Chapter 17 The Grand Dance Gala
“You’re really, really sure you don’t want to give Charles a heads–up?” Lucas asked.
“Positive,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.
Lucas just grinned. If I didn’t know for a fact that Charles was away on a business trip in Amiston, I’d almost suspect he was hiding somewhere in the building.
Lucas quickly had someone bring my costume over.
I looked at the outfit and felt my eye twitch. “Um… is there some kind of mistake?”
What he handed me was a skimpy satin bunny outfit. The corset was tight, the skirt minuscule, and it came with fishnets. This did not look like performance wear.
Lucas gave me an innocent smile. “All the costumes are like this. Trust me, I saved this one for you. It’s the prettiest and by far the most conservative one here.”
I didn’t believe him and hurried out to sneak a peek at the other dancers. To my horror, it was true. Their outfits were even more revealing and shocking; some were little more than elaborate bikinis.
Lucas grinned at my stunned expression. “See? Told you. You got the covered–up option.”
I looked at him, completely uncertain. “Is this really a dance competition?”
“Of course. You’ll be dancing on stage later. The audience votes, and the performer with the most votes wins the million- dollar prize.” He leaned in slightly. “So Anna, if you want that money, you’re going to have to really pour your heart into that performance.”
It finally clicked. This wasn’t a traditional dance competition with proper judges. To win, you didn’t just need skill. You had to win over the crowd.
Seeing my hesitation, Lucas laughed, “Don’t worry. If you want to back out, it’s fine. It’s just a million. You could probably get that from Charles with a single charming text.”
“I’ll do it,” I cut him off calmly.
I was going to try. I refused to ask Charles for anything. In our current situation, asking him for a single penny would feel utterly humiliating.
Lucas’s grin widened. “Alright then. Go get changed. I’ll call in a few favors and have my friends throw their votes your way.”
“Thanks,” I said with a polite smile, taking the clothes and heading for the dressing room.
*****
I had never worn anything like this before. This bunny outfit was deliberately provocative. The satin corset dug into my ribs and the tufted tail felt absurd. Staring at my reflection, the fishnet stockings and fluffy cuffs made me too embarrassed to even step outside.
I must have been hiding in the dressing room for too long, because a sharp knock finally came at the door. “Hey Anna, are you done in there?” Lucas called out. “The makeup artist and stylist are waiting, and the gala is about to start.”
I took a deep breath, staring myself down in the mirror, Got a grip. It was just one dance. This was what being broke looked like. For someone as cash–strapped as me, a million dollars was a powerful motivator.
Finally steadying my nerves, I pulled the door open and stepped out.
Immediately, I was hit by the weight of an intense stare. I turned to find Lucas and one of his friends gaping at me, their eyes far from innocent.
I touched my nose and cleared my throat awkwardly, snapping them out of their trance.
Lucas chuckled, “Well, damn. Anna, you clean up nice. A real natural.”
His buddy grinned, eyes lighting up. “Nice? Are you blind, man? Look at her. Her legs, her waist, and-”
Lucas didn’t let him finish, slapping a hand over his eyes. “Are you trying to get us killed? That’s Charles’s girl.”
The friend froze. “His? Oh, hell no.” He immediately covered his own eyes. “I didn’t see anything, man. I’m gone.” He backpedaled so fast he almost tripped getting out the door.
I walked up to Lucas, my expression serious. “You need to stop telling people I’m Charles’s girl. We’re not involved anymore, and it wouldn’t be good if his actual loved one heard you say that.”
“What? Isn’t his loved one you?” Lucas looked genuinely surprised, his gaze flickering away from me with a hint of awkwardness.
I figured he probably didn’t know about Charles’s first love, so I didn’t explain. “It could never be me,” I said simply, and then turned to head toward the makeup chair.
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Chapter 17 The Grand Dance Gala
From behind me, I heard Lucas mutter under his breath, confused, “If not you, then who? I’ve never seen him act so humble around anyone else.”
I almost laughed out loud at his words. Charles was humble around me because he liked me? Yeah, right. Back then, he was just a powerless man.
Now he was the big boss who ordered me around and got angry if I put a foot wrong. The idea of Charles ever having liked me was impossible to imagine.
Honestly, if I were in Charles’s shoes, I wouldn’t like someone who had bullied and humiliated me either. I’d probably be even crueler and make sure everyone who ever wronged me got what they deserved.
So all things considered, Charles had actually shown me a great deal of mercy.
The makeup artist’s “innocent but sexy” vibe, combined with the outfit, made me feel dangerously attractive. I glimpsed myself in the mirror and had to turn away. I couldn’t confront my own reflection.
Outside, a lot of people were still getting their makeup done. I ended up waiting in the lounge for over half an hour before the Grand Dance Gala finally kicked off.
Lucas showed me the performance order. I was last out of 36 contestants. Looked like I’d be waiting a while.
I kinda wished I hadn’t changed into this outfit so early. It was seriously uncomfortable to just sit around in.
Lucas was surprisingly considerate. He could tell I was getting bored, so he found me a quiet spot where I could watch the other performances.
A big crowd had gathered–all men. Once the music started pumping, the energy in the room went through the roof.
Before long, the first contestant took the stage. She was really pretty, but she couldn’t dance very well–just a lot of swaying and hip movements. Still, the crowd went wild.
Then the second came out, and then the third. I sank back into my chair, almost dozing off.
Most of the contestants weren’t great dancers. They were just wiggling around.
But the audience ate it up. With one million on the line, I started wondering if I should just shake it a little too.
After what felt like forever, it was finally my turn. Walking on stage, I was crazy nervous, especially in this outfit. It felt like I was standing there naked in front of everyone.
My eyes swept over the audience nervously, and then my breath caught.
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