Page 5 of Lustful Nights

I look fine, but I’m missing something. I lean over into Declan’s space, scanning his area. His vanity’s a mess, makeup scattered around, but I find what I’m looking for.Glitter. Opening the container, I use the brush to spread some shimmer all over my face. I stare at my chest before thinking, ‘fuck it’ and dab some there too. I’m going to be sparkly as shit tonight.

Tristan and Bash walk into the room, finding their spots in front of the mirrors. They’re dancers at the club too, younger than me, but still fun to be around. Tristan is my size but with blonde curly hair, whereas Bash is smaller than all of us with jet-black hair.

Tristan pulls at the spiked collar around his neck, looking at the mirror then turning to face me. “Do you think this is too much?” he asks, rubbing his finger against the leather.

“I think it looks hot as fuck,” I say, leaning in to examine it more. There are spikes all around the collar with his stage name, Angel, etched on the front.

Everyone at the club tries to put their own spin on things, either with their dances or the outfits they wear. Tristan loves to dress up in all-white with pops of leather. I’m not sure if it’s something he wears all the time or if it’s just for show.

Bash comes up behind him, giving the choker a closer look. “I told you when you bought it, it would be perfect with your outfit, so you better put it on.” He kisses Tristan on the cheek before popping his lollipop back into his mouth and bouncing over to his own seat. Despite being the youngest dancer, Bash acts like a mother hen, attending to everyone’s needs. He always dresses in crop tops and short skirts and has a confidence in himself I rarely see in men our age. He’s helped me with my routines far too many times to count, and I always love the nights when we work together.

Tristan rolls his eyes, gently wiping the lipstick off his cheek. “I hate when you slobber all over me.”

“Oh, whatever. If I can’t give you a friendly peck, then we’re all in the wrong business.” He laughs, grabbing his body mist and spraying it all over.

“You both missed the bachelor party the other night. I was surprised that neither of you worked.”

“I had a family thing,” Tristan replies, styling his hair.

“I was planning to come in, but my dog got sick, and I had to take her to the vet. I’m pissed I missed out on those tips,” Bash tells us, staring at himself in the mirror.

“We made so much in tips, I was able to get a new outfit for tonight,” Declan cuts in, shimmying as he walks into the room to join us.

“Speaking of tonight, is everyone ready to perform the new dance?” I ask, giving them each a second look.

Every night, we start off the show by doing a number together, which reminds me of the movieCoyote Ugly. We like to change it up by doing different routines and we’ve been working on a new one for the past few weeks. It’s always a good start to the night as it lets the customers see which dancers are going to come on the stage for the spotlight. While there are times we’re dancing together, Caleb likes to make sure we each get a chance to shine each night to help get some more tips.

“This dance is our best one yet,” Bash says excitedly, bouncing in his seat. I love how much Bash is himself. He’s always so bubbly and outgoing and always there for his friends. He’s helped me build up my confidence when it comes to dancing and building my presence on stage.

“The song choice ischef’s kiss.” I pucker my lips, mimicking a kiss and giggling, when Declan shakes his head. He’s not a fan of country music, but the rest of us loved the song, so he has to suck it up.

“Let’s go dance our asses off!” Tristan yells, leading us out of the room.

Snatching our cowboy hats off the wall, we bolt from the room and down the darkened hallway, whooping and hollering. We take our spots on the stage with about five feet between us. The four of us each have our own spotlight shining down and I quickly pull at my panties, the self-conscious feeling always hiding below the surface. I’m not the best dancer here, but with the help of my friends, I’ve grown so much and have realized there are men who actually come to see me.

‘Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)’ by Big & Rich blasts through the speakers, and we all strike a pose with our cowboy hats. Customers have certain fantasies and us dressing up as cowboys is constantly a tremendous hit. The spurs on my feet jingle with each step, and I smile when we each hit the floor at the same time. Bash and I start grinding against the floor while Tristanand Declan find their way over to the pole. They give us a second to get through our routine before they climb up high.

Sliding on the pole is always one of my favorite parts of my routine, but being on the floor up close and personal with the customers is a second favorite. I roll my hips into the ground at the same time they drop from the bar. The crowd gets louder, and I grin widely, knowing we’re getting them riled up. The more worked up they are, the more willing they are to give us bigger tips. I make the most money from tips, so I need them to loosen their purse strings as much as they can.

With the bright lights overhead, it’s sometimes hard to make out the faces in the crowd. Even though typically I can only see the ones that are right in front of the stage, I try to look out toward the back so others can think I’m looking at them. The music slowly ends and the four of us walk around the room, gathering all our tips. I’m making my way toward a booth at the back of the room when a familiar pair of blue eyes has me stopping in my tracks.

Jensen.

What the fuck is he doing here? I quickly collect the money within reach and rush away, hoping he didn’t see me. I hide behind the corner, putting a hand on my chest that’s rising rapidly.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I chant, squeezing my eyes shut. “No, no, no,” I repeat, shaking my head back and forth.

Jensen Miller is my older brother’s best friend and my childhood crush. Of course, he never noticed me beyond being Nick’s goofy little brother, but I always dreamed of something more. But now he’s sitting in a booth at Peaches and I’m trying to hide because he cannot find me here.

Nick doesn’t know I work here, and he would lose his shit if he found out. If there was a picture of an overprotective brother in the dictionary, Nick’s image would be big and bright. I lovehim, but he can be overbearing sometimes. The minute I came out to him, his protective streak got bad, and it’s only gotten worse as the years went on. It hasn’t helped that I’ve had shit taste in guys either, but I don’t want to think about that right now.

As I make my way to the back, I keep looking behind me to see if he saw me and is following me back here. Luckily, I don’t see him, so I push open the door to the dressing room, rushing to my seat.

“Whoa, where’s the fire?” Jonas asks, following me into the back room. “I saw you rushing back here and wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“Shit. Sorry. Yes, I’m fine. Thought I saw someone I knew, so I ducked out quickly,” I reply sheepishly, my cheeks getting warm.

Jonas laughs, squeezing my shoulder. “All right, good. Had me worried for a second.” Jonas is one of the bouncers at Peaches. He’s huge, way over six feet, and while he may look big and bad with his tattoos and muscles, he’s the biggest teddy bear I’ve ever met.

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