“So if you didn’t notice, you were pretty popular the other night,” she says.
“You mean the night she showed you up on the dance floor?” Lainey jabs and Brynn ignores her.
“We made a lot of money that night, girl. I was thinking…you should be a permanent Ring Girl.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. It takes a second for me to process the words. “You want…me? To dance with you permanently?” I ask.
“Yep,” she smiles. “The girls and I were discussing it, and we think you’d make an excellent backup dancer.”
“Hold it,” Niko cuts in, walking over to us. “No offense, Brynn, but you are crazy if you think Mila should be backup.”
Brynn is just as confused as I am. “What do you mean, Nik? We talked about her dancing with us this morning.”
“Not as a backup,” he says.
Brynn’s eyes grow wider. “Nik, surely you don’t mean–”
“That little stunt the two of you pulled the other night? The dance off? Our ratings have never been that high. They loved it. Especially the ballet bit. Sorry, Brynn, but this girl belongs in the middle.”
“In the middle?” I ask, my heart falling to the floor.
“Hell yeah, girl,” Lainey cheers, wrapping her arms around me.
“Niko,” Brynn forces a smile. “I’ve been the lead for years. It’s what everyone wants.”
“And now they want Mila,” he says. “So teach her everything you know and make me lots of money.”
He walks away, leaving the three of us gaping. Brynn is the first to snap her mouth shut.
“Brynn, I don’t–”
“You heard him,” she says with another smile. One I can’t quite read. “You’re the new lead. And while the guys apparently loved your little skit, it’s going to take a lot more than a cute improv routine to keep them going. Which means practice,” she says.
“Of course,” I nod. “I’ll talk to Dom tonight and–”
“Now,” she says. “We have to start right now.”
“Right now?” I parrot.
“Unless you have something better to do.”
“I can practice with you…right after lunch,” I say.
Brynn smiles again. “Mila, we have a routine coming up. This one isn’t just a bunch of ass-shaking. We’re going to need all the time we can spare.”
“Brynn,” Lainey cuts her off, only to be cut off by Niko.
“Ladies. Your cackling is scaring the customers.”
“Nik, if she is going to be dancing the lead, we are going to need to get right on it,” Brynn says.
“Fine. Change of plans. Brynn, give Lainey a minute,” he says.
“Thank you,” Lainey smiles, sitting down in the booth and waving me to do the same. But before I can, he says, “You have ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?!”
“Then get back on the floor. I make the most money from the ring, and I can’t have my new lead dancer falling on her face,” he says before walking off again.
