They told her not to drink too much. Keep it light. Behave.
They gave her gowns to wear, lingerie for underneath…diamonds to sparkle on her skin. All top dollar. She was almost amused by how much they threw away on her. They probably didn't even notice how much they spent.
Cowards - as if money, glitz and glamor could ever cover up the truth. But it was far better treatment than what most women in this sick industry experienced, and she reminded herself of that every morning when she woke up in the bed in her hotel suite. It still made her want to puke.
They followed her everywhere…even when it was just her and Jazzi.
She felt mute - too frightened to break the silence and expose them both, too afraid to break character and lose her composer. Jazzi merely watched her, but Tiffany could read her eyes: she was thinking of a way out.
Until then, all they could do was play the part.
No phone, no books, no distractions from the thoughts swirling in her head. TV was infuriating - how could the world keep turning as if horrible unspeakable things weren't taking place under everyone's nose?
Tiffany closed her eyes, blocking out the mirrored image in front of her over the sink, dressed to impress. Seeing the amount of makeup on her face only reminded her of the panic and heartbreak that lied beneath. Jazzi was calling for her outside the door.
She took a deep breath. Fuck these guys…Ok, go.
Five clients. She had to get through this week with five clients.
They didn't tell her who they were or what they did. No matter: she already knew the names they used were fake.
When they were originally hired at the club, Kiki collected information and briefed Tiffany every night with profiles and history, which she then delivered to Agent Martin. Tiffany knew exactly who these men were.
And when they had the chance on campus, Tiffany and the girls went over every detail, every planned date: what she should say, what she needed to listen for. They couldn't risk bugging her, in case they got handsy. But she made sure to tell Jazzi everything.
She had to see this as an opportunity. She had to see this as their shot. She had no other choice.
After struggling through classes and rehearsals she couldn't even bring herself to focus on, Tiffany was amazed she could stay awake through the night. She carried conversation, she laughed at their stupid jokes and sexual comments, touched their thigh or hand here and there. She let them kiss her lips, her neck. Her skin pricked beneath their gazes and touch, and she hoped her eyes didn't look as deadpan as they felt. At least she wasn't obligated to do more than the bare minimum with them...but she had never craved a shower more.
It was all public on purpose: galas, dinner parties of politicians and celebrities, operas. She was told from the beginning what she was: polished advertisement. Have a beauty like this on your arm, make your ex-wife or mistress jealous, you can take her for a spin.
Cage communicated quickly when she brought in business…or messed up.
"If only you could lose the 'bored to death' face," he said with a smirk, his dark sunglasses glinting in the car as they took her to the third client. "You'd secure the boss's favor."
Jazzi's eyes bore into the back of his head from the backseat.
But it didn't matter, the third client was furious: he didn't understand why he paid so much money for front row seats at the Lincoln Center only to have her cry the entire time. But that didn't stop him from bidding almost three hundred thousand dollars for her, the most beautiful exotic dancer in the city.
Cage scoffed as they rode back to the hotel. He didn't look up from his phone. "Chump change."
Much to her displeasure, she was recognized by the other men at these events, too, each from the club. Regulars. Their eyes raked over her and they smirked as they watched her without shame. Oh so she does have a price. They made their way to Cage, who conveniently stayed in the wings.
One idiot even followed her into the bathroom. At least Cage's goon proved to be of some use - after she slammed the guy's head into a stall.
But no one recognized her from NYU, and if they did they showed mercy by pretending not to.
She felt dirty after each five star restaurant, the limo rides, the gifts she was forced to accept from them. After date number three she slammed the door of her hotel suite and locked Jazzi out…she didn't even try to get in and soothe her.
She couldn't, however, hide her emotions from her friends, or the weight she carried.
She slipped and fell hard during a number, hearing an audible gasp from the bleachers as the music stopped; Honey and Jade were up in the sound booth with Kiki.
Tiffany looked up to see Tyler kneeling in front of her, close enough to whisper so no one else would hear.
"Are you ok?" He was suddenly so serious, all hints of joking and laughter gone from his beautiful face.
She smirked to try and relieve him of the look in his eyes. "Just tired."
"Is it Jack?"
Tears filled her eyes before she could keep them at bay. Every day, she fought them. Tyler's frown deepened as he read her face.
"No - no, it's…it's not him."
"You look terrified," he muttered through still lips.
Tyler's perfect eyebrows knit together as his eyes flashed to Jazzi at the sidelines before he helped her up. Then he spoke at regular volume.
"Take a break if you need to - if anyone deserves that, its' you."
"I'm alright."
"Well, at least come with me to the coffee shop - you can't tell me you don't need an espresso." His forced casual tone almost made her laugh.
He took her hand. "C'mon."
He shouted over his shoulder as he walked quickly across the floor with her in tow – "We'll be back! Jazzi, you like yours black, right?"
Jazzi looked up from her phone, her unamused eyes meeting Tiffany's –
"...just like your heart," Tyler mumbled as he tucked Tiffany's hand closer to his side.
Jazzi looked back down to her phone as Tyler burst through the side door and sped to a hallway that did not lead to the coffee shop… When he turned around with his arms out to her, she collapsed into him.
She sobbed until she heaved, her friend's arms squeezing her gently. It felt comforting to be against his muscles, but she cried harder when she wished it was Jack instead.
She was exhausted, delirious, and desperate to know the others were safe…as Cage had promised.
She covered her face. It had only been a week since her birthday and she tried, and failed, every moment since to not think of Jack. He was in her thoughts, her dreams, everywhere - even on campus when she spied them across the quad, carrying flooring materials into the dance hall, their faces drawn. She tried to wait for him to look up, just once, but she was always pushed forward by Jazzi.
"Tiffany," Tyler cooed sadly, his hand rubbing her back.
She closed her eyes tighter - she was sick of hearing that name.
She pulled away and wiped her face, "I'm fine –"
"You may not be able to tell me," he said in a low voice, his intense eyes holding hers as he gripped her arms. "But - please know I'm a safe space for you. I know you can afford any place in the city – but you always have a safe place to stay."
She looked at him sweetly, "I don't think those exist for me anymore."
His eyes read hers desperately. "Tiff -"
She stepped away from him, physically and mentally for her sanity, and wiped her eyes and pinched her cheeks.
He sighed. "Right: espresso."
They waited in line inside the campus coffee shop, light snowflakes falling outside the decorated windows and piling on the snow drifts on the sidewalks. She began to play with her braid as her eyes roamed around them nervously; girls wrapped in scarves giggling and joking as they texted and complained about finals, professors glancing at their watches, students and people streaming in from the cold – how long before the goon came to fetch her – ?
Her breath caught.
Outside, Mush was walking to the coffee shop. Bundled up in thick cargo pants and jacket, he was talking with a girl - a young woman with short blonde hair holding books. Both of them looked tired.
Seeing his face made her heart jump, but fear gripped her throat.
They entered the busy café, and Tiffany wasn't sure if her face looked horrified or relieved. But her blood ran cold when the blonde's eyes met hers and Mush spotted her in the same instant – she dropped her gaze and turned her attention to the cashier. Tyler ordered her a double espresso and a cappuccino…
She swallowed, feeling claustrophobic all of a sudden. She broke out in a sweat, her heart like a drum within her ribcage.
To communicate or not?
Stupid - How could that even be a question. Just being in the same room as him sent her into a panic.
She closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing.
It was the same feeling she had every night in her hotel suite. Seizing, terrifying.
Fight or flight.
She heard Mush whisper to his friend, "Let me see your pen…" She heard paper tearing.
Tiffany hoped Tyler wouldn't notice any of this – but of course he did. He glanced back at Mush. But he didn't say anything - she gave the cashier her name for her student account before Tyler could pay for it.
"Tiffany Wingham."
She spoke convincingly enough but Tyler looked at her again, probably wondering why she was so pale. She felt clammy all over, hoping against hope Cage's goon wouldn't walk in.
They stepped to the side to wait for their order, the queue filling up. Tiffany fought every muscle in her body not to look at Mush. She felt the blonde glancing at her…
Kat. They had some of the same core classes. She'd even heard the guys mention her name…so she was friends with them.
But there was something else, another piece she couldn't place. She risked a peak at them.
Mush stood close to the counter, folding a piece of paper. When Tyler's order came up in a carrying tray, Mush quickly tucked the note next to her coffee.
Tiffany's heart flew, her breathing hitched. She glanced at Kat.
She looked away quickly and fainted a smile, saying something to Mush at normal volume.
"Medda's tonight for dinner, right?"
"Yeah, pizza - no complaints there."
Tiffany could hear the difference in Mush's voice, slower and lower in tone than normal, rougher. It felt so strange, so wrong, not to say anything to him. It didn't suit his warm eyes to look so sad. But he was alert all the same as his eyes met hers for an instant, as if he were shouting.
Tyler picked up the drink tray and she exhaled shakily as she turned and opened the door, not looking behind her.
Just as she figured, the goon was walking nonchalantly up the sidewalk outside the side entrance to the arena, his gaze boring into her through his dark sunglasses. He might as well have been a Men in Black agent for his ability to 'blend in'.
"I take it the club is a little paranoid," Tyler muttered to her.
"You don't miss much do you, Tyler."
"Honey and I talk…" he implied as she reached for two of the coffees, her hand covering up the note.
"...and I especially didn't miss that," Tyler said.
Tiffany gave him a pointed look before handing the bald goon-in-a-suit a coffee.
"Take this to Jazzi?" she asked.
He made a disapproving noise as he took the coffee and waited for them to pass.
Once inside the doors, Tyler didn't ask any questions as she turned sharply to go upstairs. He followed her to the sound booth, her friends' heads snapping up as she ripped open the door. Kiki slid her headphones off and Honey slid down from her seat on the counter. Jade stopped throwing a bouncy ball, clutching it in her hand as she sat up from the floor.
"You're not supposed to be here," Honey hissed at them both, glancing over her shoulder at the window.
Jade's eyes narrowed on Tiffany's face. "I know that look."
Tiffany hadn't noticed her hands were shaking until she reached for the note in her sports bra and unfolded it. They came to her side and Tyler towered over them, clutching the coffee drink tray in his hands. They stood in silence, reading and rereading Mush's messy scrawl:
Boss's brother knows who you are. Need a jar of honey at the pub ASAP. Mush
P.s. we're ok. Jack's ok.
They looked up at Honey, who stared at Tiffany wide-eyed.
Kiki reread the note, "...they…know who you are?"
"But how?" Honey's voice shook.
"Wouldn't Cage have rubbed that in your face by now?" Jade fired.
"He already has," Tiffany said numbly, thinking back to a week ago. "He said…he had an idea who would out bid the others... a family member."
Honey's voice sounded far away. "The fifth client."
"Phillip? Roger's brother?" Jade, for the first time, looked afraid.
"Roger and Phillip Wilks?" Tyler asked. "That's who you work for? Honey why didn't you tell me -"
"And compromise your ability to deny anything?" Honey shook her head. "We're already in deep shit. And now Mush risking this -"
"Phillip is a twisted son of a bitch -" Jade gritted. "Fuck!" She threw the bouncy ball hard into a corner.
"If he knows who I am…then we're busted." Tiffany felt the last bit of her hope slip away -
"Not necessarily," Tyler interjected.
They looked at him and he shrugged under their confused gazes. "Well, you just have to play the part, right? Play dumb – when's your date with him?"
"The night of the gala," Jade recited, watching Tiffany. "She's to dance her number, attend the gala with him, and resume at the club -"
"And when can we meet Mush?" Tyler asked Honey.
Honey sputtered, "W-what? And risk them seeing us –?"
"We need to call Agent Martin," Kiki said. "Maybe he can help, maybe the guys know something we don't…they do know Cage after all."
"Agent Martin?" Tyler asked, his face stunned before he shook his head and handed Tiffany her double shot espresso. "Never mind - when is your next...client?"
"Not 'til this weekend," she answered suspiciously. Where was he going with this…?
"Perfect, they'll be distracted." He turned to Honey. "You and me, you're gonna fill me in on everything and I'll drive us to this…pub, where is it?"
"I know how to get there," Honey said. But she looked at Tiffany with wild worry. "Tiff-"
"What other plan do we have?" Tiffany asked with a humorless laugh. "As long as they don't know where you are. It's your night off right?"
Honey groaned.
"We'll take my piece of shit Toyota," Tyler offered as he chugged the rest of his coffee, his pecs flexing. "C'mon, it's been a minute since I played spy."
"So much for your deniability," Honey muttered, rolling her eyes.
"And I'll cover any loose ends," Jade said with a smirk. "I love a dirty play."
Kiki and Jade accompanied Tiffany back to Jazzi while Honey and Tyler went back to the coffee shop –
Tyler held up a twenty, the barista's eyes widening.
"Do me a favor, love?"
Eight coffees to the construction site in the Dance Hall. Jack and Mush spied a note against one of the to-go cups as the barista placed the trays on the floor. The guys shouted 'thank yous' and bumped into each other as they clamored behind Mush, shouting for him to open the note faster:
tonight, midnight
Mush smiled for the first time in days. "Race, text David and Spot."
Jazzi eyed Tiffany suspiciously in the car as they left campus but Tiffany kept her gaze out the window. Tonight she would keep them busy at the club, keep them distracted by whatever means necessary.
She was relieved by Mush's note but not by much...she closed her eyes, praying silently that Tyler would keep Honey safe. She knew how excited and nervous Honey was to see Mush again.
And prayed even harder...that she'd see Jack again some day.
She had to hold on - she had to get proof. She had to make this all worth something.
