●Gem●
You can look, you can crave, you can dream
But I stay just out of reach
Touch your glass, not my skin
I'm temptation wrapped in sin....
The song dripped through the club, slow and intoxicating, and I let every eye in the room witness just how flexible my body could be.
I moved closer to the girl from last night with a teasing grin, snatching the lollipop she'd been licking and popping it into my mouth before sliding it back into hers. Her cheeks flamed pink, and I caught the way she turned on the guy next to her, expecting the same attention, only to be denied.
I slid back onto the main stage, wrapping my legs around the pole and flipping upside down, letting my hair graze the warm, heavy air. My eyes scanned the crowd and landed on a particular man. Something about him clicked, familiar, but I couldn't place where I had seen him before.
He was seated in the VVIP section, in a calm, detached manner, as if he was not interested in being here, watching like he didn't need the noise or the lights. My gaze flicked to his hand which did not have a ring on it. Maybe he'd been smart enough to remove it. No way someone that handsome would be single.
Frustrated by the flashing lights and the crowd between us, I tore my eyes away and returned to the pole. My fingers played over its smooth metal, the movement almost soothing, almost addictive. I realized with a flicker of surprise that maybe… I was starting to like this. Maybe I was starting to enjoy being the center of it all, even if it came with the danger.
I kept moving on the pole, letting the music carry my body, until my gaze slipped and collided with Harry's.
I had been avoiding him all night. Ever since I saw him make his entrance, I had pretended the stage lights were too bright to notice him. But the moment our eyes locked, he lifted two fingers and crooked them toward himself.
My grip loosened. I slid down the pole, stepped off the stage, and headed toward the back corridor where he was already turning away.
"I know you missed me, Gem. Stop acting all annoyed."
A quick smile flashed across my lips, then vanished the second it appeared. I replaced it with a blank face.
"What is it? The customers don't like it when I leave the stage in the middle of my performance." I reached into my bra, pulled out a stick of gum, unwrapped it, and popped it into my mouth. It was a tiny act of control, something to keep my hands busy.
His eyes were wild. I could tell he was high, probably on cocaine because alcohol alone didn't make a man look this out of control.
"Why did you threaten a client, Gem! You know I fucking hate it when you whores mess with my loyal customers!" His voice was calm, but there was fire underneath it. His hand flicked, and a heavy bunch of keys flew toward me. I barely had time to react, stepping aside as they clattered against the wall behind me.
He was unpredictable. I took a step back, then another. One wrong move from him and he wouldn't hesitate to disfigure my face. He didn't need alcohol to make him violent—his mood was enough.
"He was asking for more than a private lap dance and wasn't willing to pay for the extra services!" I kept my voice even, but my body was tense, ready to dodge whatever came next.
"Tony wouldn't refuse to pay." He then narrowed his hazel eyes at me. " Why do I feel like you were the unwilling party in all this?" My stomach tightened.
His hand moved to his waist where he upholstered a gun.
"Come here, Gem." He beckoned with two fingers.
I froze. I knew he wouldn't shoot me. But I also knew he wouldn't hesitate to hit me with it if he wanted to. He enjoyed hurting us.
"I have got zero patience today, Gem. Come here."
I hated it when he spoke that calmly. It was always worse when he sounded like this. When he yelled, most times he only shouted. When he went quiet, people got hurt.
My heart dropped straight into my stomach. I knew that if I did not step forward, he would come to me instead. He would grab my hair, drag me down the hallway, and lock me in the solitary room. In there, he always took his time to hurt people.
I forced myself to move. One step forward. My legs felt weak, like they might give out beneath me.
Before I could reach him, footsteps rushed in.
"What is wrong with you all?" Harry snapped.
One of the girls had appeared, and when a gun got directed at her, she raised her hands in surrender. She looked terrified, like she had just walked into the mouth of a lion.
"I just came to tell you that a customer is asking for a private dance with Gem."
Harry shut his eyes and cursed under his breath. For a moment, I thought he might still hit me. Then he opened them again.
"You should go back inside."
I did not wait for him to repeat it. I turned and hurried away, my chest tight, my pulse loud in my ears.
"Gem."
His voice stopped me in my tracks and I turned back slowly.
"You better not fuck this up, otherwise I won't think twice before putting a bullet in that pretty head of yours, you hear me?!" He warned.
My mouth felt dry as I nodded once. I did not trust myself to speak. Then I turned and walked back toward the noise and lights of the club.