Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:13:40 -0700 (PDT) From: Rion Gallagar Subject: Intimidating Love part 2 I woke up with someone spooning my back this time. It was Natalie. When I rolled over, I discovered that she was awake and staring off into space. It was good to have my best friend home again, even if only for another few weeks. "Where's Dylan?" I asked groggily. I tried to cover up my mouth as to not breathe morning breath all over Natalie. "I think he's on the phone with his sister," she replied. "I think it's going to be a long one too, so I came in here so we could talk. I've noticed that you are a little different than the last time I saw you. What's been up?" That broke down the flood gates and all my emotions and problems poured out to her. "This whole thing confuses me," I started. "Since you left this summer, I dated a little but nothing substantial. It just didn't feel right at that time, so I took a break to focus on dancing and painting. I was pretty much a hermit until school started up again. Dylan and I started to hang out a bit, and then all of a sudden it seems, he was my new room mate. At first I just thought he was really hot, but then I started liking his personality more and more. He's my best friend. Well, other than you. We just spend so much time together that I never have time to clear my head of him. Then I think about that and I don't want to clear him from my mind. I love him. There, I said it. I really love everything about him." "Wow," was all Natalie could say. "You are fucked." Dylan chose that point to come into the bedroom. I could tell that he had cried a little and he was visibly angry. "What happened?" I asked quickly. "Is everything ok? Did anything happen to Lexie?" I had thrown off the covers and was prepared to kick some ass if anybody messed with her. "It was Monica," he replied shortly. It just clicked that Monica must have been his other sister. I didn't really even know her name. "Her husband has been smacking her around. I have to go pick her and the kids up at the train station. She'll be here in like twenty minutes." You could tell he was really flustered and frustrated. He just rummaged around the room, picking up things off the floor and reorganizing things. It was kind of cute if he wasn't so pissed. Finally I went over to him and made him sit on the edge of the bed. "How long has it been since you've seen you sister and her kids?" I asked cautiously. "I haven't seen any of them since Matt was born, so it would be about three years now," he said after thinking a moment. "Yeah, Matt is three so that would make Becca four." "Ok," I sighed. "You go get them and I'll start making lunch. Make sure to tell her she can stay as long as she wants." He just wrapped his arms around me and squeezed so hard it almost hurt. "Thank you so much for being supportive. You are my best friend and I love you." He let me go and just held my shoulders in his big hands. He was crying again and the tears were making wet little trails down his cheeks. I wiped them off with my thumb. I was falling hard and fast. Not good. He pulled me closer again and laid a soft, gentle kiss on my forehead. I almost got a hard on, but I managed to think myself out of one. Dylan then let me go after giving my shoulders a quick squeeze then left. After I heard the front door close, I fell back onto the bed, letting out an angry sigh. SHIT! I threw my arm over my eyes dramatically and just started laughing. It quickly turned into hysterical giggles. Natalie just looked at me like I belonged in the loony bin. "I am losing my mind," I said after I could breathe again. "This is just too much right now. Why does he have to be so damn lovable? And hot too? It's not fair," I finished with a pout. "I think he likes you," was all Natalie said. "Likes you likes you." "You should meet his younger sister," I told her. "She seems to think the same thing. We're just good friends. Well, I promised I'd make lunch, so I should go get ready for the day." After deciding I didn't have enough time to shower, I just put my hair up and threw on my favorite jeans and a button down shirt. It was a size too big, so I knew it was Dylan's. It also smelled like his cologne. Creepy? Naw. I have never really spent too much time around kids who weren't in one of my classes so I didn't know what the hell kids liked to eat. Luckily, Natalie has a huge family and she wants to be a pediatrician; therefore, her job was to cook. I'd just pick up a little. A half hour later, Dylan got home. Natalie and I were sitting on the couch having some tea and reading when I heard the keys in the door. He walked in with a little girl on his back. It was the cutest damn thing ever. Both their faces were rosy from the cold. A tall woman walked in behind him carrying a small boy in her arms. He looked asleep. Dylan set Becca down and took Matt out of Monica's arms. "I'll go put him down in my bed," He whispered. A few moments later he returned and officially introduced his sister. She seemed very friendly but very embarrassed that we had to meet for the first time under these conditions. After a few more minutes of small talk, the oven dinged. Lunch was ready. Natalie had made chicken nuggets with French fries for the kids and sandwiches for us. I poured each of us a glass of wine. "Don't you think it's a little early to drink?" Monica teased me. She was very much like her younger brother personality wise. "We're not going anywhere today, and I'm on break," I replied then stuck my tongue out at her. For the rest of the day, the kids played with the toys they had brought and the adults just talked. Natalie told us about her time in Europe. Eventually, dinner time rolled around and Monica wanted to buy pizza to show her appreciation. Dinner was very nice. We all sat around the table like the unconventional family I felt we were becoming. We used paper plates, but I couldn't find plastic silverware, so there would be a few dishes. We decided to let them wait a little as the kids were falling asleep. They would both be sleeping in Dylan's bed with Monica, Natalie would have the couch, or she could sleep in my bed with me and Dylan. After less than an hour of television, the kids were asleep. Becca was in love with Natalie and had fallen asleep on her new idols lap. Matt was still very shy around everyone, so he snuggled up with his mother. Shortly after we put the kids in the bedroom, there was a knock on the door. I was closest to the door. It was a man, in his early thirties at the oldest. He was very good looking with blond hair and brown eyes. He was very well respectably dressed too, and it made me wonder what a salesman would be doing out at this hour. "Can I help you, sir?" I asked. "Where the Hell is my wife?" My brain froze. So this was Monica's abusive husband. Even though I knew this guy was a bastard, I still couldn't help but agree with her taste in men. I had to think quickly. "I don't know where your wife is, sir," Never hurt to be polite. "I live here with my room mates and neither of them is married to you." "Don't fuck with me. I know she's here." He pushed me aside roughly and came inside. "Listen, I think you need to leave before anything gets out of hand," I warned him. "Are you threatening me, queer boy?" The man shouted. "I know how to handle bitches like you, you fucking faggot!" At that point Dylan had come to where we were. "Hey!" Dylan shouted to get his attention. "Don't fucking talk to my room mate like that." I think he was angrier than the other night at the club. It looked like he was going to snap. "Everyone, calm down," I tried to reason. "The kids are asleep and we can talk this out like adults. No one needs to get ang-" I never finished my sentence. Monica's husband, Aaron was his named I learned later, swung his arm and back handed me across my cheekbone. My vision exploded in a flash of white. Aaron hit me so hard that I went down, but not before I hit the dinner table with my head and jammed my shoulder. I was told afterwards that Dylan had then punched Aaron in the face, knocking him down, and then came to me. "Daniel," he said holding my face. "Are you ok? Can you hear me, buddy?" I could hear and see a little better know but everything was a little fuzzy around the edges. But, I was so pissed off that I freaked out. I stood up and looked at the table I just fell into. I grabbed the chef's knife we used to cut the pizza and stepped over to Aaron's body. He was hunched over on the ground. Using all of my strength, I picked him up by his shirt collar and pushed him against the door frame. I also put the knife under his groin and pushed up until I felt him tense from the fear and pain. "Listen, fucker," I started. "You will leave your wife alone, do you hear me? You will never seek to contact her again and when she files for divorce and full custody you will not fight her on anything, am I right? If you do, I will hunt you down and hurt you so bad, you will have wished I'd just cut your balls off now. No one touches the people I love." I removed the knife from under him and slammed the tip into the wall, just inches from his ear. "Now get out of my house." He looked as if he'd seen a ghost. He was smart to be scared; I was more than serious about hurting him again. Aaron fumbled with the door knob, finally getting it open. Right before he walked out, I grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. With the other fist I punched him as hard as I could. It sent him reeling back out into the hallway as I slammed the door. I was so angry. My face and shoulder were throbbing from being hit and my hand was numb from that last hit I scored. I turned around to face the others. Monica was standing there, just crying silently. Natalie looked at me like she'd never seen me before, and Dylan just looked away. I reached up to feel the bump on my head and it felt wet. My fingers came back red. How come when you see the blood, it starts to hurt a lot worse? I was also getting a little woozy. Monica snapped out of it first. She was a nurse and saw me as a patient. Grabbing a napkin off the table, she came over to me and tried to stop the cut from bleeding further. She was most worried about a concussion, but thankfully my eyes weren't dilated and I wasn't tired, just worn out. I eventually did fall asleep for a short time. When I woke up, Dylan was laying across from me looking into my eyes. His own eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "Hey," I whispered. "Why so sad?" "I was just really worried for you and my sister," he admitted. "It really scared me to see blood on your head." He reached up and gently touched the bandage over my left eye. "I hate seeing you in pain. You're my best friend. You aren't allowed to get hurt." A few tears had escaped is eyes. Mine were a little wet too. He scooted over so we were almost nose to nose. His breath was hot against my lips. Stretching his neck, he placed a gentle kiss on my head bandage. He shifted a little then kissed me again between my eyes, then over one eye then the other. Slowly, our faces aligned and I gave him a little nudge with my nose, our lips touching briefly. Finally our lips met for the first time without people pushing us or alcohol. His were very soft and I could tell he had recently brushed his teeth. We started slowly at first, just pecks on the lips. After a minute of that, he opened his mouth and let his tongue lick along my lips. I gladly opened my mouth for him and greedily sucked on it. I was in a dream. I was really kissing my best friend, and the best part is that he started it. He was gently biting my bottom lip which brought little noises out of my throat every time. Both my hands were under his shirt playing with his chest. He was gripping the back of my neck as his other hand went up my back, scratching gently. We broke apart for just long enough to remove our shirts. Dylan dove to my neck. He started kissing, licking, and biting. I was going crazy and I was as hard as I could get. I flipped Dylan over so that he was on his back. I went to his neck like a starving vampire. Me moaned and arched his back. Making my way down his neck and chest, I left little wet kisses. When I got to his nipple I sucked it and grazed it with my teeth. Dylan made a surprised hiss. I stopped for a second and looked into his half closed eyes. "Stop me if I'm going too far," I said. "I want you to be as comfortable as possible." He just nodded. My lips met his chest again and I licked my way down to his belly button. I kissed all around it and let my lips trail along his hip bone. His breathing was getting deeper and a little ragged. He pulled me back up before I could make it to his crotch. "I can't," he said. I froze. I knew this was going to crash. "I just can't. I wish I could, but Amanda. I'm so sorry. If I was gay, I would be all over you in a second, but, I just... can't..." He was saved from further explanation by his ringing phone. "Hello?" Dylan answered. "Hi Mom. Not really. Yeah, she's here and everything is fine. Yes, we're coming home tomorrow for dinner. I think he's coming. Ok, love you too. Bye. She wanted to know if I was busy. I don't think I could have told her what was going on. I'm really sorr-" "Don't Dylan," I started. "Just let it go. I'm the one who's sorry for pushing. I'll go crash on the couch." "Dumb ass, it's your room," chuckled Dylan. "I should be the one leaving, but I really just wanna sleep with someone tonight. Sleep, nothing more. Please?" I caved. I fell asleep with the man I loved and now knew I couldn't have. I woke up the next morning alone. I thought that maybe the previous night was a dream until I realized that I was still in my jeans and didn't have a shirt on. I stepped into the kitchen to see Dylan and Monica sitting at the breakfast nook, chatting over coffee. He was wearing last night's jeans as well, but he had thrown on an unzipped hoodie, making him look more scrumptious than any feast. Coffee was my main concern though. As I poured a cup and looked out the window, I heard them get up. I figured they were moving to the living room for a little more privacy, but I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. "Thanks for not pushing me last night," he whispered into my ear. "It was more than special to me and sorry about the hickies." He kissed my ear and left. Hmm, more than special. Wait! Hickies! Oh, fuck me, I thought. Why does he always give me hickies? I finished my first cup then went to the bathroom to check out my neck. Sure enough there were six very prominent bruises all over my neck and throat. Natalie was going to have a hay day. I grabbed a shirt from the bedroom and put it on. Natalie was finally up when I entered the kitchen to start breakfast. She gave me a very odd look as she made us both tea. I looked down and realized that the shirt I had put on was Dylan's. Oh fuck me. "Bite yourself shaving?" Natalie asked without looking up from her mug. "Fuck you," was my answer. "I still think he's just confused because I'm `just a guy' but still interested in him. He doesn't really know what to think about me." All she did was smirk. "Oh, trust me. I know what he thinks about you, and it's nothing as innocent as `just a guy.'" "Whatever," I said snidely. "I have too much to think about right now and I still have to pack for tonight. I'm going with Dylan, Monica, and the kids to the Burke house for the night." Natalie looked like she was going to interrupt but I stopped her. "And before you even think about making a comment, I am going because Mrs. Burke invited me for saving her family." She just raised her hands in defeat. I glared at her for one more second then let it drop. We sat in silence, drinking tea and sharing the newspaper. After getting done with that, I went into my room to pack. That didn't take too long considering we were only staying for one day. I hopped into the shower. It felt good to have the hot water run through my hair. I needed a trim, too many split ends. I took my time soaping up my body. It never hurts to get intimate with your body every now and then. That's how I discovered all of my engorgeous zones, like the inside of my biceps, my wrists, and the hollow of my neck. Damn, I needed to turn the cold water on a little more. I just didn't have time to beat off. We were planning on leaving in a short while. After I dried off, I paced around my room trying to figure out what I was going to wear. Dylan said we might go out tonight and see some of his old high school friends. I threw on a pair of my favorite jeans. They fit my ass like they were painted on, and I have a nice ass if I dare say. Just a random t-shirt and a hooded sweatshirt finished off the look. Fuck taking the time to look nice. The Burkes already loved me and I really didn't feel the need to impress Dylan's old friends. I grabbed my bag and went to go put it by the door. "Natalie," I heard Dylan try to reason. "You are more than welcome to join us. My parents would love you." "I'm sorry Dylan," she answered. "But I have to go home tonight and visit my dad, the munchkins, and the Ice Queen, my stepmother." The last bit she added for the benefit of Dylan and Monica. "Ok," he conceded. "But Daniel and I are gonna be real lonely in his car without you." "Oh, I bet you can both think of something to take up all the time." Both Natalie and Monica stifled laughs. Dylan and I blushed. We decided to let Monica take Dylan's car with the kids and I would drive with Dylan as my navigator. It was only a two hour drive to his house. On the way we didn't talk that much. We kind of left the previous night in the past and made it a point not to bring it up. The entire trip was completely uneventful. When we pulled up to the house I just understood the amount of money the Burkes had. It was massive, yet humble. It was absolutely beautiful. It could have just been that there was a nice layer of fluffy snow and I was a sucker for a pretty picture. As soon as we got out of the car, Mrs. Burke was out the door ready to give out a round of hugs. You could tell that she had been crying. We all made it through the gauntlet with only a few kisses and maybe a few cracked ribs. Mrs. Burke could sure give a tight hug. She quickly ushered us into the large kitchen. It smelled of herbs and spices. There was also a large pot of tea that was adding to the herbal aroma. We all sat at the kitchen while Mrs. Burke (call me Beth) poured everyone a cup of tea. Beth was finishing dinner in a flurry of motion and talking. It was overwhelming in the most comforting and homey way possible. I think I loved Dylan's family just as much as I did him. Dinner was the best meat loaf and mashed potatoes I had ever tasted. We retired to the front room to watch television. Dylan decided that he did not want to go out tonight. He said that he was more than happy to spend the evening with all the people he loved. After only a couple of hours, Mr. and Mrs. Burke had gone to bed, Monica was tucking in her kids, and Jake was asleep on the couch. I kept falling asleep and jerking my head up. Standing, I pushed the blankets aside and stretched while yawning. "You two going to bed?" Lexie asked. Dylan just nodded and caught the yawn infection from me. We left the two youngest Burkes to sleep on the couch. I hardly finished brushing my teeth and getting into bed before I fell asleep. I woke the next day and had that ten second where-the-fuck-am-I-and-why-am-I-in-a-strange-bed moment before it all came back. I just snuggled deeper into Dylan's comfortable bed. We only laid around for another twenty minutes before I decided to get up and go for a run. Lexie was down in the kitchen drinking some coffee. "Are you going running?" she asked. "Yea," I answered while pouring myself a cup. "With the snow and everything, it looks like it's gonna be the perfect day to be outside." "Give me like five minutes; I want to go with." I just nodded as I took a sip of my coffee. We only ran a short distance considering most of the side walks were yet to be cleared off. As we walked up to the Burke's front door, Lexie spoke up. "Nice hickey necklace." She barely finished her sentence before I tackled her into a huge and fluffy snow drift. I made my way into the kitchen for another cup of coffee to warm me up. Mr. Burke was getting ready to go to work and his wife was packing him a lunch. It was almost too domestically happy to stomach, but you could tell they cared deeply for each other. "Where's Lexie?" asked Mrs. Burke. "She was right behind me," I said just as she huffed into the room covered in snow. "What happened to you?" her mother asked. "She slipped on the front porch," I interjected quickly. Lexie just gave me the finger and flicked some snow at me. Everyone just chuckled. I refilled my cup and ran upstairs to see if Dylan was up. He was still in bed and was curled into a tight little ball with only the top of his head poking out. I left my cup of coffee on the bed side table for him to have when he got up. I went into the bathroom attached to his bedroom and hopped into a hot shower. Twenty minutes later, I was warm and scrubbed clean. I wrapped myself in a towel and went into Dylan's room to get something to wear. He was gone and so was the rest of my coffee. That bastard! I threw on a pair of jeans and grabbed a tight sweater with a high neck. No need for more unwanted hickey comments. Downstairs, the kitchen was full of life. Everyone had gotten up and was crowded into the space, making the large kitchen seem small and cozy. The three youngest were at a small breakfast nook, while the three older Burke children sat at the center island. "Do you want anything for breakfast, sweetie?" Mrs. Burke asked. "Oh, no thank you. I usually just have coffee or tea," I replied. "Plus after watching Dylan wolf down his daily bowl of cavities in the making, I usually lose my appetite." He just stuck his tongue out at me. It was covered in bits of half chewed breakfast. "Attractive," I said sarcastically. His mother smacked him in the back of the head. "Eat like a human being," she admonished. "We raised you better than that." After he was done eating, Dylan told me that we were heading out after he got cleaned up and packed some stuff he wanted back in the apartment. We were on the road in twenty minutes. The trip back was as quiet and uneventful as the trip there. Natalie stumbled out of my room as we unlocked the door. She looked hung over but hot in nothing but panties and another of my t-shirts. "I need aspirin now," she demanded. Not even a good morning. She must have had one hell of a night. "Drink a little too much last night, Princess?" I patronized her. "It's not for my head dumbass," she retorted. "It's for my vagina; I got drilled by tall, dark, and handsome last night. By the way, remember when I dared you to strip at Fat Al's, but you said you would only do it if I went first?" I nodded, not liking where this was going. "I dance tonight and you are on tomorrow night." "WHAT?" I squeaked out. "You actually signed me up?" Natalie perked up quite a bit at hearing the panic and terror in my voice. "Yep," she said, smiling. "I'm under the name Natasha Nasty, and you are going by Jakob Daniels." "Some days I really hate you," was all I could say. We had been joking about us stripping for a long time now, and had made the agreement a year or two ago. I guess I never really thought that she would have the guts to do it. I was nervous about the prospect, but she had to go first. "So," she continued. "I need you to help me pick out a costume and it would be nice if you helped me with moves and music too, considering that's your area." After lunch, all three of us went to the CD rack and went through everything in the apartment. We chose Christina Aguilera's "Dirty." A little cliché, but it has a good beat. I also decided that Natalie would dress like Christina in her video. Everyone loves a dirty, sweaty school girl, no? I already knew that I was dancing to NIN's "Closer." It was dark and dirty and sexy as hell. Come to think of it, I was more excited than nervous. We didn't do much for the rest of the day, other than me showing Natalie a few sexy looking dance moves. Dinner was just leftovers, and Natalie refused to eat, saying it would weigh her down and make her bloat. She didn't go on until 10:20 pm, but she left a few hours early to get ready and stretch out. Dylan and I took the extra time to get ready and look decent. We were treating this as just a night out. I could barely even comprehend that I was about to spend the night shoving ones in my best friends thong, let alone grasp the fact that she would be doing the same to me the very next night. The bouncer at the door let us in without IDing us, after I told him Natasha Nasty's real name and introduced myself as Jakob Daniels. That was only slightly embarrassing. We picked a table front and center and ordered our drinks. Dylan got a beer, but when I go out I tend to drink like a fifty year old man, so I ordered a dry gin martini straight up with an olive and a lime slice. Sometimes it pays to know what you want, especially when it's higher priced and strong. A few minutes after getting our drinks, I heard Natalie's start. Within a few seconds she came strutting on stage in the tallest heels I think I have ever seen. She was absolutely amazingly hot. I don't think I have ever been more attracted to a woman. Every other male, and a few females might I add, seemed to think the same thing. The things that woman did on the pole could make a whore blush. Then, as quick as she was on, she was off the stage. It took her a few minutes to get changed back into regular clothes, then she met us at the bar. She ordered us a round of shots then told us she made $387. I was stunned, and made a mental note to try and beat her tomorrow night. She also told me that she had a surprise waiting for me when we got home. I didn't think that I could handle another one of her famous surprises. We didn't stay much longer because we were all tired and a little tipsy. Plus, I had to prepare for my show tomorrow, and I would be damned if I didn't beat Natalie. After we got home, Natalie told us to go change into our most comfortable clothing and then meet her in the living room. I was more than a little curious of what the surprise was. I ended up in just a shirt and boxer briefs. When I came back into the living room I was shocked to see a shit ton of weed, rolling papers, and a mini bong. It had been over a year since I had smoked pot. Needless to say, I was excited. Apparently, Natalie had already told Dylan about the little impromptu stoner party because he was already packing the bong. "Happy Stripping Day!" shouted Natalie. I just gave her a look that said, I love you. "Start rolling. You always did a better job than me." With that, she left to go change into some more appropriate clothing. It had been a while, but I did manage to produce several decent joints. We all sat around the coffee table, clad only in shirts and underwear, and just looked at each other in anticipation. "Awe, Hell," I started. "I'll spark the fuckin party." I grabbed the lighter and the bong and let it rip. I took one of the biggest hits of my life. We passed that around twice each and just waited that few seconds for the high to hit. And boy did it hit. It was like zero to stoned in point two seconds. Some one started the giggles, I can't even remember who, and we just laughed for nearly twenty minutes. We calmed down enough to pack another few bowls and spark a few joints. The room was dark and we had some soft music playing. It was all hazy and hot. I ended up taking my shirt off and laying down, enjoying the slow spin of the room. Soon Dylan and Natalie followed suit and removed their shirts. For the next hour we did nothing but listen to music and enjoy the high. The joints were running low, so we packed another bong and ripped away. Soon all that was left were three joints. We started one at a time and passed them as shotguns as well. I had forgotten how sensual the shotgun was. I could barely control myself with the sensation of the weed and Dylan's soft lips against mine, him breathing his hot breath into me. Soon it was four in the morning and we had been smoking for about five hours. Natalie was asleep on the couch. Dylan was sitting in the floor with his back against the couch and I was laying with my head in his lap. With one had I was holding Natalie's hand and with the other I was stroking the soft hairs on Dylan's leg. Touch sensations are so much more intense when you are stoned. "You got the light?" Dylan asked, speaking through the last joint, which was dangling from his lips. I just held up the lighter and lit it. He took my wrist and moved it to where he could light from it. I felt him take a few long drags then his hand appeared in front of my face. I inhaled while he held it for me. We did that until it was just a tiny roach. He took the last good drag and held it. After he ashed it into a can we were using, he wrapped his had around my neck and lifted me while he bent his head down. Our lips met in the final shotgun of the night, only our lips stayed together for a bit longer. God, he was a good kisser. "Are you good to carry Natalie to bed?" I asked after getting up. I started putting out the candles. Couldn't have the apartment burning down around us, now could we? He picked her up and carried her into my bedroom. Soon she was sprawled out in the center of my bed. She made a small, irritated noise. "Natalie, are you good?" I asked. She shook her head no, while pulling on her undies. "Panties on or off?" She whispered off. It's not like we haven't slept together before, and I was sure as hell sleeping naked. At this point, my cotton sheets felt like the best silk in all of China. I tugged her panties off and threw them on the floor. I shucked mine and cuddled next to her under the sheets. Dylan began to walk out. "You know you are more than welcome to sleep with us," I reminded him. "Aren't you going to have sex when she wakes in the morning?" he asked. I couldn't help but notice that he sounded a little disappointed. "I'm way too fucked up for sex right now," I answered. His face lit up and he took a step closer. "But if you do want to sleep with us, you are a little over dressed." Within seconds he was naked and in bed on the other side of Natalie. Before drifting off to sleep, I thought that this was more perfect than anything. I was cuddling with the two people closest to my heart. After only a few hours of sleep, I felt Natalie stir. She noticed that I was awake too. "I am in desperate need of munchies and a cigarette," she whispered before kissing me and Dylan on the cheek. I closed the space between me and my other room mate and slipped into the deepest slumber of my life. That's how I came to wake the next morning, snuggled up to Dylan, closer than two puzzle pieces and naked as the day we were born. I was the first to wake at a little before noon, but as soon as I stirred, Dylan woke too. "Did Natalie fall asleep with us?" he asked. I was betting he was pretending to forget last night. His hair was all tousled and sexy as hell. I could barely be upset. "I usually don't sleep that well with anybody but you," he continued. I was blown away by his revelation. "She got up a few hours ago and never came back to bed," I answered. After wrapping a sheet around my waist, I stood up and walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth. They were nasty and were sporting some pretty thick plaque sweaters. "The first night I sleep naked with you and I don't even get a good morning kiss?" joked Dylan from the next room. "I feel so used." "Fuck you, princess," I yelled back. "I wouldn't kiss anybody before I brush my teeth. I was raised in a civilized fashion." I said that last bit with my thickest Southern accent. I walked back into my bedroom to grab some underwear and a shirt. Dylan was still sitting on the side of the bed trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. I went over to him and kissed him on the forehead. "Happy?" I teased and walked out before he even answered. I found Natalie, wrapped in nothing but a towel, sitting by an open window smoking a cigarette. I nodded at her and went to go fill a coffee cup. Natalie was one of those people I could just sit with and be happy. We had great conversations and always had things to talk about, but sometimes we just enjoyed the silent company. While we were sitting being silent, Dylan must have showered because he came out of the bathroom clean and with damp hair. He looked like he was going to the gym too. "I'm going to be gone for a few hours," he began. "I haven't skated in a while, so I'm going to after I work out." He walked over to us and gave Natalie a peck on the cheek. It looked like he was going to walk by me but instead, he grabbed the front of my shirt and kissed me hard on the mouth, forcing it open. It was no more than five seconds, but DAMN! "Now that's a good morning kiss." I barely heard the door close before I grabbed the pack between Natalie's feet and lit up. My god, I had forgotten why I didn't smoke. Cigarettes taste awful. After we finished a smoke or two, I went down to the studio to work on some sexy moves for tonight. Before I knew it, it was time to get ready to go to the bar. Back stage it was a flurry of activity. There were about ten guys ranging from slim to body builder. I was way to fucking nervous to check anybody out though. Five guys were in line before me. I didn't even have a chance to look out in the bar area and make sure Natalie and Dylan were in the audience. I still wasn't sure I wanted Dylan to be there, but he insisted on coming. All of a sudden it seemed, I was up next. I don't think I have ever been as nervous for any dance performance. Of course, this would be the first time I would be taking my clothes off. The song ended and I was up. I heard the announcer in the DJ booth. "Next up, we have a first timer. Give a warm welcome to Jakob Daniels!" The crowd cheered and I heard my music start. Pushing all doubts out of my head, I flung the curtain back and strutted out to the center of the stage. The room was dark, the only lights being deep reds and purples. Thankfully it was dark enough that I could only see the front row. Unfortunately, Natalie and Dylan were sitting front and center. I didn't so much dance as writhe and body roll. Apparently I was doing alright because the money kept raining down. Soon, I was in nothing but my black thong. People kept trying to tug it down, but if you playfully slapped their hands away, they tended to shell out even more money. After a certain point it became less about stripping and more about flirting. Natalie put a ten in her cleavage. I lowered myself into the splits in front of her and took out the money with my mouth. That brought on even more cat calls. All the dancers were told before the show that the front two rows were priority seating and we were allowed to get on the floor and dance on the customers. There looked like some wealthy people, so I slinked off the stage and went over to an older guy. He looked to be about in his fifties. It just seemed a little creepy that I was about to give a mini lap dance to a man who was old enough to be my father. I straddled his lap and ground myself a little. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred dollar bill. I dropped my hips and sat myself firmly in his lap to finish off my last hip rotation. He pulled the back of my thong and stuck the hundred in it. As I got up to shimmy over to another person he gave my ass a slight slap. I didn't know whether to be a little grossed out or flattered. I noticed that my song was ending soon, so I sashayed my ass over to Dylan and climbed into his lap. It startled him and made me laugh a little. I rubbed my sweaty body all over his chest as the song ended. When I turned to walk backstage he grabbed my hand and shoved a twenty in the front of my undies. He was barely an inch from grabbing a handful of my dick. In the back I counted my cash. I ended up making $492. I was shocked. The manager told me I was thirteen dollars away from breaking the record. Dylan and Natalie were waiting by the bar for me. They had already ordered a round of tequila for us. I didn't even say hello before I slammed mine down. I felt someone tap me on the shoulder and turned to find the older man who I danced on. "I'm Robert Simmons. I own Bacchanalian and Dionysus and I was wondering if you would like a job at either club." He handed me a card and grazed my fingers with his. I decided to be creeped out. I started to speak but Dylan beat me to it. "No thanks, sir," he said. "I get a little jealous when he dances too much." He grabbed my hand and led us to the exit. He didn't let go of it once we got outside either. "He was icky," Natalie said "He slipped me a hundred when I gave him that mini lap dance." Dylan just squeezed my hand a little tighter and said, "Lets go home." "I'm not ready to go yet guys," Natalie told us. "I'm going to go to a few more bars and if everything goes right, I might not even make it home tonight. Watching you strip made me kinda horny." "Well," I replied. "I'm tired and sore so I'm going to go home and shower and hit the sack." "Me too," agreed Dylan. "I still think I'm kind of hung over from last night. If you want, Natalie, you can bring someone home and use my bed. Technically it was your room first." Neither of us said anything, but both Natalie and I noticed that he assumed he would be sleeping in my bed tonight. Once we got back to the apartment, I immediately went to the shower. The hot water only eased a few of my muscle aches. I finished drying off, wrapped a towel around my waist and went to go put pajamas on. When I walked into my room, I was surprised. There were about a dozen candles lit and an old blanket stretched across the bed. Dylan was sitting on the corner. "You said you were sore, so I figured I'd give you a massage before we went to sleep," he said rather shyly. "I even took a Muscle Relaxation and Massage course for my major, so it will be good practice." I didn't even say anything. I just walked over to the bed and flopped down on my stomach. Dylan straddled my ass and poured some warm oil on my back. Before he started though, I felt movement and then saw a shirt fall to the floor. I was about to make a comment, but at that moment he started to rub my back. I melted into a puddle of goo. I barely had the brain capacity to moan. For the next thirty minutes I was in heaven. I was half asleep when he got finished. There was no possible way that I could get up and put on pajamas. I really don't think Dylan cared either. He just rolled me up in the blanket and held me until I fell asleep.