Dark Lust

Jolie

Tony gave me a sudden shift Thursday night and into Friday morning. I've managed to save a couple grand already for a car. I decided not to tell my mom because it's my fucking money and I'll with it as I please. I also gave her a few bucks so she didn't bat an eye. I told her to buy a new fortune teller ball or whatever the fuck she wanted. I think she bought a new deck of tarot cards at Barnes and Noble.

As I shove my money in my bag, one of the redheaded strippers approaches me in her floss thong and nipple pasties. She crosses her arms over her chest while giving me a nasty look.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?" I hold a cigarette between my lips.

"Snag a Spotlight Show when you've only had, what? Three shifts?"

I'm taken aback at her words. "I got a Spotlight Show?"

The Spotlight Shows are what all the girls are competing for. This means I'll be front and center on the main stage for an hour. This girl's guess is as good as mine stealing a Spotlight Show from the others.

"Hannah, save your cries for Tony." Arabella steps up next to me.

"How are you not pissed off that she is getting a show this early? What did you do? Suck Tony off? Give him a handy at your interview?"

"We all know Tony is happily married."

"Hannah," I'm not going to have her push me around here. "Have you ever thought maybe I just have better skills than you? Redheads are the thing of the past. No man wants to fantasize about gingers anymore. You don't have a soul and you certainly don't have talent. So tell me, what do you have?"

"Watch your mouth!"

"Or what? You're going to run and tell on me? Please do. Let me know who you tell so I can thank them for switching up my schedule so I don't have to come into contact with your herpes ass."

Hannah storms off and Arabella gives me a wide smile. "You are relentless. We need to hang out more."

"Do you have any idea how I scored a Spotlight Show?"

"Nope. If I were you, I wouldn't question it. It means clients like you. And you get your Spotlight Show on your next shift which means..."

"Which means it will be during the biggest night of the year!" I finish.

Fuck, I'm getting excited. I do not get excited. I need to calm down. I need to think of something else. Like the fact that I have school in five hours. I have to deal with Harlan and Flora. There goes my happiness. Perfect.

Time to get some sleep in before walking into Hell. Pot will do the trick. It will knock me out in less time than being sober.

"Guess what I did last night?" Flora jumps up and down beside my desk. I roll my eyes.

"Drink? Do drugs? Screw a random guy on the street?"

"No, silly! Okay, so, my family and I were playing Monopoly-"

"This already sounds amazing." I fake enthusiasm to match hers. She doesn't get the hint.

"I know! Anyway, I ended up winning and we have a rematch tonight and guess who is allowed to come over and play?"

"The neighbor girl?"

"You, of course! Harlan will be there too."

"Let me stop you there. I don't play Monopoly or do family game nights."

"But it will be so much fun and my parents don't believe me that I made a new friend."

I look at the bright outfit she has on today. First off, she's wearing a headband with a popsicle as a decoration. Her shirt is neon green, her tutu (yes, a fucking tutu) is neon pink and the spandex underneath are purple with a popsicle design on them. Getting to her shoes, they are a sparkly silver. She's dressed like a fucking five-year-old. No wonder her parents don't believe her. Then I get an idea.

"Fine, I'll come over," She cheers in her seat. "But only to meet your parents. Then I'll drag you and Harlan away, back to my house and I am getting your asses shitfaced."

Flora's face morphs into sadness. I didn't know she could be sad. I didn't know I could get excited and I proved myself wrong this morning.

"Do we have to drink? I liked when we watched movies and ate popcorn."

"We can still do that, but I am introducing you to my own game night."

"Can you keep a secret?" She leans closer to me. "I've never had alcohol.

I give her a mischievous grin. "Boy am I going to have fun with you."

The bell rings for us to leave for the day. Flora parts ways with me because I stop to have a cigarette on the sidewalk. I chose to have an Uber pick me up today because I'm tired of all the window lickers.

From the corner of my eye, I see Ciaran and Joel arguing. Must be trouble in paradise. Joel turns away and I see him coming closer. I keep my focus straight ahead and pretend he isn't approaching.

"New Girl, fancy seeing you here."

"What do you want?" My voice is monotone.

I flick the ash near his Air Jordan sneakers. I can see that pissed him off some, but he carries on with a tone that he thinks is sexy. Guess what? It's fucking not.

"You didn't come to my party last weekend." He leans against the brick wall the railing is bolted on.

"I don't do high school parties." I see Ciaran smoking his own cigarette with a small smirk on his lips.

"You've never been to mine."

"Were there high schoolers there?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then it's a fucking high school party."

"Maybe I wanted to get to know you." He licks his lips. I am so not turned on by Joel. However, seeing Ciaran taking a long drag is giving me feels on the inside for some reason.

"Okay," I say. I stomp on the butt of my cigarette. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, I was thinking of getting to know you on a more intimate level."

I nod my head, turn to Ciaran and ask, "If I kiss him right now, do you win or lose the bet you two just made right before approaching me?"

They both stand there in shock, looking from each other to me.

"My guess is that you will lose and I would love nothing more than to see you lose a bet that you thought you would most certainly win because, like you said, this is your territory. If you lose on your territory, that would be bad for your reputation. Especially since the rest of your crew that you won't bother to know their names of, is standing at the doors trying not to be obvious."

I crash Joel's lips to mine. Why would I want to show Ciaran a small peck on his best friend? I'm not the opener, I'm the main fucking event.

When I release Joel, I give myself a small smile and laugh. If looks could kill, I would be dead in a heartbeat from seeing Ciaran. His eyes look black, his jaw ticking in fury, and his face is becoming red.

"My rides here. Let me know who does the most damage when you try to knock each other out."

I am killing it this year.