Role Play by Susan Wright Page B

juggled fire, first alone, than in tandem with Spike.
    It was flashy and entertaining. And full of fun. Nothing like the dramatic sexualized atmosphere of their show at Pleasure Salon.
    I had to keep circling to get away from Lola, and when I realized that my sister wasn’t going to take part in the show, I retreated to the other side of the festival.
    Pacing back and forth, I finally pulled out my phone and texted Lola: Doing anything fun? Love to hang out.
    Maybe if I could get to know Martin and her new friends, I wouldn’t feel so worried. Or left behind.
    It took a while, but Lola finally texted back: Working. Be home later.
    I let out my breath in a long, low rush. I could kind of understand why Lola was hiding the more sexual stuff from me. But why did Lola want to keep me away from this? It was exactly the sort of thing we both liked to do. It was the perfect way to introduce me to everyone so I could get to know them.
    Lola didn’t want me to get to know Martin. Or her other friends.
    That meant there was something to hide.
    ...
    Later on, when Lola finally got home, she was carrying a big garbage bag full of something. When I asked if she wanted to watch a movie, she replied, “I have to do laundry.”
    “On Sunday evening?” We both hated doing laundry on Sundays. The Laundromat was always stuffed with people who had put it off to enjoy their weekend.
    Lola shrugged. “You do what you gotta do.”
    It was another snub. Lola didn’t want to spend any time with me. She knew I’d rather do anything than laundry tonight.
    T hat was the last time I saw her for the next few days. I also didn’t hear from Victor. Maybe he was still in Atlanta, or busy with work. I was preparing myself for the possibility that he wasn’t going to text me. And I wasn’t going to text him. I was starting to feel like his sensuous touch-fest in the bar was just another way of using me. I couldn’t understand why desire had overwhelmed me, and why I had kissed him like that.
    But when I thought about him, a rush went through me, betraying me. I shouldn’t want him, even though there was so much to want. A man like that was no good for a girl like me. But it felt so right.
    I wished I had someone I could talk to. It was only because I was lonely that I had fixated on Victor this way.
    Then coming in late from my class on Wednesday, I picked up the mail from our box in the hallway wall. There was a notice from ConEd that Lola’s electronic payment had bounced.
    …
    Much later, I was already in bed by the time Lola got home. But I got up to show my sister the notice. “This is exactly what I’m worried about!”
    Lola rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t my fault. They deposited my paycheck a day late.”
    I shook the bill at her. “You need to keep more than $76.42 in your account. You can’t let it go that low or things are bound to slip up.”
    “Don’t tell me what to do!” Lola rounded on me. “Are you talking to Dick?”
    I drew back at her sudden vehemence. “He texts me sometimes, but I haven’t answered since last week.”
    “I just found him parked up the street watching our place. It’s seriously creepy. You better not be talking to him about me.”
    “He’s an idiot,” I said, thinking about the Chamber, where he had tossed me inside without a care for what would happen to me. “I won’t tell him anything. You can trust me, Lola.”
    But Lola didn’t look like she believed me. I was so wigged out by the thought of Dick sitting out there watching me sit at home alone every night, that I didn’t realize until I was lying in bed that Lola had deflected me away from the bounced check.
    I felt like I was standing on a precipice, with no one to steady me as the wind screamed past me. Lola, on the other hand, fell asleep instantly and slept like a rock.
     

 
     
    Chapter 8
     
    Victor
     
    With ruthless precision, I waited until Thursday before I texted Sierra. I wanted her. Bad. But I would only take