Something To Hold On To

"You look like shit!" Brandie exclaimed as I enteredthe club through the back entrance.

"Gee, thanks." I commented as I set my bags down at an empty spot in front of the long mirror.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just exhausted. I didn't really sleep today."

"Oh. Are you getting sick or something?"

"No! I'm not. I just had a lot on my mind...too much to sleep."

"Tell me about it! Owen and I are trying to find a house. You know...get out of the apartment. Anyways, we can't agree on anything." She continued telling me about her real estate troubles and the fights with hr husband as I went to work on my makeup. I had been too lazy to do it at home so now I was rushed to get it done here.

"So...what do you think?" Brandie asked me with bright, expectant eyes. I had no idea what she was talking about. I had completely tuned her out.

"About what?"

"My brother! I'm hooking you up with him." How had the conversation gone from house hunting to matchmaker Brandie hitching me to her brother?

"Oh. Brandie, no! I'm good. I.."

"You're single. A gorgeous young girl like you should never be single." She told me as she put more lipstick on her red pout. "My brother, Brad, is a really sweet guy, Lexie. You'll like him!" She insisted.

"Does he like kids?" I said in an effort to remind her that I am not like every other single girl in Washington.

"Yes! He loves kids."

"I'm sure he's a great guy, Brandie...but I'm not interested." I told her as I went to work on my impossible hair.
"Lex...you're 21 years old. You deserve to have some excitement in your life." I couldn't help but grin as she said this because instantly that kiss was back in my mind. The kiss that left me in my kitchen stairing after Mike as I tried to breathe. "What?" She asked and then gasped dramatically. "You met a guy!!! Oh. My. GOD!" She exclaimed, dragging each word out as she grabbed my hand and pulled me to a couch.

"Brandie I have to get ready for.."

"Work can wait! I want all the details." I laughed at her excitement. She was a 32 year old woman who not only acted like she was 20, but thought she was 20 years old. She loved gossip, but mostly she loved gossiping about men and sex. She is absolutely man crazy. I know so because it is all she talks about. Her life revolves around men, and she has been married six time. "And by all the details i do mean all of them. I want all of the dirty, nasty stuff too." She said with a grin.

"There's not much to tell!"

"Oh yah right!" She argued. "I know that look. You're crazy about.."

"I've gone out with him once. Don't start ith me!"

"Where did you meet him?"

"In the hallway outside mt apartment." I told her with a laugh. "He's my neighbour."

"Your neighbour? That's hot...do you ever go over there to borrow a cup of milk and then end up going on it on the kitchen table?" I laughed out loud.

"No! We've gone out once. That's it. ONCE!" I stressed, hoping she would get the point.

"And you haven't hopped in the sack yet? What's wrong with this guy?"

"Nothing is wrong with him! I'm not going to have sex with him until i know something about him." I told her.

"Lex! Sweetheart! Has no one ever told you that you need to test drive before you buy? Why waste hours and hours of your life getting to know this guy if there's a possibility that he's a total downer in bed? You'll never get that time back."

"Are you listening to yourself? He's not a car, Brandie."

"Guys are exactly like cars. You've got the reliable ones that never let you down. The piece of crap ones that you know are going to let you down, but you keep around anyways because for some god forsaken reason you love it. And then we have the gorgeous, flashy ones that you want everyone to see you with but they turn into a pain in the ass because they require a lot of effort." I laughed and shook my head.

"That's exactly why you've been married six times."

"I know!" She exclaimed, happy that I understood. "I get stuck with the duds!"

"No. It's because you compare men to cars." The door flew open and Sierra came in.

"Lex! My shift is over. You ned to get out there so I can get the hell out of here."

"Okay. Give me five minutes and i'll be ready."
- - -
As three am hit I was literally falling asleep on my feet. I had the worst head ache I have ever had, and the pounding music was just making it worse. I arrived at one of my tables with a tray full of drinks and set them in front of their respectve owners.

"There we go boys!" I said with my best fake grin. "Enjoy! I'll be back to check on you real soon." I winked at them as I began to walk away. I didn't get too far when I was pulled onto the lap of one of the guys at the table. I smiled at him again even though I wanted punch him in the face and tried to stand up, but he had a tight hold on my hips.

"Where are you going baby?"

"You know the rules sweetheart. No touching." I told him as I tried to push his hands from my body.

"Well it's pretty hard to believe that you don't want me to touch you when you've been hitting on me all night." He whispered into my ear, sending disgusting shivers through my body. I could smell the acohol on his breath and I began to panic. That's exactly what i was doing. I was hitting on this disgusting, revolting perv of an old man. Riiiight.

"I wasn't hitting on you. I was being friendly." I grinned at him and pried myself from his grubby fingers.

"Friendly, huh? I'll show you friendly." He muttered as he pulled me back onto his lap.

"Let go of me." I demanded as i glanced around the crowded club, hoping to catch the eye of one of the bouncers.

"Don't be such a prude! You work at a strip club. Why don't you hop that sexy little ass up on this table and do your job?" He told me as he slapped my ass. "Entertain us" My mouth dropped as I was at a complete loss for words. I have never had anything like this happen to me and I reacted without thinking. I raised my hand and smacked that dirtbag as hard as I could right across the face. I could see the red handprint forming on his cheek and I quickly tried to get out of there.

"You little bitch." he shouted as he grabbed a hold of my arms tightly. "You shouldn't have done that." He said sadistically as his fingers dug into my flesh. He was leaving bruises, I could feel it. As his eyes stared down into mine I could see just how angry he was ad it scared me.

"Let go of me!" I demanded again. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut short when Will, one of the bouncers, grabbed him by the neck of his shirt.

"Let's go douche bag." He told him as he began shoving him towards the door. I hurried into the back and sat down with my head in my hands as the tears began pouring down my cheeks. I don't know why I was getting so emotional about this! If i cried every time some gut grabbed me or asked for a lap dance I would never be able to compose myself to get out there. I wiped at the tears on my cheeks as Will came into the room. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Yah. I'm good."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No." I told him. "I'm alright!" I then noticed that his knuckles on his right hand were bleeding. "Oh my god! Will!" I exclaimed as I reached for his hand. "Come here!" I pulle him to the sink and began cleaning up his busted hand. "You didn't have to punch him, you know." I said as I smiled up at him.

"I know. It felt good though." He grinned back at me and then the door flew open so hard that a hole was left in the wall where the door knob hit it.

"Jesus Misty!" I shouted, startled.

"Will...get back out there." She demanded. He raised his eyebrows at me, knowing that I was about to get in shit for something, and then he left.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"No. That man that you slapped is Joe Clarke!" I shrugged. Was I supposed to know that? "He has been a customer here since we opened! He is in here just about every night."

"Misty, he.."

"You've been off all night. Go home." She said as she turned for the door again."

"What?!"

"Go home!"

"Misty I need to work! I need to." I pleaded. "I'm sorry that I hit him, I won't let my emotions get the best of me anymore. Just...please don't send me home!"

She sighed as she looked at my tearstained, pleading face. "Fine. Take a ten minute break and pull yourself together. You're a mess." She headed for the door and turned to face me before she left. "Lexie...one more stunt like that and you're gone"