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Chapter 8 (Lou-Lou)
I look in the mirror and try to calm myself down.
I can hear the crowd going wild out there and I'm not sure if I can do this.
I glance over at Scarlet. She's perfectly content sitting at the makeup counter filing her nails, seemingly without a care in the world. Then again she does take off her clothes for a living.
She gives me a dirty look and I tell myself not to go off on her. I have much more important things to worry about.
Like Bruno watching me on the camera's tonight. He made it clear that he expects me to take my ring girl job very seriously while I'm in the cage.
It's not that the actual job of holding cards up is hard, I can do that in my sleep—it's the anxiety that I know will wash over me like a tidal wave once I get out there.
I hear the sound of the door opening and Luke sticks his head in. “Be ready in 15,” he yells in my direction.
I almost forgot...I'm up first on rotation.
I bounce on the balls of my feet and shake my arms out while Scarlet gives me the stink eye.
I'm about to inform her that if she does it again it's going to be a permanent look for her but then Ricardo walks in and the butterflies in my tummy decide to kick it up a notch.
Scarlet leaps out of her chair but his focus is on me. “You okay?”
I raise my chin. “I'm fine.”
His gaze drifts over to Scarlet who plasters a smile on her face until he says, “Can you give us a minute alone, Scar?”
She throws her nail file on the ground and gives me her dirtiest look yet. Of course, it's when Ricardo's back is turned away from her.
“Don't be nervous,” he says after she leaves.
“Easy for you to say. You're not the one who's going to be preening around like a peacock while tons of men look at you.”
“You'll be fine,” he assures me. “Besides, I'm not going to let anything happen to you.”
I have to ignore the way my heart pitter-patters when he says that.
I go back to fixing myself in the mirror. “Have you told Tyrone and Jackson about our fake relationship yet?”
“No. I haven't gotten around to it. Fight night is really busy.”
“5 minutes,” Luke shouts.
“I have to go, but you'll do great...if you get nervous just look for me on the sidelines.”
“Thanks.”
He gives me that lopsided panty-melting smile of his before he walks out the door.
That only causes my heart to race even more.
Especially when I think about what it felt like waking up in his arms a few short hours ago.
It was the best sleep I've ever had in my life and that terrifies me.
“You're up!” Luke shouts.
I take a deep breath and walk out to face the crowd.
All things considered, it could have gone worse. I hated every minute of it but every time my anxiety got the best of me, my eyes found Ricardo's and with a single look he calmed me down.
I'm making my way back to the dressing room when out of nowhere Scarlet hip checks me into the wall and walks ahead of me.
I'm right on her heels when we enter the room.“What the hell is your problem?”
She picks up the nail file again and I seriously consider shoving it into one of her eyeballs when she says, “You do know that Ricardo could never actually be interested in you, right?”
I open my mouth to tell her off but she points the file at me. “Honey, not to be a bitch but look at him—” She looks down her nose at me and snarls. “And look at you.”
She puts her hand over her heart and cackles. “You have the body of a 12-year-old boy. There's no way he's going from me to the likes of you. You couldn't be further from his type if you were in a different dimension.” She turns to the mirror and fluffs her hair. “I mean, really...you're not even attractive.” She shudders. “It actually hurts to look at you because you're so ugly.”
I run out the door but not before she calls out, “And I'd be willing to bet an entire month's rent that you'll never be able to live up to what he likes in bed.”
I run right past Tyrone and Jackson, run past the monstrous cage, and head for the exit door in the back so I can get some air.
That's when my phone rings and Bruno's name flashes on the screen. “Why are you ru
My breathing must give me away because he says, “Bambina what's wrong? Talk to me.”
“Do you think I'm ugly?”
I know I shouldn't let her comments get to me but I can't help it. They really stung. Each and every one of them.
And I know I'm ugly...especially on the inside.
“Jesus Christ, I don't have time for this shit, Lucia
“Just answer the question, please. I need to know.”
I draw in a shaky breath and let it out. He clears his throat on the other line. “You're gorgeous, Lucia
As usual, talking to Bruno only makes me feel worse about myself.
And that feeling only grows stronger when I walk back into the club and see Ricardo with his arm around Scarlet before they walk out the door together.
So much for being friends. So much for trusting him.
My heart plummets and before I make a spectacle of myself and Bruno see's it on camera, I walk out the door.
I'm heading into my apartment when Tyrone's voice halts me. “Hey, is everything okay?”
“Not really. I'm having a bad night.”
He gestures to his apartment. “You wa
I'm about to turn him down because I want to be alone, but my mind conjures up images of what Ricardo is most likely doing with Scarlet right now.
Then before I know it, I'm smiling because spending time with Tyrone sounds like a great idea.