I writhe and gyrate, my body moving to the flow of the music, just like I’ve always done. The only difference this time is my heart isn’t in it. I don’t know if it ever will be again.

After I left Derek’s palace two days ago after talking to that woman, I wandered around St. Albans in a daze, trying to process everything that happened. I had no idea what to believe. But the more I thought about it, the harder it was to convince myself that what Derek and I had was special. How could it be? He’s a prince. I’m a stripper. I should've known all along.

But I went and fell in love. And now all I’ve got to show for it is a broken heart.

I continue running my hands all over my body, peeling my clothes off as I hustle for tips. It’s what I know best. It’s my talent. All the girls in this club are constantly giving me side-eye. I know they hate me.

I mean, I showed up at the Lusty Lady out of nowhere yesterday and was hired on the spot. I immediately started getting all the best customers, all the tips. I can’t help it. I’m a VIP world-class stripper.

They can hate me if they want. It doesn’t matter. Nothing really matters now that I don’t have Derek. I’m just going to keep doing what I do best. I’ll dance here for a while until I recoup the money I spent coming here to find Derek. I don’t want to spend another penny of my hard-earned savings now. I’ll keep dancing, then maybe I’ll travel the world. See everything there is out there. I can dance anywhere. Pay my way by taking jobs at the world’s most elite strip clubs.

Maybe that will help me find some kind of happiness again. Even though right now, I don’t feel like anything will fix the way my heart feels.

The song ends and I go offstage, taking my stack of bills with me back to the dressing room. It’s only a matter of time before I start getting requests for private dances tonight from the men who just watched me onstage.

I toss my money in my locker and sit down in front of the mirror to touch up my makeup and hair.

When I’m done, I lean forward, resting my chin in my hands.

“What’s up with you?” one of the girls asks. I can’t tell if she really wants to know, or if she’s just being a jealous bitch. It’s hard to care.

I shrug. “Just trying to get my head in the game.”

She snorts. “Shouldn’t be all that hard considering you’ve raked in all the money tonight. And last night.”

I hear the bitterness in her voice. Yep, she doesn’t like me.

“Where did you even come from, anyway?”

I sigh. “Doesn’t matter. And don’t worry. I won’t be here long. Just long enough to get enough money to move on to the next place.”

She seems to consider that, then smiles. “Well good. I guess I can be your friend then if you aren’t going to take all the good clients forever.”

“Friend?” I arch an eyebrow.

“You look like you could use a friend. Want to talk about it?” Her eyes are full of sincerity now that she knows I’m not as big of a threat as she thought.

“I did something stupid.”

She just waits while I think back over everything that happened. Then I sum it up in four words.

“I fell in love.”

Her eyes go big, like she gets it. “With a client?”

I nod miserably, telling her about that night in Manhattan when Derek came in, about how we fucked, how I felt a connection with him like nothing I ever felt before. Then how I got fired and came to find him. I leave out the fact that the guy was actually the Crown Prince of St. Albans, not sure how she’d feel about that.

“Wow,” she breathes, then opens her mouth to say something else when we’re interrupted by a commotion coming from the girls outside the dressing room. Their voices are chattering away excitedly, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. The girl I’m talking to—whose name I didn’t even catch—stands up and peeks out the door, then looks back at me excitedly.

“Hang on, I’ve got to see what this is about.”

She slips out the door, but I don’t follow her. I can’t find it in me to care. I just want to be done with this night so I can go back to my hotel and wallow in my misery, feeling sorry for myself.

The DJ’s voice filters in over the speakers, telling all the strippers in the club to line up on stage.

What the fuck?

All the strippers on stage? Like we’re in a fucking pageant or something. I wonder if they’ll notice if I don’t go. Maybe I can get away with hiding out back here since I’m new. I’ll play dumb.

That’s exactly what I’m doing when my new friend pokes her head back in the dressing room. I can hear the commotion backstage getting even louder, but it’s so chaotic that I have no idea what they’re talking about. All I know is that there’s some vibe of excited energy rolling through them all.

“Ella, you want to get out here.” Her eyes are glowing.

I wrinkle my nose. “Do I have to?”

She nods eagerly. “All strippers on stage. Right now. No exceptions.”

I sigh and push away from my stool. “I really don’t want to.”

“I think you might change your mind in just a minute.” She grabs my hand and pulls me out the door and toward the line forming just offstage.

I take a spot at the end of the line as she goes and peeks through the curtains. When she comes back, her face is flushed.

“I had to see for myself,” she breathes. “Ella, you aren’t going to fucking believe what’s going on.”