Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Plus, he’s not doing anything wrong so far.
Just watching me. Like a total stalker. A hot stalker. Which is a fucked-up thing to think. I wonder how many other women he casually insults, as if he’s God’s gift to women.
Like usual, by the time I finish my last set, he’s gone. When I look up at where he was sitting, his seat is empty. I’m not even sure what he wants. I told him everything I know. I haven’t seen Cinita, nor has she bothered to contact me. She hasn’t been on set for months and she lost her position as one of the lead dancers. So why is he coming here like some kind of lovestruck puppy? Or is he the danger he alluded to last time?
Even if she does contact me, the first thing I’ll be asking is where her rent money is since I still owe my parents, and it’s been hard getting extra shifts at my bar job since I work evenings here four times a week.
“It seems Mr. Ivanov has taken a liking to you,” my boss says, shifting his shirt over his well-fed belly. He points at where Alek was sitting.
“Yeah. So what’s his story?” I ask, trying to sound genuinely intrigued. “I haven’t heard of him before.”
“He’s a very wealthy young man,” Matthew begins, sounding like a fanatical teenage girl himself. “He’s an investor with an appreciation for the arts such as music and dance, I believe. I’ve heard unfavorable rumors about him, but we all know to never trust rumors,” he says with a wave of his hand. And I have a distinct feeling he should very much listen to those rumors because that man is involved with something illegal in one way or another. It just oozes off him. “Cinita took a liking to him as well. Speaking of, you’re my shining star at the moment, so don’t do what she did to me and just up and leave.”
“I love it here, Matthew. I doubt I’ll be going anywhere anytime soon. Unless Broadway calls me directly from Manhattan, I’m here to stay.” He seems pleased with the response, waving goodbye to me and walking away.
Everyone seems to think Cinita and I were good friends because we got an apartment together, but she was actually closer with Julie. So I decide to find her to see if she knows anything about Cinita’s disappearance.
I head backstage, and find her in the dressing room, taking off her makeup as she talks to another dancer about how awful the pay is. She notices me right away and gasps in exasperation. “Lena. Tell me you get paid better than what we do.”
I slide the chair out next to her and sit down. My contract states I’m not to discuss my pay with other employees, so I avoid specific figures because I don’t want to lose this job. “The pay could always be better,” I say vaguely.
“Damn right. We hustle on that stage. And look, I have to run to my other job just to pay the bills.” She shakes her head.
“Other job?” I didn’t know she, like me, was working two jobs.
“I dance, of course,” she says, as if it’s obvious. “It’s hard, though. I don’t have time for dating or anything. But I’d be stupid to pass up the money. It’s decent pay,” she explains as she swipes on some eyeshadow.
I sigh, feeling her pain. Not so much about the dating because I couldn’t be bothered with that right now, but the two jobs are hard to maintain, and I feel like I’m getting nowhere.
“You know how to dance, right?” she asks me as she applies eyeliner.
“I do.” While I was also trained in dancing, I am nowhere near as good as half of these girls. They can fucking dance. Singing is where my talent lies.
“Want some extra cash?” she asks, and I’m thrown off by her question. “Not singing. I know you probably have a clause in your contract about singing anywhere else, but dancing…”
“I can’t dance like you,” I’m quick to say.
“It’s not that type of dancing. It’s sexy and sensual. I’ve seen you move your hips on stage. You can do it.”
“I’m not sure…” I hedge, biting my lip. Sure, I have curves and know how to use them, but that and dancing professionally are two different things.
“It’s two thousand cash for four hours to dance, and you have to sign an NDA beforehand.”
“Two thousand for only four hours of work?” My jaw drops at that.
Holy shit.
She nods as if she’s just given me a cheat code to adulting.
I could pay my parents back and still have money left over.
I might not be able to depend on Cinita to pay me back, but if I can get a one-off gig like this, then I won’t owe them anything.