Stardom

Mistakes

When I made it back to the staff room, the girls were brimming with pride and excitement, all rushing to congratulate me on a job well done. I couldn't hide my delight at having pulled it off, and I accepted their celebratory drinks eagerly. The adrenaline that had taken hold on stage was still coursing through my body, making me want to head back out there and keep going for as long as I was able to stand. I felt better after that one performance than I had since stepping foot in LA. To be the centre of everyone's attention out there was a heady experience, one that I couldn't wait to have again. I hadn't even glanced at the money, it felt like it wasn't even important right now, despite that being the biggest reason for doing this in the first place.

"Great job, Selena," Charlie called from the door, cutting through the laughter and cheers of the girls and myself.

I whirled around, a flush of heat creeping up my neck as I met his gaze.

"Thank you," I replied, my voice coming out a little weaker than intended as I struggled to shake the intensity of how I'd danced for him out on the stage toward the end of my performance.

As if he knew where my mind was going, his lips arched upward in a small smile, before he slipped away, leaving me confused by the way that my muscles had tensed, and my body ached with an uncomfortably strong need for contact.

Over the following couple of weeks, I continued to train, and after my successful first time, I'd begun performing more frequently, even taking on private dances too. The more that I did, the more that the money got better, but so did the incredible and euphoric feeling of being on stage and being appreciated. Whenever I had a day off, I found myself counting down the time before I could get back up there.

I'd continued auditions, but had no success since the advertising campaign. With all the disappointment that was coming from the job that I'd wanted all my life, I was relieved to have something that was able to boost my mood and be enjoyable to indulge in. I threw myself into my work, taking extra pole classes in order to progress quicker and make more of a splash at the club.

Ross still hadn't joined me, and now there were even longer periods of time going by between our calls. He was working all hours, and training for the move during his time off, leaving little time to chat. Unfortunately, given the sexual nature of my new job, I was finding the lack of contact with him now, harder than ever. Each night on stage, before dozens of men and women all looking at me with lust and hunger, left me craving some attention and affection, and with no satisfactory outlet, my body was in a heightened state of arousal almost twenty-four-seven.

"Are you sure you can't sneak off?" I asked flirtatiously.

"I wish I could, baby, you have no idea what you're doing to me right now," Ross replied with a moan as I finished telling him just how much I needed his help to soothe my body's many aches.

"I think I do," I chuckled.

There was a loud bell on the other end, signalling another call for the crew and I sighed, as once again he had to abandon the call to rush off.

"And alone again," I groaned, throwing my phone down on my bed and wandering off to the bathroom for yet another cold shower before work.

That night, I wasn't sure if it was the sexual frustration, or the desire to escape my own head for a while, but I threw myself into some of the most elaborate moves that I'd tried so far. The pole had become a huge part of my routines, and with my latest class, I'd nailed another, more extravagant upside-down spin, which I threw in at the last minute, much to the appreciation of the gathered patrons surrounding the stage.