CharlieI gripped the door frame to the red room and swung myself through the opening. My girls were all sitting in front of their individual vanities painting their faces. They were covered in sequins and feathers and whatever else their routines required.“Ladies,” I called, “half an hour to show time.”“Thanks, Charlie,” Monica said, as she shimmied between me and the door frame. Her long bare legs made short work of the red room floor—we preferred red instead of green like in theater—as she strode toward her vanity and took a seat. The fishnet stockings she had on were dotted with glittering crystals at every cross section. I’d been eyeing them for weeks considering buying myself a pair, but the good ones cost upward of a couple hundred dollars. The money she earned during her routines made purchases like that no big deal to her.Monica was my highest grossing dancer. She’d been stripping here at Ascension since I first started as a dancer. She and I had grown together in this pla
CharlieI had to stop talking to wait for the cheering and applauding to end. I understood the excitement of my team and I was as glad as any of them to never have to see that misogynistic ass hat again.Once they all were quiet, I continued. “I have a few housekeeping things to note as well. I’ve seen to fixing the fridge in the break room. The filtered water is now back up and running. Thank you Travis for using your handy HVAC skills to make that happen. Also, we now have a new selection of some premium liquors and an extra page of drinks in our specials menu, thanks to Janie for her creativity. If you’re looking for something strong and simple, try her Goose Ringer. It’s delicious but not for the faint of heart.”I paused to try and remember if there was anything else I needed to say. When I came up empty I flashed them my best smile. “I think that’s all for tonight, you guys. Once again thank you for showing up as your beautiful selves. I hope you all have the best night and make
BenjiRick’s house looked best at twilight. The warm glow from the lights inside gave it a welcoming feel and the garage door, which was wide open like a gaping mouth, seemed a bit less daunting at this hour when the sky was a pale blue and dusted with the first couple of stars that were bright enough to twinkle in the dim light.During the day the single story home was a bit rough around the edges. The peeling blue paint around the window casings and garage were obvious, as were all the oil stains on the old cracked driveway. One’s eye naturally pulled to the dead shrubs lining the driveway, and then to the grass, which reached halfway to my knees.Rick didn’t care about aesthetics. Especially not over the last year. He had his hands full with mechanical jobs like the one he was working on right now.He was bent over the hood of a ninety-one New Yorker—a hideous car even when in the best of conditions. The one his torso was lost under the hood of tonight was powder blue with a chrome
BenjiRick’s jaw flexed. “I’ll think about it.”“Well don’t think too long. The race is tomorrow. I’ve got to run. Thanks for the beer, man.”“Don’t mention it. See you around.”“See you tomorrow,” I said, knowing Rick wasn’t going to turn down the invite or the chance to be in the same vicinity as Harley Cross.I crossed the driveway once more and returned to my truck parked at the curb. I’d purchased the big black beast the same week the shelter opened. I needed something to haul big loads and pick up furniture. I was constantly bringing in new things and having a car was no longer practical. I missed the speed and handling to be sure, but I didn’t miss it more than I wanted my kids to have a safe place to stay.The stereo blasted rock music as I pulled away from the curb and headed home. It was nearing full dark now and all the street lights had flickered on. The dotted lines on the road disappeared on either side of the truck as I cut through traffic. The racer in me still had a h
CharlieMy apron was tangled up in a knot behind my back and no matter how I tried to pick it apart I only made it tighter. If I kept going like this it was going to cut me in half.I left my office and marched out down the hall to the front part of Ascension. It was eight thirty on a Saturday night and we were decently busy. I spotted Janie behind the bar mixing some drinks and walked over to her. After she handed the customers their glasses of whiskey she turned to me with her hands on her hips.I turned around and put my back to her, then hooked a thumb over my shoulder to point at the knot in the middle of my back. “Help.”Janie giggled. “How on earth did you manage that?”“I have no idea but it’s so tight I’m going to lose circulation in my legs.”Janie stooped over and began picking at the thick knot. It took a good three minutes before she started to make any progress. “I can’t figure out how this happened.”“It’s not the first time.”“Or the hundredth.”That was true. I had an
CharlieMy boots crunched on the loose stones underfoot as a couple of men catcalled me. I ignored them and kept on walking with my chin high.At the end of the line at the registration table I was forced to cut through the crowd. Men slid aside as I elbowed my way through, muttering apologies as I went. Some of them tried to get my attention and asked me to keep them company while they waited. Like the catcallers they were only ignored.I finally escaped the mass of drivers and arrived at the front of the line where Harley was chatting with a guy she seemed to know well enough. The conversation was light and friendly as I stepped around to her side of the table.Harley looked up at me. Her blue eyes, normally bright and almost aquamarine in the day, were like sapphires at night. Her tanned skin was covered in swirling dark tattoos and her lips were dark red.“Charlie!” Harley got to her feet and threw her arms around my shoulders. She gave me a tight squeeze before stepping back and
Benji“You tried, man,” I muttered, as I leaned over to Rick.He shifted his weight from his left to right feet. I could feel him bristling beneath his cool and collected expression. He didn’t say anything. He just stood there stiffly with his eyes on Mason and Harley.I felt for the guy. Harley was the only woman who flustered him. Although it was entertaining for me to watch him flounder I couldn’t help but wish things would change between them. She’d only ever had eyes for Mason. Now that he was off the market, courtesy of my sister, she was going to have to move on. Maybe if Rick was lucky she’d move in his direction.Unlikely.Rick was probably deemed to forever be Mason’s little brother in her eyes.Charlie, the chick in all black and a killer leather jacket, sat back down in her seat and resumed the position she’d been in when we first showed up. She kicked her heels up onto the table to show off the ankle boots that matched her jacket. She leaned back in the chair and draped o
BenjiCharlie gave me the impression that she didn’t smile often. Not around strangers at least. Her hardened exterior was probably in place for a reason and it reminded me of some of the kids in my shelter.Kids like Luke.The other night with him had been a shit show. Poor kid.His mother had showed up out of the blue after being out of his life for months. Now, for some kids this would be a good thing. Their parent coming back to them was something they dreamed about. But for Luke it was a nightmare because whenever his mother came a calling it was because she wanted something.And this time she wanted money. Straight up cash. As much as he could give her.Luke had no money. That was why he was staying at my shelter. Sure, he probably had twenty bucks or something, but that was money he’d made from pan handling or playing his harmonica on a street corner with some of the other kids who had musical instruments. It was enough for him to keep himself fed and he didn’t have to worry ab
Harley“I can’t believe it, man,” Rick said.“I couldn’t for a while either,” Mason said. “But this is something we’ve wanted for some time now. Now it’s happening. You picked a good time to go away. I was going to ask for your help building the crib and setting up the nursery.”Rick chuckled. “Well, you have Benji for that.”The men looked at Benji. His shoulders slumped. “Yay.”Everyone laughed.“Are you going to find out the gender, or let it be a surprise in the end?” I asked Laina.She lit up like a light bulb and instinctively put her hand on her belly, even though she wasn’t showing yet. “I think we’re going to wait.”I smiled. “Beautiful.”Within the next half hour, everyone migrated to the dining-room table, which Laina had set beautifully with a white tablecloth, gold chargers, and white plates. The candles were in gold holders, and even the cutlery was gold. She had an eye for detail.While we devoured the spaghetti and meatballs, we talked about life and babies and all the
HarleyTwo Months Later“Careful,” I said as Rick took a sharp righthand turn and drove the Jeep into Mason and Laina’s driveway. The appetizer I’d thrown together slid across the backseat and bumped into the door panel. I scowled at him. “I slaved over those for fifteen minutes. Don’t ruin them before we walk in the door. I want to knock everyone’s socks off with how much of a homemaker I’ve become.”Rick killed the ignition and arched an eyebrow at me. “A homemaker? Really?”I lifted my chin. “What?”He snorted and got out of the Jeep. “Nothing. I just doubt anyone is going to think ‘homemaker’ just because you’re showing up with a plate of—what do you call these?” He opened the back door and picked up the plate covered in three layers of saran wrap.Wrapping the plate had been more difficult than whipping up the food.“They’re caprese salad skewers,” I said.I’d spent the fifteen minutes before we left sliding cherry tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, and basil leaves onto toothpicks. I
RickThe corner of her mouth twitched, giving away the beginning of a smile. “A trip, huh?”I nodded. “We can narrow it down to some destinations and start mapping it out. There’s no better time than now, right? We can get out of the city, figure out what we want, and make up for lost time. Just you and me and beaches and sand and—”“Lots of sex?”I chuckled. “That’s not what I was going to say, but I assumed it was part of the package.”Harley nodded. “That sounds like a plan to me.”“Good,” I said. “Now stay still.”She opened her mouth to ask me why but promptly shut it when I ran my hands over her shoulders and then to her breasts, which I gently massaged, loving how they felt all lathered in slippery soap.“You’re such a guy,” she said playfully.I snickered. “I know.”She let me lather her entire body in the shower. Then we switched places, and she did the same for me. Having her run her hands all over me was heavenly, and it helped me forget about the tight pain in my bruised r
RickAll the aches and pains that had plagued me on Saturday night were still with me when I woke up on Monday morning. I was lying on my back, and Harley was tucked into my side. Her cheek was on my chest, and her left leg was draped over me. Her breathing was deep and slow and soft, and I didn’t open my eyes.I just lay there and listened to her. And felt her closeness.Yesterday had been dedicated to recovering and covering our tracks from Saturday’s race. I hired a tow-truck driver to come get the Saleen and bring it back to my place, where I got it in the garage so that if the cops came looking for it, the car wasn’t sitting out somewhere. It needed a lot of work, and the downside of street racing was obviously that it didn’t have insurance. I couldn’t claim a hit and run when the car was beat to shit on both sides and the rear end.Fucking Torq.But it was just a car, and I liked working on vehicles. The Saleen would be my project for the next year or so while I figured out what
HarleyHe watched me like a hawk as I started going down to my knees, pulling his boxers down as I went.His cock sprang free, teasing and taunting me as I got comfortable below him. I gazed up at him and took his shaft in one hand, working him over softly and warming him up. His gaze was dark and heavy as I ran my tongue from the base of his shaft to the tip and then swirled it around his meaty head.I drew him into my mouth, suctioning my lips around his thickness. I worked him slowly at first, taking my time, easing him into it. I knew he was hurting, and I wanted to be gentle with him.If he’d let me.He had a way of taking over halfway through and showing me who was boss. Not that I’d be mad if that happened.I swirled my tongue around his length before taking him deep in my throat and holding him there as my mouth filled with saliva. Then I bobbed my head, sucking him off hard and fast and fitting as much of him in my throat as I could take.He let me suck his cock for a long ti
HarleyIt was a wonder that the Saleen had even started back on the track, and it was even more mind blowing that it made it back to my house without losing several more pieces along the way.I parked at the back of my building in the private parking lot. I didn’t want to leave it on the curb in case any police drove by. It would be easy for them to link the Saleen to the scene down by the docks, and then we’d be done for.After parking the car, Rick had to climb out of the passenger window again. Every move he made was gentle and controlled. I knew he was hurting and hated that there was nothing I could do to take the pain away.Once he was out of the car, I climbed across the console and slipped out too. He offered me his hand, and I took it but didn’t lean on him for support. I was pretty sure he wasn’t in much of a position to be offering it in the first place.We walked soundlessly across the parking lot, our footsteps drowned out by the sound of rain pinging off the metal garbag
Rick“Fuck me fucking sideways,” I said.I couldn’t afford to waste any time. Either I was getting his ass out of the car, or I was bailing.“You owe me, motherfucker,” I said as I leaned in through the driver’s window and reached up to unclip his seatbelt.Torq crumpled to the ceiling of the car, landing across my arm beneath him. Shattered glass from the windshield bit into my bicep and forearm, but I gritted my teeth against the burn and worked to drag Torq’s ass out of the car. He was a heavy motherfucker.He started groaning.I stumbled to my feet and hauled him backward. “Work with me you fat bastard. I’m getting you out of here. Your asshole buddies bailed on you.”He mumbled something incoherent.“Yeah, I know. They’re your friends, not mine. I guess that’s what you get for being a piece of shit.”I collapsed when I had him clear of the car. I struggled to catch my breath, and my side screamed with pain. I tucked my arms under his armpits, stumbled back to my feet, and kept dr
RickI landed heavily on the wet pavement after managing to climb out through the passenger window of the Saleen. My right leg was tender and bruised from Torq driving into me, and my chest ached from the seatbelt and being jostled around roughly as I’d lost control of the car.But I was alive, nothing was broken, and there was no blood. So, overall, things were pretty good.Aside from the approaching police.I used the car to push myself to my feet, slicking my wet hair off my forehead as I rose. Then I stood and waited for the dizziness to pass. I didn’t think I’d hit my head at any point, but it sure felt like I had. Maybe it was just severe vertigo from whiplash.It didn’t matter. I could figure that out later. I had to focus on getting the hell out of there and making sure Harley was safe, too.She had a lot to lose if this race got busted, and so did I. She was everything. If I lost her, I would lose my damn mind. After all this time, we were finally together, and there was noth
HarleyBenji and Mason took off for the registration table. I swung my attention toward Rick’s car. The whole passenger side was busted up. The damage looked pretty bad, and I had no idea what sort of injuries he might have acquired. I leaned forward to look down the road.The last drivers were only twenty or so seconds away. Maybe less.“I think his door is jammed,” Laina said, nodding at Rick’s car.I narrowed my eyes. She was right. He couldn’t get out. His car was too crumpled and too fucked up for him to get the door open. I wondered if it would still run.If we had to leave it behind, it was a sure-fire way for the cops to trace the car back to Rick. Then all our dreams of starting a new life together would be over. He’d be in jail for a long time.Charlie shook my arm. “What do we do, Harley? Tell us what to do!”I swallowed and took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. We need to clear the area. Rick can handle himself. Help me get people the hell out of here. Send them off in differen