Dimitri

I don't know why I let Ivan talk me into this! He said we needed a night out since we've been working on this business deal for months. It had been late nights, long meetings, even working through the weekend's and it was finally all signed and done. We could relax for a bit before we headed into our next one. Our idea of how to do that was vastly different. I just wanted to go home, maybe take a shot or two of some Russian vodka and read one of my westerns. But he insisted we deserved a night out. I knew what he really meant by that, he wanted to spend his night with someone on his lap. So that's how I found myself at his favourite club, Shadow Kissed.

"D here drink this, you need to loosen up a bit." Ivan walked up behind me and handed me a shot.

"They won't bite, well unless you ask them to."

He laughed sitting down the rest of our drinks.

I looked at him and raised my eyebrow. I didn't want to be here, the flashing lights, the smell of stale smoke, and the girls walking around in next to nothing. Some of them looked no older than my youngest sister. I wondered what happened in their lives that brought them to work in such a place. I wasn't being judgmental, I just couldn't stop picturing it being one of my sisters in their place. I downed my shot and reached over the table to grab another one from Ivan and quickly downed it. They both burned on the way down, not as good as Russian vodka, but it would have to do.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Ivan said as he tried to high-five me. I didn't return the gesture. I shook my head and grabbed another shot and downed it, trying to numb myself so I could get through the night.

Ivan sat down in the chair next to me, taking a swig of his beer.

"I went ahead and ordered us some food."

"Thanks?" I said cautiously. I wasn't the biggest fan of bar food, but knew I shouldn't drink on an empty stomach. I didn't want to wake up with a hangover like the last time we went out. So I would eat whatever he got us.

We sat there in silence as we watched a couple of the girls dance and spin on the stage.

I was trying not to stare, but I couldn't help but watch the tiny little blonde on the pole, she looked no older than sixteen.

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"Hey Ivan, haven't seen you in a few months." Our waitress said as she sat our food down and stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Here I was thinking you ditched me for someone new!"

"You know I could never replace you Raven. You're my one and only. I've had a project at work that's been taking up all my free time, but I'm all yours now."

"Such a sweet talker." She said while playfully pinching his cheek. I got a good look at her. Tall, skinny, jet black hair and icy blue eyes she was just his type. Even though she had a scar that went across the side of her face. She was very pretty. Most women would tend to hide something like that, but she didn't. She wore it with pride.

"So who's this cutie?" She looked me up and down.

"This is my best friend Dimitri. "

"Nice to meet you Dimitri, I'd be happy to show you a good time!"

I was getting ready to say something when Ivan interrupted me.

"Don't bother Raven, he is too uptight to enjoy anything you have to offer. Me on the other hand…" He flashed her one of his panty dropping smiles.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She walked closer to me and spoke in my ear.

"Because I know just the way to make you loosen up."

I swallowed hard, too stunned to say anything back. Grabbing my bicep she looked me over again then walked back to Ivan.

"Why don't we go somewhere private so we can catch up properly" she whispered to him and wagged her eyebrows, while grabbing his hand. He looked over and asked if I was ok. I shook my head and waved my fingers for him to go. I wasn't going to be a witness to whatever they were about to do.

I watched Ivan follow her like a dog in heat. I didn't see where they went nor did I want to. At least he was enjoying his night. It's not that I wasn't enjoying myself, it was nice to just sit and not worry about work. I just couldn't look at these girls and not see them as someone's sister or daughter. I was raised in a house full of women. My father wasn't around and when he was he would beat my mom. I know he enjoyed the company of many different women from time to time. He also frequented clubs like this spending all our money.

I was so lost in my own thoughts that I never saw her coming, till she was standing in front of me.

"Hey cowboy, don't see anything you fancy?" Someone said with a fake southern drawl.

"Cowboy?" I asked and looked up to see who was talking only to be met with a pair of chocolate brown eyes. I took a second to actually look at her. She was on the shorter side, curvy, a natural tan to her skin, and had brown almost black hair that cascaded down her back. She was wearing a corset and a skimpy bottom that barely covered her, dare I say, perfectly round ass. She looked like an exotic desert princess and was absolutely breathtaking.

"Your duster. Isn't that what cowboys wear?" I looked at my duster. I've always wanted to be a cowboy and when I saw this coat I had to have it.

"I guess you're right."

"Do you not like the food?"

"Haven't tried any of it yet."

"Well let me suggest the mini tacos, they are amazing especially if you add some ketchup."

"Did you just say you put ketchup on your tacos?"

"I did! It's no different than salsa. It's all made from tomatoes." She shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal.

"I'll try the tacos, but not with ketchup." I grabbed one of them and took a bite. She wasn't wrong, they were really good.

"Good aren't they?"

"Yes they are." She stood there awkwardly for a moment while I ate, shifting back and forth on her feet. She cleared her throat.

"Can I be honest with you?" I shook my head yes.

"I didn't just come over here just to check on your food." She paused. "Your friend Ivan sort of paid me to give you a lap dance." Of course he did! I was so going to get him back for this. I hesitated a little not knowing how to say no without sounding rude.

"Look, it's not that I wouldn't mind one from you, I just…. Well …. I'm not…." I stammered not being able to get any words out of my mouth.

"Is this your first time at a strip club?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Kind of."

"I'm not really comfortable having a stranger dance for me. I have three sisters at home and I just can't stop picturing them working in a place like this." She looked a bit taken back, but didn't say anything. "Sorry I didn't mean it like that. I meant.."

"I'm not ashamed of what I do." She interrupted me.

"That's not what I was trying to say. I.."

What was I trying to say, I obviously had offended her and that's not what I wanted to do.

"I'm very protective. I don't think I would be ok with men taking advantage of them."

"It's ok you don't have to explain yourself. I get it, if I had a brother I'm sure he wouldn't want me working in a place like this either. Just so you know, no one touches me without my consent and I keep all my clothes on." She winked.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you."

"You don't want a lap dance, it's ok."

"I'm so sorry I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Stop apologizing, comrade, I'm not going to get in trouble."

"Did you just call me comrade?"

"Yeah, you're from Russia, right? Isn't that what you call each other?"

"I am, but we don't call each other that."

"Then what can I call you?"

"Dimitri."

"Okay Dimitri, if I'm not going to dance for you, mind if I sit? These heels are killing me!"

I said yes and offered her a seat at the table.

We sat there in silence while I finished eating.

"So you said you have sisters?" She asked.

"I do. I have three of them. Do you have any siblings?"

"Please my mom couldn't handle anymore after me, so she stopped." She giggled a bit.

"Well it's not all it's cracked up to be. My sisters like to play dress up with me and even made me marry their dolls." That earned me a full belly laugh.

"I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time picturing that."

"Here I have proof." I pulled out my phone and scrolled through to find the picture of me getting "married". I can't believe I told her that and even showed her the picture. I never voluntarily tell anyone that story. There is just something about her that makes me want to open up.

"That is the cutest thing I've ever seen. You must be a great brother."

" I try to be. I was the only guy in a house full of women."

"Now I'm beginning to understand why you don't like this place."

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We fell into a rhythm of just casually talking about anything and everything. Normally I wouldn't just be so open with a stranger, but I felt really comfortable with her. She told me she was working here to pay her way through college. I told her that I worked with Ivan and what we did.

She even got me to laugh a couple of times. I started to loosen up and began to enjoy the night. We were talking for what felt like hours when we were interrupted.

The little blonde came up to her and whispered something in her ear. She tensed at whatever she was telling her, then seemed annoyed.

"Sorry to have to cut this short, but I need to take care of something. Will I see you back here again?" She said as she stood up and began to walk away.

"Maybe if I can get a name?"

"It's Ivy."

"Is Ivy your real name or your stage name?"

"Now, now comrade you can't be asking questions like that!"

"Is that a yes or no?"

"You'll never know unless you come back."

She winked, turned around and hurried off. I sat there watching her walk away, already feeling the loss of her presence. I just met this girl and I'm already missing her.

I wanted to see her again, but didn't feel comfortable coming in here night after night. So I decided I was going to do something I never do. I was going to wait for her and give her my number. I wasn't going to ask for hers because I wanted to put the ball in her court and let her decide if and when she wanted to call. If she didn't it would suck, but I had to know if there was something there. I had felt a connection with her, something that I never thought I would ever feel again.

So I did just that, I waited for a little while for her to come back out. When she didn't I made my way to the bar where the little blonde now was. I asked if she knew where "Ivy" had gone. She said she was outside in the back of the building and that she should be back soon. Not wanting to seem like a stalker I went back to sit down.

I nursed my drink for a bit till Ivan came slinking back. His hair was sticking up in every direction and his shirt was un tucked. Smiling from ear to ear he sat down.

"I take it you enjoyed yourself?"

"I did. How about you? Did you enjoy the little gift I sent over?" He smirked at me.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Yes it was. I sent her over to get that stick out of your ass."

"Well I didn't get a lap dance from her and I don't have a stick up my ass!"

"Yes you do. You Turned down a free lap dance from a pretty thing like her. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me. You know how I feel about places like this."

"One Lap dance isn't going to turn you into your father."

I took a deep breath and sighed. I knew he was right, but it still didn't feel comfortable getting one.

"It's not like I was rude to her. I told her politely that I wasn't interested in a lap dance so we just talked."

"You just 'talked'?" He asked using his fingers as quotation marks.

I shook my head yes.

"Only you would get a lap dance paid for and decide to talk instead."

I shrugged my shoulders, did I really want to tell him I felt this connection with someone I just met?

Not wanting to continue this conversation I told him I was going to use the restroom. Getting up I walked to the mens room, but instead of going in I decided to go outside. I was going to see if I could find "Ivy". Locating a door in the back that said exit I opened it and stepped outside.

To this day I'm so thankful I made that decision to follow her outside. The chain of events that happened afterwards, some for the better, some not. Changed our lives forever.