Gastone took a sip of his whiskey. "And what is a girl like you doing here, wanting to be a dancer in a nightclub?"
"I need money."
That probably wasn’t the first time they heard that from a girl who was working here. Somehow, Inéz couldn’t imagine many women wanted to be here if they had any other choice. She could only be thankful that it wasn’t a strip club and getting naked wasn’t something she would need to do on stage.
Alberto looked at his boss, waiting for him to decide whether to give the girl a chance or not. Inéz knew that she had to get the job, but deep down wished the man wouldn’t agree. He smiled.
"Alright, baby girl, let’s see what you’re made of." He motioned at one ofthe dancers who was the closest to them. The blond girl quickly got down and moved towards them gracefully. Her face fell, thinking that she was probably in some kind of trouble.
Dear God, Gastone must be some kind of monster.
"Amanda will take you backstage and give you some clothes and you will dance," he stated.
That wasn’t something Inéz expected today. She was certain that he would just tell herto come back another day and audition when the club was closed. Not that she will have to show what she could do in front of so many people. For some time now she had been training a few choreographies but they weren’t advanced in any way. They didn’t have to be since all that counted was the overall appeal of the girl, but it still made her want to back out. Instead, she swallowed her fear, nodded and went after the dancer.
The backstage consisted of three doors. One was said to be a support area, the other a changing room, and the last one wasn’t signed. The brunette entered the changing room. Feeling the dancer’s eyes on her, she turned her head towards her.
"Size six?" she asked, but before she got the answer, she pulled out a white suit. There was definitely too little of the fabric for Inéz’s taste. She sighed and took it from the blonde’s hand. "Not your style, huh?" She smiled for the first time, giving Díez an idea of the kind of character she might have. She didn’t seem like a bad person. Her smile wasn’t fake either, which was a plus.
"I’m just nervous."
"Well, if you want my advice, keep looking at the boss all the time. His word is the most important. Flirt with him a little while dancing and you will get the job."
The advice might have been helpful, but ventured far from Inéz’s comfort zone. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d flirted with a guy.
Amanda grabbed a bottle of vodka from the table, holding it out. "This also helps." She laughed, and as much as the brunette knew she shouldn’t drink, it seemed like a gift straight from heaven. She took a few large gulps, needing the additional liquid courage. The taste was bitter on her tongue, but wouldn’t probably measure up to the shame after doing what she was about to do. So even though she perceived alcohol as poison, maybe it would help kill the useless fear that had settled inside her.
CHAPTER 16
She felt nothing. There was no fear, no anxiety, or shame. For some reason, alcohol worked perfectly and enabled her to do the job. When she looked in the mirror after getting changed, she even admired her appearance. The white suit was basically a sports bra with lace on the back, a cut-out front and underwear of the same color attached to the upper part with two thin strings on each side of her stomach.
"You’re not tall, so you’ll need heels. At least for today, later if you get the job it’ll be up to Alberto to decide everything," Amanda explained, handing her black high heels suited for a pole dancer. They weren’t as high as the blond girl was wearing, which was good since Inéz wasn’t used to walking in shoes like this, let alone dancing. She could just hope that her training would be enough.
Taking one last deep breath, she went out after Amanda towards the booth with Gastone and his men. As the owner saw her, he pointed towards the stage which was at this point prepared with a pole in the middle. The brunette walked up to the DJ giving him the song to play, hoping that she could choose. Much to her relief, the young man nodded his head, searching for the music.
OnethingthatInézdecidedtoignorewasAmanda’sadviceonflirtingwithGastone.It wouldn’t happen. Not just because the thought of it alone was enough to make her throw up her breakfast, but it wouldn’t do any good if she just gave away everything she had. Living and interacting with men all her life, she had learned one thing. They loved the chase. So, if shecouldstall on too much interaction with Gastone, it was what she would do. She needed him to lower his guard around her, so she could get the information Noah needed to take himdown.
There were many people and as soon as they saw that something was about to happen on the main stage, they looked her way. Inéz felt numb, not caring about it in the slightest. She heard the first beats of the music and focused entirely on the choreography that she had rehearsed many times. She gripped the pole, letting the music claim her body. After many years she’d almost forgotten how amazing it felt to dance. When she was younger, she used to attend dance classes. It was nothing near pole dancing, but it gave her the same feeling. And she’d missed it. That overwhelming freedom was so pure that she almost gave in completely. But in the back of her head, there was still a voice reminding her as to why she
