Breaking from my routine, I lowered myself down to him with a very sexy maneuver that drove the crowd wild. I grabbed Dimitri by the hair and buried his face in my bared tits, while the men whooped and cheered and those nearest to me shoved cash in my thong. Then I whispered low in Dimitri’s ear so no one else could hear, “Stop it! I can’t talk to you right now. When I’m on this stage I’m Reba, not Avery, and if you’re not here as a customer to watch me dance, then just get the hell out or I’ll have Big Jake throw you out.”
Then I pushed Dimitri back away from my body with an aggressive shove that made him stagger just a bit before he caught his balance. Big Jake the bouncer took a step forward and I nodded my head, assuring him that I was alright. I didn’t doubt that Dimitri had learned to leave me alone, but I was wrong.
“Reba! Right here, Reba! Right here!”
Grinding from the pole, I turned to see Dimitri waving a couple of hundred bills in the air. I almost wanted to ignore him and refuse the tip, but Dimitri was smart. He was waving the hundreds around so obviously that everyone saw them and I would be a fool to rebuff him publically. The fans would think I was a cold bitch instead of a sexy siren and Jay would fire me on the spot for losing the club its share of that kind of money.
Smiling through gritted teeth, I slid down from the pole, crouched down and let him slip the money into my G-string. He cried out, “Please let me talk to you!”
I shook my head no at him and danced across the stage, moving as far away from him as possible with long strides of my legs. Dimitri was smart however, and started whipping up the entire crowd.
“Isn’t she amazing? She’s the sexiest dancer this place has got! Long beautiful legs, a round tight ass, luscious tits, and the face of an angel. She’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen!” Dimitri was making such a big deal about me, I started to get flustered. My cheeks burned hot with embarrassment, and twice I forgot my next move and had to improvise parts of the routine. I sighed with relief when the song finally came to an end and I was able to escape off the stage.
“What was that all about?” Shawnee asked me behind the curtain as Jay talked to the crowd and gave her a rousing introduction. He was grinning widely and I knew he was counting his percentage of my tips in his mind and he introduced Shawnee as the next act.
I grabbed Shawnee by the arm and whispered into her ear, “Dimitri is out there! He wants to talk to me and when I told him I wouldn’t, he started revving up the crowd and giving me hundred dollar bills.”
“Maybe he’ll do the same thing for me!” Shawnee completely missed the point of what I was trying to say and strode out onto the stage with glittering eyes. I peeked through the curtain and saw that everyone in the front row was waving hundred dollar bills at her. Dimitri must have passed them out to the crowd, or everyone out there was as rich as he was. One thing was for sure, Shawnee loved it.
Disgusted that my best friend cared more about money than me, I pulled on a robe and stormed down the hallway to the backdoor. I needed some fresh air, plus I knew it would take me as far away from Dimitri and the noise he was making. Boy was I wrong. As soon as I reached the end of the hall, Dimitri appeared through the backdoor and grabbed me by the wrist.
“Wait, please don’t go,” he pleaded when I tried to pull away.
“Let me go this instant or I’m calling Big Jake.”
I glared at him fiercely and he immediately released his gentle hold on my arm.
“What the hell are you doing here? I already told you I didn’t want to talk to you.”
“You said you couldn’t talk, but your set just ended. Please, just give me five minutes.”
He looked so damn pathetic, like a beaten puppy in the rain that I didn’t have the heart to have Jake kick his ass out. Sighing with exasperation at my own weakness, I decided to hear what he had to say.
“Okay, five minutes.” The look in his eyes was one of pure relief, and the words tumbled from his mouth quickly.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since that night nearly a month ago. What happened? Why haven’t you called me?”
“That night we had together was like a wonderful fantasy, but that’s all it can ever be. The reality is we are two very different people living extremely different lives. What would be the point of calling you? So we could do it again and I could be your booty call?”
“No, of course not. I can’t believe you think I’m that shallow. I really like you and I want to spend more time with you. Let me take you out on a real date and we can get to know each other better,” Dimitri said. He took a step toward me, but I took a step back, staying just out of his reach.
“That’s even worse than the booty call,” I said and he looked adorably confused. God, I just wished he wasn’t so damn handsome and irresistible. Forcing myself to stay strong against him, I said, “We could never develop a real relationship with each other. Our lives are too different, we have nothing in common.”
“We might if you gave things a chance. I just want to get to know you better Avery. From the moment I first saw you I was mesmerized by your beauty, but you were so clever at your audition and such a good actress, I was intrigued by your mind too. Come back to my place with me tonight. Not for sex, but just to talk.”
“I’ve heard that line a million times, and then guys always wanted to slip something into my wine so they can get laid,” I said in a joking tone, but there was truth to my words too. I held up my hands in a halting gesture and smiled at him, saying, “Forget it.”
“Yeah, I knew that was a long shot, but you can’t blame a guy for trying,” Dimitri laughed. He was so charming, his laughter was contagious and my smile turned into a full giggle. “How about a walk then? When your shift is over, we can take a simple stroll in the moonlight. No opportunity to drug you that way? Please Avery, I felt like we had a real connection, and I just want to see where it leads.”
He sounded so sincere, and he had come to the club looking for me despite the inconvenience his fame caused him and his busy filming schedule. His liquid blue eyes pleaded with me so convincingly, I felt the armor I’d tried to build around my heart soften. Then a thought occurred to me and I grabbed onto the last excuse I had left, “How can I let you walk me home when the whole world knows you’re here. Listen to that crowd out there; they aren’t just here to watch us strip, they’re here because they’re following you. No offense, but I don’t want you to walk me home if a hundred of your adoring fans are going to come along.”
I’d given Dimitri the idea that I was at least considering going out with him and his entire face brightened. “I’ll take care of them and make sure no one follows us. What time does your shift end?”
“In one more hour,” I said and his eyes sparkled with victory. He had me and we both knew it.
“Terrific! That’s all the time I need to ditch this crowd. I’ll meet you right here at this door in exactly sixty minutes. Thank you, Avery! I can’t wait!”
Dimitri was giddy with excitement and I couldn’t help but think how adorable it was. My heart was racing in my chest with the knowledge that Dimitri was walking me home. It wasn’t much, just a simple walk around the city with no real commitments or danger that we would fall back into bed with each other again, and that was perfect. It would give him the chance to see that we really don’t have anything in common and to stop pursuing me. The only thing was, deep in my heart I was hoping that the opposite would happen.
Despite everything that had happened in my life, I still had a crush on the most popular boy in school and was secretly wishing that I could be his girlfriend. At least this time there were glaring differences between Dimitri and the men from my past. After all, Dimitri had been the one pursuing me. This wasn’t a case of me pining after a boy who clearly wasn’t interested in me, begging him to go out with me and getting my heart stomped on in the process. This time I was the prize and he was the one chasing after me. I had to admit it felt good and was a bit empowering.
The look on Dimitri’s face when he was waiting for me to say if I would go out with him let me know that I held the fate of his happiness in my hands. When I said yes I saw actual tears of joy glistening in his eyes. Of course, that asshole Tyler had that same look in his eyes when I agreed to go to Homecoming with him. I just had to keep my distance from Dimitri and ensure that no matter how great he seemed that I didn’t let him break my heart in the end.
Just remember, this isn’t a date, it’s just a walk. We’re not in a relationship; I’m not going to be his girlfriend. We’re just a couple of people getting to know each other. There’s not going be anything more than that. I said that to myself over and over, determined to keep my expectations and emotions in check. Life had taught me one thing; if you don’t let yourself be vulnerable, then you can’t get hurt.
Of course that didn’t mean you couldn’t still have fun. I kept my plans with Dimitri a secret, not even telling Shawnee about them. She tried to get me to work a second shift with her, but I declined. “The place is packed and Jay said we could all work overtime if we wanted to. We could make a month’s worth of tips in one night. You should too! What else are you going to do, stay home and mope?”
“Thanks, but I’m just going to walk home and enjoy a peaceful evening.” I felt a little bad lying to Shawnee, but I knew if I told her about Dimitri she’d find a way to tag along.
“You’re making a mistake,” Shawnee said with a flip of her hair. I just hoped she wasn’t right.
Chapter Three
I’d put back on the tight, cut-off denim shorts I’d worn to work that night and the red tank top, but I’d used the shower in the dressing room to wash away all the glitter and sweat from the evening so my skin was fresh and clean. My face was natural and free from makeup, with the exception of some pink lip gloss and a light coat of mascara to highlight my eyes. I pulled my wet hair into a braid that hung down the middle of my back and the wedge heels were comfortable on my feet and good for walking. I was ready for our walk and more excited than I wanted to admit.
Dimitri arrived right on time, looking terrific in a pair of jeans, a tee-shirt, and the baseball cap that I correctly guessed was his favorite. It was a far different look than the suit he had on earlier, but I liked it.
“Wow, you look great!” Dimitri looked me up and down unabashedly and I felt myself blush under his appreciative gaze. “Ready for me to walk you home?”
“I’m ready, but you didn’t ditch your fans like you said you would. The place is still packed and there’s a line out the door. Won’t they just follow us down the sidewalk?”
“Nah, an hour was plenty of time for my double to show up and take my place. The club is so dark and everyone is so drunk, they easily accepted him as being me.”
I felt nervous as we walked casually out of the back alley behind the club and strolled past the crowd on the street waiting to get inside. After we rounded the block and were safely out of sight I couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s amazing! No one even looked at us twice1”
Dimitri was laughing too, and we walked easily down the quiet sidewalk feeling comfortable in the warm summer night air. Dimitri said, “As long as my double keeps paying for drinks and passing out hundreds for the strippers, no one will even know I’m gone. We have the whole night to ourselves.”
“Do you pull that trick often?” I asked with fascination.
“Not too often. I don’t want to get caught and not be able to do it anymore when I really need some privacy. Plus I don’t really like fooling my fans; it feels dishonest and I don’t want to turn into some asshole who abuses the public’s trust. Some people really look up to me, like the kids I visit at the children’s hospital. It’s a real honor to touch people’s lives in a significant way. It’s part of the reason I wanted to be an actor and makes all the hassles that come with the job worth it in the end.”
“Yeah, I’ve always thought that it must difficult for famous people to get to do the things they want to do when they have crazed fans and the paparazzi following them everywhere; but I still want to be an actress,” I said with chagrin.
“How long have you known that’s what you want to be?” Dimitri asked me. Somehow he’d managed to take hold of my hand as we walked, but it felt nice. His grip was light enough not to feel trapping, but firm enough to feel secure and comforting. I decided I could get used to having him hold my hand on a regular basis.
Answering his question, I said, “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to be. My parents have ten daughters, and I’m number five. So, I used to put on these performances in order to get attention. Then I took drama in school and started acting in our local community theater and I was hooked.”
“You have ten sisters? I can’t even imagine what that must be like. Living as an only child, life was so lonely for me growing up. What are their names?”
“All of us together are: Amanda, Angela, Abigail, Andrea, Avery, Alexis, Amy, Ariel, Ashley, and Alyssa. All in that order.”
“No wonder you’re so good at memorizing scripts; it takes a lot of effort just to remember the names of all your family. Do they all want to be actresses too?”
“No, my older sisters are all really talented in different ways. Andrea plays the piano, Abby is a soccer champ, Angela is graduating college, and Amanda’s a really good mom. The younger ones are smarter than all of us; Alexis can sew these amazing outfits, Amy is a computer genius, and the little ones are all super adorable. So, the only talent left for me was to be an actress.”
“Well, you’re really good at it. Your audition really impressed me and the director too. I mean it. If the other girl hadn’t been the niece of a friend of his, the part would have been yours. You have what it takes to really make it big in Hollywood.”
We walked in silence for a minute as I absorbed his words. It felt good to hear that I was talented from someone with firsthand experience in the industry, but frustrating that I lost out to nepotism. Plus, I could tell there was something else he wanted to say, but he was afraid to. Seeing his hesitation made me afraid to hear it, but the suspense was driving me crazy.
“What is it?” I finally had to break the silence.
“I don’t want to sound rude, but what made you become a stripper? You could do so much more with your life! You should be on stage or in film; not on a pole.”
“Yeah, but being on a pole pays the bills; getting turned down at auditions doesn’t,” I said without taking offense. “Dancing is fun and easy to do, and working nights normally gives me the flexibility to go to auditions during the day. I couldn’t do that if I was stuck in a job working nine-to-five. Some nights I’ll get off shift at the club and walk down to an open call audition and be able to be one of the first people in line. It sucks sleeping on the sidewalk after working my ass off all night, but my agent can only do so much and the rest is up to me.”
Dimitri nodded sympathetically and gave my hand a squeeze. “It’s easy for me to forget how tough it can be. I was fortunate enough to be born to Hollywood royalty. My father’s a producer and my mother’s an actress. I grew up on studio sound stages. It was practically guaranteed that I would be an actor. I really admire your guts and dedication.”
“I don’t think pole dancing and sleeping on sidewalks is that brave,” I laughed, but Dimitri was serious.
He said sincerely, “Are you kidding? Not many people have the courage to leave behind everything they know and move out here to California where they have no family and no connections. And then to be willing to take on a tough job, stripping in a club to be able to support yourself and still have time for auditions. That’s the bravest thing of all. How old were you when you came out here?”
“Eighteen. I’ve been auditioning for two years and haven’t gotten anything better than a background extra,” I said with a self-deprecating laugh, but Dimitri could see the pain in my eyes and understood.
“That’s rough, but promise me you won’t give up. You’ve got real talent Avery and one day yo
ur big break will come. I’m sure of it.”
“I wish I could be as sure as you,” I laughed.
Dimitri stopped walking and took both my hands into his. He looked into my eyes and said, “You are smart, talented, creative, beautiful, sexy, resourceful, and brave. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. Just look at what you’ve done so far. You have a lot to be proud of.”
Shaking my head at him I continued to walk down the dark street and he followed me. “I haven’t done anything. I’ve gone to countless auditions every week, taken acting classes on weekends, accepted jobs that pay no money standing in the background for hours in terrible weather, and all for nothing. Every night I’m back at the BBW Club stripping for tips and working the pole. I’m a failure.”
Tears were stinging my eyes and I couldn’t believe he was so ignorant as to think I was a success. Dimitri jogged ahead of me, cutting me off so he could stand face to face with me. His eyes burned with intensity as they stared into my weepy ones. “That’s why you should be proud of yourself. I’ve never seen such dedication and determination from an actress. You’ve proven that you’ll do whatever it takes to make it in Hollywood. There’s nothing you’re not willing to do to survive this city, pay your bills, and still make it to auditions. If that’s not courageous, I don’t what is.”
I’d never thought of my life in quite that way before and a tiny smile curved the corners of my mouth. Blinking away my tears, I lifted my head and asked, “Do you really think that’s brave?”
“Absolutely! Look at me. I’ve never had to work for anything in my life. I don’t have the balls to go through everything you have and still come out smiling and looking terrific on the other side. You’re incredible Avery, and I really admire you. One day all that ingenuity and determination is going to lift you higher until you reach your goal. ”
Stripped Love #2 (BBW Alpha Male Romance) Page 2
