Bring On the Men

A/N: This story was inspired by the song of the same title, "Bring On the Men" from the musical Jekyll and Hyde. I was listening to the cd, and the song came on, and it reminded me of Mimi...thus, this fic. Enjoy!



Mimi knew that this was her life, that there was no point in attempting alterations. She knew that dreams of a husband, children, college, a respectable career, and a house in the country were harbored fantasies that should be released once and for all, hopes that could never be true in her life. She knew that this foul yet beautiful atmosphere was her only home, that her only world was reality.

The overwhelming kaleidoscope of smells of alcohol, tobacco, assorted drugs, sweat, and sex washed over her warm body as she danced on stage, knowing that every man's eyes were on her as she moved, every slight pulsation of her thin body causing shivers to overtake many of her audience members. She smiled provocatively down at them, getting an undeniable from the looks of lust and desire on the faces of so many men...

There was no reason she should find so much utter comfort in the approval of men, she knew. She knew that men had raped her, had forced her into this life she led now. She knew that men had used her and used her money she earned as a stripper to buy smack then kicked her out into the streets to fend for herself, to find yet another man to live with for a few weeks, until it was time for the next one. Men had gotten her addicted to these drugs that were killing her now. Men had caused this illness that served as a death sentence – HIV-positive.

She had never been in love, she knew that, and never been truly loved. Men were for sex and for money – but they were necessary, undeniably. She hated to admit it, but she was dependant upon that presence in her life.

She knocked on the door of the room above her's, somewhat distracted. The door opened, and there he was...she smirked slightly at his aghast expression at her staggering beauty. Her normal mantra was flooding her mind as she stared at the handsome, fit man before her – bring on the men. She smiled cheekily up at him, holding out her small candle with a seductive curl on her full lips, and asked a simple question with an impossibly large number of implications and inquiries bound up inside it.

"Got a light?"