Page 19 of Plunge into Obsession

I shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

I hoped.

* * *

I nervously ranmy hands down my thighs.

I was in the back dressing room with the other girls.

I had been here before. Kaia and I liked to hang out with the dancers when we had the time, and most of the girls I worked with were nice.

Piama came up to me as I was applying lipstick in the mirror.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

I nodded. I didn’t think I could talk, not when there was a huge lump in my throat.

Piama had been helping me with a simple routine that I would do tonight.

I wasn’t graceful, but I had enough skill to fake it through one easy performance.

And I wouldn’t be taking off all my clothes.

Just most of them.

By the end of the show, I would be in nothing but a tiny black thong.

I swallowed.

I had been going back and forth on this decision since I’d informed Corey that I would do it, but I couldn’t back out now.

“It’ll be all right,” Piama said. “Listen to the music. Focus on that and ignore everything and everyone in the room. I promise it will be over quickly.”

She placed a hand on my shoulder. I reached up and grabbed it in comfort.

She smiled a little at me. “Are you sure you want to do this, Bianca?”

I took a deep breath, so my voice wouldn’t quiver when I spoke. “Yes. I’m sure.”

“All right. Just remember. We’ll be at the side of the stage. If you forget a step, just look at me, and I’ll guide you through it.”

“Thank you. You have been amazing to me.”

Movements from the door caught my attention, and I turned to see Kaia standing there.

She shot me a small smile. Kaia thought we could have taken the girls and quit.

But this had been the best-paying gig we’d both had in a while, and I didn’t want to be the one to take the girls from a place of security and into the unknown just because I couldn’t bring myself to do one performance.

I didn’t know if Corey expected me to keep filling in after tonight, but on the bright side, I was serving tomorrow night.

“Is it pretty busy?”

Kaia grimaced and nodded.

“And Corey?”

“High off his ass.”

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