The Mitchell Healy Compilation: Volume 1, page 51
To say that I was uneasy would have been an understatement. I couldn’t fathom how I was intrigued, but yet as my eyes focused in on the confidence she held, a part of me felt jealous.
I’d always believed that women who dance for money had problems; like daddy issues, or even just for money. I felt like they were desperate and it was some last resort. This woman on the stage seemed happy, almost like she carried herself as if she was a queen. As her song ended, she hopped off the platform and headed in our direction. I turned my chair back around, trying to make it less obvious that I’d been in awe.
When she sat down beside me I almost wanted to cry, in fear that she would address the way I’d been watching her. Instead, she pretended that I wasn’t even present. “So, what’d you think of the new song?”
Becca reached over the table and took the stripper’s hands. “It was great. I noticed how many tips you got. The men loved it.”
I tightened my lips and sat silently listening to the next song begin to play as a new girl was introduced to the crowd. Shell, my third roommate turned her attention to me. “Sorry, Chris, this is Amber. Her dance name is Charisma. She used to live in your room, before she started making the big bucks. Now she’s got a studio apartment all to herself.”
Since money was never an issue with my family, I was just learning how someone could struggle as an adult. I tried not to talk about my family much, so that people wouldn’t want to be my friend for the wrong reasons. I’d been raised that money didn’t make a person, but knew enough to see how people could be taken advantage of if they had it. In all honesty, it wasn’t my money. It wasn’t like I was helping out around the ranch in anyway. My parents wanted my focus to be on school.
Amber looked me up and down, taking in the dress that fit so snug against my curves. “It’s nice to meet you, Chris. Is this your first time in a strip club? You seem uncomfortable.”
I shrugged. “It’s that obvious?”
She reached over and put her hand over mine, smiling fully as she spoke. “Don’t worry. I felt the same way my first time. Trust me, coming from my religious family, I never would have stepped foot into one of these places if it weren’t for Becca. One night out turned into a new life for me. Now I’m able to afford school and live lavishly without having to bust my ass every second of the day. Here these will help.” She slid over two shots.
I looked down at them, contemplating if I wanted to drink or not. After watching her doing her own, I succumbed to the pressure.
They burned like my throat was on fire, and I puckered up my face to handle the extreme discomfort. “I suppose the hours would be better,” I finally replied.
“Honey,” she started. “I work three days out of the week, for four hours at a time, and still bring home a grand easy. I’ve even started doing private parties. I get three hundred bucks for an hour and a half. Usually I end up splitting it with whoever I take, even if they don’t dance with me. It’s peace of mind knowing I’m not alone with strangers, ya know?”
I nodded, still in shock with being in a strip club and sitting next to a topless girl. It was difficult, even for a straight person, to not have your eyes radiate to naked skin, especially when it was right in my face. “I get it. It’s not something I could ever do, but it’s great that you can spend more time on school. So, if you don’t mind me askin’, what’s your major?”
She smiled. “Psychology.”
I was impressed again that she was seeking such a difficult occupation. It took a certain kind of dedication to focus on the medical field. This girl wasn’t a bimbo. She clearly knew what she wanted, and also how to make it happen.
While my roommates were having a good time, I was mesmerized that this lifestyle was nothing I’d imaged it to be. It was so intriguing, and I found myself wondering what each dancer’s story was.
Before I could ask Amber more, she smirked and waved as a gentleman motioned for her to join him. She stood up and leaned forward. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. This guy tips out the ass, and I don’t want to keep him waiting.”
For the next several hours, and drinks later, the four of us sat there watching the girls dancing around the stage. With each act, I could sense that same confidence with the performers. Maybe I picked up on it because it was something I lacked. Perhaps I was in amazement to be experiencing this type of lifestyle. No matter how I tried to spin that this wasn’t something I’d ever be interested in being around, I was drawn with curiosity. Not to mention that as I sat there watching someone of the same sex dancing around, I became very aware of how turned on it was making me. When Amber came back to our table she was pulling five dollar bills out of her G-string. “It’s a good night, ladies.”
A group of guys at a table next to us started cat-calling. We all turned to see that they were asking us to join them. Of course, all of the girls except for me thought it was a fun idea. I felt someone tugging on my arm, and noticed that Amber was pulling me along. “You remind me so much of myself. Is your name Christina?”
“No, it’s Christian.”
She giggled as we sat down at the new table. “You’re shitting me.”
I shook my head, finding humor in her shock. “No, I’m not.”
“Wow. Let me guess, catholic school girl. Your parents are still happily married, and they never miss a Sunday in church?”
“Are you psychic?”
She grimaced before continuing. “No. I like to think that I’m a good judge of character. Believe it or not you’re lucky. Not many kids live with both parents nowadays. It’s part of the reason why I want to be a psychologist. I feel like if people tried a little harder then marriage wouldn’t be such a failure.”
“Are you from a broken family?” I wondered if my question was too personal after I’d asked.
“Actually I’m not. I’m the middle child to a doctor, and a teacher. My dad’s a surgeon, and my mother works with special needs kids. They’ve never needed to work on their marriage, because neither is around each other enough to fight.”
“I’m sorry.” I felt bad for her.
“Don’t be. We spend holidays together, and vacation during the summer.”
I needed to change the subject, but the guys we were now with wouldn’t stop addressing us, so I let them do it for me.
We both turned to see what they wanted. Immediately I caught eyes with one in particular. His brown hair was disheveled on the top of his head, while white teeth brightened his smile. “My name’s Seth.”
“Christian.”
“Is that your dancer name?” I was flustered that he’d ask that, assuming I was a stripper.
“No! This is my first time at a place like this.”
His eyes traveled from my chest down to my legs. I crossed them when his glaring made me uncomfortable. “You would kill on the stage.”
It was a good thing that the room was dark, because I didn’t want this guy to see how much I was blushing. I narrowed in on his hand, tracing the condensation on his bottle of beer. There was something about the way he caressed it that made me think about how he touched a woman. Perhaps I was horny, or maybe this kind of place brought a sexual arousal out in people. Whatever the case, I began licking my lips before I could respond. “You think so?”
He leaned in close to me, so that the other people at the table couldn’t hear us. “I know when I’m in my bed tonight I’m not going to be picturing the women that work here.”
Our eyes met as I took in his compliment, wondering if he was actually hitting on me. “Do you go to school here?”
He sipped his beer. “We have two classes together. Since you sit in the front, I knew you wouldn’t notice.”
During class I remained focused. I’d always sat in the front of the room, and been the first person to participate. Clearly everything else in the room was unimportant.
“Sorry. I’m very studious.” A barmaid delivered a round of shots to our table. As one was slid in front of me I waited for the cue and downed the liquor. It burned going down, but seemed much easier than the first couple. I was feeling relaxed as Seth replied.
“If that’s the case then what are you studying right now?”
“What…nothin’! I came here with friends,” I said defensively.
“Right. First timer.” He looked over at topless Amber. Right away I felt a wave of unexpected jealously. Her perky breasts were exposed and she downed a shot with several guys at the table.
“What about you?” I interrupted. “Do you come here a lot?”
Slowly he directed his eyes to me. “It depends.” I watched the rim of his beer bottle surrounded by his lips. His Adam’s apple bobbled as he swallowed. This place was like a natural aphrodisiac. I’d never felt so drawn to a man before. As naked women danced on the stage in front of us, all I could think about was what it would feel like to kiss this guy.
“Occasionally.” He put his arm around me as he talked. “Take a night like this. I didn’t really feel like going out, but a friend of mine shot me a text that said the ladies tonight were the best he’d seen. It peaked my interest.”
“The dancers are very pretty,” I added.
He smiled and drug his index finger over my bottom lip. “Yeah, I don’t think he was talking about the dancers.”
I pulled away quickly, getting a sense of presumption out of his comment. “That’s flattering.”
He flipped me a grin, turned his attention to the stage, and then back to me. “Would you feel better if we got out of here?”
Stumbling for an answer, I was saved by one of my roommates. “How about we all get out of here? Y’all can come back to our place if you want to party. We’ve got plenty of booze.” Becca seemed excited, and I got the feeling that she knew the guys pretty well.
“Yeah, and I could come by once I get off. I’d love to see what Chris did to my old room.” She winked at me before climbing up out of her seat and walking away.
I fidgeted with my clutch purse, trying to avoid making eye contact with Seth. He was sexy, sure of himself, and clearly out to get my attention. Just because I was dressed like a slut didn’t mean I was one. He obviously had the wrong impression if he thought I was ready to take him back to my room and get freaky, or did he?
As we all climbed back in Becca’s car I started wondering what would have been so bad about hooking up with a hot guy. We were both adults. It wasn’t like it was against the law. If I wanted to be treated like a normal person I had to step out of my shell. Even though I knew sex was never an answer, there was a possibility that I’d become so worked up that I may not be able to decline.
Chapter 3
Christian
With a car full of guys pulling up behind us we didn’t have much time to prepare the house for visitors. Although we kept it pretty clean, my room had clothes all over the floor, including underwear. I rushed inside and began shoving my bras and panties into a pile. When I heard someone laughing I turned to see Seth leaning against the doorframe. “You don’t need to straighten up on my account. I’m not here to admire your furniture.”
I noticed how he was looking at me as I sat down on my mattress. “What are you here to admire?” It was a rhetorical question.
He crossed his arms and chuckled to himself. “I think we both know the answer to that.”
Looking at my nightstand, I noticed that it was still early. Laughter could be heard from the living room, and a part of me knew that we should go join everyone else. After only three shots I was feeling adventurous. It was unlike me to drink at all, combine that with my low weight and I knew I was already buzzed.
I crossed my legs, noticing immediately where his eyes lingered. “So you think that since we shared a moment I’m going to put out?”
He still didn’t move from my doorframe. I suppose someone else could have been listening, not that I cared. I wasn’t close enough to any of them to give a damn.
“I don’t think anything.” Slowly he walked into the room and closed the door behind him. At first I assumed he’d make his way over to my bed, but instead stood in the same place. “Invite me over there with you.”
“No!” He was crazy if he thought I was going to ask. When I didn’t respond right away he located a chair under my computer desk and walked over to it. After turning it around to face in my direction he sat down and placed his palms on his knees.
“Is this better?”
“Actually, it was probably a mistake for you to assume that any spot in my room would be a good one.” I let my words sink in for a moment. He needed to know I wasn’t easy, even though every single time I looked his way I thought about what it’d be like to date someone like him. “I’m not going to sleep with you, Seth.”
He seemed disappointed, but for only a short time. “I get it. You don’t know me. Nice girls like you don’t usually put out. That’s a good thing, even if guys like me don’t like it.”
“I’m impressed that you have both looks and brains.”
His chuckle let me know that he took it as a compliment. “Since you have me pegged, and you certainly have every right to, tell me something about you.”
I looked down at what I was wearing, suddenly realizing how uncomfortable I felt. I motioned to the garment. “For starters, this isn’t what I’m about. Becca let me borrow it for tonight. I know you’re probably thinkin’ that I look cute, but I feel ridiculous. ”
“For what it’s worth, you look hot. I think we’ve already covered that though.” I was getting this vibe from him that he wasn’t like other guys. He kept paying me compliments like he was determined to win my trust. Seth was sitting far enough away to assure that I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. “If you want to go change I can wait right here for you to get back,” He raised his brow and paused. “Or you could show me what you learned at the club tonight.”
I laughed at his comment, until realizing he was being serious. “That’s not happening!”
“Well that’s a shame because I’ve got a feeling you’d give those girls a run for their money.” His half-smile made me feel like he was being cocky. Did he expect me to dance around my room?
“How about I just take off my clothes and spread out on my bed for you to join me?” I waited to see his reaction.
Sure enough, his face filled with excitement. In a way I was flattered that the idea was appealing to him. “Seriously?”
“No. I’m not serious. We may be adults, but I’ve got no intentions of flaunting my naked skin to you tonight.”
He stood up and walked toward the door. “It’s obvious you don’t want me in here. It’s a shame, because I’d rather hang out in this room with you than be out there with those drunks. Maybe in time we’ll become friends. Until then, it was great talking to you tonight, Chris.”
Chapter 4
Christian
As he exited the room I stood there staring at the door. Had he really just walked away without an argument? I’d never known a guy to give up so easily. After sulking for maybe losing an opportunity with a perfectly decent guy, I decided to get changed and join my roommates. They’d taken me out and been so nice. I couldn’t just hide out in my room all night.
It took only a few minutes to throw on a baggy t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I then followed the laughter into the large kitchen where I found everyone conversing. Since I’d assumed that I had chased Seth away, I was surprised to find him standing there amongst the group of people. Our eyes met and I couldn’t help but smile.
My attention was grabbed when Becca pulled me up to the counter and slid a glass of some liquor concoction my way. “Come on, Chris. We’re playin’ a drinkin’ game.”
Even though I didn’t feel like participating, I knew it was imperative to make a good impression if I wanted to find friends.
Two hours later I couldn’t feel my face. Everything that was said was somehow hilarious, and my shyness had suddenly ceased to exist. It was also very obvious that Seth was still interested in me. As the game progressed he’d ended up sliding in closer to where I sat. Most of the people had exited the room once it was over, leaving only a few standing around. Seth brought his lips up to my ear. I closed my eyes, feeling turned on that he was so near. “Let’s go back to your room.”
I mumbled my words, speaking softly with intentions that nobody else could hear. Unfortunately, in my drunken state I wasn’t as quiet as I thought. “Definitely.”
At some point Amber had showed up. Thankfully she was clothed, because I liked talking to her, but felt uncomfortable when we’d met. Throwing herself in between Seth and me, she got up close to my face. “Is this guy giving you trouble?” Even in my condition I could tell she was drunk.
“No. He’s fine.” I looked to Seth as I answered. He was mid sip on his drink and pulled away with a smile on his closed lips.
She placed her palm on his chest. “We go way back, Seth and I. Don’t let him fool you. He’s a smooth talker.”
I giggled. “I didn’t think otherwise.”
“Just so you know I have firsthand experience with this guy. He likes to be in control.”
While laughing at her comment, Seth rushed forward, gently grabbing my arm and leading me out of the kitchen. “Don’t listen to Amber. How about we go somewhere quiet?”
He may have felt embarrassed, but I appreciated her honesty. If I were sober it may have bothered me that he’d been with my new stripper friend. Apparently I was too emaciated to consider what I was actually doing.
By the time we’d made it into the confines of my room, we were already lip-locked. Seth had his hands on my ass as I pressed him against the door to close it. Mid-kiss I backed away, noticing his intent-filled eyes watching me. He licked his wet lips and stepped forward toward me as I continued moving backwards. “We’re back to the same place,” I noted.
“Are we still strangers?” He gained inches on me, finding my waist before my butt reached the bed. “I can still leave if that’s what you want?”
