She listened intensely to the small conversation among the girls in the dressing room. Some were going on about their dates, the others were worried about their physical appearances, and the others worried about what their doctors would say. AJ wasn't one to have to panic about those things, such as her overall sex appeal and her sex life didn't matter much as it was mostly nonexistent. All she needed was her paycheck that was all of six hours a day from nine to two am, she sat patiently as one of her friends helped her with her makeup.
"April, honey." Her friend Ashley said waving her hand in AJ's face to get the small girls attention. I looked up to Ashley who held up my small outfit of the night, if you could really say there was anything there. I took the pieces out of her hand and went off to the bathroom. I wasn't so much insecure about my body considering in wrestling I wear something similar to this two pieced costume, I more so wondered if I was going to get enough in my check this week and what the boss would say. I took one last glance at the red skimpy thing before sliding it on. There was a small faint knock coming from the other side of the door and I could easily tell it was Ashley.
" As soon as your done in there you gotta get your ass out there you are already or are going to be five minutes over time."
"Okay." I replied to her when I heard the sound of her heels leaving the door in front of me. I took a deep breath before parting my hair to the left side of my body and picking up the glitter previously set on the counter, and splashing it over my exposed body. I brushed the glitter around making sure to look my best swinging open the door revealing an empty hallway. My quietness was interrupted by my older blonde friend Ashley Massaro said throwing the black pair of heels in my face.
"Paychecks this week baby." She smiled rushing me to the curtain.
"I'm not wearing them." I said shoving the stilettos back in her manicured hands.
"AJ, you need the money right?" She asked and I nodded. "Then take the damn shoes." I still refused as she sighed. "Look, just wear them when you go out then push these aside. AJ I need money too, do you actually think that I want to work here. When there is so much else I could be doing." She pointed out, this lecture would come every other day.
"I'm still not wearing them. I make tips so I am fine, reduce my check by fifty or a hundred I don't care. Now I need to go." I said scurrying out to the smokey stage containing several poles and dim colored lights.
It was another night for me and the rest of the girls be-friending the pole and dancing with men in their early twenties or forties, same song and dance really. Unfortunately for me I couldn't serve drinks sees how I was one year to young.
It was already three hours in and I had made more tips than the previous dry nights I've had of late, it was past my break time but I disowned the pass, I took this as a chance to collect more money before the night ends. What then caught my short attention span was the laughing that came from a duo of men maybe in their twenties, one with a blonde and brown mohawk hairstyle and the other with long black and blonde hair. That was all I could make out of them with this kind of environment. They both walked by me and I happened to catch an even smaller glimpse than before, they continued to walk over to the back corner of the room and sitting in the lounge chairs. I payed attention the large amount of money dangled nearby my face, I walked through the white smoke and over to the man with the money. He snaked his arm around my waist it was then when a feeling of disgust washed over me when I saw the ring on his finger. Although I wasn't going to give him anything more than a dance it felt wrong, he was married and instead of being at home with his wife he is here trying to put the moves on one of us. His breath reeked of alcohol and his body smelled like sweat and oil. His dress shirt tightly hugged his flat mid section. He loosened his tie up tucking the dollar bill into my top with his free hand. My eyes trailed over to mystery man in the corner with all the tattoos, he locked a gaze with me and his piercing green eyes shot a tingle through my body. I slowly pushed this man away from me and pulling another dancer for him hoping that I could get away.
I got back to the dressing room and went over to my mirror spraying more perfume and applying more glitter before walking out again. There he was staring again in my direction. I turned my attention away from him to see the glitter illuminating the entire room. I parted my hair into two letting them each fall on the top of my chest.
"She keeps eyeing you buddy and you aren't going to get anywhere from afar." Miz pointed over to the small girl.
"I know." I nodded and continued to study every inch of her from her brown curled hair to her black colored toe nails.
"Then call her over here." He called before setting off to the bar. I have to know this girl.
I closed my eyes feeling the music slowly beat, the lights flickered from red to orange to green, opened my eyes to see many men calling me over to them but one caught my eye, his sights were set on me, I was his prey. I ignored the feeling I got when I saw him motioning for me to come over to him. As I got closer I felt less at ease, this is a man that I didn't even know. I stopped in his clear view watching him stand up. I grabbed his hand pulling him to am open space, I faced the opposite direction as him moving along to the music. We moved in silence before he decided to break the silence.
"What's your name?" He asked, his warm breath touching my skin. I avoided showing any signs of pleasure, because as you know you can't mix business with pleasure.
"AJ." I replied tilting my head back so he could hear me through the music.
"Punk." He mumbled into the crook of my neck. I held back a gasp but sadly failed as I felt the vibration of his laughter on my skin. "Care to tell me your age?"
"Don't you know it's not polite to ask a lady her age." I replied sarcastically.
"You look young." She felt a smirk on his lips.
"I am. Twenty years young in fact." I proudly said to him. His arm touched my bare shoulder, I flushed at his touch. His skin was smooth, warm, and covered with tattoos. He wore each of them proudly. Intellect images floated in my mind about him. Things I didn't know I was capable of imagining of another stranger.
"What are you doing here?" He asked demolishing the representation that lurked in my head.
"I need money. For things." I softly replied. I wasn't confident telling many why I do what I do or what I do for money. Usually I make up an excuse as I can pass as a high school student.
"Why?" He asked again making me annoyed.
"Well here why don't you tell me about yourself Punk?" I turned to face him. His green eyes bored into my brown ones.
"Easy, I'm twenty-eight and I'm a professional wrestler." He proudly replied. I choked on his words. I aspired to be a pro wrestler.
"Really?" I replied back to him.
"Really." He continued to stare at me making me feel uncomfortable.
"Why do you keep staring at me?" I asked the questioned that longed to come out since I ventured over here.
"Same reason you keep staring at me AJ." I blinked in response not knowing what to say.
"So what bring you to Florida?" I questioned changing the subject.
"Job." He shrugged. "Why were you staring at me AJ?" He asked back firing my plan of taking the cash and leaving him. Instead of answering I continued to move to the music trying for a small escape." Stop teasing me." He smirked.
"It's my job, I'm not obligated to have any relations with my costumers." I pointed out.
"What if I'm more than a costumer?"
"You know you ask a lot of questions. Did you know that?"
"Yes I know. You still haven't answer any of mine." He moved his mouth close to my neck. The goose bumps crept on my skin.
"Think of me as the girl behind the mask."
"I want to know you AJ."
"If I wanted to I could just take my money and go."
"Yet you haven't." He trailed off, he was right. I wasn't going to deny the fact that I wanted him to get to know me. I didn't looked at him a majority of my night to leave him teased. "Let me take you out AJ?" I began to laugh hysterically. I saw his expression didn't change and it hit me.
"What?" I stopped moving the stared at him confused.
"Let me take you on a date." He pointed to me. I looked around before answering him.
"You barely even know me, and for all I know you might be using me for your pleasure. Which I mean I have no problem with." I added. He laughed.
"No sex,just a date." He calmly said. "I assure you that April." I nodded.
"You know my name?" I questioned his knowledge.
"I do my research."
"Who did you ask?" I asked while stating the obvious.
"Your friend Ashley." He openly admitted.
"What else do you know? About me."
"Just the basics, you want to be a wrestler, that's why you work here. Your name blah blah blah." He said handing my a stack of money. I stared at him with confusion. "For dancing with me, and agreeing to go out with me."
"I can't." I refused the money.
"Then come with me on the road. For wrestling."
"You just won't give up will you?"
"Nope. Say yes or take the money."
"I'll go." I smiled at him. "I'll go on the road with you. But wait the catch is you still take me on a date." I grinned.
"Great minds think alike then?"