Love Be My Oxygen

1 | Dawn

Haillie

Backstage isn't the grand affair that I had imagined when I was pretending to get ready for a show when I was 11. The room has 10 tables with mirrors and lights ready for us to put on makeup and a smile to perform tonight.

"Are we ready girls?" I watch Jessica lean against the doorway dramatically with lust filled eyes. She laughs quickly and bounces over to me, dropping out of the character she plays so well.

"Yeah I'll be read in 5, is it busy out there?" I busy myself with finishing my makeup as Jess admires herself in a red set of matching underwear and garter belt. Her body is flawless, like something straight off of the page of a magazine and she knows it.

"It's packed, all ready to see you again Misses," she smiles at me with an excitement in her eyes.

I met Jess a few weeks ago at a bar where I was drinking alone. My first year at the ballet conservatoire had just finished and I knew that my job in the cafe doesn't pay enough for the fees for second year. I had been granted a scholarship to the company for the year and it had been the best year of my life.

Fate must have forced this goddess on me since within a matter of minutes she got me a job that could pay for my school and a small flat. The catch was that the job entailed dancing at a high end burlesque club.

Jessica loves the attention, the spotlights and the way she can entrance any man watching. I'll admit that the feeling of being desired is a good one, though I'm not nearly as captivating as the other girls here.

The job is safe with bouncers watching every square inch of the place, the clients can watch but not touch. That's the only reason I agreed. I deny the fact that I love how the men watch me move, unable to take their eyes off of my body.

What would mum think if she saw me now. I try to push that thought out of my head as I stand from the chair looking at myself in clothing that leaves little to the imagination.

"All of this will be worth it," I tell myself before walking out onto the stage of the club, wearing black lingerie and a sultry confidence radiating from my eyes.

The night goes by like a flash and soon enough I'm laying on the floor with a thin layer of sweat covering my skin. We stand up from our finishing positions and walk off of the stage, still embodying the sexy vixens we pretend to be as we dance.

"Yay, amazing as always girls. Now it's time for us to have some fun, drinks are on me as we welcome Haillie into the family," Jessica smiles at me like the big sister I never had.

I take off the lacy underwear in a corner of the room covering myself to protect my modesty and slip into my cotton panties and t-shirt bra, pulling on a black dress that hugs my figure perfectly over the top. All of the other girls just throw items of clothing off in the middle of the room, completely comfortable in their nudity before slipping into their clothes to go out.

I doubt I could have that level of self assurance anytime soon as much as I wish I could be as confident as the girls surrounding me.

We walk out of the club through a backdoor even though all of the men who had come to watch had long gone, could never be too careful not wanting to be harassed. The girls strut ahead laughing and talking loudly amongst themselves, leaving behind just myself and Jess.

"Everything okay babe?" Jess's tone holds a level of sincerity I haven't experienced before.

"Yeah everything's fine, this is just different to what I'm used to," I inwardly curse at myself for being soonest, not wanting to come across as uncool.

"Haha, I think that's a bit of an understatement." We both laugh. If only the girls from ballet class knew about all of this, I'd practically be banished from the company shrouded in scandal.

We pick up our pace to catch up with the rest of the girls just as they go through the doors to a club pumping electronic music through the air. As soon as we enter the doors, all eyes are on us and how our bodies move expertly through the crowds.

"Do you not feel embarrassed, I mean with how everyone blatantly stares?" I shout the question into Jessica's ear. My movements are small and conservative compared to how Jessica lifts her arms in the air and spins around.

"Don't think of it as embarrassment, they stare because they think you look drop dead gorgeous. Feel empowered by their stares Honey," the way she speaks echos the confidence she portrays.

Jess grabs my hands and pulls me into the middle of the floor, dancing with me which I'm thankful for because it's as though she is channeling some of her confidence into me. Before I know it, I let go of my apprehension and just dance to have fun and not worry about what people think for once.

Note

Hey guys! This is an idea I've been thinking about for a while and now that I've come out of hiding I'm looking forward to sharing Haillie's story with you.

As always I love hearing what you think about my stories and characters so leave a comment on what you think about Haillie, you guys are the reason I write :)