Tiny Dancer

Chapter One: Applications and First Meetings

"In three days about, that okay?"

That was a Sunday. Milly nodded and he smiled big again, digging in the pocket of his jacket for something before handing it to her.

"What do I need a blank CD for?"

He tapped it with one pale finger.

"This is yours to copy song tracks onto for when you dance. Don't worry, not everyone here is a pole dancer, I see you as more of just an exotic dancer."

Milly yelped quite unlike herself as she thought of the implications of what she was doing. It wasn't all bad, she thought, it wasn't like she had gone into red-lighting. She looked up at him and nodded, returning his smile and raising an eyebrow.

"Then you've got yourself a new girl, but I will ask, am I able to do any song I like?"

Joshua nodded and bounced his shoulders a bit.

"Of course, love! Welcome to the family. I'll go in the office and give you the papers and we can sign you in, c'mon."

She followed him out of the dressing room and into a small but clean little office space, papers stacked in boxes and a pair of red sequined heel-boots resting on the side of the desk. They glittered in the light and Milly felt a strange urge to break out into Kinky Boots lyrics. She sat as Joshua slid the papers to her, highlighting the points she needed to sign and making sure she had all the legalities in order. Milly shook his hand as he handed her another packet to take home with her, grabbing her keys out of her pocket and jogging back to her car. She simply sat in her car for a bit, going back over what had just happened with a certain degree of disbelief. Her phone went off beside her, her roommate's name scrolling across the top screen.

"Joanna, what's going on?"

Milly heard her friend laugh widely over the phone and they several others do the same; so, she was at a party, not surprising.

"Heeeey! Mills, I reeeeally need you to come nick me please, I don't feel well at aaaaaall. I think I've had too much."

"At least you called me first before you tried to drive, where are you sugar?"

"Uhhhh, hey, where are we right now, you lot? 141 South St, Braintree CM7 3QB, it's this little place called The Mullberries"

"Good girl, now stay put and try not to be sick, okay?"

"I gotcha mamì, I love youuuu."

She laughed and hung up the phone, putting the address in and sighing in relief when she saw it was at least in Essex. Milly headed for the flat building just a few miles from where she was. It was getting darker by the minute now and Milly shuddered at the thought of Joanna trying to drive as trashed as she sounded and with it this dark, not to mention the constant traffic that the UK so graciously provided. Milly flipped her radio on and turned over to Garage Palace on her XM, the music pumping through her head and making her calm down significantly as she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel to Kings of Leon. She thought back to a few years ago when she dropped dancing nearly all together, now just dancing recreationally or for her exercise. Jesus, she was gonna be fit if this held up. Now, she felt more excited than scared as she was when she first walked in. The prospect of more money, a better job, and maybe even a break from two jobs was soon feeling more and more pleasant as she thought it over. Milly could turn in her two week's at the store and get a little part time other than at the pub as a safety net in case anything happened. She turned on her signal and pulled into the small street in front of the red-brick complex, a few cars and a large what looked like a camper-trailer across the street from the flats. Milly parked and walked up to the door, music and neon light blaring from behind the first flats windows, and rang the bell, the music subsiding a bit. She heard the clamor of feet and stepped back a bit, holding her jacket close to her form and patted her foot against the concrete as she waited. The outer door unlocked and she walked into the niche between the buildings, rolling her eyes at a couple making out under the stairs, and made her way into the apartment. Milly pushed her glasses back up on her straight nose, sighing heavily as she made her way through people, asleep or passed out or still going, to a small couch where she found Joanna in a puddle of tears, a half-gnawed brownie in her hand. Milly sat down in front of her and rubbed her knee soothingly as Joanna's bloody blue eyes looked back at her. She smiled at her drunk friend and took the food from her, putting it in the bin beside the couch as Joanna started babbling a bit incoherently.