Now, Francesca had only been with us a couple of months. She was loud and opinionated, but there was something about her that resonated with me. It hadn’t taken long for her to guess that Vik and I had a complicated history. So, when she asked point blank if Vik was on the menu, the glower I’d given in response was all she needed to put her hands up in a placating gesture, along with a muttered, “Got it. Off limits.”
Yeah. Chessie was a smart woman.
Fawn, regrettably, was as naïve as they came. She still wore the smile of a woman who hadn’t yet had her heart broken. She still had an innocence about her that hadn’t yet been shattered. And worst of all, she was button-nosed cute and dressed like a sexy little doe.
That little nose turned up as she squinted endearingly. “Oh. Is there a no-fraternizing policy here?”
My God. She was Bambi levels of sweet.
“Something like that,” I offered.
Chessie then added, “Listen, sweetheart. You don’t shit where you eat. Find a guy outside of work and bang him ’til your ears bleed, but keep your workspace clear.”
Fawn looked like she’d just swallowed her tongue when Birdie laughed. “Listen to these girls, baby. They know a thing or two about it.”
And when Fawn’s innocent gaze landed on Anika, she nodded sympathetically. “Workplace relationships are messy. We don’t want messy.”
Fawn looked devastated, and I felt both shitty and victorious. But my stomach clenched violently when she smiled, then shrugged. “I guess I’ll just have to settle with a little flirting.”
Before I could object, she was halfway across the room, sashaying toward him. I kept a close eye on her, but when I saw Vik wasn’t engaging, I calmed mildly and let it go.
I shouldn’t have.
The next night before opening, I strolled backstage to find Birdie when I heard them talking and stilled, eavesdropping just behind the curtain.
“No way.”
“Girl, I seen it.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to. I’m just warning you is all. That woman is scary.”
“She don’t look it to me.”
“That’s ’cause you haven’t seen her fly across a bar in platforms and try to knock some poor bitch out for talking to her man.” She paused. “Trust me, Vik’s not worth the misery Nastasia will pile on you.”
My eyes narrowed as I listened in.
“Well, that little doe was flirting with him last night, and she didn’t do shit, so maybe she’s over him.”
My heart beat faster.
A thoughtful sound came. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Another woman piped in, and this voice I recognized. The heavy Jersey accent was a dead giveaway. “Who gives a fuck if she gets mad? I don’t care if he’s got a woman or a wife or any of that shit. If I say he’s available, he is, and it’s up to him to prove me wrong.” I could damn well hear the smirk in her voice. “I never have a problem with competition, seeing as I always win.”
Oh yeah. That’s nice. Real nice.
A round of scoffs went through the room, and when Lush let out an annoyed sounding, “What? You don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you. Hell, let’s start a kitty going. I wanna get paid.”
My jaw tightened almost painfully when I heard one girl call out, “I’ll take that bet.”
“Me too.”
“Girl, I’m only participating in the hopes of seeing you get your smug ass beat.”
And Lush simply replied, “Please, bitch. I was raised on these streets. She ain’t nothing I can’t handle. You think that prim and proper princess could take me on?” The words dripped venom. “I’d like to see her try.”
Another one of the girls tried to talk sense into her. “Honey, don’t do it. You’re gonna end up signing your own death warrant.”
“Oh please.” God, Lush was cocky. “Y’all making it sound like she’s got actual pull, when we all know as long as we keep Sasha happy, he’s gonna keep us around. It’s just good business.”
Bitter laughter sounded, then another dancer chimed in. “You know what else is good business, babies?” A slight pause, then, “Minding your own.”
Sounds of approval went through the air. I waited another thirty seconds before I strode into the dressing area, and when the women spotted me, some of their faces paled while others’ eyes widened. And because I wasn’t a complete asshole, I smiled and looked around at everyone but Lush as I complimented, “Wow. You guys look hot.”
They preened and smiled and all talked at once, clearly loving the attention.
So, when Lush uttered, “Bitch, I know I look good,” while giving me the stink-eye, I looked her deep in the eye and smiled in a way that didn’t reach my gaze.
“I’m sorry,” I told her, appearing contrite, “I don’t remember your name.” And if looks could kill, she would have flayed me then. “I try to remember everyone, but we’ve had such a big turnover these last few months that names seemed inconsequential.”