The Billionaire's Showgirl

I adjusted the rhinestones in my costume and reminded myself that rich people were human too.They laugh. They cry. They spend a thousand dollars an hour hiring a nobody Vegas showgirl like me for private performancesNo, not that kind of show.This was a scripted set our director reserved for high-paying clients. Five songs. Two dance numbers. Smile pretty, collect the check, and leave. That was all.The elevator climbed higher than my paycheck ever did.When the doors finally opened, I froze.Most elevators opened into long hallways with dozens of doors. This one only had two doors on the landing. One read "Velvet Suite" and the other read "Silk Suite."I checked my paper in hand. There was nothing there; it only said to go up to floor sixty-two. Which door do I open?Nobody tells you how quiet fear feels on the top floor of a casino. I could get fired if I walked into the wrong room. And I couldn't afford to get fired. This was my dream. My shot at fame, fortune, and fina

The music hit first.A slow swell of brass and piano rolled through the theater while the curtain stayed drawn, teasing the audience with anticipation. Behind it, under the heat of backstage lights and the smell of hairspray, I stood frozen in position like a loaded weapon waiting to fire.Then the spotlight snapped on.The crowd erupted.I stepped onto the stage in six-inch heels and enough rhinestones to blind someone under direct lighting. Feathers brushed against my bare shoulders as I moved in formation beside the other dancers. Our smiles were polished bright enough to hide every bruise, blister, and bad decision that had brought us to Las Vegas.People think showgirls are just beautiful women in glitter. They don't understand the performance.The discipline.The way your body has to become music before the audience even notices you.Every movement needed precision. Every turn had to look effortless. The audience wasn't supposed to see the hours of rehearsals that left our

It worked.Somehow, against all logic, it actually worked.Luca left the dressing room, and I went home after changing into my more comfortable clothes, taking two buses from the Cashmere Crown to my apartment on the north side of town. It wasn't much, but it was all I could afford when I first moved to Vegas.I unlocked the steel screen door, then the reinforced front door behind it. Once inside, I locked everything again before getting ready for bed.What was I supposed to do when Luca eventually saw that I lived in the worst part of town inside a tiny studio apartment filled with mismatched Goodwill furniture?I decided that could be tomorrow's problem.I skipped my entire night routine and collapsed straight into bed.I blinked, and suddenly the night was over.No dreams. No real sleep.Just morning.And voices inside my apartment.Fear locked every muscle in my body.Who was in my house?How did they get in?And...were they talking about my coffee pot?I held my breath and list

Luca and I left the Super Nova at a silent but filling breakfast.  I had never seen so many wonderful things included in a buffet.  I kept my diet light: fruit and yogurt. I had a rehearsal this afternoon and a performance later in the evening, and didn't want anything too heavy on my stomach. We walked through the halls of the Super Nova alone.  Luca had his eyes on his phone while he was texting someone furiously.  I walked a few steps behind him, trusting that he knew where he was going.And trusting that he was taking me somewhere safe.Luca took a hard left and put his phone back in his pocket.  I followed, noticing that the crowds were slowly disappearing the further we walked. He suddenly stopped at a door marked with his initials, LM."Go through the door, I'll meet you later.  I have some business to take care of here before I leave."While I may not have seen Luca's house yet, I knew he did

"I promise, Luca," I said carefully, "I have no idea why you're here."It was the truth.  I didn't want a murderer in my house having dinner with me."You asked for this."Every glance from him felt deliberate, calculated, dangerous."I didn't.""You did." Luca reclined slightly in his seat with the lazy confidence of an apex predator. "You said you want to keep me close, right?" I suddenly lost my appetite.  What was he getting at?He stood from his chair and slowly approached me.  I went rigid with fear, trapped in my chair as he slowly approached me."So here I am. Close to you."He put his hands on either arm of my chair and leaned close enough for me to feel his breath."This is what you wanted, right?"I held perfectly still as fear coursed through my body.  I couldn't show weakness.  He couldn't know that he scared me."You afraid of what I do alone?" I shot back