Page 46 of Shattered
CHAPTER 14
Mel
To say that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed would be an understatement. The contemptuous way Rourke had spoken to me the night before had left me full of anger.You can get yourself off tonight, as if I was continually begging for his touch, a desperate little doll that waited for his playful hand.That’s good for you, because it wasn’t good enough for him.
I wasn’t happy to be at the Dahlia District.
“Want to come in here?” Iris asked. She poked her head out of her tiny stall of a bedroom. Teagen was waiting in the background behind her. The two of them lived on property, and usually got ready in the dressing rooms. But the two of them hiding out in Iris’s bedroom meant one thing: Kendall was here. What a day.
The idea of getting ready in a closet while the three of us fought over the vanity, didn’t seem like the right ingredients for a mood booster. I needed to be positive; Garrett was supposed to be here today. I needed to make his time worth it. I needed to put a dent in my debt for once.
“No thanks,” I said. “I’ll see you both on the floor.”
“Be that way,” Teagen said. She winked over her shoulder.
“The door is always open,” Iris said.
“And the back door is never closed,” a woman muttered. She was sitting in the dressing room, unraveling the braids in her hair. “Rotten ass bitch flaunting like she’s open for business to malesandfemales.”
Fringed hair from the braids, giving a tropical vibe. A soft body like mine. A baby face that screamed basic, but with a touch of exotic flare in her eyes. The same person that had cut Iris’s hair and broken her ribs over a rumor.
“You must be Kendall,” I said.
She smiled. “You must be a slut, like folder bitch over there.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, leaning in. Was this woman saying that right now, when we hadn’t even spoken? Folder bitch? Was she making fun of the fact that Iris was a contortionist?
I could be cool. I could give her another chance. Maybe it was Kendall’s idea of humor.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” I said.
“You know what I’m saying. Iris thinks she’s better than everyone else because she can bend her legs behind her head like some sort of exorcist skank.”
I held back a sigh and pressed my lips closed. The woman kept unraveling her braids, staring at herself in the mirror.
Save me from this bickering rivalry mayhem, especially when I woke up already leaning on my bad side.
Since the other dressing room was full, leaving the second one completely open for Kendall, I found an open spot at the other end of the room, the farthest distance away possible, and put myself together. Instead of an elaborate floral mural that I usually preferred, I did some painted-on clothes, a basic thick outline in black, with a pink top and turquoise bottoms. Swirlies in the same colors around my eyes. The paint was cool on my skin, and I crossed my fingers that it would cool my anger down too. I tucked my hair into a low bun with two side braids inside of it, messy but elegant, knowing full well that none of the club members that braved the Dahlia District with Rourke,the Angel, running around, would be looking at my hair. My painted tits were the main attraction. I knew that.
On the main floor, Iris eyed me up and down. “I wish I could pull that off,” she said. “You look amazing.”
“She’s never less than a work of art,” Teagen grinned. She winked again, and I nodded my thanks.
“Is anyone here yet?” I asked.
“You’re looking for Garrett?” Iris asked. I nodded. “Haven’t seen him.” She wrinkled her nose, her round brown eyes fluttering with apprehension. “He’s an odd one.”
Odd one? “What makes you say that?” I asked.
“The vibe I get from him.” She subtly shook her head. “It’s like he’s hiding something.”
“You say that about everyone,” Teagen said. She rolled her eyes. Iris smacked her on the arm.
“Because I keep my peepers peeled to look out for you, bitch.”
Kendall took the stage, and the few club members that were there, trickled into the audience to watch her dance. I admit that she was enchanting: the way her hips moved, her grin both devilish and seductive. If it had been any other day, I might have admired her. Given her a chance.
But today, I chose to ignore her.
