“Tiff?” I asked, seeing the other dancer come up next to her. Both of the ladies were in shock, and I glanced between them before clenching my teeth. “What the fuck is going on?”
Chapter 15
~ Tiffany ~
No, no, no,no!
He couldn’t find out this way.
When he texted earlier, I still hadn’t come up with a lie good enough to keep me off-tour. Work wasn’t even an option because I had no doubt that Heath was going to come back with something. So, when the message came in about coming to the show, I was walking down the hallway with Charlene and she, not so nicely but at least slightly quieter, told me I was fucked. That I created this mess and now I had to get out of it.
I just had no idea how.
Now it was too late, way too fucking late.
“I’ll ask the question again, what the fuck is going on?”
I licked my lips and glanced at Charlene who lifted her hands and walked away.
“I…”I started, not sure how to go on.
“I’m fucking waiting Tiff, if that’s even your name.”
I glanced around, seeing a few people stop to stare but I refused to let people see this. I knew I was going to hurt Heath by explaining how I lied to him, and I didn’t need other people to see that pain. I knew the look in his eyes was going to haunt me forever once everything came out. So, I took his arm and shoved him back into his dressing room.
“Don’t you fucking touch me,” he sneered, yanking his arm away and moving to the furthest corner of the room. “I have the right to know what the hell is going on.Why are you dressed just like my dancer?”
“That’s because I am.”
His eyes narrowed as he regarded me and I took a deep breath, yet it felt like no air was getting in my lungs.
“Bullshit. Her face is different.”
“It’s makeup. The same makeup you bitched at me over about a month and a half ago when Jameson, you, had to stop practice.”
That had him coming up short. No one would have known that unless they were there.
“You’re my backup dancer? I thought you were a stripper!”
“I never said yes or no to that. Heath, please-“
I never got to finish as he shook his head, effectively shutting me up.
“You don’t get to call me that. Only the people who are fucking close to me call me Heath. To everyone else, it’s Jameson. And to you, it’s boss.”
That hurt more than a slap could. He was labeling me in the pile of people he didn’t know and didn’t trust. An outsider.
“But we are close-“
“Shut the fuck up!” he shouted, cutting me off once more. “Haven’t you fucking figured it out that I have had enough liars in my lifetime? I didn’t need more. I didn’t need fake. Goddamn, Tiff, I wanted real. You were the closest thing, but even that was all fake.
“I’m so tired of the bullshit, and I confided in you like I hadn’t before. You tossed all of that out the window like it was nothing. Now I’m fucking tossing you like that. I can’t kick you off the show tonight, but I know well enough that you can switch partners with the other lady, so you will. You are not allowed to dance anywhere near me. Now get the hell out before I have you removed.”
I swallowed hard as I stared at him for a moment.I knew the blame lay at my feet; I didn’t deny that. I couldn’t fight it either. But it would have been nice if I could have talked. Could have explained. Instead, he didn’t let me. He shut me down at every turn.
I didn’t blame him. I couldn’t.
“Get the fuck out!” he roared, pointing at the door.I jumped, tears streaming down my face.I was glad I hadn’t put on my makeup yet. With one more glance behind me, I yanked the door open, and walked out, slamming it behind me.