Something tells me this is going to change our lives.
Chapter Three
Nixie
“Coach said I would CRUSH it at the exhibition. Mom, didn’t you hear him say it?” Asher gushes, his eyes alight with excitement.
He’s the bright spot in our dim apartment. The small, cramped living space contains a couch, an oversized chair, and this tiny table tucked away in the corner, with three mismatched chairs placed haphazardly around it. It’s comfortable, just not the most aesthetically pleasing.
But what the small apartment lacks in size, it makes up for in safety and bedrooms. The area is top tier, and there are three bedrooms, which allows Asher to have his very own space while we share the rent with my best friend, Cassia—a law student by day, an exotic dancer by night, and my own personal superhero.
“I did!” After placing his dinner on the table, I rack my brain for a safer topic, knowing the inevitable question coming next. “Have you finished all your homework?”
“Moooooom, forget about that boring stuff. Did you hear what I’m saying? He thinks I could be the best!”
Asher’s red hair sticks up at all angles, a direct result of getting sweaty at hockey practice. As I walk around the table, I smooth it down lovingly. Even damp, it’s still soft, and I can’t stifle my laugh as it pops right back into place.
“Ash, your academic studies are more important than sports, even if it doesn’t feel that way.” I slip into my seat across from him, sitting gingerly to keep the broken chair leg from buckling.
He grunts, shoveling food into his mouth at lightning speed, pausing only to grab a gulp or two of water.
“Whoa, Ash, starving much?” Cassia emerges from her bedroom, her long blonde hair shining as she twists it into the topknot she prefers for dancing.
“Yeah, Auntie C, practice was tough today. And Mom’s cooking is so good,” he mumbles around a mouthful of spaghetti. Cassia props her hip on the counter, smiling softly at his enthusiasm.
“Your mom makes a mean spaghetti and meatballs.” She grabs a fork and twists it into the pot to grab a bite. Moaning as she chomps down on it, red sauce dribbles down her chin.
“Make a plate and come eat with us! There’s plenty to share,” I tell her, passing over a napkin, which she gratefully accepts. There’s nothing better than the nights we all get to have a meal together—our own little found family. Cassia’s more than just my best friend. She’s like my big sister. One who saved my life when I found myself pregnant and homeless at eighteen—and has been saving me ever since.
“Can’t, my loves. I’m off to work in five. If I’m late again, I’m pretty sure the boss’s head will explode.” She gobbles down another forkful, then kisses Asher on the head. “Be good for your mom, Ashie-poo. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Yuckkkkk.” He laughs, dodging her. “Have fun cleaning up after stinky people.”
We both thought it would be best to hide her job from little ears, so my son thinks his Auntie C is cleaning her way through school. But let’s be honest, cleaning just doesn’t pay the bills. Between my waitressing job and Cassia’s stripping, just paying our monthly bills is a stretch. Cue my secret new night job.
Now I just need to get Asher to bed.
With two quickly blown kisses, Cass makes her way to the door and out into the night. The second the door clicks shut, silence descends on the room. Waiting quietly, Asher sizes me up before pouncing. “So about that exhibition… Is there any chance I could sign up for it?” Asher bites his lip, then shifts in his seat.
Even though I try to keep the specifics of our financial situation from him, he knows money is tight. We aren’t like most of the families at his school or on the hockey team. They are all packs with multiple income streams, or high-level beta executives, but I’m just a solo omega, trying to make the best of the hand I’ve been dealt. On my own two feet.
No bloody Alpha-holes in sight.
“I’m going to try my best, Ash. Promise.” It’s all I can give him at the moment, but it’s enough. A giant grin stretches from cheek to cheek, and his green eyes sparkle.
“Wooohoooo! Thanks, Mom!” He jumps up from his seat and rushes around the table to envelop me in a big hug that makes my determination grow. “And if I can’t, I will understand.”
His whispered words mean everything to me. A sign that I’m raising a good kid.
“Thank you, lovebug.” I sigh, squeezing him tightly against me. “Now let’s finish dinner, then homework, and get some good rest.”
With one last squeeze, he does just that.
The hush of my apartment cocoons me as I dress, ready to put on my finest show yet. It had better be anyway, because if I don’t up my game, there won’t be enough subscribers or tips to pay for Asher’s exhibition before the signup deadline. Four days to earn at least three hundred dollars. I know there are people on NightNudes who make a great deal more than that in a single evening. Then again, they tend to do more than some yoga in a see-through bra and thong.
Fuck. I need to up my game.But how far am I willing to go?
Standing in front of my mirror, I double-check the skimpy bra-and-panty set I have on to make sure it’s sexy without really showing much of anything. My long red hair is tucked under the black wig, and I give it a yank. The bobby pins hold, and the ebony bob doesn’t move an inch. With finality, I reach for the deep red, orange, and gold mask. A perfect reminder of what I am,whoI am. Phoenix, rising from the ashes of my life and spreading my wings. I may go by Nixie now, but inside, my name is my truth.
