Page 24 of Throne of Sin

I turn, leaning against the bar, and watch the girl on stage. I study her moves, hoping I can at least do a good job at that, and without Dante ripping me from the stage.

“We have never seen anything like this before. You show up, and two of our top customers get thrown out. The others are blaming you for the shortage of tips.”

My stomach drops and I feel horribly guilty. “I’m sorry about that, but it’s not my fault. I had no control over what happened to them,” I defend myself.

“Mmmkay. Just saying, you’re the only person I know who gets under Dante’s skin like that.” Sienna continues to make drinks as she talks to me.

I can only imagine what they’ll say when they hear I’m going to be his date for an event.

“Hey, Dem,” Robin interrupts before turning to Sienna. “I need a room.” She hands the cash over to Sienna.

“Room three, Robin.” Sienna places a key into her hand and Robin goes on her way.

“Fifteen minutes until you’re up,” Sienna dismisses me.

The locker room is vacant, leaving me to my thoughts as I strip out of my clothes and stand in my bra and panties. My feet shuffle toward the mirror, taking in my appearance. The markings on my stomach draw my eyes to them, creating a new bundle of nerves that set into my muscles. My stretch marks rake against my skin; white stripes, painting their canvas into an imperfect blemish. I dig into my bag, opening up my makeup, and apply a layer of coverup. The indent markings are still there, but they’ll blend in better under the bright light.

Opening my locker, a new stage outfit hangs inside with the tags still on. The material is soft and feels expensive. It’s another thing for the girls to judge me on. Without a thought, I toss the new clothing into the trash and pull out the clothes I had originally picked. This outfit, unlike the one I found, will cover my stomach until I need to take it off.

I add a touch more makeup to my face, changing my lips from nude to bright red. Between my face and my breasts I hope they’re enough to draw the attention away from my stomach. None of the other girls have stretch marks, or kids for that matter. At least, not that I’m aware of.

My heart squeezes, missing my daughter. I miss her face, her sweet voice, and those perfect hugs she gives. I’m not sure how long I can stay away from her. The distance is killing me.

“We all know you’re going to choke once you get on stage.” I turn to see Tanya. She seems to be the ringleader of how all the other girls act around me.

“Probably.” I shrug, trying to think of a way to make friends with this woman. I walk around the lockers toward the mirror and retrieve the outfit I had thrown out. “We all know I could learn a thing or two. Any tips for me?” I ask as I round the corner and hand her the outfit. “This is for you.”

She eyes me up and down and I attempt to kill her with kindness. “Dante needs a date for an event later in the month.” Tanya and I are about the same build, she would fit whatever dress Dante buys me. Maybe this could help forge a friendship between the two of us. “You can go in my place and use the dress he sends.”

“He never takes any of us girls to events.” She flicks her hair over her shoulder, trying to mask her excitement at the prospect.

“Maybe I heard wrong.”

“Take your time with getting rid of layers. The men like the chase,” she finally says. I can’t help but think that I’m one step closer to maybe having an ally. When she goes out with Dante, all the girls will be forced to accept me.

“I’ll remember that.”

I look in the mirror one last time before I hear the song end, signaling my turn. My pulse increases, but I’m not afraid. I’m excited about showing everyone that I can handle this job. My entire life, I’ve always had to prove myself. This energy I’m feeling is the same I always get before I prove to everyone I can do as well as them.

I walk on stage and there are two guys in the front row, but they’re talking to each other. The tables are busy and everyone is in conversation. Disappointment that there isn’t more attention on the stage tries to wiggle its way in, but it’s completely forgotten when I see Dante at the bar having a drink.

His eyes come to life seeing me in my outfit and it spurs me on to walk with confidence. Grabbing the pole in the middle of the stage, I walk around it, maneuvering my body to have the pole at my back. My knees dip and I glance over at Dante again.

His facial features are hard as he takes a sip of the colorless liquid in his short glass. A few of the waitresses cat-call toward the stage, giving me more confidence. I shake my ass and allow the strap of my dress to fall down my arm.

A few of the men in the room look up and their attention locks on my dancing. My leg hooks around the pole and I let the momentum carry me into a twirl before allowing my other strap to slide down my arm. While I dance, I seductively lower my dress until I can drop it off. I’m wearing a bra that outlines my breasts, my boobs stick out of it for all to see, and the material clings to my skin as it dips toward my hips. My panties are sheer, and the material spiders over my ass, showing my skin off.

A glass breaking catches my attention and I can’t help but smirk when I see that Dante’s glass has slipped from his fingers. The grooves in his forehead dip between his eyes and my body continues to move to the song, but I’m unable to take my eyes off him. Why would he be so angry with me dancing? Or is it something else?

It takes all of my effort to tear my concentration away from him and focus on the crowd. I have the whole room’s attention, but it’s Dante’s burning gaze that has my skin prickling into goosebumps. I continue my dance, thriving on the energy in the room. On stage, I feel beautiful and talented.

After my set is done, the girls pat me on the back, congratulate me, or at least give me a smile. I finally feel like, just maybe, I’ve broken through an invisible wall with them. The entire experience has me smiling. I don’t remember the last time I didn’t have to force a smile. Some of the weight resting on my shoulders lifts, but it’s impossible to be completely free when I know I still have to find a way to get back to my daughter as soon as possible.

Dante

I can’t sit here and watch every male’s eye on Demi. My fingers keep curling into fists and all I want to do is drag her down from the stage. The need to punch every man’s gawking face festers inside of me.

“Why does he look like he’s about to go on a murdering spree?” I jump at the sound of Maximus’s voice.

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