Chapter Fourteen


"Daaamn," Crystal drawled, moistening her lips as she stared lustfully up at the stage, "Just when I think these guys can't get any hotter, Bonnie dresses them up like this. That Lockhart women is a freaking genius!"

Sami made a disgruntled sound in the back of her throat, "I don't know what's so great about what they're wearing. I mean, isn't Bonnie supposed to dress them up in costumes? So, why did she let Lucas come out here dressed as himself?"

Crystal shot Sami a disgusted look before averting her eyes back up to the stage, "If you'll always going to be so bitchy and critical about everything, why do you even come here? We're supposed to be having fun, not being so uptight and busy finding faults in everything. Why don't you just leave if you don't like it?"

"I didn't say I didn't like it," Sami snapped, "I just said that if they're going to wear costumes, they should actually be costumes. Why are you still in Salem anyway? Don't tell me you've decided to stay in Salem for good. Because if you have, then I think I'm going to kill myself. One turbo-slut is enough, we don't need you joining in and teaming up with Nicole."

"I'm not leaving for at least a little while," Crystal informed Sami, "I have to stay in Salem for a bit. Eminem is on tour and he's coming to Salem in a week and I love him. That man is so sexy!"

"What makes me a slut?" Nicole demanded indignantly, "Why does everything always say that about me? Why don't you define slut? Is your definition of a slut a woman who wants to have fun and tries to get their sexual needs met? Because yes, that does make me a slut but in that case, I'd rather be a slut than a prude like you, Sami!"

"I am not a prude!" Sami argued.

"Sami, I'm afraid you are," Crystal agreed with Nicole.

Jan decided it was time to change the topic again and let out a dramatic, love-truck sigh, "You know, those three are making hell look very tempting. I would definitely love to be Satan's mistress if he looked like they do."

Sami gritted her teeth but begrudgingly looked up at Lucas and had to admit that he did fill out his devil costume very well. Red, tight-fitting pants that, like most of his costumes, very lovingly cupped his package, red devil horns, black boots and he carried a pitchfork that he would occasionally poke at random women flirtatiously. Rex and Phillip were on stage dancing with him and they had matching outfits and pitchforks.

"All I know is, if they come over here and start poking me with those ugly pitchforks, I am going to kill them," Sami grumbled, trying to make it sound like she wasn't infatuated by Lucas' costume at all.

"Wow, so not only are you a prude, but you're a prude in denial. That's really sad, Sami." Nicole shook her head, quickly losing all remaining patience with Sami she had left.

"Shut up, Nicole. You don't even know me." Sami shot back.

"Maybe not but I know that you'd love it if Lucas poked you with his..." she stopped for a minute, wrinkling her nose at thoughts of certain parts of Lucas' anatomy, "Pitchfork. I know what a woman in lust looks like and you are most definitely a prime example of a woman in lust."

Not to mention a woman in love, Sami added silently, ignoring Nicole and focusing on Lucas. He did look positively sinful and tempting in that revealing devil costume but people couldn't really tell she felt that way, could they? Maybe Nicole was just a special case since she clearly had a lot of experience with this 'lust' factor. But that wouldn't stop her from denying it.

"In lust with Lucas?" Sami scoffed, trying to make it sound like that was the most absurd thing she had ever heard, "You're crazy."

"You certainly seemed to enjoy licking him last night," Sami opened her mouth, then closed it, knowing she was in no position to argue that point, "Why don't you just do him and get it over with, idiot? You know you want to."

"Hm, maybe because I'm not a slut like you," Sami suggested meanly.

"There you go, labeling me again," Nicole rolled her eyes, "Seriously, Sami, why don't you let your naughty side out to play? I mean, I don't give a rat's ass what happens between you and Lucas but if you keep sitting with us, I'm hoping that getting some from your dream man will make you stop being so moody. You only live once. What harm could it do, girl?"

Sami straightened her shoulders haughtily, "I don't engage in casual sex with people." Sami shot back. Of course, it would be anything but casual, she thought to herself.

Crystal stared at Sami, horrified, "What's wrong with casual sex? Not that I have much time to 'squeeze' it in between my two jobs but I still like it."

"You have two jobs?" Sami asked in amazement, "My God, that's ambitious for someone like you."

"Don't call is ambitious until you know what the jobs are," Nicole mumbled under her breath, then raised her voice a little, "Sami, why don't you give it a try? Lucas is the father of your child so it certainly isn't casual. And besides, it's part of Lucas' job description. He's supposed to please his audience groupies if they pay enough. If you don't get the money in there and start making requests, some other chick will. Do you really want to see that happen?"

"No," Sami admitted in a gruff voice.

"Then I dare you," Nicole began in a breathy voice, fishing around in her purse for something, "Get Lucas to give you a lap dance. Tonight." she finished, her voice low but packed with enough intensity to shatter someone's eardrums.

Sami's mouth dropped open and she glanced sharply at Lucas' dancing figure up on the stage, "You're kidding! I can't do that!"

"Why not?" Nicole eyed Lucas disdainfully, "I bet he'd do it for you. He's always seemed to be starving for female attention to me," Nicole took something from her purse and pressed it into Sami's hand, "Wave this around, get him to take it from you, smile and wink and bam, he'll take you backstage and give you exactly what you want. And a lap dance isn't even sex. You can do it."

Sami scowled down at the bill in her hands, "I still say this is ridiculous. If you're so into Lucas, why don't you get a lap dance from him?"

"Maybe I will," Nicole mocked her, snatching the bill out of Sami's hands and she started to get to her feet. Sami grabbed the back of Nicole's shirt and yanked her back down into the chair angrily.

"Sit down, bitch," Sami snarled, her eyes bright with what was undeniably jealousy, "You don't even like Lucas. What are you trying to do?"

"I was trying to prove a point," Nicole smiled winningly at Sami and handed her the money once more, "I'd rather kill myself than let Lucas give me a lap dance-"

"Let Lucas?" Sami snorted, "He hates you, Nicole. He certainly wouldn't be the willing one in that scenario. He would never do it."

"I was just proving that you don't want some woman getting sexual favours from him, not even while he's on the job. Why don't you just go for it, you big baby? What are you scared of?"

"Nothing!" Sami snapped.

"Then do it." Nicole struck back, smirking at the agitated woman, "Or I'm going to come to the conclusion that you're just scared."

"Come on, Sami," Jan prompted, "Here, I'll make you a deal. If you get Lucas to give you a lap dance, then I'll ask Phillip for one so you don't feel so alone."

Nicole gave Jan a dirty look, "Get real, Jan. Even if Sami didn't get a lap dance from Lucas, you'd still want one from Phillip and you'd do everything you could to get one from him. Cut the crap."

Jan shrugged, "Fine, you caught me. I guess it just proves that I have more guts than Sami ever will."

"Okay, will all you of quit it?" Sami groaned and watched Lucas near their side of the club, "I'll do it. But not because I want to. I'm only doing it because I want to prove that I'm not 'scared' as you so ridiculously put it."

Before any of them could speak, Sami stood up and joined the group of women waving bills around in the air. Lucas noticed her and for a minute, a look of confusion crossed his face but he sauntered over to her and took the bill from her hand, giving her a small jab with the pitchfork to disguise his uncertainty. He began walking away but sneaked a quick look at the bill. When he realized it wasn't his average ten or twenty dollar bill, he stopped in the middle of his routine. He turned back around and Sami was grateful for Phillip and Rex's appearances on stage so Lucas' actions weren't as noticeable. Following Nicole's instruction, Sami winked at him and gave him the biggest come-hither smile she could manage.

Obviously it worked because Lucas came back over to the edge of the stage and extended his hand to Sami. Nicole whistled softly and nudged Sami pointedly.

"I told you it would work," Nicole whispered in her ear, "What are you waiting for? Get up there!"

Sami finally took his hand and he helped her onto the stage, unspoken questions still in his eyes.

Nicole sighed with relief, "Thank God. Now maybe she'll stop being such a cranky bitch all the time."

"Do you think Lucas is going to take a hundred bucks? Isn't that kind of low?" Jan asked doubtfully.

"Maybe for more experienced strippers," Nicole replied with confidence, "But Phillip, Rex and Lucas are all new at this. They aren't going to expect that much, especially if it's from someone they already know. Besides, it Lucas and Sami. Have you seen the way they look at each other? As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Lucas tried to tell Sami that it was too much money."

A few seconds later, the song ended and Rex, Lucas, Phillip and Sami all walked off stage together. Mimi was still backstage and when she saw Sami, she looked at Lucas questioningly.

"What's this about?" she asked.

"I don't really know," Lucas unwrinkled the bill and held it out in front of Sami, "Are you planning on explaining this?" he asked and Mimi clamped her hand over her mouth when she saw the face of the bill. Sami couldn't really blame her. Sami had been pretty shocked to see that Nicole carried one hundred dollar bills around in her purse but then again, it was probably one of the things Nicole loved best about being Victor's widow.

Sami crossed her arms over her chest, "You work here, you should know what someone's expectations are when they give you a hundred dollar bill. Why should I have to spell it out?"

"Well, gee, I'm kind of still new to this so why don't you enlighten me just this once?" Lucas suggested sarcastically.

Sami narrowed her eyes at him with challenge, secretly relieved that Phillip and Rex had gone off to the other side of the dressing room so they couldn't hear what she was about to ask, "I want a lap dance." she muttered.

"What was that? A little louder this time, please." Lucas returned.

"I said I want a lap dance." Sami said it louder this time, then silently waited for his response while she watched his eyes widened with shock.