CADGE BY THE ALPHA

A P

not looking at me directly, as usual. "You're up in five," he said, and left. I pressed both hands flat on my thighs and breathed. "Bad one?" Gia said from the chair next to me without looking up from her phone, already fully beat, rhinestones catching the light every time she moved. "I'm fine." "You always say that." "Because I'm always fine." "You were talking in your sleep again Zara." I didn't answer that, just stood up and checked my reflection in the mirror, full face, lashes, lips done, the costume all straps and shine, my natural hair pinned back tight. The scar above my right eyebrow caught the light the way it always did and I looked at it for exactly one second before looking away. "You're doing the thing," Gia said. "What thing." "The mirror thing, where you stare at yourself like you're looking for something to feel bad about." "I'm checking my makeup." "Your makeup is perfect, go make your money," she finally put her phone down and looked at me properly, "how much you got left on your contract?" "Eighteen months." "Same answer as last week." "Eighteen months is eighteen months Gia." "I know, I know," she stood up and adjusted her straps, checking her own reflection beside mine, "Marcus was looking for you earlier by the way." "What did he want." "Didn't say, just told me to tell you he needs to talk before your set." "He can talk after." "He said before." "Then he's going to be disappointed," I picked up my lip gloss, touched up my bottom lip, put it back, "what did he look like when he said it?" "Like Marcus," Gia said, "stressed, sweaty, straightening things that didn't need straightening, you know how he gets when something big is happening." "Something big like what." "Private booking tonight, big one apparently, he's been weird about it all day, won't say who it is, just keeps telling everyone to be on their best behavior," she paused, "he looked at me specifically when he said that part." "He always looks at you for that part." "Because I have the most attitude," she said it with zero shame, just fact, "he wants the best girls on the floor tonight, which means you, which means