Page 31 of Broken Warrior
“Me too.” I giggle with a faint blush. “But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Bags under my eyes and crows feet don’t bring in the big bucks.”
Elias scoffs. “Whatever, Cordy. You could walk out on that stage tarred and feathered and those guys would still throw hundred dollar bills at you.”
“I’d rather not take my chances.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket as we head toward the dressing room. Elias always waits for me and walks me all the way inside. I’m not sure what Ember told him, but whatever it was, he’s sort of become my own personal bodyguard while I’m at work and I’m very grateful for it.
I nod hello to the other girls, all of them in various stages of undress. There are a total of fifteen of us: five that strictly cage dance and ten that take the stage. The club is open six nights a week, and for the most part we each work three to four of those nights and since the weekends bring in the most customers, Ember schedules it so one group takes Friday while the other takes Saturday and we rotate each week. It’s probably the most fair schedule I’ve ever seen, and it allows us to have every other weekend off without missing out on big money nights. It’s awesome.
I dump my duffel onto my stool then slip my phone out and grin. It’s a picture from Dori.
James is sprawled out on her lap, his head next to her adorable baby bump, his hand resting on top of it. She’s in her bed, I can see her and Zak’s bare feet and pajama clad legs, Disney’s Cars on the TV in their new bedroom. The message reads,We made it ten minutes before he conked out. James–Theo! I’m going to make that stick–was talking to his cousin, telling the baby about going for motorcycle rides with Uncle Zak and Spider. This kid melts my heart, Tater.
Mine too.
And I love how much he loves his aunt and uncle.
His unconditional affection and admiration for Fin? That is something else entirely.
“Everything ok, Cordy?”
My eyes lift from my screen to Elias and that’s when I feel myself frowning. “Yeah. No…” I shrug and turn the phone so he can see the picture. “From my sister.”
He smiles wide as he reads. “Great kid. Can’t wait to meet him.”
Normally I’d be against that, but I’ve found that Ember and Elias are really great people, people I’m quickly becoming friends with, and I’m warming up to the idea of bringing them into my little bubble.
“James is great.”
“Your sister called him Theo?”
I nod and finally smile. “He’s named after her. Theodore James but I’ve always called him James.” Because his biological father doesn’t know his real first name, just like he doesn’t know I didn’t name Gino on the birth certificate or give my son Valetti as a surname, and I want to keep it that way. “My sister is Theodora Marie and everyone but me calls her Theo, so she’s taken to calling my son that.”
Elias grins. “I like it. I’m a fan of classically unusual names myself.”
I roll my eyes. “I wonder why.”
“So why the frown?”
I shrug again as I pull out my makeup bag and my costumes. “No reason.”
He arches a brow and crosses his arms against his chest.
“It’s just... I don’t know.”
“Boy trouble?”
“Maybe.”
Elias chuckles. “I know a thing or two about that. I’m guessing it’s this Spider guy?”
He doesn’t have a clue as to how right he is.
We moved out of Fin’s house a few days ago, and leading up to it, he was the same as he was when I told him about my job. Sweet and supportive but resigned and almost sad. Fin didn’t revert to his grumpy version at all but he definitely seemed detached and put more distance between us. He was gone less but still gone, whether he was physically present or not, then when we moved, Fin went back to all but pretending I don’t exist. He’s had James stay over once, calls him when he’s with Zak, but aside from asking me if he could sleep over, Fin just doesn’t talk to me. I don’t understand it and honestly, it hurts a lot more than I’m willing to admit, but I’m trying to accept it as how things are going to be moving forward regardless of how much I don’t want that.
I’d probably deal better if Fin just point blank told me he doesn’t want to be friends or whatever, but I get the sense that isn’t true and what really breaks my heart is the worry I have over him hurting James because of his feelings toward me.
Whatever the hell they may be.
