Will You Catch Me If I Fall?

Traces POV

“Fuck sake Mason….I thought you knew this part of town!”

“Shut the fuck up Trace…I do…”

I sighed and leaned against a wall, sticking my thumbs into the back pocket of my tight fitting skinnies. I watched half amused, half frustrated as Mason, with a confused frown looked up and down the road, at the road signs and finally back at me.

‘Help Me’ was written all over that face and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Simara walked up to Mason. Wrapping her long tanned arm around his waist, snuggling closer to his side “Lets just find somewhere to party babe” she whispered, nuzzling into his neck.

Mason flushed slightly and gripping Sims hand in his agreed with her

“Yeah, Simara is right dudes…lets just find somewhere and go with it…”

Anthony shrugged from the pavement, a cigarette flaming in his mouth. He took a drag and blew the smoke out of his nostrils carefully “Yeah…we can just call a cab later and find our way home somehow.”

I grinned “Okay…lets go…now…how do we find somewhere to actually go to?”

I shared a glance at Ant and Mason, all of us wearing confused expressions…the choice was hard when you didn’t have select venues to choose from.

Simara sighed….”Guys…turn around…we can just go here.”

I looked up at the building I had been leaning against and for the first time noticed how all of us were bathed in a pink glow from the huge neon structure above me of a flamingo.

“The Pink Flamingo…”I murmured…and then shrugged “Okay why not…”

We got in okay, thankfully not been asked for ID. That would have been awkward…I wasn’t twenty one until February…neither was Mason.

We walked in and reached the bar. I swung my long leg around a stool and propped myself up onto the bar. I was in the mood to have fun. Scratch that. I was in the mood to get completely wasted.

I signalled to the bartender and she nodded, smiling at me with a shiny row of straight, perfect teeth. I smiled back at her but dropped my eyes. She passed me a beer and I quickly handed the dollars, sneaking a quick glance at her. She was very pretty, with brown curls falling to her shoulder, matching brown eyes and a small gathering of freckles scattered over her nose.

Should I ask for her number? She had smiled at me…but she was at work, she was suppose to be friendly.

I looked at her again and noticed what she was wearing. Small black shorts, which rounded out her ass and a very tight pink top that pushed her chest up and into your face. I felt myself go red and tried to look away…but I was a man…I couldn’t help but stare.

Why was she wearing this? To work? It didn’t make sense…until I turned around.

The others hadn’t joined me at the bar, they were still standing like idiots in the entrance to the large room, their mouths open, Simara’s eyes wide in shock…

I looked around the room….Jesus Christ!

The room seemed to be separated into several large booths, circle with expensive black leather armchairs. There were several men at one, their faces hidden but I could see the back of their bald, overly large heads. Their cigar smoke rose in puffy clouds above them, but they didn’t obscure the shape in front of them…the shape which the men were watching with slimy smirks and sweaty faces.

Each group of armchairs and couches seemed to be circling small, silver stages…round like the circle in which they were in with spotlights on the edge of the surface and a think silver pole in the middle.

We had landed ourselves right into a fucking lap dance club. I couldn’t help but snort at the absurdity of it all and the sensible part of my brain screamed at me to “Get out! Think of the bands image”. The other part screamed a little louder “Fuck it! You only live once”

I looked at the guys who were grinning now and we rose our hands. We were her…and may as well enjoy ourselves.

“Hey Simara…that stage is empty over there…why don’t you give it a go” I couldn’t help but jibe

I grunted as her bony elbow caught me right in my sonar plexes.

I sat down, wrapping my hand around my still cold beer and sighed. I had never been in a lap dance club before and had been curious. I suppose it was something to be ticked off on my list of “100 things to do before I die”.

I allowed myself to focus on the figure at the back of the club. She was becoming clearer as the clouds of smoke dimmed slightly. I straightened on my stool…that lanky, thin frame looked familiar. That long carrot red hair looked very familiar.

I completely froze in shock as I realised the girl grinding on that stage was Addison…My Addison!

What was she doing!

I watched her, her long legs encased in fishnet tights, her feet in six inch golden stilettos. The heel of those things could kill a man with one kick.

Her thin body was trapped in some kind of red corset. It was tight and I was surprised she could breathe. But it pushed her small breasts up and out and at which I could spot with a flare of anger the men were gawking at.

I wanted to rip her body off that stage and shield her exposed body with my own. I wanted to scream at her for being so stupid…at how she was letting men think of her. Up there, she looked like all those stupid, brainless sluts you knew shook their ass for the attention.

But maybe that’s what she is Trace?

I shushed the evil voice in my mind.

I squirmed slightly in my seat, uncomfortable with knowing though I was mad, I was incredibly turned on. Her body wrapped around the pole, her legs gripping it as I so often wished she had gripped me. My desire rose and I fought it. I wanted her. I wanted her so much. If it wasn’t for my sense of decency, I’d take her right there on that stage and make her scream my name with ecstasy.

I stayed where I was, watching her degrade herself, mulling over the millions of thoughts screaming in my mind. I ignored the others…Mason and Sim, lost in their own loved up world. All they ever saw was each other…it was getting unbearable. I knew I was just jealous…how I longed for that kind of companionship myself…how I was completely alone…

My eyes strayed to Addison again as the music stopped and she stepped behind a curtain, finally shielding her body from view at last. Another girl stepped out now, with a roar of approval from the sleazy, rich guys. This girl was even worse, dresses in a shoelace of a thong and black nipple tassels.

I turned away in disgust, unable to look anymore. If it wasn’t Addison, I wasn’t interested.

I sipped my beer, the desire to get trashed evaporated completely. With one eye, I watched the door by the far wall labelled “Staff Only”

My waiting was triumphant. Only minutes later, her tall willowy frame waltzed out, not even shaking slightly on the stilts of shoes she was wearing. I was rather glad to see she had changed into low rise jeans and a tank top…

She tapped the bar counter top, and then sticking her tongue out at the pretty bar maid I had been checking out earlier and not seeing me at all, reached over the bar and her hand instantly found the vodka bottle.

She grinned wickedly, raising her eyebrows at the other girl and tilting the bottle upwards to her pale lips so the strong liquor ran down her throat.

Her eyes passed over the bar. To Mason, Simara, Ant and finally me. Into my eyes as I was staring at her intently.

She choked slightly, pulling the bottle away and gasped, drops of the spirit littering her chin.

“Fuck me Trace! What are you doing here?”

I shrugged “I wandered in…thought it was…a…normal bar…”

Her mouth twisted slightly but she kept staring at me, finally breaking the gaze at sitting down beside me. She raised her arms, a half grin on her face “Welcome to the Pink Flamingo Trace Cyrus”

I kept staring at her “I saw your little show as well”

She pursed her lips “So?”

“Why are you doing this Addison? Don’t you realise how you are letting people think of you?”

She didn’t look at me but past my shoulder where Mason, Simara and Ant were staring, having overheard our conversation and probably wondering how on earth I knew the dancer.

I sighed, running my hand through my hair “Addison…Mason, Simara and Ant”

She nodded her head towards them but didn’t smile, her mouth was still tight, refusing to talk to me.

They all looked at me curiously but I wasn’t in the mood to answer questions.

I turned my back to them, facing Addison “Well…aren’t you going to answer me.”

She looked at my friends once more and turned away, grabbing the coat she had draped over another stool “I’ll see you later Veronica” she waved at the barmaid and walked out.

I wasn’t letting her get away this time and chased after her. We reached the street, the cool city air hitting my face immediately.

I grabbed her arm, swinging her around “Addison, I’m serious”

She glared at me, whipping her arm away from my grasp “No I’m serious Trace…you have no right to come barging into my life and telling me what I should and shouldn’t do…do you seriously think I give a fuck about your opinion?”

I gaped at her for a moment “You’re worth so much more than that! You can do so much better than grind against a pole and show a bit of flesh…it’s dangerous Addison…who knows what it will lead to…”

“If you’re trying to warn me against danger Trace, it’s a lost cause. I’m the fucking meaning of danger”

I looked at her, trying to figure out the double meaning behind her words. I knew there was a desperate plea for help behind those hard green eyes.

She turned to walk away when I didn’t say anything but again, I grabbed her wrist

“Just tell me you’ll think about giving it up Addison…Promise me you’ll think about it”

I lowered my hand, and wrapped it around her own, intertwining our fingers…”Please”

She stared at me and I saw those green eyes soften

“Okay” she whispered “I’ll think about it”

I smiled slowly, our hands still joined and she reached up to brush away the strands of hair that had fallen in front of my eyes. Her other hand cupped my face and those soft, seductive lips were placed upon my cheek as she kissed me gently.

“I’ll see you around Trace”

She let go of my hand and I didn’t move as it dropped to my side, her form disappearing from view between the street lights.