Page 9 of Lovers Fate

“Where can I find Rachel?” I ask, hoping she is not among them.

“See, I was right,” Rainbow Hair says, turning away to stop at the mirror and check her nose. Lucky guess, it’s cocaine.

“She’s in the back, winding down, if you know what I mean,” the person with black hair says, stepping back to let me in.

“Thanks,” I reply, walking past them in search of Rachel. The smell of marijuana, sweat, and perfume makes my stomach churn.

The back of the dressing room is filled with clothing racks. Under the modern lights, different sets of makeup adorn the mirrors where two other girls sit, getting ready. A pile of platform heels in different sizes and colors is near a corner.

One of the girls spots me from the mirror as she dabs at the dark circles under her eyes with a beauty blender.

“I’m looking for Rachel,” I ask.

The blond girl seated next to her says. “Behind the curtain.”

I glance to my right, spot the curtain, and turn around, only to discover Rachel rubbing her finger over her gums.

“You must be Rachel.”

She tosses me a look, making a popping sound with her finger.

“Hank sent me.”

She points at the costume rack, smacking her lips. “The costumes on the left are clean.” If you wear it, you clean it. Buying your own is best. Don’t fuck the customers until you get to know them better, or they will get attached. Bring your own makeup because you don’t know where anyone’s mouth has been. Hank has a strict rule about drugs.” She glances at the girls behind me and says, “Not everyone follows the rules around here.”I want to point out that she doesn’t either, but I’m not there to judge.“If you do, don’t let Hank see you. If a girl is on a man’s lap, don’t steal them.” She takes a deep breath. “Around here, it’s like taking food from a baby’s mouth.” Her gaze drops to my feet. “I recommend heels. Men like a woman who screamssex when she walks. The goal is to make them think you’re down to fuck. If you choose to do so, that is entirely up to you. It’s not love. It’s not personal. Don’t let it be.”

“Got it,” I say, recognizing her as the girl on the stage when I walked in.

She walks to the clothing rack and slides the hangers across the shiny aluminum pole. She pauses for a second and whirls around. “Oh, I almost forgot. Don’t leave with the customers. We’re not responsible if something happens. We’re not your parents, and this is not a daycare.”

“I can handle myself.”

Her eyes sparkle with interest. “Feisty. I like it. Oh…” She pauses again. “Character Night is next week. We allow the customers to dress up. They can wear masks until Halloween.”

“That’s a month and a half away,” I point out.

“I understand, but this town is unique. We even have a haunted carnival and circus. The Circle of Freaks should be here by now.”

“What?”

“The circus,” she says quietly. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it. It’s a Stockbridge tradition dating back centuries. The Circle of Freaks comes to town every fall and leaves a week after devil’s night.”

“The circus is called Circle of Freaks?” I ask, confused, never having heard of them before.

I’d heard about the carnival when we moved after my mother married Chris, but I never heard of a circus called Circle of Freaks.

“Yeah, no one knows what goes on inside but the ones who can afford it. Some say it’s scary and awesome. But again, expensive as fuck.”

A shiver of excitement runs down my spine, like a child excited about going to an amusement park.

“Have you gone?” I ask with interest.

“To be fair, yes. The circus, no.” She sighs disappointedly. “Once they become available online, tickets sell out in sixty seconds. “You’re lucky to get tickets to the haunted carnival on any given night. The girls around here usually go early before they sell out. You can come with us if you want.”

“Oh,” I say, with a surprised edge to my voice, not used to being invited anywhere.

“You’re not from here, are you?”

“I moved here when I was fourteen, left, and now I’m back.” I shift the conversation back to her. “And you?”

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