Her heart pounding, she said simply, “Enjoy the show,” then she waved and turned to slip away.
“Wait,” he called out, and against her better judgment, she stopped and turned back. “I know you really never do this, but would you join me for a drink later?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Okay, it didn’t hurt to ask,” he said, looking slightly disappointed.
She hated seeing his frown. Sienna wanted that little smile and dimple back from him.
“I can’t because I perform a second time tonight, and I usually stay backstage between acts,” she explained, not wanting him to feel bad.
Forget performing twice, I don’t have drinks one-on-one with customers. Do I?
“Perhaps another time, then?”
Sienna couldn’t even think straight. Normally she was all about protecting herself, staying safe, and not getting close to anyone, but she found herself saying, “Maybe. I don’t really know, not on a weekend.”
Shocked at what she’d just said, she muttered, “I have to go,” then turned and fled backstage before anything else ridiculous could come out of her mouth. She hadn’t made it two steps past the backstage curtain before she ran into Asher, his expression a murderous thundercloud.
Uh-oh.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. “What the fuck? You are the one who says no weekends on the floor,” he hissed in an undertone, before adding, “You scared the hell out of me, Li…Sienna.”
Sienna realized in that moment just how nervous her unexpected detour to the floor had made Asher. It was only when he slipped into his crazy protective mode that he sometimes accidentally called her Lila, the name she’d been born with.
She sighed. “I’m sorry, Ash. I know. I wanted to see Sydney dance with Petal, and then I saw him sitting there. I don’t know, but there’s something about that guy. He’s the one I asked you about, remember? He’s here a lot lately, and he only watches me, never smiles, and…” She waved her hands about in frustration as she tried to articulate her feelings. “I was just curious. That’s it, I was intrigued, but now I’m not. I guess some type of sick curiosity came over me, and now I’ve satisfied it.”
Asher’s expression relaxed. “It’s okay, doll. Just keep me in the loop when you decide to break protocol. It’s my job to keep you safe. You okay, for real?” He gave her a reassuring smile and pulled her into a hug.
Sienna nodded and wrapped her arms around Asher to give him a big squeeze.
With that, he playfully slapped her ass and pointed her to the stage. “Time to do what you do better than anyone else. And, Sie, you don’t have to apologize for being curious. You deserve whatever your heart desires and more.”
I can’t have more, but you can.
Sienna wasn’t really okay, but she knew if she didn’t let him think she was, he would pull her from dancing, and that was the last thing she wanted.
Most people would think it would be hard to get up and perform after the unsettling encounter she’d just had, but Sienna loved losing herself while dancing. Dancing was her safety net, her security blanket, and gave her sanity. Without dancing, Lila would still be lost, or even worse…back with her husband.
With performing in mind and the calming of her nerves that came with it, Sienna headed to stage left and prepared to make her entrance as the lights dimmed.
She climbed the pole while it was still dark so that when the sparkly spotlights went up, she was already hanging upside down, the hem of her baby doll shirt flipping forward to reveal luscious, creamy, shimmering skin and, of course, the hot-pink lace lingerie underneath.
For this routine, she’d chosen straight rock for her music. When the hard-core, steady rhythm of the electric guitar quickened, Sienna picked up the pace of her routine to match the drum solo in the song. Her hips swaying to the pulsing beat, her hair swinging with the music, she trained her eyes on the audience.
On everyone in the audience except for him.
She didn’t even know his name, but was considering having a drink with him, which was crazy. What in the world was wrong with her? Maybe she needed a few days off.
Sienna broke free from her thoughts, becoming fully engaged in her act as she left the pole and stalked toward the front of the stage. That was the effect dancing had on her. It was cleansing, detoxifying, allowing her to drop all her negative thoughts and be transported somewhere else.
Dancing delivered her courage.
She wrapped her arms around her body as though she were enveloping herself in a tight embrace, then lifted the nightie off in one seductive swoop before flinging it to stage right.