From FLESH - Please let this nightmare end. Someday. Somehow. - on WIP It Up Wednesday #Wipitup

I'm back with another excerpt from FL.E.S.H. Peyton has watched Flame perform and is fascinated but mentally slaps himself in the back of the head and leaves the bar. Flame finishes her set and strolls backstage.



Flame pressed her chest against the dance pole, arched her back and jutted her butt back to the audience. The music ended with a crash. She heaved a sigh of relief. Another shift done. With her left arch hurting, right Achilles tendon aching, and lower back throbbing, she exited the stage and limped to the dressing room. The chatter was much quieter. The performers were exhausted. It had been an extra-long night having to fill in for the injured Jade. And as Cotton Candy had predicted, tips sucked.Financially for Flame, it had been a good night. She'd won the weekly question draw, which was more than the rest of her night's tips, plus the unexpected fifty dollar tip. As Flame passed Cotton Candy, she stood and yawned. "I'm outta here. See y'all tomorrow. 'Night, Flame."Flame gave her a brief hug. "Night. Drive safe." She settled onto her chair. The cool, cracked fake leather of the seat pad felt scratchy against her glittery butt. She bent low and released the buckles on both shoes and kicked them under her makeup table. Someday, I'll never have to wear those stupid things again.She leaned against the back of the chair, shivering when her hot, sweaty back met the cold metal. She flicked off the five false, red lacquered talons that were her performance fingernails and tossed them into a small jar. A moment later, the five from her other hand were dropped in. Moving closer to the mirror, she grabbed the edge of her right, gold tipped, extra-long eyelash and carefully peeled it off. Doing the same with the left, she dropped them into their little plastic case and clicked the lid shut. Reaching into her pile of makeup, she opened a bottle of makeup remover and grabbed a small round cotton pad. Pouring the remover onto the pad she reached over her shoulder and scrubbed at the tattoo. In a few moments, most of the mark was gone.I'm a fake. Nothing about Flame is real. My eyelashes. My nails. My name. My soul. She closed her eyes and hung her head. Please let this nightmare end. Someday. Somehow.
What's happening in the rest of the month on Erotic Notions
9 – Author Spotlight - Deb Julienne - Crashing Into Love box set – A Splash of Romance
10 - Book Boyfriends Cafe #HotForFriday11 – My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday12 – Author Spotlight – Liza O'Connor - The Gods of Probabilities 13 – Author Spotlight –  Clare James - Caught 14 – Author Spotlight – Annabeth Leong - Challenge Accepted15 - WIP It Up Wednesday #Wipitup16 – Author Spotlight – Melissa Keir - Crashing Into Love boxed set – Crash and Burn17 – Book Boyfriends Cafe #HotForFriday18 – My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday19 – Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday20 - Author Spotlight –Cheryl Douglas - Deacon21 – Author Spotlight – Teri Anne Stanley - Drunk on You 22 – WIP It Up Wednesday #Wipitup23 – Thursday 13  #Thursday1324 – Book Boyfriends Cafe #HotForFriday25 - My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday27 – Author Spotlight – Abigail Lee Justice - Heart Series28 – Author Spotlight – D.L. McCleary - A Good Day29 – WIP It Up Wednesday #Wipitup30 – Author Spotlight – Lisa Kumar - Crashing Into Love boxed set – Crashing Into You31 - Book Boyfriends Cafe #HotForFriday