“When is it your turn to get on stage?” he questioned, inching closer.
I glanced at the woman on stage who had just removed the tiny top she wore, displaying the flashy, neon pink pasties she wore.
“Never,” I responded, returning my attention to Jack. “I’m not a dancer.”
He moved closer. “What a waste of a body,” he stated, eyeing me up and down.
In that moment, I loathed the skimpy outfit I wore, but didn’t react.
“Your food will be out shortly. Enjoy the show.” I turned and started to walk away when a smack to my ass caused me to jump, startled.
Furious, I turned back to face a smirking Jack.
“An ass like that definitely belongs on stage.” A few of the dumbasses with him laughed as if he’d told the funniest joke in the world.
“Hey, what’s going on here?”
I relaxed slightly when I heard Pia’s voice behind me.
“We were just talking with one of our classmates,” a guy from the back replied.
I didn’t know his name but I recognized him. We’d shared a class freshman or sophomore year.
“Yeah, well, classmate or not, we’re only here for looking, not touching. Hands to yourselves,” Pia added, before taking me by the arm to pull me away from the group.
“That’s a shame,” another douchebag added.
“How much to touch?” Jack questioned, waving his cash in the air.
I made a disgusted face. “You couldn’t afford it!” I seethed while being pulled away by Pia.
“Hey, calm down,” she encouraged, as I continued to stare at the men whose eyes were now trained on the dance on stage.
“What’s got you so upset? You never let customers get to you like that,” Pia noted.
Sighing, I slumped my shoulders. “I know. It’s that I took a job forty minutes away from campus to avoid this type of thing. I can’t stand guys like them.”
“Like what?”
“Them.” I gestured with my hand to the group of guys. “Stuck up, snooty—”
“Rich?”
“Yes!” I answered, adamantly.
I loved Stanford. Greatly appreciated the opportunity I had to not only attend the prestigious university but to do so on a scholarship, which was amazing for a woman who grew up like I did. Stanford was dubbed the Ivy League of the West Coast, and the professors worked diligently to live up to the hype. However, with the big name came big money. Most of the students on campus came from wealth I never even realized existed. While I’d made some great relationships on campus, not everyone was particularly welcoming of those who didn’t come from their social circles or class levels. For the most part, I’d gotten used to it, and tried my utmost not to let it bother me, sometimes it did.
“Well, you’ve only got a few more months and then you’re off to Williamsport to start that big fancy job,” Pia stated, a hint of melancholy in her voice.
Looking over at her, I saw the shimmer of sadness in her hazel eyes.
“You’re going to miss me?” I lifted an eyebrow.
“Hell yeah.”
I giggled, my mood lightening. The idea of leaving Pia did make me sad. However, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit giddy at the thought of starting my new job after graduation. The previous summer, I’d gotten an opportunity to intern in the finance department of a fashion company. And while I hadn’t landed a position at that company, it had led to my interviewing with a few others, including one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world. I had interviewed over winter break, and just heard back a few weeks ago. I’d gotten the job as a financial analyst. I would be moving to Williamsport two weeks after graduation to start my new career.
“You’re gonna be great!” Pia exclaimed.
