genes I guess,” she answered. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Capri. Nice to meet you,” she chirped with a sweet smile. “And you are?”
“Laci.”
“I love that name. I knew a Laci when I was in high school and she was the prettiest girl in school. I wonder if all girls named Laci are just naturally destined to be gorgeous.”
“Oh, God, shut up already,” the redhead muttered, rolling her eyes as she stalked past them. “Your set is next and if you get in my way, I’ll shove you off the stage.”
Capri scowled but otherwise didn’t retaliate, waiting until the redhead had left to talk again. “Ugh, that’s Raquel. She’s a bitch. Try to ignore her, though. She’s mean to everyone. Well, everyone except Big Jane, ’cause Big Jane would knock her head off.”
Capri was silly and seemed completely oblivious to anything beyond the sparkle on her sequins, which made her a safe harbor for Poppy. Maybe the witless Capri could unwittingly give her information.
“You’re so sweet,” Poppy said, smiling. “Thank you. New city, new job, I’m a little out of my element. I came to Miami for school but you know how that goes... Money is tight so I heard dancing at the right club could solve my tuition problem.”
“You can make a ton of money if you know what you’re doing,” Capri answered, adding with a giggle, “But I’d never spend all that hard-earned cash on school when there are so many other things you can spend it on like nice clothes, sparkly things and fast cars, you know?”
“Tempting,” Poppy said, smiling. “But for now, I’d just like to graduate college without a ton of debt.”
Capri shrugged, bored. “To each his own.”
Poppy realized talking about aspirations wasn’t going to draw the girl to her, so she switched tracks.
“This place is amazing. So cutting-edge. I can’t believe I got in.”
Capri’s eyes lit up, happy to talk about something she cared about.
“Lit is one of the best clubs I’ve ever worked for.”
“Yeah? How many clubs have you worked for?” Poppy couldn’t help her curiosity. “I mean, you look so young.”
“Age is just a number, right?” Capri giggled. “I mean, it’s experience that matters.”
Poppy withheld the cringe. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Anyway, yeah, Lit is the best. I worked my butt off to get into Lit. You don’t even want to know what I had to do to earn a spot.”
Poppy ignored the little voice in her head that told her to dig deeper into Capri’s backstory. She couldn’t stand the thought of a young girl selling herself because she didn’t know any better, but she wasn’t here to save anyone. Not even exploited teens who didn’t have the sense God gave a goose to know they were headed down a dark path.
“I’m so nervous,” Poppy admitted. That part wasn’t acting. Her hands were shaking. “I wish I had a drink before hitting the stage.”
“If you’re real nice to Angelo, he’ll take care of you,” Capri said. “He’s a sweetie. And so cute. But watch out because Brandi is a jealous bitch if she thinks you’re moving in on her man. Geesh, you’d think she owns the guy or something.”
“So Brandi and Angelo have a thing?”
“Yeah, I guess so. But can you keep a secret?” Capri leaned forward with an excited gleam in her eye. When Poppy nodded, Capri shared, “Angelo likes me, too. He says he’s going to take care of me, introduce me to the right people.”
“And how exactly would he do that?”
“By introducing me to a sugar daddy, of course, silly,” Capri said with a giggle. “The amount of money that comes through these doors is obscene. You’ll see. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll catch your own sugar daddy.”
Good lord, she hoped not.
“I mean, I have my regular and he’s pretty nice,” Capri continued, playing with a sequin on her tight body suit. “But a girl needs to spread her wings, see what else is out there, you know?”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Poppy asked.
“God no. He’s not the boyfriend type,” Capri answered with a laugh as if the idea were absurd. “Actually, he’s...let’s just say, he likes what he likes and he doesn’t mind paying for it. But he’s superrich. I’m talking loaded and he’s very generous when he’s pleased.”
The girl had just admitted to prostituting herself. Poppy tried not to fixate on that point. Busting people for underage prostitution was not their focus.
“Are you sure that’s safe?” Poppy couldn’t help but ask.
“You sound like an old lady,” Capri said, giggling. “Besides, he doesn’t ask for too kinky of stuff. It’s like a date but instead of dinner and a movie...you get a fat wad of cash. Can’t beat that, right?”
Poppy nodded as if she agreed, but inside she was horrified. Capri was too young for this.
“Hey, maybe after we get to know each other, I can introduce you. My friend is always looking for new playmates.”
“Thanks,” Poppy said, forcing a bright smile for Capri’s benefit, but inside she was stunned at how cavalier Capri was about selling her body.
This was a foreign world and Poppy was feeling the cultural differences.
“No problem,” Capri said with a sweet smile as if she’d just offered to swap banana bread recipes instead of sharing sexual contacts. “There’s something about you that I like. I hope you stick around. Good luck with your set.”
Poppy murmured her thanks and watched as Capri returned to her vanity to touch up her makeup.
Heaven help her. When this was all finished, Poppy was going to find a way to help Capri see that there was a different life out there waiting for her to grab on to it.
Of course, Poppy knew that people who didn’t want help didn’t appreciate the effort others took on their behalf, but Poppy didn’t care. Capri needed something better than what she was doing.
Whether she knew it or not.
Poppy swallowed as Big Jane hollered for Capri, who then hurried off to start her set, leaving Poppy to try to figure out how she was going to hold on to her position when she didn’t have a clue as to what she was doing.
You’re in over your head, Shaine’s voice intruded in her thoughts, and her gaze narrowed.
Like hell she was.
Moving backstage, she watched Raquel as she finished her set and then Capri danced onto the platform. The girl could move and she could work a crowd.
Pushing aside the concern
