Chapter Seven
“What the hell happened to you last night?” Nikki asked, as I walked into the back of the club.
“The joint made me sick,” I lied. “Maybe it was laced. I spent the evening vomiting. I had to call a cab.”
Nikki’s face dropped, and I felt absolutely terrible about my lie. Nikki was my best friend. She always looked out for me, and she didn’t deserve me making her feel bad.
“I’m so sorry. Brad’s sister gave it to me. I assumed it was good.”
I sighed. I hadn’t even lit the thing. I’d dropped it in the alley when Adrian rushed out startling me.
“It’s fine,” I told her. I looked around the dressing room searching for my bag. “Have you seen my things? I left everything here last night…”
Nikki walked over to her locker and flung it open. “I rescued you,” she told me. “I put everything in here, and told Johnny that one of the clients requested a private dance from you.”
My shoulders sagged. I could have cried as I grabbed my things. I hugged my jacket to my chest closing my eyes as the stress of the last twenty-four hours caught up with me.
“Hey?” Nikki placed a hand on my shoulder. “Are you alright?”
I was thankful that Nikki couldn’t see my face. I wiped the tears out of my eyes before I turned around. “I’m fine,” I told her. “Just grateful that I still have a job.”
Nikki’s blue eyes looked me up and down. I could tell that she didn’t believe me entirely, but that was okay. One of the best things about Nikki was that she never pushed. When you needed her, she was there.
“I brought you an outfit for tonight.” Nikki reached further into her locker, pulling out a hot pink g-string and bra.
I raised a brow. Yesterday, she’d dressed me in booty shorts and a sequin bra top. This was much racier, and the sight of the thin strips of lace made my mouth go dry with nerves.
“Wow…” I trailed off, as I looked at the set with wide eyes. “It’s…” I struggled to find the correct words for the thoughts that were currently racing through my head. “Colorful.”
Nikki laughed. She handed me the set before shutting her locker. “It’ll look great on you.” She told me. She reached out and fluffed her hair. “I love the color, but it definitely clashes.”
I snorted, but I wrapped my hands around the lace. “Thank you.”
I was grateful that Nikki allowed me to borrow her dancing outfits. I couldn’t afford to spend any money on extras, not now, when we needed every penny for Mikey’s treatment.
Sighing, I sat down at one of the vanities and began touching up my lipstick. I’d borrowed some of my mother’s makeup for the evening, and though I didn’t look as good as I had the night before, I was passable.
“You look beautiful,” Nikki said. “Not at all like you took a bad trip.”
I giggled For a moment, I felt light. Nikki had a way of doing that for people, and I was grateful for it. But the moment didn’t last long. I was trembling slightly as I fingered the pink lace. I was taking a huge risk coming back to the club, but as I watched one of the girls count her money, I knew that it was worth it.
“I’m going to get changed,” I said.
Nikki reached out. Her hand was surprisingly firm on my wrist as she stopped me. “Are you sure everything is alright? You look more upset than usual.”
I shrugged slightly. “Just nervous.”
A large smile split Nikki’s face. “You are going to kill it,” she told me.
Her words made me smile. “You’re a good friend.” I wasn’t normally so emotional, but I wanted Nikki to know that without her I wouldn’t be able to make it through the last few years.
Her fingers squeezed tightly. “I’m always here for you,” she said. Her blue eyes were wide and sincere. “I hope you know that.”
Emotion overcame me, and everything that I had tried my best to keep bottled up was starting to surface. I swallowed hard. I couldn’t afford to let myself drown. It was too much, and I was sure that I wouldn’t come back from it.
“I do,” I told her. It wanted to say something more, but the words were stuck in my throat. Lucky for me, Nikki didn’t say anything further. She released my arm and allowed me to walk towards the dressing curtains.
Standing there I looked at myself. I couldn’t believe that I was about to get on stage and take my clothing off, especially considering the way I looked. I had bruises on my body that would need to be concealed, and I was way too thin. My breasts were large and round, but I lacked any sort of ass.