Afterglow ❃ l.m.j

• chapter eleven •

Nothing felt better than smoothing yourself into a fresh, velvet sweatsuit after a long night of being naked in front of at least fifty men. It felt like a weight off of my own shoulders to feel it against my skin as I walked around the locker room, cleaning up after some of the girls and packing my own stuff away. I was one of the last to leave, save for Ally and some of the other dancers. I had to hang behind so we could count my money and split it between everyone.

"Ally! Can you believe it's December?" I giggled after all of the financial affairs were in order. The blonde smiled, cutting her eyes to me as she pushed the money into an envelope and wrote on it. "It's my favorite month of the year! It snows, it's cold, it's Christmas, families get together, it's literally perfect."

The short Latina bended down to put the envelope into her file cabinet.

"I, for one, prefer summer. The only reason I don't mind it so much here is that it doesn't get as cold as back home. But I can see what you mean. Which reminds me, close my door."

I nodded, closing her office door with an eyebrow raise. I turned back to her quizzically.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, no." She took her pen and shoved it into a random spot in her ponytail. "I just don't want any of the other girls to hear me."

I pursed my lips in interest. "Oh my god, are we about to gossip? Allyson!"

"No!" The house mother laughed. She pushed away from her desk and crossed her legs. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm hosting a Christmas party this year."

I'm sure my eyes were as wide as saucers. A grin stretched across my face. Before I could even begin shifting on the balls of my feet in excitement, she held a hand up.

"It's invite only, so don't you go telling any of the other girls. But I am extending the invite to you."

I nodded before she could even finish her sentence, making a zip motion towards my lips. "Yes, of course, I'd love to go!"

She smiled back. "Great. I'm thinking of inviting a few others from the club."

I wiggled my eyebrows. "Mixing work with pleasure? You're a bold woman."

The blonde rolled her eyes, turning back towards her desk. "Oh, please. You girls are harmless— most of you, anyway."

My mind started racing with ideas. A Christmas party? Now I had to think of an outfit, makeup choices, what I was going to do with my hair, gifts! This just gave me a wonderful excuse to go shopping. I'll definitely tack that onto my to do list.

"Are any of my girls going?" I peered. Ally looked up from the desk she was organizing.

Her eyebrows furrowed before she remembered. "Um, Stef and Rosé? I haven't asked yet, but I was considering it."

I smiled mischievously. "I think you should ask. I can promise we'd all be on our best behavior and not tell a soul!"

It felt like asking my actual mom the way I was kissing up to her. Ally didn't pay me much mind other than a grin and an, "I'll think about it," which was satisfying enough for me.