“Thank you,” I say, and I watch as he walks away. When the door to the club closes, I look back at Phillip. “What are you doing here?” I ask, and as soon as the words leave my mouth, I wish I had kept my mouth shut.
“What am I doing here? Well, let me tell you,” he says, his voice sharp and so full of anger it scares me. “I came for a bachelor party with my friends, Claire. Since we aren’t out for a quick peek as we’re all married, we came here, and the night was going great until I saw my niece onstage opening her legs and wiggling her ass for the world to see! So the real question is, what the fuck are you doing here?”
“Working,” I answer simply, my tears threatening to fall.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Claire. Working? Why? I will give you everything you need.”
“I know you will and I hate that!” I say, meeting his gaze. “I don’t want you to support me. I’m old enough to take care of myself. That’s why I work at the studio, why I work here. I need the money. I need to know that I am going to be okay.”
“Okay?” he yells. “Claire, I will always make sure you are okay! That is my job!”
“And it was my mom’s job, and we see how she provided, right?” I snap back, and his face goes blank. As he takes a step toward me, I take one back, but he snatches me by my arms, pulling me to him.
“No, no, she fucking didn’t, and I hope you aren’t trying to throw that in my face.”
I shake my arms free and take another step back. “No, I’m not, but you have to understand why. You have to know that I’m doing this to protect myself. You may love and support me now, but you can leave at any time – you have before – and if that happens again, I’ll be secure. I’ll be set for life.”
Shaking his head, I watch as his eyes go hollow with despair. “You just can’t let it go, can you? Yes, I left, and I have spent the last three years doing everything in the world to make up for it. I may have left you, but Claire, I never stopped lovi
ng you. I did everything I could to protect you from your mom, but she wouldn’t allow me to do what was best for you. She used you as a free ride, and I didn’t realize it till it was too late. Did I try hard enough? Probably not, but I was a kid, Claire. Let it go! I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere!”
His voice echoes through the parking lot, and I’m sure that Ben will be out in no time. Looking deep in his eyes, I know what he says is true. I know he tried to get me when I was younger, but my mom did use me. She couldn’t let go of me when I was the only reason Phillip sent her money. Instead, she subjected me to her life, abused me, and allowed men to use me. Looking down at the ground, I take in a deep breath, trying to calm my heart, but it is beating out of control.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” I say, meeting his gaze. “I know I need to let it go and that it is all in the past, but surely you can understand why I do this.”
“No, I’m sorry I can’t. If you needed money, I’d give it to you.”
“But you shouldn’t have to. I don’t take handouts. I work for what I want, and you know that. I’ve been like that since I could work.”
“I get that, Claire, but this is not a career – this is slutty.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s beautiful and I love it. I love the beauty of it, the sexy tease of it. I have fun, and Phillip, I’m amazing at it. I choreograph all the dances and I get paid bank. I’m so good that they have investors coming to expand Ms. Prissy’s all over the US. I could get hired to run a whole club. A place where they will do what I say and dance to my choreography. I know you may not see this as a career you want for me, but it is a promising one. I mean, Reese did this for years and didn’t stop until I got the job.”
His eyes widen as he takes a step toward me. “Wait, does she know about this?”
Oh fuck.
Pressing my lips together, I look away, and when I don’t answer, he yells, “She fucking does! Un-fucking-believable! Wait, did she get you the job here?”
“No,” I say quickly. “Prissy approached me on her own.”
“So you two have kept this from me?”
I bite down hard on my lip as I nod. “Yes, but only because I knew you wouldn’t like it.”
“Damn right, I wouldn’t! I don’t want my niece flaunting her ass across a stage for a bunch of horny men!”
“It’s only temporary. I’m quitting as soon as the investors come and go. I want to be strictly backstage ’cause I knew that you wouldn’t like it, and I know Jude won’t either, but I love this. I really do. It’s such a beautiful art, and I swear, Phillip, they all say I’m going to be something big. Don’t you want me to live my dreams?”
“This isn’t what I thought your dreams were. I thought you wanted to dance with famous people or choreograph their dances, not dance with your ass and tits out for a room full of horn dogs to hoot and holler at,” he yells, his face still so red with anger. Even with only the light from the streetlamp, I can see that he’s about to blow a gasket.
“This is my stepping stone. I started as just a dancer, but soon I became a choreographer, and now, I might even run my own club. Everyone has to start somewhere. This was my somewhere. I want the lights of the big stage, I want Vegas or New York, I want something huge and amazing, my name in lights. This is how I’m going to get there. You have to trust me. I know what I’m doing. I’m going to be rich for the rest of my life. You’ll never have to worry about me again.”
He goes quiet for a moment, eyeing me with such disdain in his eyes. Clearing his throat, he asks, “Is that all that matters to you, Claire? Having money? Me not having worry about you?”
I shake my head, confused by his question. “I want the security of it, and I don’t want to be a burden to you anymore.”
Looking away from me, he takes in a deep breath and then sets me with a look that chills me to the soul. “I don’t know how you could ever think you are a burden. Claire, you are the light of my life. I love you, unconditionally, and I’ve tried to make sure that you have everything you need and more. And to be honest, I don’t care what you want to do as long as you’re happy. Do I want you dancing with your tits and ass out? No, I don’t, but if you can honestly look me in the eye and say this is what you want, then by God, I’ll support you. But what bothers me the most about all this is that you not only lied and hid this from me, but all you care about is the money. The security. How about instead of having the security of money, you try having the security of love? Because money will not keep you warm at night.”