Renegade Reject (13 page)

His words piss me off, but there’s enough truth behind them to keep me from kicking his ass.  “I fucked up. Doubt she’d want me now.”

Kidd barks out a harsh laugh. “Haven’t we all fucked up a time or two?”

With that, we go quiet.  Kidd and Reese’s minds are probably on the same person; Ice.  Mine is thinking about Reese’s words.  Yeah, I fucked up, but I could prove to her that I’m different now.  I almost laugh at the thought.  If anything, I’m worse, but I could clean the hell up; lay off the booze and stay the fuck away from the whores.  Couldn’t I?

Yeah, it’s time.  She’s mine, and I gotta figure out a way to make sure she knows it.  Before I can come up with a plan, I hear Leah’s whispered voice behind me.  I turn to see her talking to one of the other club girls. “Yeah, she plays all innocent, but she’s not.  If Ice knew what she’s doing, she would get rid of her ass.”

“Ice is her friend.  It would have to be pretty bad for her to get fired.”

Leah’s voice rises as she responds.  “I saw her fucking some guy in the bathroom just a few minutes ago.  I also saw him give her money, and you know that even Daisy can’t get away with that shit.  Ice wouldn’t have it. ”

The girl shakes her head and starts to respond, but I’m no longer listening.  Hearing Daisy’s name damn near makes me sick.  I have to take a deep breath to keep from losing what little food I have in my stomach.  All thoughts of claiming her fade away as my anger starts to grow into rage. 

She wants to be a whore, does she?  We’ll just see about that.

DAISY

I’m getting ready for my first time on stage when Leah walks in.  I’ve done my best to avoid her over the last week, but it’s damn near impossible with both of us working at The Kitty Kat. 

She sits at the station next to mine, a fake smile on her face.  Her eyes meet mine in the mirror as she applies a yet another coat of mascara onto her overdone face.  “Hey, Daisy.”

She is the last person I want to talk to, so I don’t reply.  Instead, I nod and continue to put on my own make-up. 

“How have you been?” she asks, pretending like she actually cares about my wellbeing.

Still not willing to speak, I just shrug. 

“Well, I’ve been great.  Wonderful actually.” 

I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t keep myself from asking, “What’s got you all happy?”

“I think I’m gonna be an old lady before too long,” she says, sounding pleased with herself. 

“Good for you.” I know what she’s hinting at, but I’m not falling into her trap.  She just wants me to fight with her, and I don’t have the time or the energy for that.  If Preach makes her his old lady, that’s his choice.  Even though the man I fell in love with is gone, and it will be another break in what’s left of my heart to see her wearing his brand, there’s nothing I can do about it.  It’s his choice and his alone. 

She rolls her eyes at my reply. “Jesus, Daisy. You have no reason to be such a bitch all the time.”

I can’t stop my own eyes from rolling.  If she thinks that was bitchy, she should hear what I really think.  After a moment’s hesitation, I decide to do just that. “A brother won’t make a whore his old lady, at least, not a whore that’s in it just to win a brand.”

Ice is a club girl.  Actually, she is THE club girl.  Still, I know she will be wearing a brand soon.  Either Reese will finally kick his old lady to the curb and claim her, or Kidd will pull the stick out of his ass and put his brand on her.  Leah is nothing like Ice, though.  Leah is after a brand, any brand.  Ice is here because she loves the club.  She may be a whore, but she’s a member, even if she doesn’t wear a cut. 

“I know you’re pissed that he chose me, but there’s really no reason to be mad at me.  It isn’t my fault that Preach doesn’t want you.  He proved that when he took me to his bed.  You need to learn how to let go and move on.” She inches closer, making sure I don’t miss a word of whatever bullshit she is fixing to spew. “He told me my pussy was like a fuckin’ vise, squeezing his dick.  He says he loves the way it milks him.  He says my mouth is.... ” She doesn’t get to finish before Ice swings the door open.

“What the hell is your problem?  Huh?  Do you get off on hurting her?”

Leah’s face pales when she realizes she’s been caught.  She knows not to cross Ice, so she backs away. “I wasn’t...” She stumbles over her words, not sure what to say to keep Ice from beating her ass. 

“You weren’t what, being a fucking bitch?  I heard your bullshit, you stupid cunt!”

“I’m sorry,” Leah whispers. 

Ice just shakes her head and turns to me.  “Daisy, babe, if she gives you shit again, you come find me.  I’ll take care of her ass.  I won’t sack her just because she’s a bitch.  If I did that, I’d have to get rid of half the girls here, but she will pay.  If she tries pulling this shit again, I’ll beat the bitch down.” 

I smile, realizing for the first time that Ice isn’t just a friend. She is my best friend.  “Thank you.”

“Just for the record, if Preach claims her skank ass, then I say let him have her.  He isn’t good enough for you, anyway,” she says before leaving the dressing room.  Right before the door shuts, she pokes her head back in. “Oh, and you’re on in ten.”

I take a look at Leah and notice her still sitting in front of her mirror.  She’s still applying her makeup, but her hands are shaking so bad that she isn’t getting much done.  I stare at her for a minute before deciding to ask her the question that has been burning inside of me for years. “I thought we were best friends?  What happened, Leah?  What changed?  There is no way the girl I knew would have been with Preach, especially when she knew how I felt about him.  Even if she did, she wouldn’t be rubbing it in my face right now,” I question.

She lets out a long sigh and turns to face me. “To be honest, I was never your best friend.  Sure, we were friends, but we were never as close as you thought.  You were just the only other girl my age that was part of the club.  It was either hang out with you, or be alone.  You may be boring, but you’re better than sitting in the corner alone.  As for Preach, he’s hot, he has his cut, and he doesn’t have an old lady.  He’s my chance at getting branded.  I knew it would piss you off, but it’ll be worth it if he claims me.”

With that, she stands up and walks out of the room.  I’d like to say that her words don’t bother me, but they do. I should’ve just kept my mouth shut. 

I finally shake off her declaration and look back to the mirror.  My hands shake as I apply the bright red lipstick.  It’s my body’s way of saying that I’m making the wrong decision.  Can I do this? Can I really go out there and take my clothes off in front of everyone? 

A knock on the door brings me out of my dark thoughts.  Skittles sticks her head in. “Daisy girl, you’re up.”

I slowly rise from my chair, my heart pounding.  I look in the mirror one last time and see my vibrant red bra and matching thong.  Both are covered in rhinestones, and when the light catches them, they look like little droplets of blood.  I stare at myself for a moment, trying to gain a bit of courage, before grabbing my robe and heading out the door. 

I make it to the stage just as the lights are going down.  Ice is standing by the entrance with a look of trepidation clearly displayed on her face.  “Daisy, are you sure you want to do this?  I know this isn’t your thing.”

I swallow my worries and nod.  “Yeah, I am.”

She looks toward the stage then back to me.  “He’s out there.”

I don’t have to ask who he is. I know Preach is here.  I saw him with Leah when I first walked in.  She was in his lap, rubbing all over him.  I swear I nearly gagged when I watched him shove his tongue down her throat.

“I know he is, but I don’t care.”  My words may be a lie, but I’m working on making them true.

She looks me up and down and finally nods.  “Knock ‘em dead, Little Flower.”

She nods at the sound stage girl, and the lights start to flicker.  “We’ve got a real treat for you guys tonight.  Now put your hands together and welcome Little Flower to the stage for the very first time.”

I hear
Blood
by In This Moment start up, and I know that’s my cue to walk out onto the stage.  The spotlight hits me as soon as I take my first step onto the platform and start to move toward the pole.  I teasingly shrug off my robe as I strut to the center of the stage while trying to avoid looking for Preach. When the robe has finally made it’s decent to the ground, I glide across the stage to begin my performance.  But I’m caught off-guard when I zero in on Preach sitting right at the front of the stage.  Our eyes lock, and I can see the fury radiating out of his tiger colored eyes. 

Feeling my walls begin to crumble, I jerk my head away as the lyrics start to pound out of the speakers.  It takes a moment for my body to catch the beat, but as soon as it does, I walk over and brace myself on the pole.  As Maria Brink’s voice hits a low note, I grind my hips and throw back my head while rolling my body in time with the heavy bass.  I see Leah take her place on Preach’s lap, and anger courses through my body.  Screw them both!

Ice told me my choice in music isn’t the norm.  She wasn’t sure how I was gonna pull this off, being that heavy metal music isn’t typical stripper material.  However, this band and the beat of their song is perfect for me.  It’s hot, sexy, and the words are so similar to what are in my soul right now.  I hate him.  I hate Preach, and I want him to feel it in his bones as I wrap myself around the pole and begin to slowly climb up the cool metal.

Ice was hesitant to show me any tricks during our training sessions, but when she found out that I have some pretty damn good core strength, she felt comfortable enough with teaching me a few of the easier pole dancing tricks.  I’m going to have to thank her again, because all of the falls and minor bruises I got while learning the moves were worth it.

I can feel Preach’s eyes burning holes into my exposed body as I finally reach the top of the pole and lock my thighs around the steel rod.  Leaning back, I arch sexily like Ice showed me.  I relish in the heat that is radiating off of Preach and soaking into my blood.  I begin to make my decent back down to the stage, slowly twirling and rolling my hips all the way down.

By the time my heels touch the floor, a thin sheen of sweat covers my entire body, and a low bubble of warmth has settled deep in my belly.  The thought of dancing in front of a room of horny men used to terrify me, but all I can focus on now is the need to drive Preach as crazy as he’s made me.  I hate the way my body is reacting to his gaze, but I love torturing him with what he missed out on when he stepped out on me with Leah. 

Once I’m securely back on the ground, my body automatically sways back around the pole and follows the rhythm of the song, while my hips start to gyrate to the music.  As the song starts to play the final verse, I slowly and seductively take off my bra.  My tits bounce with the action, and for the first time, men other than Preach have seen my body.  Something about that makes me even hotter, and the pool of heat I felt in my belly has transformed into an ache between my legs.  Holy shit, this is amazing!

Ignoring the catcalls and whistles, I brace my leg up high on the pole and use my other leg to hold my body in place.  Ice didn’t teach me this, but something in my soul tells me that I have to do this right now or I’ll spontaneously combust from all of the power that is coursing through my veins.  Trailing the tips of my fingers over the crevice of my chest, I run my hand down the valley between my breasts.  I bypass my stomach and head straight into my panties.  Right there on the stage, in front of everyone, I brush over my pussy, sending a shockwave throughout my entire body.  I know I shouldn’t be doing this, but I just can’t stop myself.  It’s like my body has taken over, and my brain is no longer in control. 

Harder and harder is all I hear in my head as I thrust my hips roughly against my hand and delve further into my slick folds.  I can feel the fire growing even stronger inside of me, and I know I’m close to the edge.  So close.  As the song starts to fade away, I all but tune it out as I rub a few final circles over my clit.  With the final beat of Blood, I throw my head back and shout out my release. 

The shouts from the audience bring me down from my orgasmic high.  When the announcer gives me another shout out, a wave of shame crashes through me.  I can’t believe I just pleasured myself in front of a room full of people.  What the hell was I thinking? 

I rush over and grab my bra, robe, and a few of the various bills that are littered across the floor before making my exit off of the stage.  The crowd is still going wild as I slip behind the curtain and make my way to the dressing rooms.  Ice is standing at the door with a shit-eating grin on her face.  “Forget all that shit I said before.  You were made for this.  Hell, I don’t swing that way, but damn, girl.  I wouldn’t mind burying my head between your legs right now.”

I’m too mortified by my actions to respond, so I grimace as I run past her and into the dressing room. 

Shutting the door, I move to sit down at my little station in front of the mirror and nearly cry.  How could I have done something so private in front of everyone?  Just as the thought races through my mind, I look down at the pile of cash I’m holding.  Shaking away my shame, I start to count. Holy shit! I made eight hundred bucks just with that one dance, and that’s on top of my damn pay.  That’s more than a month’s wages at the minimum wage jobs I’m used to. 

As I’m stuffing the cash into my purse, the dressing room door slams open. I turn to greet Ice, but instead, I see Preach standing in the doorway.  His fists are clenched, and I swear it looks like he has steam coming out of his ears and nose.

“What. The. Fuck. Was. That?” he growls out, pausing between each word.

He steps closer to me. “I thought you were better than that shit, but you’re no better than that fuckin’ mother of yours.  You’re nothing but a worthless whore, just like her.”

“That’s not true,” I say in an attempt to defend myself, but a small part of me does dare to wonder if he is right.  Would anyone but a whore do what I just did?