Stardom

Limelight

"See you tomorrow night," I called to Davey as I made my way back through the club half an hour later.

"See ya," He replied, waving an arm up in the air from his position, crouched behind the bar.

Hitching my bag higher up my arm, I was fishing my phone out of the depths when I nearly ran into someone.

"Oh, sorry," I said quickly, looking up and finding Charlie standing in front of me, his brow furrowed and hair a little messier than usual.

"It's okay, my fault," He said hastily, stepping backwards, "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Me neither," I chuckled, "Not a good pair, are we?"

He smiled, the frown line easing as he appeared refreshed by a spark of humour.

"I dunno about that," He shrugged.

There was a small, nervous flutter in my stomach at his suggestive tone and the way that his eyes were darkening as they locked onto my own.

"I, erm..." I began, struggling to get the words in my head to form actual speech.

"Oh, hey, Charlie," Crystal piped up, approaching from behind me and making me breathe a sigh of relief as it allowed me a second to gather myself.

"Crystal," He said with a warm smile, his focus diverting from me.

"What's up? She asked thoughtfully.

"Just trying to sort out a few glitches for tonight," He explained, elaborating further when she narrowed her eyes in a questioning manner. "Aria's had to cancel her shift tonight, her son's got a bug and so she has to look after him, which leaves us-"

"One girl short on stage tonight," Crystal finished for him with a resigned tone.

"Exactly," Charlie sighed.

"Sorry to hear that," I chimed in apologetically, "I'm sure you'll figure something out," I added with a little more upbeat manner before tipping my head toward the exit, "I'm gonna head out, see you both tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you then," Charlie replied with a tender smile.

I sidestepped him and began climbing the stairs, unlocking my phone in preparation to send a text to Ross, when Crystal let out a triumphant shout:

"Of course, Selena!"

I turned around, completely bemused by whatever relevance I had to the discussion.

"Yes?" I questioned.

Charlie was glancing between me and Crystal, looking uncertain.

"You could step in," Crystal pressed on.

"What? Are you kidding?"

She rolled her eyes, leaning against the bannister and crossing her arms, a scowl working its way across her soft features.

"You rocked it up there today. Sure, you've still got a way to go, but you've gotta start somewhere," She said brightly.

"I may have to start somewhere, but up there on stage after just one lesson? That's crazy." I said incredulously, eyeing her as though she was just as nuts as the idea itself.

"No, it's not," She argued back, "Your outfit is sorted, you even have a routine, which we can jazz up a bit before the club opens. Not to mention the regulars love you already."

She laughed and I glanced at Charlie, who to my surprise, looked like he was actually considering it.

"You don't think this is a good idea, surely?" I asked.

"I mean, it's not exactly ideal, but if Crystal thinks you can pull it off, I trust her. Besides... I think you have more of a natural flair for it than you might realise."

Had he seen me rehearsing? I thought, seeking the answer in his eyes, and finding nothing in their twinking, blue depths.

"What d'ya say?" Crystal asked, beaming brightly and practically bouncing on her toes.

I threw her a sceptical look, which she countered with a stubborn pout until I finally surrendered, wincing as I said:

"Okay... I'll do it."

After a lot more practice and a brief stop home to freshen up and grab a bite to eat, I returned to the club nervous, yet cautiously optimistic and excited for my performance.

"How are you holding up?" Charlie asked as I lurked behind the stage, waiting for my turn up next.

"Torn between petrified and excited," I admitted.

He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I felt my heartbeat slow as I allowed myself to feel soothed by his affectionate action.

"Sorry guys, but Charlie, we need your help behind the bar," Malachy's voice called from the nearby doorway.

"Be right there," He replied swiftly.

"You got this. You want to be an actress... So just see this as a very extravagant audition."

I glowered at him, swatting at him playfully, and laughing when he dodged out of the way of my arm, practically dancing toward the door, where he paused before leaving, winking at me.

Alone again, I took a deep breath, and when Crystal stepped off stage, she swept me into a hug, wishing me luck and stepping aside, allowing me to finally shed the robe I'd been wearing, and take my first step out onto the stage.

There was a huge roar of sound, wolf whistles, cheers and all manners of loud expressions as I was revealed to the gathered crowd. The music kicked in quickly, prompting the first steps of my routine. The longer that I was up there, the more I began to enjoy myself. The mood was infectious, and given that I managed to keep myself upright too, I was having a blast. It felt incredible to be wanted, and the money being tucked under the skimpy lace of my underwear was a bonus. I teased the eager-eyed men and women as I rocked my body to the heavy beat, working my way back to the pole where I ground against the cold steel, swinging my weight around it in a rapid spin.

My eyes scanned the crowd as I danced, making eye contact with various patrons, luring them in closer. Swishing my hair back, my gaze wandered further, catching sight of Charlie, standing behind the bar. My eyes locked right onto his, as he watched me intently, leaning against the wall with a glass firmly clutched in his hands. His expression was impossible to read at such a distance, but there remained something about the manner in which he was watching me that made the entire rest of the room disappear as if this dance was just between the two of us. I knew that I was supposed to take in the whole crowd, but I couldn't tear my eyes off of him as I played out the rest of my performance, and when it finally came to the end of my routine, my heart sank with disappointment that my time on stage was over for the night.