Dangerously In Love by Allison Hobbs Read Free Book Online

kitchen, and other parts of the house. They bantered among themselves, seemingly intent on sending out the message that the arrival of the strippers was no big deal.
    Fuck those uppity assholes . Chanelle then gazed around and caught sight of Lexi.
    Fully clad in white Dolce & Gabbana everything—jeans, shoes, and a tight T-shirt with a sequined number 20 glittering across her implanted breasts—Lexi drank champagne from a crystal flute while she schmoozed it up with a few of the guests. She glanced at Chanelle and Mandy and nodded toward the staircase. “You girls can change in the first bedroom at the top of the stairs.” Her tone was crisp and authoritative, as if she were the lady of the house and Chanelle and Mandy were nothing more than pesky but necessary scullery maids.
    Mandy smiled obligingly and made her way toward the stairs. Chanelle, however, stood stock still, arched a defiant brow, and cocked her head to the side. “Can I speak to you? In private!” Chanelle demanded.
    Lexi smiled helplessly at the male guests and promised to be right back.
    “Mandy said you expect me to—” Chanelle stated loudly with a hand on her hip.
    “We’ll talk upstairs,” Lexi whispered, cutting Chanelle off. She quickly threw the party attendees a look that said, “I’ve got everything under control” and then trotted up the stairs.
    Under normal circumstances, Chanelle would have been impressed by the designated dressing room, but not tonight. She was too angry to enjoy the richly decorated bedroom, furnished completely in sturdy mahogany furniture. The bed was so high off the floor it seemed one would need a ladder to climb on it. Fuchsia-colored curtains of a light fabric adorned the windows, and a gorgeous Persian rug lay in the middle of the room. There was also a working fireplace with brass andirons, as well as a full-sized bathroom. Three steps in one corner of the room led down to a smaller dressing room, which was the area to which Lexi walked Chanelle to have their little tête-à-tête.
    Mandy followed and instantly dropped her workbag on the floor when she spotted four delicate crystal flutes and a bottle of champagne that sat on ice inside a silver bucket. She snatched the champagne out of the bucket, ripped off the shiny wrapping, and began anxiously working on the cork until it finally popped. She filled one of the flutes and then sank down into a cushy small sofa situated very close to the bubbly. She had a ringside seat to watch Chanelle and Lexi go at it.
    “Jesus,” Lexi snapped at Chanelle. “Did you have to get so loud and boisterous in front of the fellas?”
    “Jesus,” Chanelle mimicked. “Did you have to lie to get me here?”
    Lexi’s face turned crimson. “I didn’t lie. I’m paying you two-fifty an hour.”
    “To do what?”
    “Dance. And to…you know…keep the guys entertained.”
    “I’m not a prostitute,” Chanelle reminded her.
    “We know!” Lexi and Mandy shouted in sarcastic unison.
    “So, why did you book me to do a lesbo show when you know I’m not into that type of party?”
    “Why are you twisting an innocent, sensual dance with Mandy into a full-scale lesbian exhibition?”
    Chanelle paused as she considered Lexi’s words, then she raised her head. “If it’s such an innocent dance, why aren’t you doing it? And come to think about it, how come you were sitting downstairs acting all chummy with the men?” Chanelle looked Lexi over. “You’re still wearing your street clothes; aren’t you gonna change into your stripper gear, too?”
    Indignant fingers fluttered to Lexi’s chest. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m coordinating this event and I’m the person who’s going to pay you. I never told you I was planning to participate. Besides, you shouldn’t concern yourself with what I do.”
    Enraged, Chanelle got so close to Lexi she imagined she could hear Lexi’s heart beating through her plastic tits. “Bitch, I know you must have