I'm a Stripper At An All Boys Boarding School? How Do I Keep This A Secret?

Time moves quickly.

"Let's take ten everybody." Robbie adjusted the Bluetooth device on his ear and crossed his arms, leaving the folding chair he had placed at the edge of the stage.

The other dancers stood, leaving their chairs behind on stage, and headed into the empty seats that made up out audience, but I remained in a dipped position, my neck fully extended, letting the tips of my ponytail graze the floor. My left leg rested on the chair, while my right bended perfectly around Tanner's waist, giving the audience-well, when we performed it, anyway, it would give the audience-a view of my thigh, leaving up to my butt, to where Tanner's hand rested securely on my waist.

"Uh Tanner? Ten minute break." I repeated to him as the other dancers left the stage, and we stayed frozen in our end position.

"Oh sorry." He kept his arm on waist, using the other arm to pull me into a standing position-but still pressed against his chest. "I keep getting lost in your eyes . . ." His hand lightly brushed my cheek, starting at the edge of my eyebrow and ending right below my bottom lip.

I rolled my eyes at him, deciding whether or not to hide my smile but I let it come anyway, walking out of his arms and towards the bottle of water that was waiting for me.

"Now that," Tanner replied, following me. I could practically see the expression on his face with my back to him-slightly smiling, one eyebrow raised, looking cocky as I turned him down. " Is what I don't understand about you."

I walked right past Robbie's chair and hopped off the stage, my sneakers lightly landing on the hard floor. I could hear Tanner's feet bang loudly as I headed towards my things. I retrieved the water bottle from my bag and gulped it down, realizing I was thirstier then expected.

"What is that exactly?" I asked when my throat was done guzzling water. Tanner opened a granola bar and took a bite before answering.

"Why is it that you can't see how perfect we are for each other?" He said finally.

"You mean, why is it do you keep rejecting me?" The other dancers sat in seats, talking quietly in groups. I picked up my bag and moved closer to the stage. Tanner followed.

"Really, it makes perfect sense for us to be together. We're so alike! Both of us, for example, are extravagantly gorgeous. We would have beautiful children." I sat down on the edge of the stage and fished my phone out of my bag.

"We also share the same career. It's so tiring to date people who don't understand what we do every night, isn't it? I mean, who better to understand you then the people who you spend time with the most? Considering were here every day for rehearsal, we must understand each other more then that boyfriend of yours." His voice got slow and meaningful at the end, as if he was reciting Shakespeare. "That's who your waiting for, right? Your boyfriend? He hasn't texted or called you yet?"

I looked up from my phone-the screen of which, read 'No new messages' in think black letters-and looked Tanner straight in the eye.

"I don't have a boyfriend." He smiled.

"Great! Then you'll let me take you out to dinner!" I blinked exasperatedly.

"You know, when Robbie told us we should get to know each other and create on stage sparks, I didn't think he was suggesting you harass me."

"So, what's his name?" Tanner asked, leaning back. I turned to look at him, and after a minute, caved.

"Rayden."

"And something tells me he's not a stripper. . .?"

"Not even close." I mumbled under my breath. Tanner must have heard, because he continued the questions.

"So I'm betting the problem is your career choice."

"The choice," I sat even more forward, folding my hands in my lap. "Is not my career. It is whether or not to pay the rent." Tanner nodded.

"Yeah, I never got very far on washing cars myself. We're even more similar then we thought." He added in last minute, as if still trying to warm me up to the idea. He continued quickly. "And how much longer will you wait for him to swoop in and pay off your bills?" I took a deep breath.

"I'm not waiting." My shoulders caved in and I busied myself with my fingernails. "Its been two weeks since I walked out on him, and I've decided there's no hope. It was never meant to be. He's rich-insanely-and I'm not, and I should have realized a long time ago that the obstacles put in our path were there to make us give up a long time ago. Now, all I have to do is focus on this new routine and soon he'll be off my mind." And out of my thoughts, every single waking second, maybe let me clear my head and go to sleep for once, then even leave my dreams. . . .

"Did you ever think that, maybe this is just another obstacle in the way that you need to conquer? Still on the road, not the breaking point."

"I thought like that for a while." I finished removing the dirt from underneath my fingernails and moved to the next hand. "But he's ready to call it quits, so I finally decided. This is the breaking point." Tanner leaned forward, so he was equal with me again.

"So, you wouldn't want him to, say, show up here?" I almost laughed out loud.

"Please, Rayden thinks I'm a dirty whore for working here. He would never, ever, not in a million years step into this building. Especially to see me."

Tanner stood up.

"Well don't look now. . ." My neck snapped up to see someone closing Fuego's doors behind them and shaking off the rain. "People do crazy things when they're in love."