Tori Vega, or Scarlett Hollywood as they called her at the club, dazzled the crowd every night with her dances. Always following up after her, Jade West-er, Pandora Noire-watched from backstage in her skimpy gothic clothing every night. Tori and Jade had gone to high school together only five years ago and graduated with high hopes of careers in lights. Jade had never been as lucky as Tori, though.

All through high school, Tori got leads in everything, even though Jade and even Cat could sing better. Tori got to play Steamboat Suzy. Tori sang at the Platinum Awards. Heck, Tori even kissed Beck on her first day at Hollywood Arts.

Those were the days, though. Jade could be mean to Tori, who would never retaliate. What ever happend to Andre, Robbie, and Cat? Well, Cat was hired as an actress straight out of high school, and she never had any issues in life. Robbie earned a decently paying job singing indie music at local cafes. And Andre? Andre went on to become one of the most popular music artists in LA right away.

What happened to Beck, you ask? He and Jade broke up, like always. She haven't spoken to him much since. In fact, after she got this job at eighteen, she didn't talk to him at all. Jade had been hired on a whim and only considered since she was a change from the usual. Gothic girls with a few tattoos interested the boss. Thus, she became Pandora Noire.

All was fine and dandy with Tori working as a night singer at a bar a few blocks away until the bar closed and she resorted to the club, too. Jade remembered putting her makeup on and hearing the boss speaking to that oh-so-familiar voice. She was perfect in his eyes: latina and thin. Two things Jade wasn't.

Jade hated Tori. Tori got everything.

Adjusting her black leather top, Jade watched Tori invert herself on the pole. The latina's perfect chocolate locks fell down around her head and she spun once before setting herself down. The song ended and the crowd went wild, throwing cash up onto the stage.

It sickened Jade. She used to be the top dog, She used to be the girl to reel in the most money at the end of the night. She used to be the one called to the VIP room for the special guests with goth girl fetishes.

But Tori took that from her. Tori got every guy, just because she was prettier and better on the pole. She even took Beck from her for a while back in their high school days. It wasn't fair.

Tori in her sparkly gold clothing walked off stage and the emcee made the next announcement.

"Next on the stage, our angel of sin, Pandora Noire!"

The crowd cheered, but not as loudly as they did for Tori. Jade growled lowly and walked onto stage, strutting across it in the black stiletto boots. She spun around once, letting the tiny leather skirt around her hips flare up and reveal a black lace thong.

Something felt different about the crowd tonight. At least one pair of eyes watched in a way that didn't feel so objective. It was a look that Jade recognized from long ago. Glancing through the crowd, she caught the eyes of one man that she recognized.

Beck. Why is he here? she wondered and grabbed onto the pole.

The rest of the song passed in a blur of wolf whistles and Beck's dark eyes, At the end, she bowed and collected the money scattered around the stage, stuffing it into her bra without taking an eye off Beck.

Jade strutted back off-stage and stashed her money in her makeup vanity before rushing back out to the main club. She had to find Beck and figure out why he was here.

Every few feet, Jade crossed paths with a man who asked her to take him back to a room for some fun. "Ask Scarlett or another dancer," was her most common answer.

After a few minutes, she found Beck sitting on one of the bar stools and talking to the bartender.

"Hello, Beck," Jade sat on the seat next to him.

"Hey, Ja-"

Jade clamped her hand over his mouth before he could say any more. "It's Pandora here. Please don't lose me my job. Anyhow, why are you here?"

"I was in the area," Beck shrugged. "Besides, I wanted to see the lovely Pandora Noire in action, and I must say, I'm aroused."

Jade stood up and offered her hand to Beck. "VIP room?"

Beck shrugged. "How much?"

"I've got this one covered. Boss lets me have one a week."

"Got it," Beck nodded. Jade grabbed his hand and led him in a bee-line over to the curtained hallway that led to the VIP room.

Upon entering, Jade sniffed the familiar scent of candles. "Boss likes candles," she stated.

Beck closed the door behind him and sat on the edge of the king-sized bed. "So, how have you been?"

"How does it look?" Jade almost shouted. "I failed as a director. I failed as a musician. I failed as an actress. I'm a stripper. Jade West is a stripper." She sat down on the bed to Beck's right, defeated.

"No," Beck grabbed Jade's shoulders and turned her to face him, "Pandora is a stripper. Jade is a beautiful girl having a stroke of bad luck."

Jade looked up at Beck with wet eyes that hadn't been seen by anyone since they broke up the first time in high school. "Why didn't you open the door?"

Beck sighed. "Why didn't you?"

Jade shrugged. "I gave you until ten. Do you want anything or should we leave the VIP room?"

Beck leaned toward Jade and pressed his lips to hers, hard and longing. "That a good answer?"

Jade climbed into Beck's lap and straddled his waist, feeling his hard on strain against his jeans. "You know," Jade leaned around to whisper in his ear. "I haven't slept with anyone else as well-hung as you."

"I'm jealous," Beck groaned and bucked up against Jade, who pushed him to his back.

"Of guys who aren't so well-endowed?" Jade questioned. He wasn't making sense. She slid down to kneel in front of him, making quick work of his jeans.

"Not that," Beck gasped as Jade's mouth completely engulfed his throbbing cock. She moaned a questioning sound and he cried out. "I meant," he gasped, "I'm jealous that-that other people have been that-unf-that intimate with you."

Jade froze. She had never cared about her clients the way she cared about Beck, but she understood what he meant. She had exposed herself nonetheless.

"Jade, what's wrong?" Beck looked down at Jade, who had by this time pulled off.

"I-uh-wow. I didn't realize."

"I never stopped loving you, Jade." Beck grabbed her hand and pulled her closer before kissing her hard. He rolled them so he laid atop her. "How long has it been since you bottomed?"

"Since our first time."

"Control freak," Beck chuckled and pulled a condom out of his pocket.

"I'm a stripper, Beck. A prostituting stripper at that. Hookers don't bottom. It's a trust thing."

"Well do you trust me?" Beck pushed a stray hair out of Jade's face.

"Yes. Now fuck me."

Beck acquiesced and thrust deep into the noirette, earning wanton moans and sharp fingernails along the skin on his back. He hadn't realized how much he missed the scratches.

After a few minutes of moaning and sweating and thrusting and kissing and scratching and clawing and bucking and shouting, both Beck and Jade climaxed with a curse from each.

The two lay panting for a few minutes, then Jade spoke up. "People aren't just 'in the area' when it's this area. Why are you really here?"

Beck bit his lip. Jade hated when guys did that, but he made it cute. "I...uh...I came to see my girlfriend."

"Beck," Jade whispered, "we broke up years ago."

"I know. Since right after we graduated, I've been dating Tori. She asked me to meet her here after she got off work tonight. Seeing you reminded me of what I lost."

Jade stared at the ceiling.

Beck continued. "I want you back. I want us back. Like we were when we went to Yerba. Or when Andre threw that party with the iCarly people. Or when I got us locked in my trailer." He chuckled. "We made a good couple."

"Yeah." Jade knelt on all fours above Beck and kissed him.

Behind Jade, she heard the door fly open and slam against the wall.

Beck bolted upright and Jade fell off his lap. "Tori!" he shouted in surprise, clutching his discarded shirt to his exposed crotch.

"How could you?" Tori teared up. "Both of you. We're through, Beck." She stormed away and Jade heard her and the boss yelling at each other in his office down the hall.

"Oh well," Beck shrugged and kissed Jade softly. "Be my girlfriend again?"

Jade nodded. "Sure."

~

The next night, Jade arrived at work to find a note left on her vanity.

Jade,
I know we caused each other problems, and I apologize. I took your boyfriend, your income, and your status as top dog. I'm actually moving to Vegas, so you can have your life back. You can take back the life I stole.
Text me sometime. The number is on the back.
~Tori