Bite Me

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Their room was a small thing, about as big as Roxie’s old bedroom and just as ugly. Roxie couldn’t bring herself to care as she trotted in, looking around her new space. The walls were a deep maroon, the shades on their sole window just a touch darker. There were two sets of everything which was a consolation; two beds, two bundles of sheets, two dressers, two-

Roxie paused, ignoring Velma and the other alpha’s chittering as she stepped deeper into the middle of the room. It was very obvious where the split in the room was – a boundary Roxie was going to lord over – and there it was. A vanity.

There was a childish grin splitting her face, she could feel it but she didn’t care. She sat on the plush chair and placed her hands reverently on the polished wood. From what she could remember of him, her daddy was a fine whittler, always lugging around chunks of wood to refine later on. She knew good wood when she saw it and the way the mahogany gloss seem to wink at her had her feeling all sorts a ways.

It wasn’t as large as the ones the richy, bitchy housewives she’d worked under had, but it was beautiful. There was a large oval mirror set in the wood, mini lightbulbs surrounding it like a halo around an angel. Roxie, for the first time in a long long while felt love in the air, grinning with all her might at her reflection in the mirror.

She’d always wanted a vanity as a little girl and the wish never truly outgrew her. Now she had one just like the gals in the big screens that powdered their face and wore diamonds for every outfit because they could.

“I’ll be seeing you ladies to work out schedules later. In the meantime, I hope the room is to your liking. Night to ya both.” Roxie nodded absent-mindedly, too busy watching the reflection of her in the mirror that had lips as red as roses and pearls wrapped around her throat and pinned to her hair.

This was it. She hadn’t even started yet and things were already looking up, looking brighter-

“Quit gawking and get your luggage, I ain’t no bellhop.” Velma called, passing by on her way to the far left side of the room and disrupting the picture-perfect Roxie in the mirror. Roxie scowled, her true reflection just as poor and unsightly as she remembered it.

“Oh come off it already. Don’t you get tired of nagging all the time?” Roxie bit out, smoothing her palms out over the wood to ease some of the tension coiled in the small of her back. Velma scoffed and Roxie’s eyes snapped to her in the reflection, glaring as the alpha rummaged through her rugged carry-on to sort her clothes into the dresser.

“And another thing, why you keep dragging me off all the time, keeping me outta the picture. You said this was a two-woman act but you sure ain’t keeping up your end of the deal.” Velma shuffled through the drawers, not paying Roxie a lick of attention. Roxie felt herself burn hotter and struggled to reign in her temper. She was failing miserably and she knew it but couldn’t quite bring herself to care yet, slamming her hands on the desk and propelling herself up and around the chair.

Up closer, Velma avoided her stare and Roxie only crowded her further, demanding her attention, “Don’t think I’m gonna let up, not even for a second. You think you can tear me out of the frame well then you got another thing com-“

Her gut plummeted and her skin broke out into goosebumps suddenly and Roxie floundered for a moment trying to figure out why when Velma’s hand shot out like a viper out of grass. There were several mixed signals flashing in her brain, to duck, to block, to flee, but none of them got through so Roxie just shut her eyes and clenched her teeth, not at all a stranger to a slap across the face.

Instead though, Velma’s forefinger and thumb dug into the soft flesh of her cheeks, the alpha’s hand wrapping under her jaw. Roughly, Roxie was hauled forward and she grunted.

“Look at me,” Roxie snapped her eyes open and glared up at Velma who’s face seemed equal parts annoyed and amused, “There’s a good girl.” She cooed and Roxie felt her face flush with shame and fury.

Roxie brought her hands up and dug her nails into the alpha’s arm, but Velma’s grip only tightened warningly.

“Listen. I’m only going to tell you once. I am the veteran here, I conduct the business. You,” And Velma shook Roxie’s jaw for emphasis, “keep your mouth shut and just focus on dancing, alright? We gotta deal and that’s to perform a sister show; can’t have you mucking it up now can I, sweetpea?”

Velma’s grin eased over her face slowly, as sweet as rotten fruit. Her grip lessened and Roxie knocked her hand away completely, crowding in closer until they were almost touching chest-to-chest. The devil was running through her veins, whispering at her to fall back, to defer, but his control was grainy and Roxie broke free of it easily.

Velma almost looked surprised when she saw Roxie’s finger pointing accusingly right in her face, but honestly, she should’ve be thankful it was only a finger and not the gun Roxie wished it was.

“Bullshit.” Roxie hissed and Velma’s eyes flickered from her hand to her face, eyes narrowing.

“Excuse me?”

“I said bullshit. You need me, Miss Velma Kelly, or you wouldn’t have bothered to look for me. Wouldn’t have gone down on a knee in front of me if there was even the slightest chance you could make it on your own.”

Velma’s eyes narrow impossibly further, eyes glinting. The devil rang in her ear screaming danger.

“Oh and I suppose that makes you special then?” Velma asked darkly, tone sharp as shattered glass as she rolled out her syllables slowly, like she was giving Roxie a chance to take it back.

Not a chance in hell, Roxie was going to get her dues.

“Special enough to get an alpha at my feet beggin’ at me like a pup.” Roxie’s grin was a knife all its own and she could see it flash in the reflection in Velma’s eyes, digging into her pride and ego like they were made a mush.

Velma’s face darkened, thunder in throat when she snarled. Roxie flinched, appalled – no one had ever growled at her like that. The devil whirled at the tone and seeped into her bones while Roxie stood shocked, working her legs and making her dash back to the vanity like there were hot coals under her feet. It was a tactical retreat, Roxie reasoned, fingers twisting into her dress anxiously. She sent another mean stare at Velma to let her know she hadn’t been cowed but the smirk on the woman’s face went unconvinced.

With a huff and a swift turn of her head, Roxie dismissed Velma and set to dragging her bag to the bed and settle into her place. Brutes like her couldn’t be reasoned with.

“Knotheads,” Roxie muttered under her breath, wincing when Velma’s dark chuckle cut through the room.

“I meant what I said before, you really oughta let things go more often.” Roxie ignored her, carefully pulling out her jewelry box. It was so much lighter than she remembered. She slipped off her heels, sighing contently when her socked feet came into contact with the pink rug flooring. It was a monstrosity to the eyes but as her toes curled against it, she found it wasn’t too bad. She always did have a thing for soft stuff anyways.

Roxie waddled over to her vanity, carefully placing her jewelry box down on it so the gilded feet wouldn’t scratch the wood. She could feel Velma’s stare digging into her back and across her shoulders, but resolutely kept her head down, opening the box and straightening any stray jewelry.

“Keep your things to your side of it eh?” There it was again, Velma Kelly’s infamous nagging. Even worse was the possession stark in her voice.

“Your side?”

“No shit.” Velma threw her a half-hearted glare and Roxie bared her teeth before she remembered her manners. If Velma Kelly wanted to act a savage that was her, but Roxie would be damned is she fell down to her level.

“Now why on Earth would you need a vanity?” Roxie complained, lilting her voice.

“As sweet of you to say I don’t need it, I do. You’re lucky I’m even considering sharing.” Velma searched her pockets and brought out a case of cigarettes, flicking one on easily.

“Open the window will ya?” Roxie murmured automatically. Amos had a tendency to smoke when he got stressed and he always forgot to open a couple of windows. The smell would stick and then the apartment stank of his sweat and smoke, making it impossible to bring someone over.

“Yeah, yeah,” Velma replied just as quickly, making her way to the window. Roxie snapped out of her memories like a band stretched too tight then released, huffing loudly. Even now Amos wouldn’t leave her be.

She addressed Velma, though it was a struggle to pick who the lesser evil was between the alpha and Amos, “I don’t need your permission for nothing. It’s my vanity. Ain’t there a rule somewhere that the younger one gets the goods? Let the mirror have a fresher, sweeter face yeah?”

Velma snorted, slamming her dresser drawers closed a snap of her hip. A minute later she brought over toiletries to her side of the vanity and that was the end of it, no matter how many dirty looks Roxie threw her way.

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