Chapter Three
Sophia
Sophia walked into Club Elysium in a pair of black leggings and a tank top beneath her sweater and coat.
Once inside, she removed both outer layers and made her way to where several other women were mingling.
As each one took the stage, she studied their dancing with a critical eye.
She knew she was going to have an edge over the other women.
Her mother had insisted she take dance classes when she was younger, and she did a lot of hip hop dancing.
When the last woman left the stage, Sophia made her move. She held her head high as she made her way onto the stage where she whispered to the guy handling the music, and then she took center stage.
“What the hell?” she heard Indi say, but ignored her as Fever by Peggy Lee started. It was the perfect sultry song to showcase what she could do.
Throughout the performance, she threw in some salsa moves that would no doubt get the crowd applauding at the end if this were an actual show.
When the last notes of the song ended, she tipped her head back, face up to the light, and felt the adrenaline coursing through her.
The sudden sound of applause startled her and she lowered her head to look out at the small audience she had. Indi was clapping and grinning at her.
“Damn, girl. Where in the hell did you learn to move like that? Get on down here so I don't get a kink in my neck looking up at you.”
Sophia scurried off the stage so she could answer the question. “Dance class. My mother had insisted I take dance right up to the end of my senior year. She'd intended on me being in ballet but… I chose hip hop and Latin dance as soon as I was able.”
“You were really good up there, Sophia—”
“But,” Sophia said, cutting her off. “I know there’s a ‘but’ coming.”
Indi sighed. “I don’t know about you dancing here. Sinner—”
“Forget my father! I'm not a child, and I'm sick and tired of everyone treating me like I am just because of him.”
“Shit.” Indi paced a bit before she turned to look at Sophia.
“You know what? You're right. It's not fair to you, or your talent, to turn you away just because Sinner isn't going to like it.
Go see Sienna over there for a list of things you're going to need and your rehearsal times, and then come back and we'll go over the new hire paperwork. After all, I still have two more spots to fill.”
“Really?” Sophia squealed. “Thank you! You won’t regret this!”
“Yeah, right,” she heard Indi grumble as she walked away and tried not to giggle.
Sienna went over the list and rehearsal times with her before she returned to where Indi had three packets of paperwork waiting. Two other women quickly joined them and they went over everything.
“I have to give a two-week notice at my job, but knowing them, they won't bother to put me on the schedule after this week. That's what they did to someone else who quit,” Sophia told Indi.
“Okay. Just keep me posted.”
“I will. And thank you again, Indi.”
“You're welcome. Now get out of here. You three have shopping to do.”
Sophia nodded and left to go get all of the items on her list. It would mean taking a big chunk out of her account, but it was worth it.
As predicted, as soon as she informed her manager she was leaving, she was removed from the following week's schedule. That suited Sophia just fine.
A week after filling out all the paperwork, she was walking into Club Elysium for her first night of work. Glancing at the stage, she couldn't wait to step out on it and give it her all.
“Welcome newbie,” she heard as she stepped into the dressing room.
“Thanks, I think,” she responded and stuck her tongue out at Rose, who'd been the one who spoke.
“You know Sinner is going to—”
“I don't care," Sophia said, cutting Rose off. “I'm an adult. I can work wherever I want to, damn it.”
“I'm just saying, but you're right. You're a grown ass woman,” Rose agreed.
Sophia let the conversation drop so she could get ready for her first performance.
Her purple bustier was trimmed in black leather, which had gunmetal silver grommets, and a series of thin straps that connected the bustier to a black leather collar with the same gunmetal grommets.
She had black spandex ‘hot pants’ similar to what cheerleaders wore, and completed the outfit with black thigh highs that had purple bows on them.
When she strutted out onto the stage for the first time, exhilaration filled her. While she enjoyed graphics design, this, being on stage and performing, filled her with passion.
“Oh my gods, I had no idea how awesome that was going to be,” she practically squealed once she'd finished and headed back to the dressing room.
“There's nothing like it,” Rose replied. “Having such a great boss is the cherry on top.”
“Agreed!” She still had three more performances for the night, and couldn't wait to get back on stage.