I fucking love this.
Performing for a live audience, feeling their energy come back to me as I give mine to them. It gives me a high no drug ever could.
Sweet inspiration has come back into my heart, and I’m going to do my darnedest to never let it go again.
A lot of it has to do with that man—Harrison O’Rourke—who I brought into the club on a complete whim this evening.
I knew for a fact that I was breaking the rules. That I would get my sister’s panties into a twist.
It doesn’t hurt that he’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on. That sculpted jaw, the smattering of stubble gracing his cheeks, those dark eyes and nearly black hair styled into a spiky coif.
I’d be lying if I said simply meeting him, feeling the electricity between us, didn’t inspire me in part to break from the Rouge-approved rep.
But I was mostly inspired by myself. I convinced Chet to let this man into the club. I broke the rules after years of never putting a toe out of line.
And it felt…awesome.
I didn’t expect Rouge to come back from Jade so soon, and that played a part in my decision to add an encore. But news of my little diversion would likely have made it to her ears anyway, and seeing her eyebrows twitch from across the club as she realized what I was doing was delicious. Intoxicating, even.
Normally, any indication that Rouge was displeased with me would terrify me, but tonight I feel emboldened, like I could take on any force in the world, my sister included.
In fact, I’m going to tell her that from now on, I’ll decide which songs I sing at the club. I will of course welcome her feedback, but I’ll have final say on rep. After all, I’m the one singing it. She can meet me halfway. I’m going to sing songs I love because pieces that fit my personality will lead to a stronger performance. And that’s what the woman who owns the club should want, right?
Right?
A knock on the door.
My blood freezes in my veins.
Time to face the music—literally.
“Who is it?” I ask, knowing full well exactly who is at my door.
“It’s me,” the cold voice of my sister replies. “Are you decent?”
I swallow. “Yes. Come in.”
The door swings open and Rouge glides inside, her face completely neutral. If I hadn’t seen her myself, I might wonder if she had heard my little encore at all.
I get to my feet. “Rouge. I didn’t realize you’d come back.”
She tilts her head. “Didn’t you?”
I blink. “No. I figured you’d be at Jade the entire evening. And didn’t you have to check out the Caterpillar as well?”
Rouge crosses the room and takes a seat at my makeup mirror, examining her own reflection. “Austin Waverly runs a tight ship at the Jade Sanctum. It took very little time for me to complete my inspection. I decided to come back, perhaps catch a little bit of your sets.” She grabs my mascara brush and runs it through her eyelashes. “Imagine my surprise when I entered and you were singing a song I’d never heard before.”
“Rouge, I?—”
She holds a hand up, turns to me. “Let’s put a pin in that discussion for now. That isn’t the reason I came by.”
I bite my lip. It isn’t? Why else would Rouge be in my dressing room? She normally loves to flit around the club in her outrageous attire, checking in with her guests. They’re the ones paying her to be here, after all.
“Then why are you here?” I ask.
She grins. “A patron has requested your…services for the evening.”
My heart sinks.
