Private Dancer (5 page)

"Woman, you're gonna be bald come Thursday. What do you want?"

"I, um, I brought a friend...okay?"

"Ooo, for me?" she wiggled her eyebrows. "You gonna watch this time, too?"

Cori shot her a glare that said "BE NICE!"

        
"You know it took me a lot of convincing today to get her to come here. I actually had to tell her you were nice."

        
Reece rolled her eyes and waved her hand in the air. "Yeah, yeah...come in." She stood up to walk around her desk. "Does she do bookkeeping? I could use a bookkeeper..." She was struck speechless by the woman standing in front of her.
Shit! It's her! Shitfuckpiss!

        
Faith looked up at the sound of the sexy voice. Then kept looking up and up, until she reached a sea of blue.
God damn! She is gorgeous!

        
Cori, extremely amused by the two women staring slack jawed at each other, took their hands and clasped them together in a handshake. They both jumped at the contact. Faith blushed furiously at her very unusual reaction. Reece cleared her throat and shook her head as if to shake the feeling loose. It didn't work. She had been looking for this woman for as long as she could remember. And it took Cori, her freak, to find her.

        
Finally Cori spoke. "Um, Reece Corbett, Faith Ashford. This is the woman I met at the bar."

        
Silence.

        
"Boss? You were going to talk to her about employment opportunities?” She stressed the last two words to get the tall woman's attention back to earth.

        
"Yeah, the bartender." She blinked a few times. "Sure, um, so..."
What happened to my tongue?

        
Faith just stood there silently. There was a strange feeling in her stomach and she had no idea what it was. She was also a little embarrassed. This striking woman was obviously in some sort of trouble and she was beginning to think it was her.

        
"Why don't I go show her around the place first. You can meet us by the bar, boss lady." Cori could not, for the life of her, remember seeing Reece so uncomfortable before. If she didn't know better, she'd swear the boss was smitten.

        
Reece sat down on the edge of her desk. "What the hell was that?" she wondered. "A woman steps out of my dreams and into my office and I become an asshole?" She pounded her leg with a fist. "Get a grip!" she scolded herself.

        
The great Casanova was about to fall.

        
*  

        
Walking through the club, Faith was more than a bit surprised.
So this is what a strip joint looks like,
she thought. It was nothing like she assumed. It was far from sleazy or dirty. The customers were wearing ties, and the girls looked healthy enough. She began recognizing faces.
Ah...
She now put two and two together from the first night at the bar.

        
"So, is Cori your real name?"

        
"Yeah. But I'm the only dancer who uses my real name here." She smiled at the blonde. "Let me take your coat and I'll introduce you to a few people."

        
Cori saw her boss when one of the moving lights caught the crystal blue gaze. Following its path, she smirked when she saw Faith meet the stare and shiver.
Oh boy...this is gonna be good!

        
What the heck?
Faith felt all the hairs stand up on her body and instinctively turned towards the source.
God...why is this happening to me?
She was getting worried. Maybe she was getting sick. No, she felt wonderful. Maybe she needed sleep. Yeah...that's it. Sleep. Like that was going to happen anytime soon. The pipes in her building were banging so loud now, it wasn't even funny, and the new neighbors played speed metal all day.

        
"...hon? Are you listening to me?"

        
"Oh, Cori, I'm sorry. I am so tired, I must have zoned out for a moment."
There it was again!
Blue eyes averted their gaze and the tall woman disappeared in the darkness. "So... She owns this place? Unusual for a woman, isn't it?"

        
"Sure, but we don't consider her a woman."

        
"Oh? So tell me about her. What's it like working for her? Is she nice? Does she treat you well?"

        
After answering all the questions, and being bombarded by more, all about Reece, Cori could have laughed out loud.
Well, I'll be damned...she has it bad. Poor thing. If only it wasn't Reece.
She couldn't let her get anywhere near the cute, little blonde. She would chew her up and spit her out.
Think of the devil...

        
The club owner was making a rare appearance at the bar. Faith took stock of the woman as she approached. Long, strong legs wrapped neatly in black denim and thick, square-toed boots. A silky looking cotton turtleneck,
maybe Egyptian cotton,
she thought, covering well developed but not bulky arms, nice lean abdomen, perfect breasts...
Perfect breasts? I'm looking at her breasts? That way? I'm not a lesbian! But this woman, and butterflies in my stomach...am I?

        
Cori followed Faith's eyes...raising her own eyebrow at the bold appraisal. She glanced at Reece who had also noticed the green eyes and where they were paused. Her nipples hardened under the scrutiny...she began to blush hotly. Cori's mouth fell open and both eyebrows and the ring were nearly in her hairline at this reaction.
Reece? BLUSHING? No fucking way...

        
The club owner caught the incredulous gawk aimed in her direction.
Fuck...
Not ever feeling quite so ill at ease before, she really didn't know how to act.
Joking is always good,
she thought.

        
"So...is Cori playing nice? Or should I fire her?" She followed it with a smile when the green eyes looked at her in disbelief.

        
"Oh, no. Actually, she was singing your praises, Ms. Corbett."

        
Cori nearly shot soda out of her nose.

        
"Reece, please, it's Reece." The tall woman narrowed her eyes into a very menacing glare at the purple haired dancer, who immediately stopped laughing. If there was one thing she could not tolerate it was people laughing at her. She'd blinded people for a mere chuckle.

        
Faith felt the danger in that look and subconsciously backed away. "Sorry...Reece," she stammered.

        
"Oh great, boss, scare her half to death why don't you." Cori turned to the blonde and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Here, I'll introduce you to the other girls. She's harmless really. A pussycat if you stroke her right." She shot a look at her boss, who was feeling a cross between regret and shock at hearing how Cori described her.

        
"A pussycat? I'll show you a pussycat. FREAK!" And she stomped off to her office. You could hear the door slam even over the music. Everybody winced.

        
*  

        
Faith looked back over her shoulder at the tall woman stalking off into the darkness. "Shit, Cori, did I do that?"

        
"No, babe, she does it to herself. She's a real piece of work. You'll get used to her moods. But really, I think she likes you."
That is the biggest understatement ever,
she thought. "That is...if you still want to work here." They settled at the bar.

        
"Well, I'm not sure."
I can't afford those clothes,
she thought. "These women look like a Victoria's Secret catalog. I don't think I'd be comfortable at all..."

        
"Bullshit, you are one hot little number, Faith. Trust me, you'll do just fine. I have a few things at home that would suit you perfectly. Show off your best assets." She went out on a limb here. "And once Reece gets one look at you in the outfits I have planned...well, the next time a door is slammed around here, I bet you'll be on the other side with her."

        
The blush that covered the cute little blonde's neck was all the answer she needed. Now, how was she going to get to the boss lady without her own neck being snapped? She grinned widely.
I just love a challenge.

        
Faith knew she would die of embarrassment. Was it that obvious? How did Cori know what she was thinking?
God! She saw me looking at her breasts! Just kill me. But I liked looking at her breasts.
And then there was that feeling in her stomach again.

        
Cori saw the internal struggle and decided to end it. "Hey. You wanna meet my ex roomies?"

        
"What? Ex? What happened?" Faith asked, thankful for the change of subject.

        
"Reece threw them out. It was for my own good. Now I gotta find new roommates."

        
"She threw out your roommates? Cori, I don't get it. I don't get her."
Or why she makes me feel like this,
she said to herself.

        
"Oh, stick with me and I'll make sure you get it." Faith was about to cut in. "Come on, I'm not blind. It looks to me as if you have a tiny little crush on Tall, Dark, and Sexy. I can help you out if you let me."

        
"Cori, I don't know what is going on." She lowered her eyes. "I'm not a lesbian, at least I don't think so. I never thought about another woman...well, like that, and I am not exactly comfortable with all of this either." She gestured around the club. "I mean I'm okay with you guys, and with the club and all...I am not homophobic or anything...." She looked into Cori's sympathetic eyes. "I don't know what I mean. I just don't feel comfortable is all. Thanks for trying to help me. I better get home." She got up from the chair and headed towards the door.
Please let me make it out before I cry.

        
"Please, Faith. Let’s talk about it. I'll get you a cab and we'll go get something to eat?" She tried to convince the blonde with food. Noticing her face sink lower, it hit her. Everything made sense. The job, where she lived, the fact that she was still wearing the pants she lent her...
She has no money!
"My treat. I owe you for dragging you here anyway."

        
"No thanks, Cori. Its very nice of you, but..." Her stomach rumbled louder than the bus that went by. "Um, I'll catch the subway and eat at home."

        
"You are not taking the subway at this hour. I refuse to let you. Come on." She grabbed her by the bicep and pulled her into the waiting cab. "No refusals. We have to talk."

        
*  

        
After properly chastising herself and her behavior, the club owner was sitting on the office couch with her head in her hands. She started to question her feelings. Sure the blonde was a knockout, but so were a lot of the women she bedded. Why did this one feel different?
I don't even know her. Damn, she was practically undressing me with her eyes. But that happens all the time too. Why did it feel like her eyes were actually touching my body? Why did I react that way? Why the hell did my mouth go dry at the idea of Faith really touching me?
"I need to get laid. That's all. I need to get out and get laid." She grabbed her helmet and her jacket and headed out with determination. She stopped short in the doorway after seeing Cori and the blonde on the sidewalk. "Sam, what's up?"