She’d made at least a dozen balloon figures throughout the show, and they were piled into the empty chair next to her. Therewere several flowers, an elaborate crown, and some animals. With a grin, she handed me a neon orange dog holding a sword.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to perform with them,” I admitted, staring down at my gift. “How can I possibly blend in with…” I gestured to the arena with a flailing hand. “All of that?”
“You’re gonna do great, doll. It’s all about confidence,” she assured me. “The audience doesn't know ya have no idea what you're doing. Ya just gotta pretend like ya do.”
Pretend.I could do that. Probably.
I’d pretended to be a beta for the last three years. Surely, I could fake being a circus assistant.
All I had to do was not freak out tomorrow night in front of thousands of people and stand in front of a target.
Or maybe I’ll be strapped to it.
“Seriously, don’t worry about it,” Bobbitt said, like she could read my mind. “Your practice with Zero earlier was fantastic, which is why Hallow didn’t make ya do it again tonight. They wanted ya to get the full effect.”
That was nice of them. To be so mysterious and recluse, they seemed much kinder than the alphas they ordered around.
“I’m going to need cue cards or something,” I grumbled, standing to stretch my legs.
I had no idea how long we’d been sitting there, but it had to be at least two hours. I needed a cell phone or a watch to keep track of time.
“We’ll be there to make sure you know where to go.” Bobbitt grabbed an armful of balloons and stood to join me. “Promise.”
I forced a smile, hoping it looked convincing. Nerves bubbled in my stomach, but I tried to swallow them down.
This was fine.
Everything was going to be fine.
“There you are!” a voice shouted from nearby, making me jump and nearly drop my balloon dog. I whipped around tosee Daze bounding down the aisle to where we were. Beads of sweat glistened on his tanned skin, and his rainbow hair was a hot mess. He was still shirtless from the grand finale, wearing only his pants, suspenders, and a pair of slippers. “What did you think?”
“You were amazing,” I assured him, figuring he was fishing for a compliment. “All of you. That was the best show I’ve ever seen.”
“Really?” His face lit up.
I nodded. “And it’s the only one I've ever seen, so the bar is set pretty high.”
He snorted a laugh and bent to peek around me at Bobbitt. “Mind if I steal her back for a bit?”
“Be my guest, Dazey.” She nodded. “Just make sure she gets back to the bus tonight.”
He rolled his dark brown eyes. “Of course. What am I? Some kind of bad influence?”
Bobbitt didn’t humor him with an answer but cackled as she turned and headed in the opposite direction. My guess was she was off to find Hallow now that rehearsal was over.
Once we were alone, my stomach flip-flopped. I didn’t consider what I would do once the show was over, but I hadn’t expected Daze to seek me out again. He could have just as easily pawned me off on Bobbitt and not worried about me now that I was part of the show.
“So what’s the plan?” I asked. “You doing anything after this?”
He shrugged. “I don't have a plan per se, but I need a shower, and I’m starving. Food being the bigger priority. Do you want to come?”
I glanced down at my borrowed outfit, frowning at the wild colors and patterns. “Can I go like this?”
“What do you mean? You look amazing,” he said, admiring the corset top. “You look like one of us.”
Considering the performance I’d just watched, I couldn’t think of a better compliment. Heat prickled across my cheeks, and I grinned bashfully.
“Alright, then,” I said. “Lead the way.”
