Free Tease by Cambria Hebert

just—”
     
    “You just wanted me to know you got me,” I whispered, feeling my chest swell a little.
     
    Relief crept into his eyes and he smiled. “Exactly.”
     
    I felt my own lips tilt up. “Yeah, I know.”
     
    Inside the bar, I wrote my address on a napkin and slid it across the bar as Cam washed some glasses and stocked the bar.
     
    There was already a good crowd in here, and I knew by night’s end the place would be packed. With fifteen minutes until I had to be on stage, I went backstage and set my bag at my little dressing table. I unpacked my cosmetics and then pulled out the wig with the white mannequin head and set it in front of the mirror. It had been a gift from Honey. The wig was over my budget, but she made me take it, saying that it was made just for me.
     
    Her place might have been over the top, but she was just right. I smiled thinking about the way she called me “Shug.”
     
    The girls were all in the back, getting dressed and talking amongst themselves. I felt a little awkward, like I didn’t belong, but I was grateful that I had my clothes and things to busy my hands with so I wasn’t just standing around like a little lost lamb.
     
    Most of the girls back here were all gorgeous and tall with model-like bodies. In fact, some of them probably could be models. I wondered why they didn’t do that instead, but it wasn’t my place to ask. After all, I was doing this too.
     
    None of them seemed bothered by showing so much of their skin, either. Heck, a couple of the girls walked around completely topless and wearing only a thong. It made me begin to doubt my plan and my outfit choices… My clothes had a lot more fabric than these girls’.
     
    I decided to just give it a shot (and go a little heavier on the makeup). If it didn’t work out tonight, maybe Adam would just let me serve tables, and if he didn’t, I could always quit and find another job.
     
    Feeling a little better, I slipped into the black outfit with the corset and thigh-high stockings. I struggled a little with the garter, but one of the girls named Candy offered to help me, and in no time I had them strapped on and was stepping into my black stilettos (the only pair of really nice shoes I owned). The last thing I did was clip the purple hair extension in my hair and give it a quick curl to match the rest.
     
    Roxie wasn’t here yet to give me a pep talk, so it was up to me to get my booty out onto that stage and perform. Thank goodness she lent me one of her mix CDs with music from a set of routines she hadn’t performed in several years. It was already with the DJ, and I just told him to play the songs in order as I came out on stage to do my routines.
     
    And then it was my turn. Candy motioned me to the stage behind the curtain, I was shaking and so nervous I felt like I was going to throw up right there in front of everyone.
     
    I still didn’t know what I was going to do.
     
    The DJ announced me and then the spotlight clicked on over the center of the stage, illuminating a circle of light on the floor. Everything else around it was completely dark. The crowd in the bar had quieted to a low murmur, and I could hear the pounding of my own heart.
     
    The music started playing.
     
    It was something with a heavy beat that made my hips want to swing a little more than usual. This could work.
     
    Taking a deep breath, I stepped out from behind the curtain, at the last moment grabbing a white wooden chair and dragging it behind me with one hand as I went. I did my best to slink along the floor, to take long, drawn-out steps and really bump out my hips when I moved.
     
    When I got to the circle of light, I moved around it so I dragged the chair into the center and set it down with the back facing the crowd. I was still in the dark.
     
    The music picked up a little, thumping a little harder, the intensity growing, and I stepped into the light, keeping my back to the crowd. Then I spread my legs wide,