I scoot fully onto the couch and tuck one of the pillows under my head. Before I know it, one minute turns to five, which turns to ten and then turns to sleep.
My shoulder is shaking, but I don’t want to get up yet. My shoulder moves again.
“Get up, or I’m dragging you off this couch.”
Since when did my subconscious sound like Charlotte?
My shoulders move again, and then I’m flying. And when I land, it hurts, and reality floods my vision.
“Oww.” My voice is all sleepy.
Charlotte is standing over me in her robe with her hair wrapped in a towel. “I warned you.” She shrugs and heads to the stairs. “You’ve got an hour.”
Ugh, work.
Don’t get me wrong; I really like Fireflies, but I could’ve stayed in that nap forever. I haven’t napped that deeply in a long time.
I drag my sleepy self upstairs and head to my room to start getting ready.
I grab the tight leather leggings and long-sleeved black crop top. Digging through my new box of props and random stuff for costumes, I pull out the red contacts and knee-high black boots.
After spending the next forty-five minutes curling my hair and doing my makeup, I squeeze myself into the leather leggings, scared I might never be able to get them off.
I finish my look with a red lip to match the red contacts. Honestly, I look hot.
I adjust my top tighter to keep the girls a little more secure, but boy, are they popping in this shirt. Let’s see if I can pull four hundred in tips tonight.
I really don’t know how we both got lucky enough to get a job at this club. It’s the hottest one in town, and everyone applies there. And people rarely leave because the money is insane, especially on the weekends.
I meet Charlotte downstairs in the kitchen. While she talks with Josh, I turn to see Jack watching some cartoons in the living room. My big flannel jacket covers me all up while I walk up to Jack and give him a big kiss on the forehead, red lipstick and all.
He writhes away. “Ugh, Mom! There’s stuff on your lips!”
He cringes and tries to wipe it off, but I can’t help but giggle. I lick my thumb and quickly get it off his face before it sets.
“Be good for Josh. I love you.” I blow him a kiss, and he leans up and fake catches it.
“You love me, even in the rain?” he asks me, our habitual routine rolling off his tongue.
“Even in the storm.” I smile.
With that, he turns his attention back to the cartoons.
I remember the day we started that. It was after Mom went into a coma, and Jack went with me to visit her for the first time. It was pouring rain, and the sky was a thousand hues of gray.
He’s scared of lightning, like most kids. And when I told him that Grandma and I loved him, no matter what, he asked me if I’d still love him, even when it rained, even when it was scary. I thought it was silly at the time, but now, it’s just become our little routine. And I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
When we get to Fireflies, Char and I head in the employee door, clock in, and put all of our stuff away. The last few shifts we had were all about mixing drinks and memorizing the menu. We are mostly still serving and billing tonight, but we get to help make some drinks for the first time.
We meet up with the rest of the crew at the bar to help finish setting up, and before we know it, the lights are off, and people are pouring in.
By the end of the night, I have a little over four hundred and fifty dollars in my apron and the biggest smile on my face. No creeps tonight, which was great. And we pulled in huge tips. Everyone made out really well.
Char and I are the last to leave, so we offer to finish wiping down. When we are finally leaving, it’s a little past three a.m. Claude walks us to her car, leading the way.
He stops abruptly, causing me to crash into his back, which feels an awful lot like a brick wall.
I step out around him, but he puts his arm out to stop me from going forward.