.
I swallowed the nerves and reminded myself that I needed this job to stop my possible snarky remark.
“Yes, Will. Thank you,” I said trying to sound nonchalant. I made my way to the door and was relieved that he didn’t try to stop me.
“I’m a little tired, boss. You know the first night on the new job and all. If you will excuse me, I’m going to get ready to go home” I said sweetly and maybe a little flirtatiously. I didn’t want to make him angry in my first night, and I didn’t want him to think that I wasn’t interested.
The truth was I wasn’t interested in “getting along well” with him, at all. But I knew getting the job would be easier if he thought he had a chance with me. Then, so be it. I wouldn’t make my real thoughts obvious to him.
He gazed at me for several seconds with a smile playing on his lips. His smile grew as he came to where I leaned against the door and his hand went to my cheek for a slow caress with his knuckles.
“Okay then, Violet. Get some rest. I’m sure you’ll need your strength for the coming nights,” he said and winked at me before walking out of the room.
After I closed the door behind him, I sighed with relief and got ready to go home. But it turned out I wasn’t ready to go just yet. I needed a drink before calling it a night.
I turned back in the hallway and made my way inside the club. There was another stripper on the stage when I sat on the barstool. The realization hit me hard while I was watching the dancer.