Lordy, I hoped so.

Chapter Thirteen

“Did you bring something to dance in?” Roy asked, walking past us and leading us through a door.

“No,” Neely Kate said. “We plum forgot.”

He ushered us into a big room filled with tables, the length of one wall lined by a mirror. He pointed to a laundry basket of clothes. “You can wear your own bra and panties, then put some layers from the basket on over them. After Sparkle comes off, you’re up next.”

Neely Kate’s face froze. “What?”

“I said you’re up next.”

She blinked and pulled out her best indignant attitude. “I was told this was an audition.”

“It is. On stage. Our afternoon crowd is pathetic at best. If you suck, no harm, no foul.”

He walked out of the room, and I shook my head, my eyes wide with horror.

Neely Kate took a step toward me. “Now Rose, calm down.”

“Calm down?” I took a step back. “This is crazy even for us.”

She took my hands. “Okay. We’ll tell them you don’t want to do it. It’ll be fine.”

“You’re actually gonna do it?”

She cocked her head. “I know how to dance on a pole, Rose.”

“What?”

“Dolly Parton taught me back when she was at the Bunny Ranch. She had a pole in her momma’s garage she used to practice on. It’s really good exercise, you know.”

My mouth opened, but no words came out.

She pulled her cotton shirt over her head, revealing a pink with white polka dot bra.

“Neely Kate! What are you doing?”

She gave me a condescending glare as she unbuttoned her pants and started to slide them over her hips. “Hell’s bells, Rose. I’ve worn less than this at the Henryetta pool. Calm down.”

“How can I calm down when my best friend is about to strip on stage?”

“I’m not gonna take off my bra. I’ll go out there, swing around the pole some, and then they’ll boo me off stage when I don’t show them the goods.”

“Then why do it at all?”

“When Sparkle comes back here, you can quiz her about Dolly Parton and the bartender.”

The song streaming in from the bar area came to an end.

“Can you do that?” she asked.

What in the world was happening?

“Rose,” she hissed, moving closer and grabbing my shoulders. “Can you do that?”

I nodded. “Yes. Just be careful.”

She laughed. “Nothing dangerous is happening here. In fact, if I didn’t know it would give Ronnie a conniption, I’d take off my bra to show ’em what I’ve got.” She laughed from my shock. “What? I’m gonna be whippin’ my boobs out to breastfeed soon enough. What’s the difference?”

She had a point.

A girl with jet-black hair came through a door. The color of her hair was a sharp contrast to her pale skin, but more noticeable was the fact that she was topless and wearing the tiniest pair of red underwear I’d ever seen.

I felt my face getting hot.

Her hard gaze landed on the two of us, roaming over Neely Kate’s girl-next-door underwear. “Roy says you’re both auditioning. That ain’t gonna cut it around here.”

Neely Kate put a hand on her hip. “I wasn’t prepared to audition today. I keep the racy stuff for the stage, so this’ll have to do for now. But all I have are these boots for shoes.” She lifted a leg to show the stripper her three-inch heeled black patent leather boots.

“Those’ll work for this afternoon,” Sparkle said, then her gaze returned to me. “Why aren’t you ready?”

Neely Kate lifted her shoulder with a graceful shrug, her blonde hair tumbling down her arm. “She can’t bring herself to do it. She’s a little shy even though Dolly Parton told us this was a great place to work.”

“Dolly Parton?” Sparkle asked as she reached for a bra on the table.

“You probably know her as Sapphire.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened with recognition, but then she scowled. “That girl ran off with Nikko and left us high and dry. We’re short-handed right when our business is picking up. I can’t complain too much, since the money’s damn good, but you can only do so many lap dances in a day, you know?”

I really had no idea, and the thought made my face even hotter.

She leaned close to me. “Your thighs start to give out,” she stage whispered.

“Why is business picking up?” Neely Kate asked.

“‘Cause Mud’s got a master plan to take all the business from the Bunny Ranch.”

“Why’s he trying to take all their business?” I asked.

“Because of who owns it.”

“Something Bad” by Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood started playing in the bar.

Sparkle slipped her arms through the bra straps and pointed a thumb toward the stage. “That’s your cue, sugar. You better get goin’.”

Neely Kate flashed me a grin. She sure didn’t look very nervous. If it were me, I’d be on the verge of throwing up. “Wish me luck.”

She didn’t look like she needed it. “Break a leg.”

Neely Kate disappeared between the curtain, and I was tempted to go over and watch. I sure was curious to see what she could do on a pole. But I knew she’d kill me if I didn’t get something out of Sparkle.