by K. A Knight
“Wow,” I say as Damon flops down onto the mattress in the middle. He smiles at me and wiggles his fingers. I grin and jump down next to him, laying splayed out. “Where is everyone?” I ask.
“Kingston is making popcorn, Liam tea. Leo is getting dressed and Blake is probably skulking around somewhere,” he says and I giggle.
The others soon shuffle in and we all get comfy on the mattresses with Liam claiming my other side. We start with a Die Hard marathon, and about halfway through the first film I have Leo sit behind me, using him as a pillow while Liam and Damon both lay curled into me.
The doorbell rings and we all jump, Leo moves away, a guilty look in his eyes and I don’t understand why until he opens the door and I hear a girl’s voice.
He comes in with a cutie next to him. Her long red hair is in a side plait and her bright green eyes shine with amusement as she takes us all in. She’s small, tiny really, and skinny too.
“Hey guys!” she yells and they all wave or grunt, too busy watching Die Hard Two. She looks at me and I stiffen, waiting for a bitchy comment or dirty look, instead she offers me a friendly smile and I find myself smiling back.
“Hi, you must be Gabby, I’m Kelsey,” she introduces herself, and Leo tugs her around the sofas and plops down on the mattresses. She scoots around him and leans back on the sofa.
“Hi! Leo has told me so much about you.” I smile and she grins back.
“Anything dirty? Cause if so, we gonna have issues.”
I laugh and scoot from under Damon and Liam who moan, but snuggle into the blankets. I lean back next to her and smile. “Not yet, but if it makes you feel better, you can tell me all his dirty secrets.”
“Deal,” she says and we share an evil grin.
I was worried she wouldn’t like me being here, but she doesn’t seem bothered and she’s lovely. We chat back and forth through the movie, much to the guys’ dismay, and it turns out we have a lot in common.
“I’m going to make a brew, you want one?” I ask after the fifth dirty look from Liam for talking. She nods and drops a kiss on Leo’s lips, following after me to the kitchen.
Filling the kettle, I set it to boil as I make two drinks and lean against the counter. She does the same and we both start laughing.
“Why do I feel like this should be awkward?” I ask and she grins.
“I know what you mean, maybe because you’re living with my boyfriend?” she asks, but I sense no malice behind the comment.
“True, look I’m sorry this got sprung on you, it was unexpected—”
She waves her hand in the air. “Girl, it’s fine, honestly. Leo told me that you needed a place to crash and let’s face it, the guys are too nice. I’d be disappointed if they didn’t let you stay here.”
“Thanks, most people wouldn’t be okay with it.” I turn around and pour the drinks, and she nods.
“True, but I am. You have been nothing but respectful and nice to me, and you seem to get on well with the guys, plus Liam and Leo vouch for you, which means a lot and honestly? It’s kind of nice to have another girl around.”
I laugh and pass her drink. “I know what you mean, there’s just so much dick.”
She snorts and we share another smile. I grab my drink as Kelsey looks down at the counter. “It’s hard you know, dating one of them. They have only done one tour and me and Leo didn’t start dating until near the end, but I was so jealous all the time. He reassured me, but it's hard watching your boyfriend with another girl. It drives me crazy, it causes more arguments than I want to admit. But I don't know how to get over it, yeah I knew it when I met him, but it doesn't prepare you for the actual life of dating a stripper.” She picks at the paint on the mug and I lean into her side, offering her comfort. “I’m crazy about him, I think we could be something really good, but there’s a strain between us. He loves his job, and I hate it. I care about him in spite of it, but not because of it, you know?”
I don't want to add anything that might hurt her, but for a relationship to work you need to love every part of someone, even the bits that might hurt you. Plus, I like them all because of their jobs. They are talented and yes, they might be strippers, but it's more than that. Their dancing, their ability to bring fantasy to life without even a word. Instead, I hold her hand and smile sadly. “Give it time, try to forget everything but the two of you. Just go with it, okay? And I’m here if you need a female's shoulder to lean on or just to rant.”
She smiles brightly, lighting up her beautiful face. I can see why Leo likes her, she's so lovely, a little crazy, and beautiful as shit. “Thank you Gabby, I was worried when he mentioned he had a female manager. I thought you would be this crazy woman demanding all of his time.”
“Oh, I am, but I’m also their friend. I can see the spark between you two and just because I’m a female doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” She smiles, perking up.
“I’d like that!”
“Good, wanna spill all the dirty gossip then?”
I rush to the table and she joins me, having me laughing so hard I’m crying as we talk about everything and anything. It’s nice, I can’t remember the last time I just hung out with a friend without having to be worried about what to say or do.
“You coming back to watch movies or what?” Leo asks from the doorway, smiling at us both as we bend over the table whispering and laughing. I smile at him and nod.
“Yep, on our way.” Standing up I wink at Kelsey, when I go to walk past Leo I grin at him. “She told me all your dirty little secrets, I like her, she's a keeper.” Then I strut away and leave him gawking.
I grin when I spot the others, they’re sprawled over the mattresses, managing to take up all the room, typical men. Blake is closest to the door and he turns his head to spot me, rolling his eyes. I shuffle closer, ready to just sit on the floor when I yelp, my arms windmilling as I’m grabbed and flung. I land on something hard, getting the wind knocked out of me, and I jump when arms wrap around me and position me on my side, my head cushioned on someone's arm. I wiggle backwards and get a slap on my thigh for the trouble. Rolling my eyes, I go to confront who I’m guessing is Liam when I freeze. The arm under my head is way too dark to be Liam, which only leaves Kingston. Blinking, I look down to see Liam on his front, his legs kicking in the air as he watches the film.
“Er-” I start and something warm blows on my ear.
“Hush, I’m trying to watch the film. We decided this was the only way to keep you quiet and still,” Kingston murmurs and pulls me closer.
I huff, but decide what the hell? I cuddle in and settle down to watch the film. Kelsey comes back in and smiles when she sees me in his arms, I just roll my eyes, making her giggle as she sits down next to us, Leo at her side as they cuddle together. Aww, they make a cute couple.
We watch the movie and the boys instantly add another, sticking with action flicks. I don’t know how many hours we spend as potatoes until Kelsey looks at her phone and swears. “I’ve got to go, gotta be up early for work.” She kisses Leo on the lips and grins over at me. “Next week, coffee, don't forget.”
I salute her and she laughs as she gets up and waves at everyone before leaving. I arch my eyebrow at Leo, why didn’t he follow her out? But he just stares at the screen, his eyes far away and his face sad.
I can’t catch his gaze so I go back to the film, allowing him his privacy, but I make sure to check on him every now and again until my eyes start to drop and I yawn. “Kingston, let me go. I’m going to bed,” I say tiredly, but he doesn’t even move. I look over to see Leo smiling at me softly.
“He’s asleep. Close your eyes.” I groan and debate my options, but it seems Kingston isn’t going to move anytime soon, and when I look down at Liam, I see he’s snoring softly. Fuck, going to sleep in your employee’s arms isn’t crossing a line, is it?
Although I fight it, I can’t seem to stop it from happening, my eyes shut and I fall deeply asleep to the boys’ snoring and explosions from the mov
ie in the background.
Something wakes me, and looking around I notice the TV is still playing, but Liam has crawled up with his back to me, and my arm is wrapped around him. I close my eyes again when a noise makes them dart open. I wait, but no one else seems to hear it. I lift my head and peer around, everyone else is asleep. Damon on the sofa with an arm thrown over his face and a leg hanging off. Blake is laid on his back near Kingston, even in his sleep he looks angry. Emmett is asleep on the other sofa, face down and ass up. Wait, where is Leo?
Biting my lip, I lift my arm slowly from Liam, needing to pee now that I’m awake, and I shuffle down to the bottom of the stripper pile and off the mattress. Once free, I tiptoe around the bottom, I just pass Blake when his hand darts out and grabs my ankle. I bite my lip to hold in my yell as his eyes lock on mine, fully awake.
“I need to pee,” I whisper and he nods, before letting go, turning over, and falling back to sleep. Fuck, I swear he just gave me a heart attack.
I stand in the corridor, trying to remember where the fuck the toilet is down here. Bloody hell, why does the house have to be so big? I stumble down the corridor half asleep, opening doors as quietly as I can. I end up in the kitchen and when I spot Leo, sitting at the table with a cup of tea in front of him, looking lost, and then I realise what woke me.
Frowning, I debate whether I should leave him to himself, but his head swivels up and he spots me. He doesn't shout or tell me to get out, so I decide to push my luck. I grab a seat and sit next to him, pouring myself a tea from the still hot teapot in front of us. I don’t say anything, just let him know I’m here if he needs me, sometimes that’s all you need. To know someone has your back.
He sighs and I look up to see him glaring at the door to the kitchen. “I don’t know what to do. I love my job, I really do. It gave me control over my body and my life again, and for a guy without a lot of other options that were legal, it’s a big deal. The guys are my family, this is my home…” I let him gather his thoughts, taking a sip of my tea as I wait. “I just, I don’t know if I can be with someone who can’t understand or even accept my lifestyle. It’s not like I go out every night and flirt with random women, I’m loyal. My girl should have nothing to worry about, she’s the only one for me when I’m dating her. I don't know how many times I can have the same argument again and again. I feel like shit about myself and my choices, like my job and life aren’t good enough,” he finishes and I see the tears welling in his eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever find someone who will accept me for me, I like her Gabby. I really like her but…”
“It hurts,” I conclude and he nods, looking at me for understanding.
“What do I do?” he begs, looking so lost that I reach over and place my hand on top of his.
“What you need to. It’s hard now, but you owe it to yourself to love your life and who you are. I like Kelsey, and I agree, I think you could be something great, but if she can’t get past your job and lifestyle, is it worth staying in the hurt in hopes that one day she might hate it a little less? I’m not saying finish it, I’m saying you need to consider if you want to give it a chance, but if you do, then really give it a chance. Let her see into your life, maybe the reason she’s so jealous and insecure is the unknown. Bring her to rehearsals, take her to a show. Let her decide, you can't do that for her. If she cares for you enough and can get over it then great, if not, you have your answer. That’s what I would do anyway,” I say, taking my hand back and bringing the cup to my lips.
He seems to think through my words, his tears drying up and fresh determination shines in his eyes. They’re all attractive guys, but when they show their passion it makes them so much more. A girl could fall in love with that passion. I clear my throat, trying to clear my thoughts and just be here for him. He nods and a smile plays around his lips.
“That’s a great idea, thank you Gabby.”
“No problem, that's what managers are for. Problem solving.” I wink and he grins, it’s nice to see that smile again.
“No, thank you for being a good friend,” he says, reaching over and squeezing my hand, making me swallow hard.
“No problem, it's the least I can do with you guys taking me in and being so amazing,” I reply, trying to ignore the feeling of his hand on mine and how close he is. I remind myself of all the reasons why I’m not allowed to be attracted to him. Kelsey, my job, friends. I repeat it until I can swallow the feelings.
“Now, I really need to pee,” I admit with an awkward laugh, standing and putting my mug in the sink. “You going back to bed? You need your sleep for rehearsal tomorrow,” I warn, my voice stern, making his grin stretch.
“Yes, Boss Lady,” he says around a laugh, and I leave the kitchen with a smile and remember I didn’t ask where the toilet is. I bite my lip and stand in the corridor when a warm hand lands on my shoulder, making me jump.
“Third on the left,” he whispers in my ear, making me shiver.
“Thank you,” I cough out and rush into the bathroom, giving myself a moment to catch my breath. I splash cold water on my face and pee, before giving myself a stern look in the mirror. They are your employees Gabby, stop thinking about their arses, legs, arms, cocks—okay. Enough. Tomorrow means business, I just need to remember to not cross that line when it’s already so blurry after this weekend. I slip out of the bathroom with the decision to go and sleep upstairs, but when I reach the living room on my way to the stairs, I see that Kingston has curled into the spot I was in and Liam is awake and waiting for me, a smile on his face as he holds out his hand. I’m going to hell.
I step over the others and slide my palm into his, letting him pull me down between them. He keeps hold of my hand, our fingers twined between our bodies, and closes his eyes, a soft sleepy smile on his face. Kingston snores and snuggles into my back, wrapping his massive body around me like a teddy bear. I grin and close my eyes. Tomorrow, I’ll draw the line again tomorrow. Their body heat, and the rhythmic rise and fall of Kingston's chest lulls me to sleep.
I hear whispering, and with a groan, I bury my head into something soft and begin to drift back to sleep when it gets louder. Fuck. I open my eyes to see that I’m snuggled into Liam's back with Kingston still wrapped around me. I stiffen and groan internally, so much for waking up early and drawing that line. Careful not to disturb them, I slip from between them and grin when Kingston cuddles into Liam, throwing his arm and leg over him.
“Here.” I blink at the mug thrust in front of me and smile at Damon. He grins and looks over at the others with a snort. He pulls his phone from his jogger pocket and snaps a picture, uploading it to a group text, making me giggle.
I salute him with my mug and make my way upstairs. When I reach my room, I shut the door to have some well deserved me time to ensure I put my shield back up and become boss Gabby. My phone pings and I rush to it, thinking it might be a friend or even my mum apologising, but instead I find hundreds of texts in a group called ‘Strippers4days.’ Laughing, I open them to see the picture Damon just took.
Blake: LOL, they’re going to kill you.
Damon: Worth it.
Leo: Shouldn’t we wake them, we’ll be late and boss lady will get mad.
Grinning I type out a response.
Gabby: Sure will, get your pretty arses in gear. Meeting downstairs in thirty for breakfast before we leave.
Damon: Sure thing pretty lady.
Emmett: Got it, also this arse?! ;)
A picture comes through of Emmett in the mirror obviously in his bathroom, a towel covering his front as he has his back to the mirror, showing off his bare arse. I choke on a laugh before I roll my eyes and drop my phone, wandering into the bathroom to get ready. I hear it pinging from the other room and it only makes me smile.
I get ready in twenty-five, putting on a power suit to make myself feel better, which consists of a charcoal pencil skirt, green silk blouse, and matching charcoal blazer. Grabbing my phone, I laugh at the texts coming through from Liam and Kings
ton.
I open it up to see my name has been changed to ‘Boss Lady AKA Angel.’
Boss Lady AKA Angel: I think it's cute.
The replies come through instantly.
Liam: So, you like a bit of man on man, eh?
Kingston: I have some books like that if you want to borrow them!
I smile as I grab my bag, dropping my phone into it. They really are crazy.
They’re all in the kitchen when I get there and I grab a bagel as I lean against the counter, happy to just listen to them banter back and forth.
I check the clock and shove the rest of the bagel in my mouth in a very unattractive way, making them laugh. “Time to go boys, it’s dancing time.”
We end up taking two cars over to the rehearsal space. I had tried to take my own car, but they wouldn’t let me, which is how I ended up sitting in the back seat of Kingston’s car, singing along loudly to the radio. Emmett is driving his car with the others and I got stuck with Leo and Liam.
“God, Gabs, don’t give up your day job,” Leo jokes, wincing as he glances over at me.
“Oi. You should be honoured that I’m singing for you. Not many get to hear me sing,” I tease with mock outrage. I know that I have a good singing voice, don’t get me wrong, I’m no Beyoncé, but I can hold a tune.
The banter carries on back and forth, and before I realise it, we’re at the rehearsal space. A feeling of disappointment fills me as we park, knowing I have to be professional and not let my fondness for the guys get in the way of me doing my job. I have to redraw that line, and that means no more touching or flirting. Climbing out of the car, I turn to see the guys gathering around me and sigh, I’m not looking forward to this conversation.
“Guys, we need a meeting. Meet me in the studio in ten minutes please.” My professional voice is back, but I smile at them to soften the words.