Page 11 of Tainted

Most days, sleeping in the same room she grew up in comforted me. Despite being miles away, a piece of her was here with me.

Pulling up outside Utopia, the neon sign above the entrance glowed, but its colors were muted against the backdrop of daylight. The glass door swung open as I approached the entrance, revealing where a few girls mingled among themselves. After settling, I sat against the wall when our boss, Kross, walked in. His presence alone turned everybody’s conversation into hushed murmurs. In the short time I had been here, he was a man of few words while Megan ran the day-to-day.

I hadn’t figured out her deal yet, but she clarified a few things when I got hired. She’s always the first point of contact, and Mr. Keyes was off-limits—bothof them. I had yet to meet the other Mr. Keyes, but I wasn't missing much if he was anything like Kross.

“Alright, ladies!” Megan sighed, strutting into the main area with Phoenix. “I hope y’all have been practicing. I’m not in the mood to have my time wasted today.”

My time was wasted because I didn’t see the floor or the pole. Me and all the new girls sat idly for two hours, watching the others twirl and fuck up and I was over it. I could’ve stayed home for this.

“Elektra, point your toes more on that invert,” Rajah instructed, her voice firm but not unkind. “It’ll make your lines cleaner.”

She nodded, adjusted her stance, and tried again. Rajah gave a slight nod of approval before her eyes flicked to Diamond, attempting a spin but losing momentum halfway through.

“Keep your core engaged, Diamond,” Megan added, stepping forward. “If you don’t, you’ll end up muscling through it, and that’s how you get hurt.”

I watched closely, absorbing every piece of choreography. My muscles tensed every time I saw a move I wanted to attempt, my fingers twitching like they were already gripping the cold metal.

“Bitch we don’t have all day. Can you close the routine or what?” Rajah yelped, shooting up on her feet and asking the question I had been wondering for the last thirty minutes.

“Why don’t you come show me how it’s done?” Diamond sulked, clinging to the pole.

Rajah’s neck rolled from side to side, likely insulted by her question. She was the OG, which meant her word was law. Even Diamond knew that, so she walked her comment back.

“I’ve put in enough work that I don’t take orders from you. If you want to get there, work on that weak-ass core. That’s why you’re struggling.”

“Chill, Rajah, she’s been working on it,” Phoenix chimed in, taking up for her flunky.

“And that’s how she looks? I wouldn’t tell anybody that.” Rajah frowned.

“Ladies!” Megan called out, trying to regain control of the room, but she had been glued to her phone since rehearsal started, “Y’all are bickering about bullshit. Diamond, do it again, and Rajah, if she can’t get it, you will take over.”

“Phoenix is next in line. Make her do it.” Rajah delivered a sarcastic smile that made Phoenix flip up her middle finger.

“I need to take this. Rajah continue practice and be nice.” Megan stepped to the side, phone pressed to her ear.

The DJ replayed the track, and Diamond attempted again. It wasn’t just about swinging around a pole for show. It took muscle, coordination, and focus, and Diamond’s lack of strength threw off the whole routine.

“Her grip is off,” I mumbled, watching her fuck up.

“What did you say?” Rajah asked, turning to me.

I hesitated speaking up, not knowing if Rajah was being genuine or a bitch like Phoenix and Diamond, but I was tired of sitting here.

“She’s holding the pole too tight. It’s making her movements stiff and throwing off her rhythm.”

Rajah looked impressed.

“Let me see what you got,” she suggested.

“For what? Ain’t no way Megan’s putting fresh meat on the floor at Keyes party,” Phoenix interjected.

Every profession seemed to have a bully, and Phoenix was mine. Fortunately for her, I needed my job, so I granted her a longer leash than usual. Most days, Utopia felt like high school but worse because we couldn’t hide behind our youth and blame the cattiness on immaturity. Phoenix wasn’t anybody I wanted to be friends with anyway.

“Damn Phoenix. Chill.” Elektra chuckled, propped on her elbow. “Let her try. It’s just practice.”

“I’m just telling it like it is.”

“You and your girl need the practice since we’re telling it like it is.” I rolled my eyes, and Megan saved her, ending practice because she had something else to handle.

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