by Megan Noelle
With every night that I missed work at the club I could feel Maurizio’s rage rising. He hated me already and this wasn’t helping. Not to mention he had no address for me and I was phoneless. He was probably going to send a search party out on the hunt for me just so he could kill me himself. I didn’t give a shit. The last thing I was in the mood for was shaking my ass up and down a cold pole. Men slobbering over me, slipping dollars into my G-string, and trying to act like pimps because they are surrounded by dozens of hot women. Failing to remember the fact that they are paying the women to be there or else most of us wouldn’t go near them otherwise.
Maurizio wouldn’t be quite as sympathetic for my disinterest in stripping at the moment. Yet something told me even if he knew all the chaos in my life it still wouldn’t keep him from expecting me in time for my first dance every night. I wasn’t afraid of him, even now. What was he going to do—fire me? Whatever. I could go to another club or find something else, I wasn’t worried. Sure—I got more money from stripping but it wasn’t a serious job and that was justification enough for me.
It wasn’t just Maurizio or the greasy men (which most of them were). It was Onyx and Kayne. Neither had a way to reach me and both knew I worked at the club on weekends. Something made me believe that one, or both, of them would show up just to connect with me. So aside from the wallowing about Daisy I think that was what has been keeping me bed ridden. I didn’t know what to say if I saw them and I didn’t want to chance it. Right now I was treating this time in bed as my own personal detox. Kick the feelings aside and then when I made my way out into the world again, I’d be back to my old self.
Having Kayne as a friend was something I had never expected but loved dearly. He is beyond a great person and I wished only the best for him, but I wasn’t it. It wasn’t high school anymore where we could hang out, be friends, get drunk and party. That was how I made all my mistakes in the first place. I was acting like I had learned nothing from it and then in walked Onyx. There was a reason I had sworn off love and it wasn’t because secretly I was waiting for my prince charming to ride in. Hell no, I knew better. Love was for fools and I spent the last few years of my life making sure I was anything but.
When Monday morning rolled around something felt different. I awoke tear free, the chill of discomfort gone. I took that to mean it was time to get my ass back in gear. I threw on some shorts and a tank top and took off on a run. Aside from my run the other night it had been a while since I ran for recreation. There was something cathartic about it and that feeling of being free again was enough to make every pained step easier.
By the time I returned home it was well past lunch time. After a quick shower I whipped up the last of the contents in my cupboards. Dried noodles, soups, cereal- my kitchen was filled with my favorite non-perishables that would last me a while. After my personal lock down, all was wiped clean I needed to go grocery shopping. I hated grocery shopping, it felt too ‘homey’ for me. This wasn’t my home and the only place I would consider a home was one with Daisy. Having to buy foods that college people lived on was far from what I expected. I suppose surviving should come first. I would worry about food tomorrow though because tonight I was going back to work to make money.
When it was time to get ready I changed it up a bit. Straightening my curly hair and instead of putting it in luscious tight curls I opted for long soft curls. It was far more romantic than sex kitten as I even found myself toning down the makeup but I rather enjoyed it. No doubt Maurizio would flip shit tonight, not just about my absence but by my lack of “sex” appeal. No fake lashes, without pounds of eye shadow and eyeliner on. Maurizio’s motto was the more the better but I didn’t give a shit what he thought and I wasn’t going to start caring now.
Before I left I threw on a pair of black yoga pants and my typical black hoodie. Looking at the clock I could see by the time I got there I would be right on time, maybe even a little early. Maybe that will make Maurizio feel a little less stabby—doubtful, but it’s a start. As I left my usual walking pace was immediately foiled by my joints sudden need to run. It was a new therapeutic release for me and was the latest addiction my body craved. I had no intention of denying myself so as soon as my door was locked up tight again—I bolted.
I hated the fact that it was in the direction of the club that I was heading off to but I loved the tension release in my limbs. Any nerves I had about running into either of the Ramsey men or the irritation I already felt toward Maurizio was gone. The wind, the adrenaline, the pounding of my heart, those were the things I heard. My slip on shoes weren’t typically good for running but it didn’t matter. Better than bare feet like I experienced the other night. As I passed by nightlife, crowded bars, drunken people, and other creeps I didn’t stay around long enough to understand I decided I needed some music. Maybe with this next wad of cash I’d invest in one of those music thingys to give me something better to lose myself in, besides people in the street.
I finally arrived and made my way to the back entrance where one of our blonde, hulk-sized security guards stood unmoving. I flashed him a smile, one of the only people that ever saw a genuine one. Me and Lars go way back (yes his name is Lars and I freaking love it) to my first day on the job. I was timid, anxious, excited, and halfway through my first striptease some drunkard made his way onto the stage and grabbed my legs. My scream was loud and shrill but I hadn’t even stopped before Lars had jumped on stage pulled the man off me and landed a massive punch to the side of his face. He took the man away and I scurried back into the dressing room. Lars followed me back with a bottle of water and a shot of whiskey. With his grunt of a voice he told me it was all going to be okay. As long as I was there—none of them were going to hurt me. Honestly, if it hadn’t of been for him, I would have likely left that day and never returned.
“She returns.” Lars grunted out.
“That I have.”
“Boss is pissed at you.”
I flicked my cigarette into the dark parking lot and gave Lars a pat against his chest. “What else is new?”
“You been alright?”
“Alive and kickin’.” I replied as I walked through the door he held open for me.
“Holler for me if Mau tries to change the alive part.”
I snorted as I kept walking. “He doesn’t scare me, Lars.”
“Good girl.”
I turned into the changing room and all at once the girls looked my way. All rolled their eyes, some made a scoffing sound of disgust and I smiled. Maybe it was good to be back after all. Now that the world was back to the way it should be. Cherry was sitting atop her changing station, rolling fishnet tights up her legs. She looked up at me and smirked.
“I was wondering why all the chatter stopped.” She said as I plopped down at my station next to her.
“The wicked witch had arrived.”
“Maurizio’s pissed.”
I shrugged, yanking my sweatshirt off my head. “It’s more newsworthy if he isn’t pissed.”
“Yeah. Well, he’s not expecting you to be here tonight. I am supposed to take the stage in five minutes. If you want to take my spot you can, go shock the hell out of him.”
“Definitely not going to pass up that opportunity.”
“Here I got this new outfit too. Wanna try it out?”
“Sure.”
Cherry flipped through the hangers on her standing wardrobe and handed over a dress. The outfit was black with red hearts on the tutu skirt, the corset had three white panels with three hearts in each section with a red lace bra attached. It came with a matching red cape and black feathers lining the bottom and elbow length gloves. It was definitely hot and I recognized it right away as a queen of hearts outfit. I gave Cherry a smug grin for her choice in sex appeal.
She caught my look and shrugged her shoulders. “What? I got a thing for Alice in Wonderland.”
“I’m not judging,”
Lucky for me my hair and makeup was done, I just needed to fini
sh the look now. I rolled up fishnet thigh highs with bows on the garters, I instantly paired that with a pair of bright red fuck-me-pumps. In a matter of minutes I was ready, Cherry didn’t seem to think so. She grabbed hold of my face and picked up her liquid eyeliner as she made a darker cat-eye look.
“Didn’t like the way I had it?”
“Nah, you look cute but too normal girl. Love the hair though, looks very natural.” I ran my fingers through it giving it a volumizing shake.
“Yeah, wanted to try something different today.”
“Well, better get your ass out there before Mau comes back screaming.”
Without another word I rushed out of the room to the DJ stand to make sure they didn’t play whatever song Cherry selected. Usually I could dance to almost anything but Cherry’s type of music was dark, heavy metal and usually only she could make the dance sexy.
“I’m dancing now not Cherry. Put on ‘Ride’ by SoMo.”
I didn’t bother worrying if he had access to it or not. Our DJ had the most high tech equipment with two computers, a house phone sized iPod and whatever else. The kid nodded and I went to take my spot. Our DJ was also the announcer and I waited for my cue as his voice echoed over the speakers.
“Get ready for the long awaited return of the sexy and insatiable Kandi!” There was a wild applause from dozens of horny men as my song cued up and I strutted my way onto the catwalk. I undid the tie for the cape and felt it slide leisurely down my body and land in a pile around my heels.
My hands brushed down the front of my corset, over the tops of my thighs. My long strides matched to the beat of the song until the pole was in my grasp. I pulled myself up and spun around once before climbing to the top. As the song beat more powerfully I thrust my pelvis toward the pole over and again. My eyes shut as the bass shook through my veins getting me back into the sexual mindset I hadn’t experienced since Friday night.
As the chorus came to an end I locked my calves tightly around the pole, letting my chest fall back. My fingers extended toward the ground, hooting from the crowd broke the silence. My legs loosened sending me down to the ground but stopping in time for my hands to hold my weight as I flipped off the pole. Slowly I strutted to the front, stopped, and dropped into the splits. My ass bounced, my hips ground down to the stage. Getting onto my stomach I crawled forward to the very end of the catwalk. A hoard of men crowded to get a look down my bra but I always preferred to get eye contact of just one. To my utter shock that one person was Onyx.
His eyes narrowed, anger roiled off his sexy frame but so did the desire from watching me dance. My first instinct was to run far away but I stopped—time to prove I was over it. My hands brushed over his chest, nails digging into his shirt as they dragged down onto his stomach. I wrapped my fingers into his belt buckle and yanked him closer to me. In this dance I usually undid the belt and thrust my breasts into their face for some cash but not this time. For some reason I didn’t undo the belt and instead I trailed slow kisses from the exposed skin below his shirt all the way up to his neck.
He slipped some bills into my bra but I could hardly get myself to part. The deep, intense gaze fixed on me was making me forget where I was and what I was doing. It had only been days since I last looked into those eyes but it felt like years. How had I convinced myself I was over him again?
Someone let out a loud obnoxious cat whistle but it was enough to snap me out of the trance and turn my back on him. I dropped to my knees and slowly crawled back to the pole, tuning out the annoying hollering at the sight of my G-string clad ass. Pulling myself back onto the pole I finished the song high in the air doing twirls, flips, and bends to accentuate the curves and flexibility men fawned over.
As the song ended I gave a bow and gathered my cape on the way off the stage. The sound of cheering faded away as I entered the hallway to head back into the dressing room. Except this time Maurizio was standing there with his beefy arms crossed over his chest waiting for me.
“We need to talk, Princess.” Just as I was about to deliver my witty response something caught my eye. Onyx turned the far corner to enter the same hallway and that look in his eyes told me I was going to be doing a lot of talking this evening.
“What a fucking surprise this is to see you here today. Finally decide we are worthy of your lousy fuckin’ time?” Wow. He sure was pissed.
“I was busy this weekend.”
“Clearly. You know, we were busy too and you were supposed to be here. This is my lively hood, girl.” Maurizio grabbed onto my wrist, his face was growing redder by the second and I felt fear strike a chime within me. I expected anger but I hadn’t expected this.
“Let her go.” A calm but stern voice called out behind Maurizio, reminding me that Onyx was still here. I shot a look over Maurizio’s shoulders and saw Onyx moving slowly toward us, his eyes focused on my arm.
Maurizio looked over his shoulder and heaved out a grunt. He released my hand by throwing it off to the side before he wheeled around to stare down Onyx.
“What the fuck are you doing here? Can’t we just wait until our next class reunion to run into each other again? I’m getting real fuckin’ tired of seeing you.”
“As long as you are putting your hands on her, I’ll be here.” Onyx was half the size of Maurizio’s large chubby frame but he was holding his own. Maurizio began breathing heavily, his nose making the sound of a bull before it attacked.
“Why the fuck does this piece of shit matter to you at all?” He looked at me with utter disgust before returning his murderous glare back on Onyx.
Onyx narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. “I’ve already knocked one guy out over her. I’m not afraid to do it again if you don’t back the hell up.”
“This isn’t your concern, Ramsey. She is my employee and took the goddamn weekend off without so much as a word to tell me.”
“Well, you are the one who hired her knowing she didn’t have a phone number.”
Maurizio sized Onyx up once more, crossing his arms back over his chest. “So are you suggesting I fire her ass?”
“No!” I yelled, finally butting in. As much as I despised Maurizio and hated the job, I loved the money. I needed the money.
Maurizio turned his attention back to me. “If you are so against me letting you go—why did you not come in once for your shifts?”
“I couldn’t. Personal matters. Think of it as vacation time. But I’m back now.”
He looked me up and down before jamming a finger into my face. “You pull that shit again and don’t bother coming back.”
“Fine.”
“I want you to leave with me now, Kandi.” Onyx not calling me Alexandria made me wonder what was going on. Was he finally treating me like the stripper I asked all along?
“Now?” Maurizio asked with an incredulous tone that Onyx would come out of nowhere to request such a thing.
“Yes,” he answered Maurizio but turned his eyes back on me. “You shouldn’t be here, love. Leave with me. Talk to me.”
“Fuck that! I just got my most profitable girl back—she’s not going anywhere!” He seethed beside me.
I looked from Mau to Onyx. “I can’t just leave, Onyx. I need to make money.”
“I’ll pay you for what you’d lose.”
Every beat of my heart was screaming yes! My body was beginning to physically ache with the separation between us. It was far easier to cut him from my life when he wasn’t there looking at me with those devastatingly beautiful dark eyes. Here he was, standing up for me again and I was fighting all urges to walk away with him and leave this world behind.
“Fuck that, Onyx! You can’t just barge in here every time she finally shows up and steal her away. If she ain’t seein’ you when she’s not here, what makes you think you’re worth her time?”
His question horrified me. It was true—for Onyx. Onyx had no way of knowing all I went through to try and rid him from my thoughts. And how with a single glance tonight all the progress I ha
d made was undone. It made my stomach churn to think that Mau’s words would hit home for Onyx and make him decide it was time to walk away.
“You don’t need to worry about us, Maurizio. This is between me and her.”
“Well, as long as she is working here it does include me.”
Between these two men there was no way to simply solve this. Testosterone was going to get in the way and if I knew one thing about Maurizio, I knew he didn’t cave that easily to other men. He dealt with me but that was because he had to. Already once now he has let Onyx tell him what to do, I was fairly certain it wasn’t going to happen again.
“How about I go outside for a few minutes, talk with Onyx and then finish out my shift?”
Mau looked from me to Onyx and back again before throwing his hands in the air. “Fine, fifteen minutes tops! But when you come back in I better not hear a fuckin’ word about anything. You’ll perform on stage three more times tonight, do a few table dances and you’ll be fuckin’ ecstatic if someone requests you for a private dance. And you,” this time it was Onyx that got Maurizio’s finger in the face. “You will not cause problems in my damn club. If so, I don’t care how far back we go—I will throw you out for good.”
Onyx threw his hands in the air in an innocent surrender way. Finally Mau gave a final grunt before stomping away to terrorize someone else’s night. With just me and Onyx standing here now, I knew something had to be said. There was no doubt he was going to ask me what happened this weekend. Why I bailed on him and why I was such a flake.
“I need to take this off. I’ll just change quick and meet you out back.”
Onyx nodded, without taking his eyes off mine. “Please don’t disappear on me this time.”
A knot formed in my throat but I tried to forget about it as I nodded. “I won’t.”