Private Dancer (18 page)

        
Feeling like a shit and very hung over, Reece dragged her ass into the gym and right to the juice bar. While replenishing her losses, she thought she heard a familiar voice, a laugh actually, and she shook her head. Now she was hearing the girl, too.
Faith, Faith, Faith...get a grip woman!
She slid off the chair and down to the locker room. Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at her self and frowned. She looked terrible, her eyes all bloodshot and swollen, framed by lovely dark circles. She opened her eyes wide and stared for a moment. "I look sad," she muttered to herself. Sighing, she went out to the leg machines and began her workout.

        
A few yards away, a certain bartender-soon to be dancer was taking advantage of Cori's guest pass. "Go on," Cori had told her. "She's gonna be in no shape to work out today." The man at the desk was very nice to her and even assigned er a personal trainer, Julie. Julie was nice enough, funny, but a little too muscular for Faith's liking. The blonde woman was working on her pecs and stopped dead at the sight of her ex-boss shuffling out of the locker room. ulie following her gaze said, "Hey, that's Reece, you know her?"

        
"You could say that," she sneered half-heartedly.

        
"Damn! Look at those thighs work! She is fine." Julie was practically drooling.

        
"Yeah, wonderful." Faith dragged her eyes away from the dark-haired woman and tried to concentrate on her own work out.

        
"You said you're a dancer, you work for her?"

        
"No. Can we get back to the work out?" The woman's questions were starting to piss her off.

        
"Sheesh, okay, I just thought..."

        
"Please, don't think. I've found it to be too much trouble."

        
"Ooo, I like your attitude. Where do you work? Maybe I can come by and see you sometime." Julie wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at the blonde.

        
Faith laughed politely and didn't answer the question.

        
Reece sat up like a cat looking for a fly.
There it is again!
She wondered if she was losing her mind. Then, she saw her, laughing with…
Julie?
If there was one woman in the entire world that Reece hated, it was her. From the moment they met, Julie had followed her around like a puppy, then turned into her clone. It was like Single White Female.
Fucking Faith!
Now she'd have to hurt Julie. What to say? Stay away from her? Yeah, that's as good as forbidding, NG. By the time her mind came up with something, they were gone. Frustrated beyond belief, eece went to the heavy bag…that poor bag.

        
Cori had two phone calls in a matter of minutes. First was her roomie, cursing her out for talking her into going. She finally talked her into shopping, promising it would make her feel better. The second call was her boss, cursing her out for giving Faith the pass. She slapped herself in the forehead. This was going to be one hell of a day. She put on the coffee and waited for the little blonde to get home and hand her her head. She was not looking forward to work tonight. She dyed her hair out of guilt.

        
When the doorbell rang, she expected to see Faith loaded with packages but instead looked up into a very unhappy pair of baby blues. 
Oh god. Why me?

        
"What's the matter? You don't look happy to see me." Reece smirked.

        
"I wasn't expecting you, is all. What do you want? I'm in the middle of dying my hair."

        
"And I became blind when?"

        
"Come in asshole, there's coffee in the pot."

        
Reece poured herself a very large mug and waited for Cori to wash out the putrid green dye.

        
"I'll be there in like ten minutes. I might as well grab a shower."

        
Reece took off her coat and wandered around. She stopped outside Faith's room and just looked inside the doorway.
I wonder why I thought she'd be neater,
she mused as she looked at the mess. Venturing further, she walked into the room and stood by Faith's bed. Feeling a little thrill, she picked up her pillow and smelled it.
Oh yeah, that's her all right.
She sat down on the bed and was unconsciously hugging the pillow, when Cori passed by and then walked backwards to see that again. Very caught, Reece threw the pillow back on the bed and bolted away from it.

        
"Why are you in here?" Cori let the pillow incident slide.

        
"I was just… I don't know, Cori, but I have to get out." She looked at her hands.

        
"C'mon into the kitchen. I'll make some food or something." Cori didn't know what to say. The boss never acted this way, and it scared her.

        
"Cor, can I ask you something?"

        
"Yeah," Cori agreed cautiously.

        
"Is Faith really going to dance at The Playhouse?" Reece seemed oddly uncertain, long fingers tangling together as she tried to keep her nervousness from showing.

        
"Why don't you ask her, she'll be home soon," Cori suggested.

        
"Why don't you tell me?" Reece tried out her best 'if you don't, I'll make you' look.

        
"I've resigned getting involved. I give up." The dancer wasn't falling for it. These two women were about to kill her with their stubbornness, and she'd about had it with them.

        
"Now? This is not a good time? I want to know." A hint of desperation tinged the deep voice.

        
"Maybe, Reece. She's a big girl, you know. She can do whatever she wants. Again, ask her."

        
There was a key in the door and just as it opened, Reece looked panicked. "Boss, it's just Faith," Cori sighed dramatically.

        
"Just Faith? She will never be 'just Faith'."

        
"Cori? Help! I'm gonna drop this..."

        
"Be right back, Reece."

        
When she came out from Faith's bedroom, Reece was gone.

        
"Hey, Faith, I made breakfast. Come eat." She figured someone should eat it.

        
"I knew I loved you for something."

        
They ate and talked about the little shopping spree. Cori was not as into it as usual.

        
"What's up, Cor? You all right?"

        
"Well, sort of. Reece was here this morning. She's pretty broken up over everything. Maybe you should..."

        
"No, I will not give in to her. She was wrong, and she acts like an asshole."

        
"Granted, but she really feels awful about this."

        
"Then she should be apologizing to me herself. She's not a child, she's an adult, and she should have more respect."

        
"Hon, you have to get respect to give it. I don't think she knows the meaning of the word. You know, she hasn't had a wonderful life."

        
"She could learn. And I am not pitying her."

        
"God no! Don't do that, she wouldn't know how to accept it. She doesn't know from it, to her it would be a sign that she's weak."

        
"Well, she is only human."

        
"As she's just finding out."

        
"What's that supposed to mean?"

        
"That she is learning how to feel, Faith. You did that. The least you could do is help her."

        
"I don't have the strength for that kind of work. She's impossible. What makes you think she'll take my help?"

        
"Trust me, she would."

        
Faith thought about that for a while, while Cori did the dishes. What could Reece possibly want from her? hy doesn't she just ask her herself? She obviously told Cori.
What is she so afraid of me for? Oh damn, maybe she really does have more than lust for me.

        
"Cori? What would I say to her?

        
"That's entirely up to you, babe."

        
Great. Now what?
she thought.
I'm going to just forget it for the rest of the week. I have three days until I get out on that stage and I'm going to do it. Reece forbidding or not.
And suddenly she felt very guilty.

        
*  

        
It was well into the evening and Reece still hadn't changed out of her sweats. She was sitting in the dark living room watching TV. Flipping through the channels, she came across that Demi Moore movie, "Striptease". She groaned. "Sure, just torture me," she spoke to the screen. She watched the actress dance for a while, but Faith's face kept popping up on her body. Not only was it a disturbing disproportionate sight, but it was driving her crazy. She flipped the channel to MTV. Ah, another best of the 90's special. Picking at the left over take home Chinese, she sang along with most of the videos…until Tina Turner started singing.

        
Well,
she thought.
Isn't that special. I could certainly use one of those.
She closed her eyes and imagined Faith, her own personal Private Dancer. Enjoying her imagination a little more than she liked, she opened her eyes and changed the channel, the Weather channel being a pretty safe bet.
Why does she do this to me? How come I can't stop feeling like this? Why hasn't Cori called yet? I bolted on her…shit…and Faith too. She must think I'm the biggest asshole on earth.
The tall woman stretched herself out on the couch and arched her back, lifting her arms high over her head.
God I stink!
It took a little convincing her depressed body to move, but she did wind up in the shower eventually.

        
Standing in the kitchen in her big fluffy robe and socks, Reece watched and smelled the coffee brewing. She thought about having a drink, but really didn't feel like reducing herself and whatever slut to playing pretend games again. That was just too far. And the thing that bothered her the most is that she would do it again eventually. There was never any hope for her and the real Faith anymore, so pretending was the only way to have her.
I wonder what she's doing now?
She poured herself a cup, and sat up on the counter.
Maybe if I called...
She thought better of it.
I'm not a teenager for shit's sake!

        
She hopped down, grabbed her coffee, and went upstairs to get dressed for work. She really had no reason to be there, but staying home wasn't cutting it. She needed a distraction and refused to go out and get laid until this whole obsession thing was over, so work it is.

        
Cori saw Sam sitting in the "bouncer chair" and stopped to playfully tease her. She sat on her lap and flirted, knowing that this was one of the better perks of the bouncer's job. She got a lot of attention from the girls, mostly out of fun, but still, a pretty girl on your lap was a pretty girl on your lap.