I arch a brow, confused.
Her grin grows wider. “I heard the new muscle asking if you were coming in tonight.”
“Oh?” I reply, surprised.
“Yeah, which is why I asked if you had met him. I wondered if maybe he was the one to end your drought,” she playfully teases. Bae knows of my “drought” because she’s the closest thing I have to a friend.
“Ugh.” I screw up my face, tossing a wand of lip gloss at her while she ducks and laughs. “I’d rather stay celibate for the rest of my life. Thank you very much.”
“Ah-ha,” she replies, so not believing me. “He’s so fucking…big. I wonder if his co—”
Thankfully, Ricky, the emcee, announces my name, ending a conversation I have no intention of ever finishing.
“We will continue this conversation later.” Bae giggles when I smack her ass on the way out the door.
The walk toward the curtain is an adrenaline rush for me. I get off on performing because losing myself in the music, to dancing, is when I feel most alive. As the music commences, I crack my neck from side to side and shake out my arms.
The anticipation is the best part. I don’t come out right away. I let these animals wait. This is my show, so I come when I’m ready…which is now.
Splitting the curtain, I emerge into the bright lights, fucking victorious as I strut my shit on stage. The catcalls from the men in the tip rail have me smirking. Show them a little tit and ass, and they are ready to throw down their life savings. Bills instantly litter the stage, only cementing my point.
I move in time with the music, using every part of my body as a weapon. The pole is an essential prop to my show because its shape is the perfect analogy for what all those morons down there wish I would do to their pole.
In their fucking dreams.
I climb it with ease, before twirling around it and flipping upside down. Hooking my ankle around the pole, I hold it with one hand and thrust my pelvis a couple of times in sync with the music, causing the catcalls to sound loudly around me.
I still can’t believe these douchebags eat this shit up.
I continue my routine, pointing my toes as I extend my body outward using my core. If anyone in this audience had any clue, they’d be able to see my ballet background, but they don’t care. All they care about is seeing me naked.
Anger courses through me, and I spin quickly. Every one of them is just like all the other men in my life— looking at me like I’m nothing but a toy. Dismounting fiercely, I land on the edge of the stage, crouched low.
When a hand extends forward, attempting to touch me, I instantly recoil and dance out of reach. This isn’t a petting zoo. The strobe lights begin to flicker, and I move like I’m possessed. The crowd goes wild as I tear at the thin fabric of my top and toss the garment into the audience.
I’m about to cover my breasts, but when a flash of bright blue with a kiss of amber green flicker before me, I suddenly stop, baring myself to him. I have no idea where he was, but he’s now just feet away from the stage. The men are out of their seats, hollering loudly as they watch me fervently, which is the reason he’s so close. He’s only doing his job.
But when those mismatched eyes eat me alive as he rubs two tattooed fingers across his supple lips, I want to believe he’s here because he feels this electrical pulse between us too. My skin is set alight by the feral scowl spread across his bowed lips because he looks dangerously pissed off.
The look only incites me to dance faster, shaking my body with confidence. Bull soon turns around, facing the audience, which has me celebrating in triumph. His submission is my victory, and I end the set, breathless, slathered in sweat and grinning a winner’s smirk.
The stage is drowned in black before the room erupts into pandemonium.
“Hollllyyyyy shit!” Ricky hollers, walking onto the stage as the lights and background music come back on. “Give my girl Tigerlily another round of applause!”
The salivating men do as they’re asked as I bend forward, arm wrapped around my breasts to collect my cash. There is so much green scattered everywhere that Ricky bends down to help me gather it all up. Just as I reach for a twenty, a sweaty, unwanted hand seizes my forearm.
I don’t even have a chance to move because a black shadow coolly glides forward and bends back the wrist of my manhandler. The man yelps and instantly lets me go. I peer into the eyes of Bull, and every fiber of my body is aware of his presence.
“Thanks,” I curtly say.
He merely nods in response, standing guard over me as I collect my earnings. Once I’m done, I quickly scamper through the curtain, where I can finally breathe again.
Cody
“Are you sure we should be here?” My best friend Gary Buchanan asks, as we crouch low, remaining hidden by the trees.
“Yes, now stop being such a pussy and let’s go.”
Gary is right; we shouldn’t be here. It’s way past curfew, but what my parents don’t know won’t hurt them.
We creep toward the scorching bonfire, making sure to stay low because this place is off-limits to two snotty-nosed kids like us.
The Titans, my brother’s football team, won the finals, thanks to Damian scoring a touchdown with three seconds left on the clock. My brother, the hometown hero, saved the game, which is really no surprise, and to celebrate, they’ve all gone to Pinnacle Point, a local hangout in the woods for the seniors.
The party is in full swing. The beer flows freely, and endless girls flock around Damian. He isn’t interested in them, however, because he’s been dating his girlfriend, Lyndsay, for two years. They really are disgusting with how they look at one another with gaga eyes. But what would I know about love? I’ve never even kissed a girl.
Gary and I were too interested in riding our dirt bikes to pay attention to any girls. But that changed the moment Damian dragged me to his stupid football game tonight, and I saw a brunette cheerleader with a beautiful smile.
I don’t know her name, which is why I’m here. I want to find out. Damian warned me about the cheerleaders, and he was right. I could always ask him who she is, but I want to do this on my own. I’ve always lived in my brother’s shadow, which has never bothered me before, but finding out who the mystery girl is on my own feels like a step toward manhood.
I know that’s fucking lame, but it would be even lamer if my brother introduced his younger brother to the woman of his dreams.
With that as my mindset, we creep closer, eyeing the unfolding scene. People are kissing around the fire, while others are dancing and laughing and having a good time. I scan the area, hoping to see my cheerleader. I do.
“There she is!” I hiss, elbowing Gary in the ribs.
He yelps, jumping away from me. “Yeah, so what? What are you going to do? You can’t talk to her. Your parents will ground you for a week if they find out you’re here. We’re supposed to be having a sleepover at my house.”
He’s right.
My parents are a little heavy handed with me because I’m not the golden boy like Damian. I don’t do what I’m told. I suppose you can call me the black sheep or the rebel in the family, but I don’t mind. Damian wouldn’t rat me out, but I know he would make me feel guilty for disobeying my parents. His honesty would rub off on me, and then I would eventually cave, telling them what I did.