I didn't expect it either.
This time last year, I was practicing until my toes bled for a spot in the ballet company. A year before that, I sat at my American Ballet Academy graduation, thinking the hard part was over. Now I stood here, black lace digging into my skin, heels seven centimeters higher than my pointe shoes, ankles already starting to ache.
Life was unpredictable.
The second that thought crossed my mind, the lights went out.
Someone whistled. Then came the noise: glasses clinking, men laughing loud. That particular sound of booze, a room full of people, waiting for a show.
The music started.
I walked out.
When the spotlight hit, I almost froze.
It was brighter than I expected. The faces below blurred into shadows, but their voices were solid, real.
"Here she comes."
"Wow!"
"Gorgeous!"
A few sharp whistles cut through the air.
My fingers found the pole. Grabbed it. Cold metal shot up through my palm.
Move.
My body moved, but stiffly. Not nerves. Muscle memory fighting back—five years of training, every muscle remembering the rules. Spine straight. Land soft. Arms curved. Every movement had its place. No extra. No mess. No wildness.
But that wasn't what they wanted here.
Someone in the crowd was already getting impatient.
"Move it!"
"Strip!"
Strip.
That word hit me. My face burned. At least the spotlight was hot enough to hide it.
I tried to move my hips with the beat. Too small. Too controlled. Like I was at an exam.
The vodka burned in my stomach, but it hadn't reached where it needed to go.
Then I thought of Sophie's call.
Don't worry, Olivia.
Seventeen years old, voice steady like an adult, but she called at eleven at night. Still awake that late, worried about something. I knew what. I just couldn't think about it too much. If I did, I'd collapse and not get back up.
The heat finally spread from my stomach into the rest of me.
I let go of the pole. Let my body take over.
My hair slipped off my shoulder. The fabric shifted. The noise below jumped eight decibels. Someone threw the first bill. Green paper spun in the spotlight and landed at my feet.
