Right now, I only cared about one thing. He was mine.
Chapter 30
My heartbeat rose with excitement as I sauntered down the corridor towards the managers room at the end. I knew he was inside, waiting for me.
I knocked and cracked the door open a touch, leaning in with a cheeky smile. “You wanted to see me?” I said.
“Alice, yes come in,” he said, his eyes narrowing in anticipation of what was to come. “Please, shut the door.”
He stood as I shut the door tight and walked around his desk towards me. His hand brushed through my hair, the other running up over my hip and waist. His breathing grew heavy as his gaze slid over my body, following in the wake of his hand.
“Oh I've missed you,” he said, finally bringing his eyes to mine. He arched his neck down, his sexy smile dissolving as my eyes shut and his lips melted into mine.
He stopped and leaned back, reaching past me to the door and clicking the lock. “Total privacy,” he said, turning me against the wall and hitching up my skirt, his hands gripping at my underwear and pulling it down over my knees.
I felt like I was staring in a low budget porn movie as I stood there, pressed against the wall, my legs spread as Kyle unzipped his pants and dropped them to the floor. I could see the script now, or lack thereof.
Stripper walks into manages office. He turns her and fucks her against the wall. Picks her up and carries her over to the desk and fucks her again.
Tell me I'd be in this position a few months ago and I'd have scoffed in disgust. The thought of being a stripper, hell no. The thought of fucking a guy in an office - sexy, sure, but that was never gonna happen. Who was it gonna be, Professor McNulty?! When did I ever screw anyone?!
But it was happening. It was all happening, right now in Kyle's office, right now up against the wall beside the door, locked to prevent prying eyes from discovering our secret.
It was forbidden, dangerous even. Any sort of relationship between staff and strippers was completely off-limits. A security guard had been caught fucking one of the girls and he lost more than his job. Suffice to say he won't be siring kids any time soon.
Kyle's father was, by all accounts, someone you didn't want to mess with. Girl, boy, man, woman, it didn't matter - cross him and you may not live to regret it. The rumor was he was involved in organized crime, a relic of a bygone age where gangsters ruled the streets with an iron fist. My only experience of such violence was through films like The Godfather and Scarface. Truth be told I never liked them that much.
I hadn't met him yet, and I wasn't sure I wanted to. What I did know, however, was that Kyle was taking a massive risk with me, that secrecy was absolutely paramount if we were to keep seeing each other. He told me I'd be safe, that he'd never let anything happen to me. I now saw that side of him that had only shown itself in glimpses - that devoted side, the side that cared for me, longed for me.
Yet the gravity of what we were doing hadn't yet dawned. The passions that arose between us when we were together obscured everything else, made it all irrelevant. I couldn't fight it, couldn't resist it. I was a slave to him, to his eyes, to his lips on my skin, his touch against me. There was nothing I could do.
Kyle panted as I lay over his desk, my body pulsing. “You'd better go,” he said, leaning in and kissing me before stepping back and pulling his pants back up and straightening his shirt.
Had it been anyone else I'd have been pretty aggrieved. A quick screw and then off you go. Not with him, though. I understood the situation, the arrangement we had.
He checked his watch and grimaced slightly. “Its been over ten minutes, they might be getting suspicious”
“Who?”
“The guys in the control room. They watch everyone and everything in this club Alice. They'll have seen you come in and won't have seen you leave.”
“Yeah but I work for you, they'd just think you're, I dunno, telling me off, or talking about pay or something.”
He shook his head. “The girls don't come in here often, and never for more than a few minutes. Anyway, I have previous.” He stopped, leaving his words hanging without an explanation.
“What do you mean, previous?”
“It was nothing really,” he said flippantly, “it was one time.”
“You screwed someone in here before?” I don't know why, but it kinda hurt.
He nodded. “A long time ago.”
I don't know why I sounded surprised. When I first met him I thought he had probably got with just about every stripper in here. Since I'd learned about the rules, however, my mind had been set to ease. There was something about being the only girl he'd risk things for that was sexy. But no, he'd apparently risked it all before.
“Alice, you have to go. Now.” His voice had turned more firm as he glanced again at his watch. “Don't come here again, not here. I'll be in touch.”
I turned quickly and headed out of the door into the quiet of the corridor, the noise of the main club pulsing through the door at the far end.
I'll be in touch. The most comforting words a girl could ever hear.
Chapter 31
It had been two weeks since I'd spoken to Jen, since she'd revealed to me what exactly had happened to her. That same night I'd encountered Kyle in my room, slept with him, and started a secret and potentially dangerous relationship. I was truly running the gauntlet, and there was still a lingering feeling that Jen's paranoia was based on truth. After all, there was no reason for her to lie, no reason for her to feed me false truths.
It was a Saturday morning when I chugged along in my car towards Mrs Jones' studio. Despite the fact that I now had plenty of money, I didn't even consider the option of replacing my clapped out old banger. No, she'd been with me through thick and thin, and I owed her more than that.
I hadn't seen Mrs Jones since that night, and there were a few things I needed to get straight. I parked the car in the small lot outside the building and went inside. I could hear music, light through the wall, as I approached the studio door.
I peered in through the glass and saw a girl, twisting around a pole, her body petite and athletic. Mrs Jones stood in front of her, gesticulating with her hands, and talking. I could only imagine she was giving words of advice, of guidance.
The girl on the pole spun round towards me and I saw her face for the first time. Oh my God - Lexi!
She was flexible and graceful, her blond hair tied up in a bun, a pair of tights and skin-fitting T-shirt showing off her figure. She wasn't as curvy as others, she didn't have a full breast as I did. She was more lean, more slender and small, her tiny height making her ridiculously petite.
The way she moved made her look more like a ballet dancer, her official dance training conditioning her to be precise with her movements. Exotic dancing, as I now knew, required more fluidity, more instinct. I could almost hear Mrs Jones' voice as she watched on, imagining what she might be saying.
Release the shackles Lexi, live in the moment. Let your hands fall over your body. Be seductive with your eyes, draw him in and don't let him go.
I drew out my phone and looked at the time - 10.02 AM. I was scheduled to begin with Mrs Jones two minutes ago. I took a breath and knocked at the door. They both looked up sharply, peering through the glass to see who the intruder was.
I opened it and walked in.
“Alice,” Mrs Jones exclaimed, “you're here.” She sounded surprised.
“Yes,” I nodded, “for our 10 AM session.” I quickly turned my attention to Lexi. “Hey babe, funny seeing you here!” I could see her face roll up into a contented smile.
“Hey Alice! I finally made it!” she said loudly, unable to suppress her joy.
I was happy for her. I was what she'd wanted for a while.
“Did you not get my message Alice?” Mrs Jones' words bro
ught my attention back to her. “I was instructed to cancel your session, and all future sessions.”
A frown appeared on my face. “Really? By who?”
“Mr Logan. He insisted that you no longer needed any...work.” The final word was subtly emphasised.
Mr Logan could mean one of two people, both of whom might have very different motives. “Which Mr Logan?” I asked.
“Kyle,” she said. “He told me I was to cease instruction.”
A thin smile grew in the corner of my mouth. I knew he was trying to extricate me from the entire process.
“Lexi here has been promoted to take up your remaining lessons, just to see if she has any potential.” I could see Lexi's expression dampen at the idea that her elevation was only in response to my demotion. Clearly that hadn't been made clear to her.
“I'm sorry you came all the way down here,” she continued. “I don't know why the message didn't get through.”
“Well perhaps the trip won't be completely wasted,” I said. “I wonder if you can spare a few minutes to have a word.” I looked over at Lexi. “Do you mind babe?”
She shook her head. “No, no, of course, that's fine. I'll just wait outside.”
“Take this,” said Mrs Jones, picking up a mat from the side of the room. “Do some yoga outside as you wait.”
Lexi took the mat and left the room, leaving me alone with Mrs Jones. Time to get some answers.
“So what is it that you want to talk about Alice?” she asked, sitting down on the center stage and crossing her slender legs.
“It's just something I heard, something I was told. It's been troubling me.”
Her expression was indifferent. “Go on.”
“Do you remember a girl called Jen? You taught her last year.”
“I remember all of my students.”
“Well, do you know what happened with her. Do you know how I got involved in all of this?” Her face changed slightly, stiffening. It looked like what I was about to say wasn't going to be new information to her.
“I understand that she was your room-mate. That's how you met Mr Logan.”
I nodded. “Yes, but there's more to it than that. She left college suddenly, told me she'd been kicked out. I believed it until recently.”
“Recently? What happened?” Her voice was turning more inquisitive.
“She came to me two weeks ago, told me some unsettling things.”
“Yes?”
“She said that she was being groomed to be a prostitute, that the same was happening with me. She told me that was your job: to liberate us sexually and make us want to go through with it. Is that true?”
Her disposition remained calm as she sat there. “My role, Alice, is to help you both physically and mentally. It sounds like Jennifer has been accusing me of indoctrinating you in some way. That is not what I do.”
She had an authority and composure that made me believe her, trust her. I suspected that Jen was just being paranoid, that she'd perhaps made more of it all than had actually happened. After all, she still chose to sleep with Mr White from her own free will.
“No, I understand that, you've been a big help for me.”
And she had. Without her there was no way I'd have been able to do what I'd been doing with such confidence. She'd taught me to play the role, to disconnect my personal life with my persona as a stripper. It made it all bearable, easy.
“I'm glad you feel that way Alice, but I must say Jennifer's accusations don't surprise me. She wasn't the easiest student. She found it hard to separate the job with reality. When I heard that she'd run out on her client, it wasn't a particular shock. I'd advise you ignore what she told you Alice, it will only make things harder.”
“Thank you Mrs Jones. Thank you for putting my mind at ease. And for everything you've done for me, it has changed my life.”
Whether that was for good or bad, I wasn't quite sure yet.
Chapter 32
I got out my phone as I drove away from the studio, texting while driving. Naughty you Alice. I'd grown naughty in lots of ways now.
“Need to speak to you. Can we meet?”
I hit send and the little mail icon on my phone fluttered away like a bird. Moments later I got a response.
“I told you not to message me on this phone. I need to be the one to contact you Alice. Meet me later in Adam's Park. There's a large oak tree in the center. I'll be there at 8 PM. Don't text again.”
It seemed like the entire world was being infected with paranoia. What, did Kyle think that his personal phone was being tapped or something. The idea was ludicrous to me.
I drove back to halls and parked, noticing Tess' car parked nearby. I hadn't spoken to her since she'd spilled my secret to the entire college. I'd been walking on eggshells for a little while after, expecting to be called up the Dean's office to be reprimanded in some way. Worst case scenario - I'd be chucked out of college. To be honest, if they could get proof that I was working as a stripper, I wasn't sure if there was any alternative to that.
In reality, however, nothing had happened. I hadn't noticed any specific attention being thrown on me, I wasn't getting stared at around campus as I'd expected to have been. Even the guys - Tom and his cronies - hadn't done much more than smile at me and make the odd suggestive remark. I suspected that perhaps Tess had helped secure their silence, but I hadn't talked to her to find out. Frankly, I'd been too fucking angry and busy recently to bother myself with such things.
As I entered my halls I could see Tess talking to a girl in the main hallway. I ducked my head and issued straight round to the left in a bid to avoid her stare, rushing straight on up the staircase towards my dorm room on the first floor. I could feel her eyes turn on me as I rushed up, but she didn't call out.
It was only late morning when I got back into my room and shut the door behind me. I had to set my mind to college work for the rest of the day and put everything else to one side. The way my life was I almost forgot I was at college sometimes. What had once been the focal point of my entire life had gradually taken a back seat to other dramas, and my attendance levels and grades were proof of that.
As I settled into my desk I heard a knock at the door and Tess' voice came through it, timid and unsure.
“Alice, can I come in?”
I kept silent for a moment. This was the last thing I needed right now, not with everything else going on. That said, I had wanted to hear her out for a little while now; give her the opportunity to apologize.
“I know you're in there Alice, I just saw you rush up the stairs.”
“OK Tess, door's open, come in,” I said casually, twirling around on my chair to look towards her.
She walked in and shut the door behind her. Her eyes were full of sorrow and regret, in contrast to mine that remained set in stone.
“Alice, I've wanted to talk to you for a while, but I haven't caught you. You've been like a ghost recently.”
I nodded dismissively. “I've been busy. What did you want to talk about?”
“You know what I want to talk about. I hate that we're not friends any more. I just don't see how you'd throw away our friendship for what happened.”
“Tess, I'm not throwing away anything. I just want you to realize what you did.” It was true - I wasn't going to lose my best friend over this. I didn't have enough in my life to lose her. But she needed to be punished, to be taught a lesson. This was the only way I could have gotten through to her, show her how serious everything was.
“I do, I do,” she said quickly. “Sometimes I just don't think. I'm so sorry Alice. I never thought things would go this far, that you might be thrown out of college if they found out. You're my best friend, you're like a sister to me. I'd never do anything to hurt you, you know that.”
I cou
ld feel my expression beginning to soften as she spoke. It was obvious that she regretted what had happened, that she'd never expected things to go this far. I was never one to hold a grudge, not with her, not with anyone.
“You're my best friend too,” I said, my words growing softer as a smile appeared on her face. “I guess I've been so caught up in other things recently, it made what happened seem worse than it was.”
“I talked to Tom straight after,” she said quickly, nodding. “I told him it was nothing, that it wasn't true. I think he believed me, I made him believe me. You know, he's really not that bad when you get to know him. He told everyone else to shut up about it, that a rumor could threaten your college education.”
A look of surprise grew over my face. “Really? I appreciate that Tess. What you did, and what he did, if it's true.” I would always have a lingering sense of distrust towards a guy like Tom. He may have been a saint underneath, but whenever jock guys get together, they descend into mindless morons. At least, that was my experience of them.
Tess walked towards me as I stood up and we hugged. Her arms were tight around my back, squeezing hard. “I've missed you babe,” she said into my shoulder. I won't interfere with your dancing again. Promise.”
Somehow I felt that she may yet have her part to play, good or bad, in things. That was just Tess - you couldn't keep her out of things for long!
Chapter 33
I headed out from the dorm and back down into the cool night towards my car. The nights were growing lighter and warmer, but by 7.40 it was already dark.
I'd spoken to Tess for a little while longer before getting my head into my books. I had a series of exams approaching and hadn't given them much thought as yet. From now, my days would need to be dedicated more towards revision than anything else.
The Logan Brothers - Books 1-4: (EXPOSURE, CRASH, TWIN PASSIONS, and ADDICTED TO YOU) Page 12