Chapter Nine
Brandie stomped around the stage as she set up for the "Best Booty in the Bay" show later in the night. Kirsten could tell she was upset about something, but figured she had a pretty good clue what it was, and thought it best not to ask.

"You and AJ looked pretty friendly the other night... he still with Amanda?" Kirsten asked. She knew Brandie wasn't really interested in him in that way anymore, so maybe if he and Amanda were on the outs again, she'd give him a try.

"Yeah, but she's out of town. We were just dancing. I needed something to get me out of the funk.. I just needed some fun. I didn't fuck him." Brandie replied, arranging the score cards on the judges table.

"Damn." Kirsten mumbled to herself, going to get the headset mic out of the dj booth. When she came back out, she asked, "So what was the funk about?"

"Stuff." Brandie said, busying herself by roping off the section of the stage with judges table with "caution" tape.

"For someone who always has something to say, you've gotten really quiet lately." Kirsten said, sitting down on the stage and watching Brandie.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Well, you could tell me why you're all in a tizzy tonight."

"I'm not in a tizzy." Brandie replied, flopping down next to Kirsten, since there was nothing left she could do with the stage.

"Yeah you are. You came in here slamming doors, you've dropped at least four bottles, you've been doing pointless shit- you're trying not to think about something." Kirsten looked over at her. "Something with Nick?"

"Why does it always have to be Nick?"

"Because you were fine until he sort of disappeared. Where's he been anyway?"

"With some bitch, I guess. I called him today and all he said was he was busy and he'd try to call me back later. Yeah, don't do me any fucking favors." Brandie said, jumping back up. Dammit, he was supposed to be there for her when she called, was supposed to be giving her his attention.

Kirsten knew she was right, if Brandie couldn't sit still, she didn't want to talk about something, and she only didn't want to talk when she was afraid of saying too much. "So why don't you just find a new toy?"

"Because I like the one I have or well, had." Brandie said, going back to the table and straightening the pens again.

"What was that? You like him?" Kirsten asked.

Brandie whirled around to face her. She was not going to let her catch that. "It's sort of like a puppy. When you get a new one, you have to teach it how to behave. I already had that one trained!"

Kirsten stared at her in disbelief, "A puppy? You're comparing him to having a puppy?"

"Why not? He'd come when I'd call him, and I taught him plenty of tricks." Brandie replied, walking off the stage and back towards her office.

Kirsten sighed and went to the bar, sitting on a stool and foldng her arms, resting her head on them. She was impossible.

Brandie locked the door to her office, and sat back in her chair.  This was ridiculous. Why was she so upset that she'd been brushed off? Probably because that never happened. But she didn't know it was getting dissed that had hurt so much, or who'd done it.

She got up and got her clothes for the night out of her bag. As she slipped out of her track pants and tee-shirt into a silver string bikini top and black short shorts, she wondered what he was doing tonight... who he was with. Part of her had never really gotten over the night she'd spent at his house. How she'd felt when she'd fallen asleep- safe and comfortable in his arms, despite the fact it went against everything she said she was.

She pulled her hair back into a high ponytail and redid her make-up, then tugged on her boots. She had to quit thinking about him- she had a job to do, a crowd to entertain. Maybe she'd find someone to bring home when the night was over. Maybe she'd find some way to forget how badly she wanted his attention.

~~~~

"Get off the stage!" Brandie howled at a red-headed girl from her perch on a barstool at the edge of the stage. "You ain't shakin' that ass, we ain't interested!"

Kirsten looked over at the judges from her position on the other side of the stage."Sorry Red, they didn't like you either." she said, holding up a sign that read "two".

Brandie read the next contests name off the sheet she was holding, applauding when a very attractive guy bounded onto the stage, peeling his shirt off. She cheered as he tossed the shirt into the crowd and turned around, wiggling his ass to the beat of the music Daniel was playing. 

The night had been a pleasant diversion for her thus far, except that every time a guy would be on stage, she couldn't help but think of the night she and Nick had spent at the club, with him dancing around for her. That night was the last thing she wanted to think of- it had been those few hours that had caused the mess she was in now.

Kirsten's shout of "nine" shook Brandie from her thoughts. She jumped off her stool and ran over to the guy on stage, pinching his ass and then yelling to the girls in the audience they all needed to grab a piece of that.

The guy got ahold of Brandie's wrist and took a smack her backside, his friends yelling loudly for him from the side of the stage. She tried her best to keep smiling, even though she wanted to turn around a clock him. She pushed him of the stage, calling the next contestants name.

The girl came up on stage, looking more than slightly nervous. She turned around and started awkwardly twisting her hips in a swaying motion.

Kirsten looked over at Brandie and mouthed, "What the hell is that??"

"You call that booty shakin'?" Brandie asked laughing and pointed the girl off the stage.

"I think you better show them how it's done, B." Kirsten said, knowing Brandie had been waiting to show off.

"You think so? Daniel, what do you think?" Brandie asked over the roar of all the guys in the crowd.

"I think we need some new music." Daniel said, putting on an appropriate bump-n-grind song.

Brandie turned around, smiling at all the noise as she began rocking her hips from side to side and then doing a few quick thrusts, spanking at the air in front of her.

Kirsten laughed and shook her head as she watched her. She was definitely in a better mood.

Brandie turned back around and curtsied, blowing a few flirty kisses at the guys closest to the stage. She was happy like this, she was in her element, and she had everyone's attention... she didn't need his. She was just fine without him.
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