Chapter One

Aaron

The club is designed to be a safe haven. A place where gay paranormals can be themselves without facing ridicule. Our club is members only and the few humans that are allowed admission are people privy to our world. A lot of thought went into the type of club this would be and eventually Ashton and I decided it would be a strip club but with male dancers. We have a ladies night once a week where we have female dancers for the lesbian crowd but the rest of the time it’s men. Since my brother and I run the business we don’t get as much stage time as we’d like. However, I try to put myself on the schedule at least once a week, mainly because I love coming up with new routines to wow the crowd with.

Normally, when I dance I can please the crowd with my moves and I don’t even have to take my pants off. It’s become my draw basically. When TJ our host announces my act he always introduces me as the man with moves so hot he doesn’t have to take off his pants. Occasionally, my brother and I will do a routine together which is why our ‘stripper names’ sound kind of weird to the average person. Mine is Prince, his is Crown but together we’re Crown Prince. It only works because we’re twins. We aren’t identical or anything but we’re best friends which is the only reason we can dance together. Spending hours together working on a routine with someone that annoyed me would result in that person getting their ass kicked and me in prison. So, I stick with my brother and leave the group routines to the other dancers.

I try to keep myself busy. When I’m not doing something club related or working on a new routine I teach dance classes at the youth center. It keeps me occupied and keeps my mind off things like fated mates, love, and relationships. When I think about those things, I think about Jason and what could’ve been had he not enlisted and left me behind. Jesus, it’s been ten years and I’m still not over him. So pathetic. I haven’t even heard from him at all in that time. Not that I would expect to since he didn’t even say goodbye when he left.

Okay, that’s enough wallowing, I’ve got a class to teach and a new routine swirling in my brain. Alright, make that two new routines swirling in my brain. Although the second one I’ll have to rope my brother in on. Wonder if he can drag himself away from his desk long enough to nail down some moves. Shouldn’t have been listening to movie soundtracks. Gets my creative juices flowing and now I can’t stop picturing this epic dance scene in my head.

Whipping out my cell phone as I make my way to my car, I dial Ashton’s number. He answers with, “Sup lil bitch.”

Rolling my eyes, I say, “Nothing much cuntfish. How are you today? Care to drag yourself away from your desk? I’ve got a new routine.”

“Ohh, I see how it is. You just called to ask me for my body.” With a mock tear filled voice he adds, “That’s all I am to you. A piece of meat to do with as you please. Just wrong little brother, it’s all kinds of wrong.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a puppet on a string that I take advantage of wholeheartedly. No love lost and all that.”

“Ha! I knew it! Why, little brother, why?”

Trying not to laugh at his dramatics I say, “Because, I can and you love me. Now do you want to hear what I’ve got planned or not?”

“Of course. Fire away.”

As I climb into my car, I give him the rundown of the idea in my head. When I finish I say, “So? What do you think?”

“I love it, when do you want to do it?”

“I was thinking the Club’s annual Halloween bash. That way I can do the solo dance I have in mind as well.”

“Okay, that gives us close to four weeks to rehearse and plan.”

“I’d like to start rehearsing as soon as possible.”

“I know. Your place tomorrow? Same time as always?”

“Sounds good to me. See you then.”

I hang up the phone and smile. Thank the fates I found a house with so much space. When my brother and I first moved to New Orleans we shared an apartment. But after we got the club up and running and it took off, we both bought houses. Mine is a plantation style house on a few acres of land. I’ve got a privacy fence and no neighbors for a few miles. When I originally bought the place, it was falling apart so I hired a contractor to fix it up and put my own mini dance studio in. It was worth it. With our hectic schedules, it’s hard to find time to rehearse so Ashton and I usually take a few hours before our days start. Which means getting up at three in the morning to squeeze in three hours of dance time. Since there’s no place we can use that early besides the club we rehearse at my house before heading to work.

Kind of makes you wonder, when do we find time to sleep? The answer, at least for me is the hours in between where my classes and solo rehearsals end to when the club opens. Then the hours in between the club’s closing and the start of my day. In total I probably only get about six hours per day if that but it’s enough. At least this way, I’m too exhausted to dream.