Sealed

A few days passed and my days were spent sleeping, my evenings spent stripping, and my nights partying and hanging out.  With Toby.


Turns out he enjoys my company.  Not that I blame him.  I knew I would be leaving in about a week, so I didn't invest too much into him.  I was good at playing that game.  I would give him just enough to want more, but never enough to cause me attachment.  Nothing sexual though.  He didn't push it, I didn't offer it.  He hadn't even kissed me.


It was a half hour until closing and the club was packed.  All of the girls were working the floor and in and out of private dances, except for the 3 that were required on stage rotations.  I was sitting on some guy's lap laughing with he and his friends, talking about the Cubs.  Apparently they were in town for a bachelor party from Chicago.  Guy had his hand resting on the edge of my G-string on my hip.  He kept nonchalantly rubbing his cheek on my breast when he'd move around to talk.  They were a loud boisterous group, but entertaining still.


I looked up and locked eyes with Toby.  This had been the standard the past few nights.  He would show up around closing and we would go to a diner, or a house party.  I smiled at him so he knew I saw him and went back to talking. 


I finished up the drink I was holding and set the cup down on the table by where guy and I were sitting.  As I was standing up, GDFR came on.  There is something about that song that I love.  It's great to dance to.  I started moving around, and guy asked me for a lap dance right there.  Once done, he tucked some bills into my G-string, I thanked him for the laughs and started towards Toby.


"Hey!" I grinned, pulling the money out and folding it over, preparing to take it to the back.


"Hi," he half-smiled back.  "Are you able to leave soon?"


I looked back and around the place.  It was still full.  "I dunno.  It's still really full.  I could probably still make more money."


Something I hadn't seen before flashed through his eyes, but then it was gone.  "Ok.  Well, would you be willing to go to brunch with me around 10?"


I was surprised, slightly.  I knew we had been having a good time with each other, but he knew I didn't live here.  I wrinkled my nose at him.  "You mean, like a date?"


His cheeks reddened.  He started looking around, anywhere but at me.  "I mean, yeah, if that's okay?"


I laughed and could feel myself blush.  I'd had guys who'd asked me out in the club before, but I never took it seriously, and it was more of a lust thing, and I never took anyone up on it.  This didn't feel that way.  "Oh, sure, of course.  Yeah, that's okay."  Have I ever mentioned I'm bad at dating?  "But you know that I'm leaving soon."


Toby's casual confidence returned then.  He looked me in the eyes and slyly brushed my hand with his.  "All I'm asking for is a date, please?"


"I accept, then." And I genuinely smiled at him.


He gave me one last look and turned to leave.  Megan pounced on me as soon as he was walking away.  "You aren't leaving with him?"


"Not tonight.  He asked me out for the morning.  Weird, right?"


She rolled her eyes at me and walked away.  Whatev.


The rest of the night was uneventful.  Before I left to head back to my hotel, one of the bouncers stopped me.  "Here, someone left this for you," he said, as he shoved an envelope in my hand.


I looked at the envelope, and there was nothing on it, but it was sealed.  I shrugged my shoulders and tucked it into my purse, mentally making a note that I would read it when I got to the hotel.

Let's Get This Over With

I heard a groan as my hand struck scalp.


I cautiously peeked one eye open, more fearful of the light than who was actually next to me.  "Well, hello beautiful," Megan croaked at me.


I laughed a miserable cackle.  "You look how I feel."


She grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to cover her face.  "Then I must be beautiful, too."


"Where are we?" I asked, trying to look around, but the light was making my head start to throb already.  I could tell that it wasn't a hotel, and that's about as far as I got.


"Fuck if I know," she mumbled.


"Is this your place?"  I started massaging my temples, hoping that would ease the pain.  "If so, where's your Advil?"


No response.


"Megan!" I hissed at her, nudging her with my elbow.  She grunted, but didn't move.


I sighed and slowly sat up, trying to make a quick judgment of whether I was to the point of being sick, or just incredibly dehydrated, hence the headache.  My stomach felt kind of nauseous, but not puke-y.  Yet.


I noted that I had on a large oversized t-shirt, and nothing else, but it was long enough to cover everything.  Good enough, I thought.  I mentally noted to thank Megan later for dressing me in something much more comfortable in my drunken stupor.  I also wondered how cooperative I had been.  I laughed a little at the thought of fighting her to get the shirt over my head. 


There was a bathroom in her bedroom so I went in and searched the medicine cabinet, but didn't see any pain meds.  I moaned again at how rough I looked.  My hair a tangled, fluffy mess, my dark eyeliner and mascara giving me raccoon eyes.  I wiped at my eyes with my fingers, lessening the appearance of day old makeup. 


I noticed how messy she was, with a bath towel laying on the floor next to the tub.  I padded out of the bathroom back through the bedroom and towards the door I assumed lead to the rest of the house.  When I opened the door, I confirmed that was the case.


I started down the hallway and heard voices talking softly as I got closer to an open area.  The end of the hall opened up into an open concept living area.  The kitchen and dining area were on my right and the living space plus a bookcase'd off office on the other side with floor to ceiling windows.  At the end of the hall pillars took over where the walls left off rising up to the vaulted ceiling, dividing the two halves of the open area.  I took a couple more steps out into the area, squinting still in the abrasive light, finally locating the voices, sitting at a large high-top table. 


I half smiled at the sight of Toby and Jeremiah sitting there.  I started walking towards them.  Jeremiah was facing me, Toby's back was to me.  Jeremiah slightly nodded his head towards me and Toby turned around.  He grinned widely, taking in my appearance.


I grinned, shyly, then.  I cleared my throat.  "Uh, sorry I didn't get more dressed up."  For being naked as my job, I sure felt self-conscious for not being fully dressed.


He shook his head.  "How are you feeling?"


I wrinkled my nose.  "Can I get something for this headache, please?"


He laughed gently.  "Of course."  He walked towards the kitchen.


"So...," I began, "where are we?  And what in the world happened last night? Oh!  Also, what time is it?"


The guys both chuckled.


Jeremiah started.  "This is Toby's and my place."


"Oh!  You guys are... partners?"


He looked at me weird.  "Um, no.  Roommates."  Then he smiled giving Toby the side eye.  "Although, if I was, Toby over there would be right up my alley."  And he wiggled his eyebrows at me.


I laughed. 


Toby came walking back over towards with Advil in one hand and a large bottle of water in the other.  "Hmm, that may be, but Jer over there isn't really my type.  I prefer my men a little more manly."  Jeremiah scoffed.  "Anyway, we were dancing, and you and Megan both went downhill quickly.  Nothing too exciting happened, but neither of you were really accurately able to tell us where either of you live, so we just brought you back here.  You two crashed in my room, and I slept out here." He motioned towards the couch.  I felt bad hearing that, but was super thankful that they were actually really good guys and didn't take advantage of either of us.


"Neither of us could tell you where we lived?"  I asked skeptically.


"Nope.  In fact, when I asked you kept telling me you lived - and I quote - at the hotel motel Holiday Inn."  Toby started laughing then and Jeremiah guffawed. 


I closed my eyes and shook my head.  Of course I did.  I opened them and looked back at them.  "Well, I wasn't entirely wrong.  I don't live here.  I'm staying in a hotel, but it is not the Holiday Inn."


"Anyway, Jer and I weren't sure if you two worked tonight, but it's 11:30 right now, and we were hoping to take you both to lunch, since brunch has passed."  He grinned at me, expectantly.


My headache was still present, and my stomach wasn't 100, but I knew eating something greasy would probably help.  Especially since we both did work that night.  "I would possibly be up to it, but definitely need to shower and change clothing.  I doubt my current clothing would be appropriate for anywhere we were to go.  And I want to make sure Megan is ok with that plan, too."


I went back to the bedroom and crawled into bed next to her, shoving her a couple of times.  She tried pulling the pillow over her head, but I grabbed it and threw it on the floor.  "Bitch," she whispered.


"Get up, we need to leave."


"What?  Why?" she whined.


"This isn't your house.  Toby and Jeremiah live here."


"Who?"


"The guys from last night!" I hissed at her, exasperated.  "They want to take us to lunch."


"I feel like death."


"I know, that's why I came brandishing gifts."


She hesitantly opened her eyes at me, then.  I held out some Advil and water to her, and she gratefully snatched them from me.  She hoisted herself up to sitting.  "Ok.  Fine.  Let's get this over with."


I grinned at her, actually a little excited to get to know Toby better.