Justine finished her set, picking up her clothes, and she moved to the backroom under the applause of the crowd. She had stripped completely this time, so she pranced back naked towards the mirrors. It was a Tuesday evening; there were only two dancers, quite enough for the small crowd out there. Justine had met the new girl only yesterday; she was barely nineteen, but already her face was showing signs of wear. Heavy makeup covered the bruises around her eyes.
Justine stopped to stare for a moment.
"What?" the other girl asked.
"...nothing. Just looking at how pretty you are."
"Thanks."
The girl was taken aback by the compliment.
"Cecilia, right?"
"Yeah. You're Justine... watched you dance. You looked hot."
"Not bad for a 32 year old woman."
"You're 32? I would have said 25!"
"Thanks, doll."
It was obvious that Cecilia was distraught. She wasn't due on stage for another fifteen minutes, so Justine figured she had time to chat with her.
"...are you ok?"
Cecilia stared blankly at herself in the mirror.
"No... I... I need this job but... I'm scared."
"Scared of what?"
There was a level of confidence found between dancers - when they weren't competing - that was akin to camaraderie or friendship. Justine was just good at drawing it out because she wasn't competitive at all. Cecilia answered.
"I threw the bum out last week... he... after he..."
"It's all right. You're safe. They take care of us here..."
"Except... I don't have any money left... and my name's not on the lease so... I can't go back."
Justine paused, and her mind raced.
"How desperate are you, Cecilia?"
"It's bad, I tell you..."
"You need a place to stay?"
"I do... why... are you offering?"
"Not exactly."
It had been six months since Justine had moved in; she was considering moving out to spend more time with Gael and leaving the flat to her daughter. But the deed wasn't done yet. And Cecilia...
"Look, it's not perfect but... depending on how you feel... My landlord has free apartments."
"That's wonderful, but I don't have any money at the moment... and I just need it, maybe for a week or two."
"Maybe we can arrange something," Justine started.
How the wheel turns, Justine told herself, thinking back on her own life these past six months.
--- THE END ---
A writer is nothing without his readers. Thanks to everyone who commented, I hope you enjoyed this one, and I certainly hope you enjoy all my other stories. As long as I get some feedback every now and then, I'll keep pumping out the stories.
Don't forget to check my other story thread, in the basic story section: A Bundle of Trials, at http://www.getdare.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=192083
And please stay tuned for my next R-18 story...[/I]