Before Nina's life had changed she had performed in piano recitals every year and each time she had felt so sick beforehand, with sweaty palms and lump in her throat and shaking breaths. The idea of all those people watching her, judging her, all eyes and ears in the room focusing on nothing but her. She loved the playing, but it was terrifying to be on display like that.
And yet coming here Nina had fallen into a job that wasn't completely unlike that. She'd started because it was easy. Because she was pretty and good enough at dancing to catch their eye. Although she knew now that they're attraction to having her there wasn't entirely human.
Still that worked for her. It got her tips and attention and extra shifts whenever she wanted them. Tonight she made her way out onto the stage, the beat of some cheap tune giving her something to move to. She'd learned a lot in the time she'd been here, the girls teaching her their own tricks and ways of dealing with everything. They were good women mostly, and Nina liked them.
To the music she peeled off layers of clothing, moving across the stage between men who slipped money into the her underwear while staring at her with desperate need.
Dancing, she looked over at spotted - of all people - Tezcatlipoca. Her stomach tightened in embarrassment and she looked back to the patrons, trying to forget he was there. Stopping the dancing and walking away might get her fired.