| Zac tiptoed quietly into the bedroom, pulled his wallet and keys out of his pocket and laid them on the night table and began stripping off his sandy clothes. Isaac and Taylor looked at each other in the dim light and grinned wickedly. "Hey, Zac..." Ike called to him, making him catch his breath and turn around quickly. Tay and Ike both chuckled. "You are so busted, dude.." Taylor laughed. "Yeah...what are you willing to pay for our silence?" Ike said in an impression of a russian mafia boss. Zac's face broke into a huge smile. "The question is...what am I willing to pay to be a fuckin' ONLY CHILD?" he laughed. "Keep you big mouths shut and I won't squeal on you morons...besides, we have a triple date tonight.." Zac told them as his cell phone began to ring. "Em?" he said immediately as he flipped it open. "Hi, Zac. Just walked in the door." she said and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Good. get some sleep now, and I'll see you tonight?" he said softly. Taylor and Isaac looked at each other, surprised at the tone in their brother's voice. They both knew they would not beg off the triple date thing for sure. they wanted to definately get to know this girl who had such a hold on Zac's emotions. Zac caught them looking at each other, gave them a dirty look and went into the bathroom, then locked the door behind him. He was not in the mood for the shit they were about to give him. "Tonight for sure, Zac. I'm just sorry it has to be so late." she told him. "That's alright, baby...sleep now. See you soon." he told her. "Not soon enough.." Emma sighed. "I love you, Zac." "Love you, too babe. Sweet dreams." he answered. "Night Zac." Emma said and hung up the phone. She showered, put her favorite flannel PJ's on and went to bed, crashing immediately. "Nite Em." Zac replied, flipped his phone shut and went back into the bedroom. He put the phone on the charger, finished undressing went in and showered, then fell into bed without drying off. He yanked the covers up and promptly passed out. Taylor and Isaac looked over at each other, actually concerned. "You missin' that date tonight?" Tay whispered. "Hell no. If you don't have one, you better find one. 'Cause you aren't either." Ike replied. They rolled over and went back to sleep. |
| The bar was more smoky and reeked more than usual tonight, Emma though to herself as she went in the back and changed her clothes. She was almost finished with her make up when bouncy Britney and her fake chest bubbled in. "Hi Emma..hey check this out.." she gushed, expecting Emma to fawn over her recent tattoo. "That's nice Brit." she murmured, knowing she did NOT have the stomach for this tonight. "Emma, are you okay? You're acting weirder than usual.." she saked. "I'm okay Brit. Sorry. Just have a lot on my mind. Would you please tell Danny he needs to send someone back here with my bottle if he wants me to get this show on the road? But I don't wanna look at his sleazy ass.." Emma asked her. "Sure thing. So who are you tonight anyway?" Britney grinned. "I am SUGAR SWEET, baby...thank GOD I don't have to be myself..." Emma sighed, praying that December would come quickly along wth her graduation. Brit returned within minutes with a shot glass and a fifth of Jack. She poured Emma the first shot and helped herself to one also. They made a silent toast and Emma heard Danny's rough voice come through the speaker system as she downed the shot and gritted her teeth. "Gimme that fucking thing.." she muttered and snatched the bottle from Brit's hand as she heard Danny making a bigger deal out of her than he usually did. She took three swigs off the bottle, as Danny ran through his spiel, getting all the morons willing to throw good money away all wound up. She took two more swigs, grabbed her big silver cowboy hat, plastered a fake smile on her face, muttered 'fuck it', got rid of the hat and grabbed her bottle, dragging it on stage with her, leaving Brit wide eyed and staring in shock. Emma always drank when she had to perform, but never more than two or three shots. "And here's what you've been waiting all month for...don't make her feel bad, now.." Danny cooed into the mic and looked toward her. "Fuck you, Danny.." Emma mouthed, knocked back another swig off the bottle of Jack and strutted on stage to the opening guitar riffs of POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME. "HEY..." she grabbed the mic from Danny's hand. "I am SUGAR SWEET TONIGHT..." she hollered into the thing. She held up her bottle and swung her hips, seductively. "So.." she yelled with a grin, "WHO THINKS THEY CAN AFFORD TO BUT ME A DRINK TONIGHT???" she took another pull off her bottle and smashed it down on the stage. A huge round of catcalls and 'shake it baby's' came at her from all sides as she pulled off her over shirt and tossed it to the crowd of slobbering men. She turned her back to them and swallowed the bile that rose to her throat, after Zac's sweetness she defintely could NOT stomach this. Then the money was waved at her as she pulled the tiny wrap skirt off and tossed it backstage. One man stuffed a $20 in the string at her hip and a full shot glass. She smiled down at him, pranced across the stage and knocked it back, danced her way back over to him, placed her heeled foot on his chest, bent down and handed him the empty shot glass, then shoved him with her foot before he could grab hold of her, turned and shook her ass at him. The liquor was kicking in and she was able to pull off the act one more night. The music ended, she pranced off stage, still in her bikini, because she flatly REFUSED to bare completely, no matter what Danny-the-sleaze wanted. That was why the assholes blew so much cash on her. STUPID men always wanted only what they couldn't have. She pulled the cash from her top and bottoms, quickly took what she needed to pay the rent and threw the rest at Danny's cold stare when he came into the dressing room. |
| "Don't look at me, Don't even talk to me.." Emma snapped, before he could open his mouth. "I don't wanna hear your 'but-baby-i-could-make-you-a-star' speech. You can take that speech and shove it straight up your scrawny, skinny and probably hairy ass, Danny. I have my rent money, there's your cut. I danced and I'm done. Don't call me in, I won't be home. See you when I tend bar on MONDAY." A slow, icy, grin spread across his face. He laughed coldly. "This high and mighty attitude wouldn't have anything to do with ZAC, would it?" he asked. Her head snapped around as she pulled her street clothes on over her skimpy underwear. "I told you Zac is none of your buisness, asshole." she barked. "I can make him my buisness. I bet that squeaky clean choir boy has NO IDEA that this is what you do for a living. But I can fill him in for you Emma..it'd be my pleasure." He smile coldly and tossed a tabloid at her. She looked at the cover as tears stung her eyelids. There was a small picture of her and Zac, holding hands outside the movie theater. Zac had one of his many ballcaps on, but it was him, and unfortunately, whoever took the picture got a clear shot at her, the mystery girl. "Leave him out of this Danny. You know I'm done in December anyway." she said softly. "Oh..see..I forgot to tell you..YOU ARE NOT OFF THE HOOK just cause your high and mighty ass finishes school. YOU are my biggest money maker, SUGAR, and I will NOT let you off that easy. YOU DANCE..three nights a week..or pretty boy gets a mailbox full of very NIIIICE pictures. Understand miss priss?" he shoved her against the wall. Emma kicked him in the stomach and broke another bottle on the counter. "I'll dance asshole, till I find a way to get out of this bullshit. But stay away from Zac.." and she shoved the broken shard against his throat without cutting it. "AND DON'T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN. Understand, sleazebag?" she growled through gritted teeth as he gasped for air and held his belly. "You're getting soft, Danny. Better not go anywhere without those bouncers.." She took a swig off Brit's vodka bottle and spit it at him. "Kiss my ass, Danny. Your sleazy days are numbered." she stated and stormed out the door. |