Just Pretend

by Juliana Conners

  Everyone looks at me as if I just called them all monsters. But I’m really getting sick of how they’re treating me. There are rumblings and more laughter— this time nervous in nature— around the table.

  “Order, Order,” Senator Sentara says. “Senator Mason, I understand that these things take time. I was just asking if you found anything at all that is helpful. Any kind of evidence we can use to put in our report against the Rossi brothers so far.”

  I stare at the ceiling and think about his question. Have I found any evidence against the Rossi brothers?

  I can’t help but get distracted thinking about how it felt for Marino to play with my nipples while Dante fingered me. I’ve never done anything like that in my life and I never thought that I would. I certainly didn’t think I would enjoy it.

  I was confused when Marino called it all off. Is he onto me? But they said I had gotten the job. They told me to come back.

  Maybe he was just being really careful because he knows that they’re being watched. For all the talk about Dante and the business empire he’s built for the Rossi brothers, I’m starting to think that it’s Marino who has the smarts. And I really can’t decide which one of them I like better.

  I feel a hand pressing against mine under the table and I look down to see Maddie Hernandez, another member of the committee, handing me a note.

  I think what you’re doing is really cool, it says. I bet it must be great to be up close and personal with those Rossi brothers.

  I look over at her and she’s smirking at me slightly. I’m not sure if I should feel supported or threatened. There is no woman alive who wouldn’t want to be touched by the Rossi brothers the way that I was. But even though it’s supposed to be part of my job, I have a feeling this is going to be held against me.

  My phone vibrates and I look down to see a text from my mom.

  Just checking in to see how work is going, it says.

  I do my best not to jump in my seat. Does my mom know what I’ve been up to? I haven’t told anyone and it’s supposed to be an undercover operation. I’m finding it hard to reconcile the secret life I’m living for work and in The Fun House with the regular Jessica Mason that I’m used to presenting to the world.

  Which one am I? The girl who wants to be fucked by two brothers at the same time? Or the girl who wants to keep progressing my political career?

  I stare back up at the ceiling. Why can’t I be both?

  I realize that Sen. Santara is waiting for me to answer his question. I suppose what the Rossi brothers did with me in the VIP room constitutes some sort of evidence I can use against them. Sure, it wasn’t prostitution. They haven’t even paid me to dance for them.

  In fact, the way that it’s all arranged works very sweetly for the Rossi brothers. The girls pay The Fun House for the privilege of dancing on the stage and collecting tips. The Rossi brothers don’t have to pay them anything.

  The Rossi brothers even mandate that in addition to the two drink minimum that all customers must fulfill, each dancer must also have customers buy her at least two drinks per shift. Otherwise, it comes out of her earnings.

  The Fun House also takes some money off the top for each private dance and VIP session. So just like at the casino, the house always wins.

  I suppose the Rossi brothers could be accused of prostitution for taking money off the top of VIP sessions that lead to sex. But I have no evidence of this occurring. And it’s not a crime for them to have made out with me in the VIP room without paying for it.

  They didn’t even make it a condition of hiring me. Obviously I was quite into it and it wasn’t just for the undercover assignment.

  “No,” I finally tell Senator Santara. “They haven’t done anything illegal that I’ve seen. But it’s not like they’re going to do that in front of a brand new girl. This may be a longer investigation than I originally thought. These guys are very savvy.”

  “Well, we knew that,” Senator Santara says.

  He still seems disappointed.

  “And I appreciate your dedication to this assignment,” he continues. “I know that this isn’t easy on you and I officially instruct everyone here to support you rather than laugh at you.

  “Thank you,” I tell him, even though I know that his instructions will only go so far.

  No one is going to listen to his instructions when it comes to laughing at me behind my back. It’s just what people do. And this quite the juicy story. But at least he made an effort to acknowledge my frustration.

  “How long do you think it’ll take to gather more evidence?” he asks me.

  All I can think about is Dante’s dick that he whipped out of his pants. It was so huge and so hard. He was going to put it in me. Until Marino stopped him.

  Why did Marino stop him? I need to find out. And not just for purposes of this undercover assignment. But because I want that dick inside me so fucking bad.

  “I really can’t say,” I finally tell Senator Santara. “It could be a long time.”

  “Alright, we’ll move on to the next issue on the agenda,” Senator Santara says. “Just remember to keep us apprised of what you find out at The Fun House for our committee investigation.”

  “I will,” I tell him.

  But to myself I’m thinking of all the things that I want the Rossi brothers to do to me that I will never ever tell anyone in this committee. I need Dante’s huge cock inside me. And Marino’s too.

  I’ve seen enough to know that the rumors are true. They will both fuck one girl at the same time. And I want that girl to be me.

  Chapter 12 – Dante

  It’s Friday night at The Fun House. This place is always hopping on the weekends.

  Construction workers, plumbers, electricians, tradesmen of all sorts finish their work for the week, collect their paychecks and come in to see the fine specimens we have on display. All they want to do is relax and let loose after a hard week of work before they have to go home to the old ball and chain.

  Marino and I know how to cater to their needs, with the girls’ help. We have every type of girl they might possibly want: from the dark and exotic to the pale and anemic looking.

  We also have less strict rules than other clubs which is what makes us a local favorite and also keeps us on our toes and looking out for the mother fucking law. But it’s worth it because the cash rolls in and the customers roll out satisfied and happy and determined to come back the following weekend.

  But this weekend everything is even better than normal because we have Desire on stage. She’s drawn the usual clientele. The local guys have ditched their favorite girls to line the stage to watch her and line her skimpy little outfits with their dollar bills.

  But she’s also brought back the VIP customers from my birthday party night. They’re big spenders, high rollers and they brought their business buddies here from bigger cities. The place is packed and everybody wants to get a look at the new girl.

  Even I still want to get another look at the new girl. She is fine as shit.

  And I can’t help but feel a little jealous. I could have had her. And I didn’t get to. And now all these other guys are salivating over her.

  I can’t believe that Marino and I had our chance and he blew it. But I guess I can believe it.

  That’s Marino for you. Always ruining the party. His problem is that he thinks too much. And he gets too logical and emotional at the same time.

  I swear he falls in love with every woman he sees and therefore tries too hard not to fall for them. He’s got some major attachment issues thanks to our no-good mother.

  Marino’s good when it comes to business decisions: he keeps me thinking more logically and carefully than I probably would if he weren’t in the picture. He’s prevented us from undertaking several mishaps and he’s gotten us out of a few more that we did undertake. But he’s no risk taker and he’s too fucking pussy shit about way too many things.

  I know he stopped the party last time because he couldn
’t bear to see me fuck Desire. And he couldn’t bear to join in either.

  It’s another example of a time when he just can’t take any risk. We could have had our fun with her and gotten it out of our systems. Instead we’re both sitting here getting blue balls from watching her dance on stage for other guys.

  He’s at the other end of the stage, drooling over Desire’s stiletto heels and skimpy lingerie.

  I try to catch his eye and shake my head at him, to tell him, “I told you so, Brother.”

  And I have been telling him so. Every night since we first met her.

  “I know,” he’s said. “But I just can’t risk getting hurt again. If you want her, you can have her. But I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to be any part of it.”

  “Why don’t you take her?” I’d offered him. “She clearly has the hots for you too. Probably even more so than she does for me, believe or not.”

  “I think she wants both of us,” he’d said, with a serious look on his face as if he’d been thinking through it all very carefully. Which I’m sure he had, knowing Marino. “I’m not sure what her angle is but I’m pretty sure she heard of us and decided to work at our greasy joint just because she wants to take on both of us at once.”

  “Fine with me,” I’d said with a laugh.

  But he’d shook his head.

  “This is bigger than us, I can just feel it,” he’d said. “We don’t want to get in over our heads. It’s safest to just let her dance and bring in a more lucrative clientele. We shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. Common sense says not to.”

  “Since when have we listened to common sense?” I’d asked.

  “Exactly,” he’d countered. “We have to play this right. Build up the value of the business and cash it in to move on to better things. We need to get a legitimate business going. So we don’t get caught up in the law like…”

  He’d trailed off, too polite to continue.

  “Like I always do,” I’d finished for him. “Good thinking, brother. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow.”

  And he’d had a point. He was right, of course.

  Now though, watching Desire take off everything but her G-string, I don’t care anything about common sense or who was right or wrong. My cock gets hard and wants to escape like it did the other night when she was dancing on me. It wants to get in there and finish the job.

  But my thoughts are rudely interrupted by the last sight I wanted to see today, or ever again. Samantha Meyers has somehow made her way past security, and has walked up to Marino’s side.

  She whispers in his ear and I stand up to make my way over there and break them up.

  But Marino shakes his head at me. The look on his face says, “I can do this myself.”

  It’s the same look he used to get when we were on the playground as kids. I know better than to insist on helping him when he has that look on his face.

  He stands up and follows Samantha to the VIP room, where I’m sure she’s insisted on wanting some privacy. My eyes follow them aghast, hoping he’s not stupid enough to get sucked back in by her again.

  I’m pretty sure Marino has learned his lesson. But I was also pretty sure that we’d never be seeing Samantha again. Life can be full of surprising twists and turns.

  When I turn back to the stage, I notice that Desire is watching the same thing. She’s jealous of Marino following another girl to the VIP room. And I love that she is.

  I still want to get her alone with Marino and me. I’ll show both of them how much fun it can be to stop thinking so damn much. To let go of emotions and logic and feel nothing but two hard cocks fucking one wet pussy.

  I don’t see what Marino’s so afraid of.

  It’s not as if anyone’s going to fall in love again.

  But then as I watch Desire bend over on stage, her hair hanging down over her perfect body, I can’t help but second guess myself. Her brown hair belongs in my hands as I pull it. Her lips belong between my teeth as I suck on them. Her pussy belongs bare and covered in my cum.

  But that doesn’t mean anyone has to fall in love.

  No one’s going to fall in love as long as I can make myself think logically. Just because life can be full of surprising twists and turns doesn’t mean that falling in love has to be one of them. That can be something that can be expected and avoided.

  I don’t fall in love. Unlike Marino, I stay far away from commitment and relationships. All I do is fuck them and move on to the next.

  All I want with Desire is the same thing I want with any other attractive girl: to fuck her. That’s it. Nothing else.

  Maybe if I say it enough, it’ll be true.

  Chapter 13 – Marino

  I should’ve fucked Desire but I can’t fuck Desire. I should’ve fucked Desire but I can’t fuck Desire.

  This refrain plays over and over again in my head as I watch Desire dance on stage. She moves like someone out of my best dream ever. She looks like a million bucks.

  To be fucking honest, she looks too beautiful to be working here at our seedy club. But I thank the god of whoever sent her here that she is.

  I meant it when I told Dante that we had to leave Desire alone. But that doesn’t mean I wish we didn’t have to. She’s the one thing I want and she’s completely off limits. But at least I can watch her undress and dance on stage even if she’s dancing for all the other guys instead of just for me.

  Dante and I have so much fucking money. Yet the one thing I want: a risk-free fuck session with Desire, is something that can’t be bought.

  I’m so busy watching Desire dance that I don’t see anyone come up beside me until I feel a small hand on my shoulder. I look to my left and see Samantha fucking Meyers.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask her.

  “Marino,” she laughs. “Come on. I thought you be glad to see me again.”

  She has to know that isn’t fucking true. She’s the last person I want to see again.

  She’s batting her eyelashes at me in that flirtatious way she used to have back when she was always able to get anything out of me that she wanted. But this time something feels different.

  I look back at the stage and I know that it’s Desire who is making all the difference. Somehow Samantha, once the star performer at The Fun House, pales in comparison to Desire.

  I’m sure Samantha’s back because she heard about the new girl. She keeps looking at Desire on stage as if she’s jealous. And I relish every second of it. Now it’s her turn to know what that emotion feels like.

  “Let’s get out of here,” she says. “I need to talk in private.”

  I know this is code for wanting to get me away from Desire or from anything that she’s jealous about. She only ever wanted me when she thought she couldn’t have me. That much is clear to me now. It’s funny how much clarity can be brought on by time apart— and someone new.

  “I’m working,” I tell her, although that’s obvious.

  She says, “Let’s go back to our old spot.”

  Our old spot was just in her car. She supports a junkie boyfriend— and his junkie habits— by dancing. Her loyalty to this loser meant that we could never go to her house. It’s one of the many reasons I’m glad to be rid of her. I guess I never really did manage to get that far away from my mother and my disastrous upbringing, as long as Dante and I were with Samantha.

  I stare at Desire on stage again until suddenly Samantha’s problems don’t seem like mine for the first time ever. It’s as if Desire has helped break the spell that Samantha used to have on me.

  Samantha isn’t even trying to hold back her jealousy. She’s never been one to hide her emotions. Rather she allows every feeling she has to prance around until it’s as big of a diva as she is.

  “Can we at least go to the VIP room?” She asks, shaking her blonde curly hair at me like a princess.

  Samantha is used to getting what she wants. From Dante, from me, from everyone. But I vow to make this the
last time I give into her. And it’s only because I don’t want her to cause a scene on Desire’s first day of working at The Fun House.

  As I get up and follow Samantha I notice that Dante is shaking his head. I shake mine right back at him. He’s got to let me handle this. It’s about time I dealt with Samantha once and for all.

  When we get to the VIP room I sit down on the bench but my legs are still fidgeting. I want to be watching Desire on stage, not cooped up back here with Samantha.

  “So what you want?” I ask her, not wishing to waste any time.

  “I want to come back here and work again,” she says, with a big fake pout on her lips.

  “So you found out the grass really isn’t greener?” I smirk.

  I’d already told her she wouldn’t find any better club to work at, any more money, any better deals that we had already given her. We’d promoted her to Club Mom, overseeing all the other girls. She basically ran the entire operation.

  But then she’d wanted to buy the club itself, and for a lot less than it’s worth. It became obvious she was just using Dante and me for her own pursuits and that still wasn’t good enough for her.

  Our falling out was very messy and she burned everything in her wake when she left.

  “I told you not to burn any bridges and you did,” I tell her now`. “You can’t come back here. All the other girls hate you.”

  She shrugs, obviously used to the idea of people hating her.

  “Plus, we don’t need you,” I continue. “If you haven’t noticed there’s a new girl at the Club.”

  She arches her eyebrows at me.

  “You ever bother to find out where this new girl came from?”

  I glare at her, not wanting to admit that I hadn’t.

  “What business is it of yours?” I ask her instead. “I thought you were off to find bigger and better pastures. So why are you still sniffing around this old club after you made it quite clear you were done with it and everything— and everyone— in it?”