Shit!
I arrived at The Ballroom fifteen minutes late again. My boss was going to kill me. The seedy building stood in an abandoned complex right next to the jammed-packed freeway. A gigantic neon sign repeated guys three times and a long black awning jutted out from the front door.
I stumbled out of my car, carrying my bag of school books. In between dances, I could get a little homework done if nobody bothered me. Jerome stood at the front door looking menacingly as always. He was an over-sized black man with the softest heart and a punch that could crush every bone in your body. He grinned and let me right in.
The club lights were dimmed and Steel danced on stage to a country song. A bar sat along the far right wall and Johnny was there tending to the drunks. A shot of whiskey sounded good right about now. I took a hard right through velvet curtains that stated: Employees Only.
Joe, the owner, came barreling towards me. His hair had receded to the very back of his head and he wore the cheapest suit available. He wasn't as soft as Jerome but he took care of the guys. “Shawn! You gotta be fucking kidding me. How could you be late again after we just had that talk?”
Damn! I thought he might not have noticed this time.
“I'm so sorry, Joe, but I got caught in traffic.”
Joe checked his watch. “There's no fucking traffic at nine o'clock at night.”
“There was an accident. I promise it won't happen again.” I gave him my best puppy dog eyes. Joe was a sucker for begging.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Steel offered to switch with you. You're on in twenty minutes.”
I really owed Steel a big one. This was the fifth time he had covered for me. Maybe I could buy him some weights as a thank you.
Joe continued, “I also need you to cover Axe's shift on Saturday night.”
Double Fuck! This Saturday I promised my mom I'd come visit her. But I couldn't negotiate with Joe without him firing me on the spot. I was already playing with fire.
“You got it, Joe. Whatever you need.”
Joe clasped his hands and bowed before me. He really wasn't all that bad. I just needed to be on time more often.
I walked into the ready room and sat at my station. Exposed light bulbs surrounded the mirror and pictures of my family were taped to the edges. I wanted my area to feel a little more homey—a little more personal. I went to the open rack behind me that held the few outfits I owned. The dancers at The Ballroom were required to pay for their own costumes which meant I couldn't afford too many.
I pulled out a firefighter costume that was bright yellow with orange stripes. It looked really cheap but you couldn't tell in the dark club. I quickly changed and stuffed my big pecs into it. I brushed my brown hair and oiled up my chest. The women went absolutely crazy for shiny skin.
Gunner strutted into the room wearing a superhero costume. He was very built and tall with giant arms. He could've been a male model if he wanted to. Most of the dancers were so jealous of his body.
“Joe seems angrier than usual. Late again, Shawn?” Gunner sat down at the station next to mine. He had been dancing at The Ballroom for over ten years which was a lifetime to some of us. When I started, Gunner helped me through the basics: getting my costume, learning the routines, and dealing with customers who got a little too touchy.
I slapped my chest and pursed my lips in the mirror. “Only by fifteen minutes. I could be one minute late and he'd still go ballistic.”
Gunner laughed. “Joe is Joe.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “We just got in a big group of guys.”
It wasn't unusual to have a group of gay men coming into the club even though the majority of customers were older women. I preferred guys so it was pleasant to hear.
“I hope they have deep pockets.” I replied.
Steel came back from the stage all sweaty. Crumpled-up dollar bills were pinned along his waist with a g-string.
I got down on my knees and groveled at his feet. “Thank you so much, Steel. I owe you a million times over.”
Steel's fake long blonde hair cascaded across his broad shoulders. “You better believe you owe me. I barely got any tips out there and a group of bikers just came in right after I finished.”
“How about I split my tips with you tonight. Will that make up for it?”
Steel smirked. “Yeah that might work.”
My phone buzzed on the counter. I checked my message and it was from my roommate, Jenny.
Jenny: You better text me when you're on your way home.
Shawn: Don't worry I will :)
Jenny didn't have a job so she made it her life's work to make sure I was always safe. She was so worried that one of the customers would try to kidnap me. Jerome was always around and would never let that happen. Plus every dancer here was a 200lb piece of muscle.
Joe popped his head in. “You're on in five, Shawn.”
“Knock em' dead, Falcon .” Steel slapped my ass.
Falcon was a name I quickly came up with right before my first dance. I needed a stripper name that radiated class and style. Lion was already taken so Falcon became mine. Most guys went by their real names backstage and some lucky guys like Steel were already born with a fake stripper name.
I took a deep breath and went to the back of the stage. I peeked through the curtains and spotted a group of tough guys surrounding the stage. They were covered in tattoos with their biceps bursting through their tight white shirts. Tonight might actually be good.
The announcer's voice boomed through the air. “Ladies and gentlemen, The Ballroom proudly presents: the mysterious, the fiery, the hot as hell—Falcon!”
“Pour it up” by Rihanna—my song—blasted through the speakers.
I burst out of the curtains with fire in my eyes. The overhead spotlights focused on my body as I made my way down the raised walkway, stomping my feet down. The guys and older women cheered my name while throwing one-dollar bills onto the stage. I ran my hands up my six-pack stomach and felt up my oily chest, flaunting it to the crowd.
“Take it off,” one of the guys screamed.
I shook my finger to the crowd. I faced away from the audience and slowly pulled off the firefighter jacket but put it back on. The men hollered at me. I turned around and danced, not letting them see it all yet. Dancing was the art of seduction.
I had to give it to them. I finally took off my jacket and they cheered and whistled at my body, their fists pumping in the air. I went up and down the stage, rubbing myself up and down. I bent over all the way and hugged my ankles, giving the best view of my ass in those firefighter pants.
My eyes caught one of the bikers and my heart skipped a beat. He wasn't like the others. He sat quietly and stared at me. This guy had long slicked-back hair that was shaved on the sides. Intricate tattoos covered both of his strong arms and broad shoulders. He wasn't cheering along with his buddies.
Maybe he wasn't gay and was dragged here with his buddies?
The mysterious man's dark gaze focused in on me. I became flushed and lost my way for a moment. I put my hands behind my head and thrust my hips forward and back. The crowd went wild. I ran my fingers through my sweaty hair and locked eyes with the bad boy. He sat in his chair with his stone-cold face, his eyes drinking me in.
This is way too hot.
Rihanna's words slowly faded away and the crowd hollered. I gathered my firefighter jacket and all the tips off the stage.
“One more round of applause for Falcon,” the announcer yelled.
I gave the audience a bow before disappearing into the back—but not without getting one last glance at him. He sat in his seat, blanketed in shadows, with one finger slowly tracing his lips. A desire formed in the pit of my stomach.
“How much did you make?” Steel asked, following me to my station.
My head was all cloudy and my cheeks were bright red. Who was that man?
“I said, how much did you make, Shawn?” Steel repeated.
“Oh sorry. Thanks again for covering for me.” I didn't even bother counting the tips. I handed him the majority of the crumpled up cash in my hands.
Steel fanned out all the bills and his jaw dropped. “You made all this from one dance?”
I shrugged. “I guess they liked me.”
I sat down at my station, my hands shaking. I didn't have another dance for a couple hours and desperately needed a drink. Alcohol would calm me down. Why was so much adrenaline coursing through me?
Joe came in with a big grin on his face. That was nice change from the Joe I had to deal with earlier. “Great job, Shawn. You got a guy out there requesting a lap dance.”
I nodded and oiled up again. I took a deep breath and my hands stopped shaking. Could it be him?