Page 48 of Strip Search

I was going to throw up. No. I was just not going to the audition. I wasted five valuable minutes arguing with myself. Then I ran up to my room to get changed into a tight T-shirt and my stripper shorts. I was not wearing the butt floss. No way. No how.

Miles texted when I was in the car. My phone read the text to me over the rental car’s speakers.

Good Morning, beautiful. Can you get here around three and we can drive up to Pahrump?

It was ten a.m. now.

Instead of texting him back, I called. I needed to hear his voice. He was the only one I could tell this to without dealing with backlash and baggage. The hands-free dialed out for me.

“Hi,” I said when he picked up. “Do you have a minute?”

“Is everything all right?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Do you need me to come over?”

I smiled. “I needed you last night.”

“I’m sorry. The jerks at the gas company took their sweet-ass time. It was after dawn by the time they cleared the place.”

“I wouldn’t have minded being woken up by you.” At a stoplight, I stared at my nails critically. I should have gotten a mani-pedi the moment I arrived. Hopefully, no one would notice.

“I wouldn’t have been at my best.”

I shivered at the rough tone of his voice.

“You could come over now,” he said. “I’ll make you some breakfast.”

“I’ve already eaten.”

“Perfect. Then I’ll have you for breakfast.”

Swallowing hard, I shifted in the driver’s seat. “Sounds great, but I’m going to have to take a rain check.”

“You better not be in Pahrump already,” he growled.

“I’m not. I’m actually going to the Odyssey casino right now.”

“I didn’t think they were open.”

“They’re not, but they’re auditioning for their new showTravestyand . . . I’m going to give it a shot.” I had to lower the volume at his whoop of encouragement.

“You’re going to blow them all away,” he said.

“That’s the plan. If I can stop shaking.”

“I wish I could be there to cheer you on.”

Damn, had anyone ever said that to me? “I’m scared.”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. You know how these things go. You’ve done auditions before. Just go out there and show them that star quality that you showed us last night. Only keep your clothes on.”

I had to laugh. “They wouldn’t blink an eye if I went out there naked.”

“I doubt that. You’re going to slay them, sweetheart. What are you going to do if you get the part?”

“I won’t. They’ll do a callback.” At least, I thought they would. “Anyway, I can’t think about that right now. I just have to get through the audition first.”