Starlet - Book 2 - Mate Games

14. Dance Show

Collin lets the water run over me for 10 minutes before he gets in. I was covered in watery clay.

He washes my hair. "It's caked in here baby."

"I made a mess."

"The best artists do." He kisses my head and washes my hair again.

Half an hour later, we're outside the shop. My statue is still drawing a crowd. Dipak has guards here and is bossing people around.

Mikey smiles. "It's perfect, Whisp. You did so good."

"Thank you."

"I want one."

Mikey smirks at Tye. "10 bars of gold."

"2. I can't afford 10."

"9 and a half. That's as low as we're going."

"DIPAK I NEED 9 BARS OF GOLD."

"NO TYE." ... "WHY?"

"THAT'S WHAT THE ASSHOLE IS CHARGING."

Dipak comes over. "10 bars of gold for all of us."

"No, way in hell. There's a million of you. 10 bars of gold each."

Collin laughs and pulls me into the art store. "They can sort that out. What do you want to do, baby? We have an hour before dinner."

"I'm hungry."

"Let's go to dinner. We'll check Dipak's progress after that."

We get back after dinner and the whole thing has a box around it. 4 guards watch us.

Dipak is sitting in his chair. He looks at us over his book. "They have to cook it before it turns to stone. Going to be like 3 days."

"You going to sit there the entire time?"

"No. I was waiting for you to come back. So I could tell you. After 3 days, I don't know what the hell to do with it."

Mikey comes out of nowhere. "No. It's hers. She made it. If you want to move it, you have to buy it. 10 bars of gold."

The pink hair girl smiles. "You have to move it to where I want. If it gets there without breaking, she'll get her 10 bars of gold."

"UGH." Dipak stares at the sky. "Woman. He can't sell it. It's hers. Not his. And what the hell are you going to do with it?"

"I don't know. But it's Marcus. We're buying it."

"I HAVE AN IDEA. BRING MORE CLAY." I shake violently until the brains drop a bunch more clay in the yard beside the Marcus statue. Then I dive in.

I make a castle on a rock. It's as tall as me. I keep the front doors open. I want to put Nadine there. I carve out windows and pointy roofs. It's amazing. Then I get told it's 11 at night, so I smash a bunch of clay on Omar's head. Lindsay loses it. She almost pees, she laughs so hard.

The brains light the area and I work all night. I make Dipak as a dragon. I wrap his wings around the castle. I make his eyes look straight ahead. I put so much detail into his dragon. I don't know if they can be painted, but if they can, his eyes will be red.

I make a small sculpture of Nadine. I put her in full princess attire. I do her hair half curly, like she likes. Then put a tiara on it. I put her right in front of the door. It's perfect.

Mikey shows up first. "Damn sis. I think you found your calling."

"He's going to like that." Elek motions a guard. "Summon Dipak, Marcus, Omar, Nadine..." He stares at me. "Collin."

Kane stands up out of the chair. "Didn't even notice you were done. I'm going to bed now."

"Was he here all night?"

Elek nods. "They're not going to leave you alone in the village at night."

I stare at the guards and 1 of them shrugs his shoulders.

Mikey laughs. "It's alright. Some extra protection, Whisp."

Tye runs over. "I WANT THAT NOW."

"15 bars of gold. That takes longer."

"You asshole. I'm not dealing with you. I'm telling your sister I want 1 of me like that."

Mikey shakes his head. "15 bars of gold, asshole."

"Ugh. Are you 2 still arguing?" Collin glances at me. Then he stops and stares. "I'm going to be late for class."

Elek nods. "Yea. I'll make sure it's excused. She did amazing though."

"Yea, she sure as hell did. Baby, that is beautiful. Who is it?"

"Dipak."

Tye nods. "It looks like him. Down to damn toes. She does amazing work. I'm getting my mom. She'll want to see it. Don't leave."

"Damn it. Now I have to summon my mom to see it. She'll be pissed if I don't." Elek walks over to the guard.

Dipak, Marcus, and Omar come at the same time.

Dipak gets teary this time. He holds his arms out for me. I run and give him the biggest hug. "It's amazing, Star."

"MINE." The pink haired girl is pointing at it, jumping up and down.

"No."

"MINE." She drops to her knees and sobs.

"15 bars of gold."

She stands up. "Ok. Mine."

Marcus rubs his eyes. "We will work out a deal, Mike. And the princess will not be there."

She kicks him in the shin. "MINE."

"WOMAN."

"MINE."

I point. "I put a little you in it."

She steps on the clay and falls on her ass. "How do you work in this?" She crawls over and looks at herself. "My hair is even perfect. MINE."

"This is something special. Dipak protecting everyone. It's beautiful." There's a queen in the path. Not sure who she is. Probably a mom.

I glance at Mason and jump up and down. "I HAVE AN IDEA. GET..."

"No." Collin picks me up.

"But, I have an idea."

"It'll still be there after you get some breakfast. I know that little belly has to be hungry."

I giggle and plop my head on his shoulder.

"15 bars of gold for 1 like this ma'am." Mike made his way over to the queen.

"Can she customize it?"

"Of course."

I yawn and Collin carries me to my apartment. I fall asleep 3 times in the shower. He sits me at the table in my underwear and gives me breakfast.

I wake up and jump on the bed. Then I throw a nurse dress on and run to the art shop. "BRING ME CLAY."

Marcus catches me right before I jump in it. "Nope. You have to eat and play practice is in a few hours."

"BUT."

"No." He carries me into Dipak's office.

"BUT."

"No. Did you even comb your hair?"

"AHHHH!"

"Enough."

"Don't make her cry." Dipak scoots his chair back. I run over and curl up on his lap. He rubs my back lightly, and I shiver so hard.

I wake up when everyone starts laughing. I stretch as tall as I can.

"Woman, how are you even sleeping like that?" Collin picks me up off Dipak.

I giggle and snuggle him.

"Let's go eat. Then you can go to play practice."

After play practice, Thora and I make up our dance stuff for our show on Friday.

Then Collin spends the night with me in the castle. I don't think he wants me staying out all night again.

Friday comes so fast.

Thora's class for the weekend sold out, and we practiced all week for the show.

I jump up and down 4. The nice boy comes in to sell tickets for us. He sits down in the box and I cry. Then I run in and give him a hug. "You only have to sell 9 and anything after that is ok too. But try to sell 9."

He laughs and Collin walks in the door. "Get out of there baby."

"But I was telling him to try and sell 9."

"Get down. He'll try."

I sit on the floor and stare at the nice boy.

"Tonight is going to be torture." Collin picks me up and walks out with me over his shoulder. "Let's go eat."

We come back at 4:45 and Lindsay is in the box with him.

"Damn it. Get out of there."

I sit on the floor and stare at him. Collin goes in and carries her out. "BUT DID YOU SELL 10?"

"Yes."

Collin puts Lindsay on her feet. She jumps up and down. "WE'RE MAKING MONEY!"

We scream and hug, then more people come in. It's a cluster f**k. Some are buying tickets and the theater people are coming in too. Collin shoves us in the theater. "Go to practice. Lindsay did you eat?"

"No. I forgot."

"I'll get you something."

"Ok. Yea, I don't want to eat right before I get up there."

We make it through the slowest practice ever. Bayden even makes it last until 6:30.

Then we run out to the nice boy. He tells us he's hungry, so we go get him a pizza. Then we hand deliver it to inside his box. He laughs so hard.

Lindsay stares at him. "Did you sell 11 yet?"

"I've sold close to 250."

We scream and hug him at the same time.

Then Dipak and Frode come in. "What the hell?"

"God damn it. Sorry Adam. I left for 2 minutes." Collin chases us out. "That is his area. Your area is backstage. Go there. Stay out of his area."

"BUT..." I point at him.

"He doesn't need any help. Go."

We run backstage.

Dipak and Frode come 10 minutes later. We give them a tour and I show Dipak my dressing room for the play. "You excited?"

"Yes. So much. And he sold more than 9 tickets."

"He's your favorite person tonight, isn't he?"

I nod fast.

"What's the hold up on Collin's shop? It needs to be open already."

"He's trying to make it perfect. And a shop like that will never be perfect. It's an art shop. He needs some help to realize that."

"Ok."

"Are you going to watch my show?"

"I wouldn't miss it."

I smile and wiggle.

Lindsay barges in the door and nearly breaks it off. "WE HAVE TO STRETCH NOW. 30 minutes until the curtain opens. People are coming in and sitting down now." She grabs me and yanks me out. We stand behind the curtain and stretch.

"Where did Collin go?"

"He got stuck out there talking to people about the dance studio."

"Yea, that makes sense."

The crowd cheers loudly.

Then we hear Dipak say, "Thank you. Thank you. We are very talented at walking."

"Why are your eyes getting dark every time you look at him?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm afraid to try anything again."

"The belt thing?"

"I guess everyone knows."

"Not everyone. Relax. Everything will be fine."

We get in black and gold belly dancing outfits. Then the music comes on and we dance in our spots. The curtain raises up slow and everyone cheers. It takes everything I have not to stop dancing and jump up and down. It's not sold out, but it's quite full.

Then she does a ballet song. Then I do ballet and add some aerials to mine. Then she goes out and does a tap dance. I follow her with a gypsy dance. I love this 1 too. It's got a big skirt with a lot of fabric to throw around. Then a tight tank. I shake my boobs and hips and throw that skirt all over. Then we do another belly dance as a break. We throw in some of the burlesque moves though. Nothing extreme. Some girls cheer in the audience when we do them. That makes me laugh. After that, I do a ritual dance. And then she does a ballet dance with some of the aerial and tumbling.

Then I go out tumbling and aerial. I end on the bar. While it takes me up and out. She does more aerial and lets me get changed. Then she stays out.

I tumble onto the stage. Then I jump out and over the crowd to the ribbon. I lock the safety and it pulls me up. Then she jumps over to her ribbons. We do a ribbon dance together to end it.

It ends with us high up on the ribbons. The crowd goes crazy. They were loud the whole performance. Then we get lowered and go to the stage.

I jump up and down. "Thank you everyone." They explode with cheers.

Lindsay smiles. "We hope you enjoyed the show. Come see us over at the dance studio."

Some people flood out of the building and others come up onto the stage. It's a mad house of people moving around. Dipak, Frode, and Collin come up on stage with us. We get some flowers and compliments. Collin answers questions about the dance studio. We get stuck for a half hour saying 'thank you.' and 'thank you for coming.' It's a lot.

Then Dipak and Marcus clear the place.