Page 13 of Frozen Hearts
“Give me all the juicy gossip,” Tara demands as she sits down beside me and begins stretching out her long, toned legs. Her black hair is piled on top of her head, emphasizing her unusual gray-violet eyes that remind me of thunderstorms.
I laugh as I lean forward, reaching out to touch my toes with my fingers. She demands the same thing at every rehearsal.
“There is no gossip.”
“Seriously?” She arches a disbelieving eyebrow at me. “A bunch of rich hotties all crammed onto that campus and there isn’t a single bit of gossip?”
“Not so much as a whisper.”
“Uh-huh. At least tell me you went to one party this week.”
Tara is five years older than me. She never attended college, and on my first night here, when she discovered I was a Halston student, she declared that she was going to live her college years vicariously through me.
I did warn her that I was not the party type. That I was barely social, and I would be the most boring college student she’s ever met, but she didn’t seem deterred. If anything, I’m a tad worried that she saw my declaration as a challenge—which is why, I believe, she keeps giving me asinine goals like attending one college party, each week.
At this point, I’m clinging desperately to the hope that she will give up on reforming me before I cave and do what she wants of me.
“Ry!” she exclaims when she sees the guilty look on my face.
“I’m not interested in hanging out with a bunch of people in skimpy dresses and doused in too much cologne.”
“How do you know? Have you ever done it?”
I give her a deadpan look. “I don’t need to be bitten by a snake to know it will hurt.”
“Before you know it, you’ll be gray-haired and wrinkly and wish you could go partying without having to pop your arthritis pills first.”
“You mean, I’ll be like you.”
She gasps, eyes brimming with mirth. “You bitch!”
We both crack up laughing as we continue stretching.
“Give me something before I grow concerned that you’re a robot. Is there even a guy who has caught your eye?”
She wags her eyebrows, and I look away, pretending to stretch out the muscles in my lower back as I twist my spine.
“Oh my God, there is, isn’t there?”
“No!” I answer a little too quickly. Too aggressively.
She laughs at my outburst. “He’s hot, right? Ugh, please tell me he’s like the school’s quarterback or someone out of one of those dark romance novels with the damaged male characters that only soften for the one woman they truly love.”
Dear Lord, there’s going to be no dealing with her. If I don’t tell her anything, she’s going to make up a fake guy and probably concoct an entire drama-filled relationship for me. Yet, the second I tell her Logan is captain of the hockey team, she might actually have a heart attack.
Thankfully, Chrissy saves my ass, clapping her hands and gaining everyone’s attention as she bounces into the center of the stage with a beaming smile. “Alright, girls. Positions. Let’s go through the routine a final time before we need to get ready.”
Dressed in my lycra leggings and a slouchy, off-the-shoulder crop top, I get to my feet. “Don’t think this is over,” Tara warns, pointing her finger at me before we separate to move into our positions. It’s usually the same handful of girls working on the weekend. We work well together and we’re a close-knit team.
The opening notes of Cannon’sFire For Youplay through the club’s sound system, and we get through the routine without a hitch.
“That was perfect, girls! Do exactly that tonight, and you will be amazing!”
Dismissed, I head to the dressing room to change and prepare for tonight.
Lux is a high-end burlesque club that opened only a few weeks before the term started. It’s a ten-minute walk from my apartment, and while I was out exploring during my first week in town, I came across an advertisement for performers. Despite the premise being outside my comfort zone, I jumped at the chance to be able to dance regularly. Plus, it pays better than anywhere else in town, and the tips on the weekends are an added bonus.
Dancing on stage, feeling the heavy stare of men’s eyes on you while wearing provocative clothing designed to entice, was incredibly challenging for me. Before I started working here, I shied away from exposing my body in such a way, preferring to hide behind oversized hoodies and loose clothing.
