by Erin Osborne
“You didn’t. I set my alarm,” she answers.
Nodding, I grab my coffee and sit down on the couch by her feet. She looks at me for several minutes without saying a word. It’s just a matter of time before she does though.
“Syd, you know I’d give anything for you not to have to go through with this. This isn’t the life I want for you. None of it,” she tells me. “But I know your mind’s made up and you’re going to do what you have to for Karson. Please just do me a favor.”
“What’s that?” I ask, sipping my coffee and letting it burn its way down my throat.
“Don’t lose yourself or your goals. Eventually, I want to see you go to school and make something of yourself. You’re better than this shit only you don’t see it. The only thing you see is Karson and doing what you have to in order to take care of him. You’re running yourself ragged in a horrible part of town because you can’t afford anything more. Please, put some money aside so you can get an education and make Karson proud of you. Don’t get me wrong, he’s already proud of you and loves you so much. But, I remember you talking about wanting to become an accountant and open your own business. Baking if I remember correctly. What happened to that?”
“My life happened. Karson is my number one priority and he’s always going to be my priority. My mom is the one who got pregnant, but once again she doesn’t have to deal with the consequences of her decisions. I’m the one who’s had to do it all for five years now,” I tell her, sadness filling me at what I could have been. “I wouldn’t trade Karson for anything in the world. But I also wanted to have a life of my own once I turned eighteen. I haven’t been able to do anything just for me.”
“I know and that’s what I hate for you. It’s made you unavailable to accept help from others and you have such a strong need to do everything for yourself,” Santana tells me.
“Girl, you’re the only one I’ve ever had in my life besides Karson. You’re the only one I know will have my back no matter what. And I love you for it. But I’ve learned no one stays around for very long. And forget about guys when it comes to telling them you have to do certain things because of a child at home. You, Santana, are the anomaly in my life and I’d be lost without you,” I respond. “I better head out. I’ll see you when I get home.”
I walk in my room and grab the small duffle bag after sliding on my tee and sweats. My new tennis shoes adorn my feet while I have a pair of heels in the bag for practice. There’s no way in hell I’m going to practice in sneakers and not heels. I’ll fall on my ass if I don’t practice with them on.
I double check that I have everything and make my way out the door. Santana is still sitting on the couch with her coffee. She tried to hand me her keys, but I insisted on walking; she’s not a happy person with me right now. So, I begin the long walk to the strip club and try to keep my mind blank of the thoughts threatening to invade my mind. Thoughts of my past, what I could have been, and what I’m going to do in the future for Karson. Lastly, thoughts of a certain brooding biker who’s never far from my thoughts.
It’s taken me a little longer to get to the club than I anticipated. I’m still going to be early, but I’ll need to keep in mind how long it’s actually going to take me to walk here. When I get to the parking lot, it’s empty and I walk to the door looking around me. It’s eerie to know I’m most likely the only person here and no one really knows I’m supposed to be here other than who I met at the audition. Throw in the feeling of being watched and it’s even worse.
My head pivots back and forth as I make my way to the door. I try pulling it open and thankfully it opens in my hand. Walking in, I see a young man standing behind the bar talking to a woman. Slowly, I walk up to them with my head held high.
“We’re not open yet,” the man says, looking at me over the woman’s head.
“Um, I’m here to meet Heaven,” I tell him stepping up to the bar and pulling the tee from my sweaty back.
“I’m Heaven. You must be Sydney,” the woman says turning me around.
“I am. It’s nice to meet you,” I say and take her outstretched hand.
“This is Colt. He’s Blood and Tonya’s son and a Prospect for the club. Colt is also one of the bartenders here. He escorted me in today,” Heaven tells me. “Now, from what I understand you’ve never danced before?”
“No, never. Not even at a club,” I answer her.
“And yet from what I hear you can move your body better than most of the girls we got working here already,” Heaven tells me.
I laugh a nervous laugh. I’m not sure who told her that, but they must be blind as hell. My body doesn’t know move better than a damn stripper who’s worked here countless hours.
“I don’t know about all that. But I’m a fast learner and I need this job more than I need my next breath of air,” I tell them, instantly covering my mouth because I don’t know why I just said that.
Colt and Heaven look at me with varying looks of pity and sadness. I’m sure they’ve heard countless sob stories from the women who come looking for work here. However, I don’t want to see the look of pity or sadness in anyone’s eyes when it comes to me. Some people are dealt a good life while others are dealt a worse life. I happen to fit into the latter category. I’d rather see the looks of revulsion or just being ignored I encounter on a daily basis.
“You on drugs?” Colt asks me.
“No. I’ll never touch that shit,” I answer honestly.
Colt nods his head at me in understanding and looks at me again. I can just imagine what he’s seeing. The dark circles under my eyes, a nervous twitch I’m probably not covering as good as I think I am, and who knows what else.
Thankfully, Heaven walks around the bar and leads me up to the stage. She’s a gorgeous woman. Heaven is shorter than me but still over five feet tall. Her body is encased in a black top that leaves little to the imagination while black shorts ride low on her hips. The cheeks of her ass still hang out of the bottom of them. She’s skinny with curves in all the right places and her chest is so large I wouldn’t be surprised if it was helped out with surgery.
I strip off the tee and sweats when she tells me to set my bag down on the table in front of the stage. Once I change out my heels from the sneakers, I join her on stage and Colt hits a button on a remote so music begins to fill the club. It’s not as loud as it was for the audition and I’m grateful for it. A headache is already beginning to form behind my eyes.
“I want to see what I’m working with here. Dance to the song and let me see what you got,” Heaven tells me.
I take a deep breath and begin to move my body to the beat of Pour It Up by Rihanna. My eyes close on their own and I let the music move my body. I drown out the background noise of Colt stocking the bar and setting up the glasses for the night. I’m not sure where Heaven is on the stage, but I move around.
When I open my eyes, I see the table where my bag sits is filled with men. Bounce isn’t among them. Instead of letting the nerves get to me and pull me out of the song, I flit my eyes to the door as it opens and watch as Bounce walks in. His body fills the door frame as he stops for a minute. His eyebrows arch up and he doesn’t take his gaze from mine. Bounce keeps his body completely still and doesn’t move a muscle as I continue to dance for him and only him.
Suddenly it’s just us in the club. The guys at the table, Colt, and even Heaven are no longer in here with us. Bounce holds my focus and I can’t pull it away from him if I wanted to. There’s something so commanding about his presence as he remains in the doorway. The only difference is he’s now leaning against the frame with his arms folded across his chest. There’s a scowl on his face and his eyes look thunderous. A delicious tremor runs through my body and I’m not sure why.
All of a sudden, the club is completely silent. There’s a stillness surrounding us as I tear my gaze from Bounce’s to look at Heaven. She’s standing on the side of the stage with her mouth hanging open. Suddenly, catcalls and clapping erupt from the
men sitting below me. A loud whistle pierces the air and everyone’s attention turns toward Bounce.
“You all done eye fuckin’ the new girl?” he asks, his voice low, dangerous, and gravelly.
Silence remains as the guys look away from the stage. Most of them stand from the table and leave the club. The only ones who remain are Carver and Ledge. They don’t cower to Bounce or seem to give a shit that he asked a question. Finally, Bounce makes his way over to them after stopping at the bar for a bottle of water. He walks directly to the stage and curls his finger in a ‘come here’ motion. I walk to him and he holds out the water to me.
“Where’s your car?” he asks, his voice still gruff.
“Oh, that was my friend’s car. I walked here today,” I answer. “Thank you for the water.”
“You fuckin’ walked here? Why don’t you have a car?” he questions me.
“Because there’s never been money for a car in my budget,” I tell him, not backing down from him.
“You’re not scared of him?” Heaven asks, breaking into our stare down.
“I’m scared shitless of him,” I tell her honestly, turning my head to look at him. “He could break me in half in less than a second. But, I’m not going to lie to him if he asks me a question either.”
A small smile breaks out on his face and it completely transforms it. Instead of the evil, danger, and anger radiating off him in waves, his eyes become soft and gentle. There’s a dimple I can just make out from behind his short beard and I can’t begin to describe the way his eyes light up. It’s simply amazing and if I thought I was drawn to him before, now it’s even worse. I want to see him smile and light up like this every chance I get.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“I like you, Sydney,” Heaven says, walking up to me and putting an arm around my shoulders. “You’re gonna do just fine here. Especially with the raw talent you have. You know how to move your body.”
“Oh, um, thank you,” I tell her, never tearing my gaze from the tall, dark, and dangerous man before me.
“No thanks needed, babe. Now, you guys go do your thing and let us work,” Heaven says.
The guys remain seated at the table as Heaven shows me how to move my body and work the stage to my advantage. I’m taught how to crawl toward the edges of the stage and show my tits and ass so the men will want to see more. She even teaches me a few moves on the pole. Through the entire four-hour practice, I feel Bounce’s eyes on me. They never leave me as I shake my ass and tits on the stage. I’m out of breath and my body is killing me from the workout Heaven is putting me through. I never thought dancing like this would be a workout, but I was wrong.
There are places on my body that hurt and I didn’t even know they existed. But I’m not done yet. Heaven leads me from the stage, tells me to grab my bag, and to follow her to the back. We walk into the dressing room for the dancers. There are several dressing tables lining the walls. They all have huge mirrors with lights surrounding them. Wigs hang on the corner of each mirror. And a stool with a back sits in front of each table. The room reminds me of a warmer version of a locker room with carpeting throughout the entire room. Plus, it’s done in the red and black of the rest of the club.
In the center of a room is a rack holding a ton of different costumes.
“Now, each dancer usually has a favorite or two and while they’re kept on this rack, don’t touch. You’ll learn who usually wears what. If you bring anything with you, keep it in your locker. They’re behind that door over there,” she tells me, pointing to a door standing open on the back wall. “No one is allowed in here but the dancers. A bouncer will stick his head in the door when the next girl needs to get ready to head to the stage or has a private dance request. They never come in the room though. If you have any problems, go to one of the guys in the club or Tonya. And no always means no here.”
“Okay,” I tell her.
“Relax, Syd. You’re going to fit right in here. We’re a big family and look out for one another. Now, you get settled in and leave anything here you want to. Make sure you use your locker. Any make-up you have can be kept in there too,” she tells me.
“Oh, um, I’ll probably have it done before I get here,” I answer, turning my face away from her.
“What’s the matter?” she asks, pulling me to sit down on the couch that sits behind the rack of costumes.
“Um, well, I’ve never really done my make-up. My best friend is the one who usually does it for me,” I tell Heaven, tears filling my eyes.
“You’ve got a bad story. I can feel it. I’m here to talk whenever you need someone,” Heaven tells me. “For now, I tell ya what. I’ll make time to sit down with you and help you with your make-up. Sometimes you’re going to want to change it between sets or before going out on the floor.”
I nod my head as the first tear slips free. Heaven pulls me into a hug for a minute before leaving the room. The wig I have at my table is a light brown with golden and caramel highlights throughout it. I run my hand down the length of it and feel the silkiness run through my fingers. There’s a contact case sitting in front of the mirror and I leave it alone for now. I don’t want to mess them up.
Bending down, I pull the heels from my aching feet and walk over to the lockers where my name is. I place them in the bottom and then place the few sets of bras and panties I brought with me on one of the shelves inside the locker. Shutting the door, I turn around and startle. Bounce is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His chocolate eyes are devouring me as I remain locked in position.
“Um, did you need me for something?” I ask, my voice wavering slightly.
“Yeah, I do,” he says, his voice low and husky.
I can see the want, need, and passion in his eyes. It’s a look I’ve seen from the men my mom brought home. Only instead of the fear and revulsion coiling in my body, I feel like I’m burning from the inside out. Bounce pushes off the wall and stalks me much like a predator stalking his prey. He won’t have to chase me because I’m locked in place; unable to get my body to move under the weight of his penetrating gaze.
“I want you,” he says, his deep voice causing goosebumps to break out on my heated skin.
Before I can say a word to him, Bounce pulls me into his body. My soft one meets his rock hard one and a gasp escapes as we collide. He leans down and presses his lips to mine, molding them under the pressure he’s exerting. I wind my arms around his neck to hold onto him. Bounce slides his tongue in my mouth and tangles it with my own as he deepens the kiss and one of his hands pulls me in closer to him. I can feel his hard length against my stomach as he keeps our mouths glued to one another.
Suddenly, I’m lifted off my feet and Bounce wraps my legs around his waist. My back hits the wall and the velvet feels cool and smooth against my burning skin. Bounce never breaks the kiss as he begins to grind his cock against my pussy. I’m so wet I wouldn’t be surprised if he sports a wet spot on the front of his jeans. I’ve never been affected like this by any man before and I don’t know what to do. But I have to tell him I’m a virgin before this goes too far.
Bounce suddenly pulls back from me, our breathing sawing in and out as we pant. His eyes dart around the room and he walks over to the couch, never once putting me down.
“Um, Bounce, there’s something you should know,” I try to say once I can speak again.
“You clean? On birth control?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I answer him.
“Then that’s all I need to know. I’m clean and always wrap my shit up,” he says, turning to sit down on the couch with me in his lap.
“That’s not it. I’m a . . .,” I begin before he cuts me off with another kiss.
I moan into his mouth as he untangles my legs and helps me stand up in front of him. The pure, raw lust I see in his eyes has my brain turning to mush and forgetting what I needed to tell him.
“Strip for me,” he orders.
I quickly strip out
of the sports bra, shorts, and panties I’m wearing. When I’m standing in front of him completely naked, Bounce leans forward and pulls a nipple into his mouth. My fingers find the back of his head as I hold him to me. A moan escapes my mouth as my head falls back. The sensations flowing through my body are so overwhelming I can’t focus on just one.
Bounce drops one hand and I feel him slide a finger inside me. After a minute, he adds a second one and there’s pain and a slight burning sensation. He begins to scissor them in me and the pain soon turns to pleasure. No words form as he switches from one breast to the next. There’s a slight pain zinging through my body as he bites down. It’s not enough to mark me or draw blood, but it still sends a jolt through me.
Suddenly, Bounce removes his fingers from me and I look down to see his jeans open and a condom sliding down his hard cock. Barbells line his length and my mouth drops open. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Bounce is long, thick, and the piercings make his dick look scary as hell. Especially when I already don’t think it’s going to fit inside me.
Before I can say a word, he guides me to straddle his lap and lines his cock up with my pussy. At the same time he pulls me down, Bounce thrusts up into me. While he lets out a loud groan, I gasp at the pain ripping through my body. Tears fill and leak from my eyes as he remains still.
“What’s the matter?” he asks, his voice hoarse and harsh.
“It hurts so damn bad,” I tell him, gasping again as he starts to slide me up his length.
Bounce’s gaze is down so he doesn’t see the tears sliding down my face. At the same time a tear drips from my chin, he notices the blood staining the condom.
“Fuck!” he practically shouts. “Are you a virgin?”
“Not anymore,” I whisper as he finally looks up at me.
“Sydney, I’m sorry. If I had known, I wouldn’t have come back here,” he tells me.
As he tries to lift me from his hard cock, I stop him. A moan escapes me as the pain turns to pleasure. He keeps his eyes locked on mine as he slides me up and down his length a few times.