Getting to Know You

The next morning AJ woke up after crying into Kady all night and telling her what had happened. She wasn't sad that things had finished, it was just how she had been treated that had got her down. To be cheated on was something she felt was her fault. What had she done to push him away? She thought things were going good for them so far.

Kady, although feeling bad, had to get up and get changed. She was going out with Connor and Punk, and she figured maybe AJ needed some time to herself. Her heart ached for her friend, she knew she had trouble letting people in as it was, so to have this done to her was awful. She only wished she could have stayed home with her all day and hugged her tightly.

"Is AJ alright? She was upset last night." Punk said to Kady in the kitchen the next morning, watching Kady pour herself a coffee.

"Her boyfriend has been cheating on her." Kady said as Punk cringed, "She walked in on him with someone else last night." She told him as Punk just nodded.

"Damn, I'd like to see the girl this guy had cheated on her with." Punk said. He personally thought AJ was beautiful, to hear she had been cheated on confused him.

"Yeah, she's stunning, Phil. But she has trouble letting people in. She barely even has sex with guys." Kady said.

"And? What's the problem with that?" Punk asked.

"Well obviously her boyfriend was getting impatient."

"Well. His loss." Punk shrugged, "It's weird… considering the job she works." Punk said as Kady laughed.

"We aren't all whores. When will you get that out your mind?" She shoved him playfully as Connor walked into the kitchen.

"So where are you taking us today?" Connor asked his sister with a smile.

"Well I was thinking the movies and then some food." She smiled.

"Actually-" Punk interrupted, "I think I'm gonna stay here. You two should catch up, I might catch up with you both later on."

"You should come." Connor frowned.

"Nah, you two go ahead. I'll just laze around here." He said, "That is… if it's ok with you and your friend?" Punk asked Kady who smiled.

"Yeah, it's fine. As long as you promise to meet us later." She said as Punk nodded, "Maybe check in on AJ if she hasn't came out the room in the next hour or so." She said as Punk just nodded.

"What's wrong with her?" Connor asked as Kady rolled her eyes.

"I'll tell you on the way to the movies. C'mon." She shoved her brother as they left the apartment, meanwhile just as they left, AJ crept out of Kady's room and into the kitchen, shocked to see Punk standing there.

"I thought you were going out." AJ said innocently, really wishing he had left with them. She thought she was going to have her opportunity to laze on the couch and sulk feeling sorry for herself.

"No, I thought I'd stay here and let them catch up. I hope you don't mind. I can go out and find myself something to do if you want your space-"

"Don't be silly." AJ smiled, "I'll just get some food and head back to bed." She laughed a little as he watched her. He didn't understand how a woman as beautiful as her had been cheated on. She was gorgeous. He wasn't much into dating, but he was never a guy to turn down a willing girl. The sex part was normally the only thing he was ever interested in, but this girl was sweet and genuine. She didn't deserve to be crying.

"You don't have to hide away in there all day. I don't bite." He laughed a little, "You shouldn't be upset over a guy." He said, watching her switch on the kettle.

"Well I am upset. You wouldn't understand. You're a man." She said.

"Maybe not. But what I do understand is you probably deserved better than the guy you were seeing anyway." Punk said, "Look at it as an easy escape." He said.

"I thought we were getting along well." AJ shrugged, "I don't know what I done wrong." She admitted.

"Nothing. Guys are just jerks sometimes. Don't know what they have until they fuck it up and it's gone." He said as AJ just looked across at him. She'd never noticed it until now, but he was a very handsome man. A little scruffy, but she liked that. She was really digging the slicked hair and the beard, not to mention he really seemed like a nice guy.

"Well I'm trying to get over it. Before I have to go back to work tomorrow night anyway. Can't do a show when I look like this." She pointed to herself as he laughed.

"You don't look that bad." He said as she just laughed.

"I don't look that good either." She said, dumping the milk back in the fridge.

"So you do the exact same as Kady?" Punk asked as AJ shook her head.

"No. I'm a little more reserved than she is." She smirked a little, "I'm a fire breather. With snakes." She said as he raised his eyebrows, "Burlesque." She said as he nodded.

"So you strip?" Punk said as she tilted her head a little, not sure how to reply.

"Well yeah, but… not in a promiscuous way. I'm not stripping for money or to turn guys on." She shook her head, "I do it as part of my act. My job. It's a show." She said, "But yes, I do strip." She said as he just nodded, "I'm assuming you do the same for your job." She smirked as he laughed.

"Only on the weekends." He said as she giggled. She found him funny. He was very easy to talk to and very laid back, a part of her was actually glad he had stayed behind and let Kady and Connor go out on their own, "I'm an engineer."

"Oh, good with your hands are you?" She smiled as he nodded.

"I am indeed." Punk said, "Nothing exciting really." He admitted, "I assume your job has it's advantages and disadvantages." He said as she nodded.

"Mostly disadvantages." She laughed a little, "People judge, before even getting to know me, they hear my title and they automatically think whore, slut, cheap… it used to annoy me but now I just let it slide by me." She said, "I know what I'm worth and I know my job doesn't define who I am." She said as he smiled.

"Good for you." He said genuinely. He admired how confident and bold she was. He wasn't judging her because of her job. In fact, he was judging her in spite of her job. He didn't think it mattered. Like she said, it wasn't like she worked in strip clubs giving lap dances. She worked in actual production, the circus, doing an act for entertainment. It just so happened stripping came along with it.

"So how long have you known Kady's brother?" AJ asked curiously. She was actually enjoying this conversation with Punk. At first when she saw him in the kitchen she was scared of what he might say, but he was turning out to be really friendly.

"I've known them both since high school. I was in the same class as Connor. I pretty much lived at his and Kady's house. It was better than my own." He shrugged as AJ nodded slowly, "His mom treated me like her own, and I sometimes found myself there for weeks on end-" He paused, "And you never even asked for this much information." He said with embarrassment, scratching his neck awkwardly.

"Don't be stupid. I think it's great you're so close." AJ smiled, busying herself with making her toastie, "You must have been around Kady when she was only little then." She said as Punk nodded, laughing slightly.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "It's weird to see her… grown up. Especially with what she does for a living." Punk said, "She's always getting us to come to a show but I don't think I'd be comfortable." He admitted, "She's like a little sister to me. I know Connor definitely wouldn't go." He laughed.

"Kady is good." AJ said, "She's taught me a lot." She admitted.

"Yeah, well she was always really confident as a little girl." Punk laughed, "Why'd you get into your job anyway?" Punk asked curiously. He could sense a mutual respect for one another, and it was a pleasant conversation he was having with her.

"Well I was already a dancer, growing up as a little girl." She said, scooping her toastie onto a plate, "I figured I'd go to college… do something intelligent. First things first when I got here was I had to find a job. I worked in concessions at the theatre and venues. I got to know Kady and then things just spiralled." She shrugged, "I love what I do. My mom insists on telling every single member of my family that I'm a stripper for a living, and refuses to come out to see what I actually do, but I'm over it at this point." She shrugged.

"What good are mom's anyway?" He asked her as she smiled.

"No good." AJ said, "Not mine anyway." She said as he nodded, "I'm gonna go eat my toastie… if you don't mind." She said as he shook his head.

"Carry on." He said politely, letting her head off with her food and coffee, watching her leave the kitchen and into the living room.

He was surprised at how nice she actually was. He wasn't expecting it. She was easy to talk to and man was she beautiful. He couldn't stop thinking about how stupid her boyfriend had been to have cheated on her. She was drop dead gorgeous, but he could understand how her job probably played a part in it all, and most relationships she had in the past.

He headed back into the living room and sat down on the couch beside AJ. Not right beside but close enough, picking up more conversation with her as it flowed well.

Punk wound up turning down Kady and Connor later that night as he was enjoying spending time with AJ. They had a lot in common which was a shock to him. They both had brothers who they strongly disliked. They both enjoyed the same hobby's. They were just very suited and getting along very well.

"I wanted you to come out with us." Kady pushed Punk as she sat down beside him on the couch where he and AJ had spent the full day. He'd also told her not to let her ex boyfriend's antics get to her. He was a stupid dick for using her like such and she deserved better. She enjoyed listening to him give her advice.

"He was keeping me company." AJ smiled to Kady who just smirked.

"Phil isn't very good with relationships, AJ." Kady shook her head as Punk glared at her.

"Oh, he isn't interested in me." AJ laughed, standing up and collecting her plate from the coffee table, "But hey, there's another thing we have in common." She smiled to Punk, walking away to put her dishes in the kitchen whilst Kady smirked up at Punk.

"What?" Punk said.

"Do you like her? You've only been here five minutes." She laughed.

"She's a sweet girl." Punk shrugged, "We just have a lot in common, and I felt sorry for her after what her boyfriend done to her." He said.

"Well if it's just sex you're after she won't give you that either." Kady said.

"What makes you think I'm after anything? I just have a nice conversation with the girl. What's so bad about that? Why do you think I'm after something from her?"

"Because I know you." Kady sniggered, "You like sex." She said as Punk laughed.

"I'm only human." He shrugged innocently as she smiled.

"If you like her you should take her out."

"Chill. I was just being friendly today." He said, "Plus, she's just split up with her boyfriend, pretty horrifically." He said, "I don't need you setting me up." He nudged her.

"Well then I expect you to come out after the show tomorrow." She said, "I want to know what's going on with you." She said, "I haven't seen you in forever." She said.

"Nothing has gone on. Really." He told her.

"Yeah, Connor said things are still tough between you and your family." She said.

"Yeah, no change there." Punk shrugged, "I don't care though."

"Yeah you do." Kady said quietly, "Promise me, tomorrow you'll come out with Connor after the show?" She begged as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, alright." Punk nodded, "I suppose so."

"Good." Kady smiled, "I'm going to bed now." She told him as he nodded with a smile, watching her walk away into her bedroom. Connor had already gone into his room, well technically it was AJ's room but his room for the weekend, so he began to settle down for the ngiht.

"Goodnight, Punk." AJ said as Punk turned his head, watching AJ cross from the kitchen into Kady's bedroom.

"Goodnight." Punk replied, watching her smirk and close the room door over.

He felt like it was wrong to be attracted to her, but he wasn't sure why. She'd had an instant impact on him. He couldn't get her smile out of his head. So perfect and angel like. He lay down on the couch, trying to get comfy, not being able to shift her from his head.

A/N: Won't be as simple as them meeting and getting together right away. Trust me ;) Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! Keep them coming. Let me know what you think.