JUST FRIENDS

o2

"Yeah, Maze. We should be collaborating." Brazil chimed.

"You'd love that, wouldn't you?" She ignored the severe look Blu gave her from across the room. "Make yourself useful and tighten my corset, Zilly."

Her eye twitched at the nickname. "My pleasure." 'Zilly,' as in silly with a "Z," pulled the lace tight, reveling in the way Maze lost her breath with how suddenly her waist cinched in.

"Tighter." She said.

"This is as tight as it gets."

Maze looked over her shoulder, shooting daggers. "Tighter."

Brazil wasn't dumb, it was a challenge, but before she could respond, someone else spoke.

"I know y'all are self-proclaimed enemies and all but this is kinda hot."

Babette Decosta, the prettiest stud on planet Earth was watching them while chewing on gummy worms. "Is it me or is there underlying sexual tension? Maybe you two should make out, you know, to see how it feels."

"You're the only girl I'd kiss in here." Maze greeted Babs with a hug and planted a peck on her cheek.

She smiled wide. "Daddy loves you." Confidently, she turned her cheek for Brazil who held her hand up in pause.

"I literally just reapplied my lip combo." She gave her a hug instead and exited the dressing room, grabbing a fur boa on her way out.

"I'm not a hater. But I hate her." Maze let her hair down, bouffant curls framing her doll-like face.

"Hate is a strong word."

"A strong word for my very strong feelings. Here, these need your blessings." Quickly, she handed Babs her heavy heels who bowed her head and said a silent prayer.

"And may the gods who pussy pop guide her feet, amen."

Maze laughed, almost ruining her eyeliner in the process, "you are so going to hell."

"You know, that's not the first time I've heard that." She chuckled. "As much as I'd love to see you get undressed, my boys from class are meeting me at the bar. I promised them a behind-the-scenes picture of you though. Apparently you're their favorite."

"I'm everyone's favorite, baby. Snap away," she gave a blinding smile in her natural essence; big wild hair, little to no makeup, wearing sweatpants and a half shirt over her corset. Still, she was stunning. She was model material.

"Don't take too long, we're all anticipating your performance." Babs gave her shoulder a quick massage like a coach preparing his top athlete. "It's almost showtime." She laughed with Blu for a bit before she and her gummy worms went back to the main floor.

It was in embedded in Maze's routine to be the last girl out of the dressing room, one, because she was always the main event, and two, because she liked to be the last body Blu came in contact with before he watched the show. Crazy, right?

Sometimes she couldn't understand the feeling of possessiveness that washed over her when she thought about her best friend, the only thing she did know was that it was senseless and that it seemed to swell within her.

By the time she finished a flawless application of makeup, applying gloss to her full lips, the line had dwindled down until it was the two of them. Maze stripped down to her floss for the night: a rose gold bejeweled cabaret bra with the sexy lace thong to match. Her corset had frills laced within the bodice to exaggerate an already remarkably thin waist. Tonight, she was activating the type of sex appeal that would make any man's mouth water.

"What do you think?" She asked with her arms outspread for him to take her all in after she stepped on the pedestal.

Blu's face reddened considerably. "You always look good."

"Don't sound so dismissive." His hands were timid on her body as if she could break at any moment. They always were at first. "And how many times must I tell you, I'm not one of your sculptures. You can handle me. I promise I won't crack."

He clenched his jaw.

She closed her eyes when his touch became therapeutic, the oil warm in his palms, on her skin. Maybe there was some truth to Brazil's shit-talking. His hands were magic. They could make her feel hot and bothered and ready to burst like being suffocated by humidity. Like butter on a hot pan. The feelings inside her would bubble up and over, threatening to spill everywhere...down her chest, down her legs. Maze pressed her thighs together and gasped when his knuckles brushed her center.

"I didn't mean to do that." He rushed out. "You moved your legs."

"I know-"

"I'm really sorry, I didn't expect-"

"Blu, it's fine. It's what I deserve for coming into your room and giving you a hard time." She smirked. "We're even."

Wordlessly, he nodded. His expression remained concentrated, focused, controlled. He was going back inside himself, so he couldn't slip up again. She hated when he shut her out like that.

Maze decided to switch the subject. "Shebazz won't be here tonight."

"And?"

"That means you have to sit in. I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm giving a lap dance to some rando, that's dangerous." He shook his head in denial, already about to protest. "Please, Maui?" Maze squatted down in front of him to give him puppy dog eyes. "I'm begging you."

She knew what she was doing, her face at the button of his jeans as she looked up at him with the widest eyes. He couldn't say no to her, he couldn't say anything. His mind was muddled with all the other things she could be begging for.

Maze pushed her barrel curls back to appreciate him from such an angle. With his hair piled atop his head in a messy bun, long tendrils framing his face. His freckles like a constellation spread out close to his hair line. She loved how his top lip was thicker than the bottom, and that his Cupid's bow was a wide "M." She loved how easy it was for her to make him flustered and how hard it was for everyone else.

Any girl would be lucky to view him like this, rattled, discombobulated. He was so fun to play with.

"Maze." Blu wrapped his hand up in her hair firmly, tilting her head back further in the process before he dropped his hand altogether like he had decided against something. Whatever he wanted she would've done in that moment. It could've been anything. "You can't just tease me when you don't get your way."

"Why not?" She batted her eyelashes.

"Cuz I might start calling your bluff."

Was it wrong that she kinda hoped he did?