Chapter 5

Colton

The night was wrapping up, and I was in the bathroom, getting changed. The door swung open and the bride tumbled in, eyeing my cock hungrily. She slurred something about one last fling before settling down forever and lunged forward, trying to kiss me.

Sloppy drunk bitches have never been my taste, especially ones who are about to get married to someone else. As kindly as I could, I let her down gently, reminding her of how much she loved her husband-to-be and how much he must love her. Finally she left, smiling sweetly, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Sure, I could have fucked any number of the women at tonight's party, but there was only one I was interested in, and she'd left before my final number. That meant I was out of a bonus I could have used, but that fact didn't bother me as much as the missed opportunity of getting to seduce a genuinely gorgeous woman.

Out of the ladies who'd surrounded me, groping and grabbing, she'd been the only one to exhibit any true class. Of course, that made her seem stuck up or distance to her colleagues, but to me it was like a ray of sunshine on a cold winter day. A woman who wasn't throwing herself at me just because I flashed my muscles, my big dick, and my smile.

A woman like that was appealing not only for the challenge she represented, but because she'd made me feel more human and not like a piece of meat being paraded for their pleasure.

I finished changing and headed out of the room, shoving my tips into my bag. Lacie and Katherine were there, hanging off one another and laughing maniacally. I held out my hand for payment and Lacie counted out my fee, plus the extras she'd negotiated. All except the bonus for bagging the dark-haired beauty.

She shook an additional stack of hundreds in my face, then slurred, "You coulda had this too, if you'd done the job we'd asked you to do."

I shrugged. "Sorry. Looks like I wasn't up to the task."

Katherine eyed me up and down. "I dunno. You look up to it to me. How's about you come home with us?"

Lacie giggled, sliding her hand around my waist and squeezing my ass along the way. "Whaddaya say? We're more fun than that old stick in the mud anyway."

If ‘stick in the mud' meant the girl who'd gotten away, I would be forced to disagree with her. I think it would have taken at least a dozen of girls like Lacie and Katherine to equal one of her.

"Sorry, ladies," I said, removing Lacie's hand. "I've got another engagement."

"Suit yourself," Katherine sneered. "You're not that hot anyway."

I walked out, not bothering to look back when they started talking about how they'd seen hotter men at the homeless shelter down the block. This wasn't the first time I'd gotten harassed after rejecting a client's advances.

Outside the club, I breathed in the cold December air. It always made me feel slightly dirty, taking money to shake my dick around, but the frozen air helped clear away some of that negative energy. My phone buzzed and I pulled it out.

It was a text from Ozzy. The girls are going wild, bud. Hope you can make it down.

I smiled. Ozzy was always talking up whatever happening he was a part of. The kid, like most his age, had the urge to make himself seem cooler than he was. I'd given up such social pressures. One thing stripping will do is put you up against your own shit. I knew who I was, was comfortable in my own skin. If someone didn't like it, fuck them, not my problem.

I consider my reply. A party would help me take my mind off things, and maybe I'd find someone to drive out the thoughts of the dark-haired beauty who'd rebuffed all my advances. But did I really need some no-nothing coed pawing me drunkenly to boost my self-esteem?

I shoved my phone back in my pocket, deciding not to reply yet. Heading toward the platform, I weighed the pros and cons of making an appearance at the party. Up ahead, I could see the hunched-over form of a tall guy at the mouth of the alley I was approaching. I wondered for a moment if he was taking a piss, mentally girding myself to avoid his steaming puddle if he was. But as I grew closer, I realized it was something more disturbing than that.

"No!" a voice cried. A female voice. I put on a burst of speed, ready to lend a hand to whatever damsel was in distress.

"Excuse me," I said, hoping the situation could be diffused by words alone. "I believe she said 'no.'"

The tall guy craned his neck around, giving me a once over. "Mind your own business," he said.

I glanced over his shoulder and my eyes widened. It was the gorgeous girl from the gig, pressed up against the alley wall.

My body shot rigid as my anger rose. How dare this motherfucker mess with my girl? Sure, she wasn't exactly my girl, but in that moment, my temper couldn't tell the difference. "Buddy," I said through gritted teeth, "I'm going to give you one more chance to back away."

"Or what?" he asked, turning around to face me. "You gonna bounce your package around in front of me. Sorry, bro, but I don't have any dollar bills."

So, he knows about my profession. That's surprising. Still, I wasn't one to back down, especially from an asshole attempting to assault the angel cowering in the alley.

"That's funny," I muttered. "That would be the first time anyone ever paid me to kick their ass before."

I dropped my bag and began cracking my knuckles, flexing my muscles in a way I figured he'd interpret as threatening. The tall guy's eyes narrowed. "Look, this really is none of your business. Tell him you're fine, Addison."

The dark-haired beauty stared at me with wide eyes, her lips quivering. It was obvious she was nowhere near fine.

"Why don't you go home and cool off," I said in a conversational tone. "You can discuss whatever it is you're upset about later, when you've had time to calm down."

The tall man's face turned red. Apparently, he wasn't used to people telling him what to do. "You gonna take a swing at me, stripper man?"

I shook my head, although I wanted nothing more than to knock the bastard's teeth in for him. "I'm going to call the police and tell them you're assaulting this nice young lady." I reached for my phone and started to dial.

"Fuck this," he said in disgust, heading back up the street toward the club. He looked back over his shoulder at the girl. "You better not come to the show tomorrow looking like a haggard sow, or you know what will happen." Then he stalked away.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned. I could see that she was fighting back tears.

"I...I think so." She ran her hands through her hair. "Thank you."

I nodded in acknowledgment. "Who was that guy?"

Addison sighed. "He's my director.

I thought I'd like to direct my foot up his ass. "Director?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm a dancer in the Nutcracker ballet. The Sugar Plum Fairy, actually. He's the producer and director. Basically, he's God."

I frowned. That asshole certainly didn't bear any resemblance to God in my opinion. I saw that she was shaking, and I couldn't tell if it was from the cold or what had just happened. "Hey," I said, moving a step closer. "How about we get out of here? Share a cab?"

Addison looked at me with distrust in her eyes. I remembered then that I'd spent the better part of the night trying to get her to fuck me, and she'd clearly recognized me. "No funny business, I promise," I said, holding my hands up. "Just a ride home."

After a moment, a long one in which I thought she'd rebuff me in this like everything else she had that night, she agreed. I stepped out into the street, hailing a cab and then opening the door for her. She climbed in and I tried not to ogle her perfect ass. Then I slid in after her.

We rode in silence for a moment. I wasn't sure what to say. It was clear she had some major issues at her job. But could the pot that took his clothes off for money call the kettle getting sexually harassed by her boss black?

"I know they put you up to hitting on me tonight," she said, breaking the silence.

I nodded. "They offered me a bonus if I could get you to..." Fuck me. "...like me."

Addison leaned her head back against the seat. "Of course they did. And the drink and cake too. Let's not forget about them."

"Sorry," I mumbled, feeling like a heel. "I couldn't resist when they offered me the bonus. Besides, I'd seen you on the street the day before. You were coming out of the restaurant I work in. You ran into me and then tried to blame me."

Her eyes widened, then she looked away. "That was you. I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind right now."

Clearly. "Look, what your boss is doing, it isn't right."

Addison looked down at her hands. They were elegant hands, knotted in her lap. "I know, but there's nothing I can do. The world of dance is highly competitive, and if I quit, I don't know if I'll ever get another shot."

I put two and two together, which took longer than it should have. "Those girls tonight. They're ballerinas too?"

She nodded. "Everyone wants my part. And the director's been watching me like a hawk, dinging me for any little infraction. Breaking my diet. Drinking." She eyed him. "Fraternizing with men. Anything that takes my focus off dancing."

I thought her director wouldn't mind a little fraternizing, as long as it was with him. And to me, she had those other females beat hands down. No one could hold a candle to Addison's beauty and poise.

"He texted me while I was at the restaurant," she murmured. "And then followed me here tonight. He's been more controlling than usual."

"He sounds more like a stalker than a director." I dug out my card, ignoring the fact that it had a shot of me nude to the waist, winking and smiling. "If he tries any of that shit again, call me, okay?"

She hesitated, then reluctantly took the card, shoving it into her pocket. As she gazed out the window, I could tell she was letting the events of the night take a toll on her.

"Listen," I said, "if you've got talent, no one can take your place. Not a bunch of jealous bitches, not a stalker boss."

"Thanks," she said, her tone sarcastic. "But you don't understand what it's like. If I go against his wishes, I could never work in this town again."

"And if his wishes include making you his girlfriend?" I chose the word 'girlfriend,' but I think we both understood I meant 'whore.'

She didn't answer, and it was a little like a punch to the guts. Still, how could I judge, considering how I made my living.

"I think you can do better," I said softly. "You deserve a guy who will treat you right."

The cab pulled up at the curb and her eyes met mine. "You mean like you?"

I didn't know how to respond, and it was clear she didn't expect me to. Addison opened the door and climbed out, then turned around to toss a twenty-dollar bill onto the seat behind her. I assumed it was for the fare, but she could have been making a darker point about my profession.

I gave the cabbie my address and picked up the twenty, assuming I'd never see the dark-haired beauty again. I probably didn't deserve to anyway, after I'd been such an asshole at the party.

Still, I couldn't say it made me any happier, knowing she was firmly out of my league. I would have treated her better than her fucking boss or her "friends." We'd only made it a few blocks when I told the driver to change his course.

Fuck it, I was heading to the college party. Why the hell not?