Give Me A Shot To Remember

I pulled up to Adult Styled Fun and parked the car. I got out and checked the time on my Playboy phone. It read, 2: 15. I sighed and opened my Playboy clutch. I found my Marlboro and my Playboy lighter and started to smoke my cigarette. I am dressed all Playboy today: Playboy clutch, phone (I always have that), shirt, lighter, my Playboy bracelet, and my Miss February.

I am also wearing my jeans, my septum with pink barbells, and pink Converse. I checked the time and it was 2:22. I dropped my cigarette and stepped on it and I pulled out my phone and I sent a text to Sami saying, “You done? Should I go in or what?”

I went back in the car and saw a car pull into the driveway. I didn’t pay attention to who was getting out but I heard two doors close. Guys are pigs.

My phone buzzed.

“Come inside, to the back,” the text read.

I got out of the car and went inside of the two doors. The door closed behind me and I turned right and I saw men, tables, seats, a dance floor, a bar, poles, booths, and, of course, strippers. I saw the backdoor and I went straight for it. I walked inside of the door and some girls were getting ready to go onstage and others to go home or break. I asked a girl where Sami was and she pointed to her station, right next to hers. I waited for Sami.

A whole bunch of girls came through the door and one screamed, but not too loudly. I turned and was tackled.

“Becka, you made it!”

The blonde got off and I hugged her.

“Sami, I missed you,” I said.

She hugged me back. “Same here, kiddo,” she said as we stopped.

She was wearing a short black top or bra; it’s only covered her breasts, some lace leggings, her stripper heels which said TIPS, fake eyelashes, lipstick, eyeliner, her Playboy bellybutton ring, and her short purple shorts that say RUNAWAY LOVE.

“Let me get dressed and we can go eat and then I have to go back to work.” She smiled and grabbed her tote bag which she filled with shoes, makeup, CD’s, and clothes, both for work and not.

When Sami left to change, I sat down at her chair and looked at her mirror. It said Stargirl in pink lipstick with stars around it. She still had her old name from Seattle.

I sighed and remembered my name; Cherry. I wrote it on my mirror with red lipstick.

“Okay. Where shall we go?” asked Sami as she walked towards her station. She was wearing her glasses, purple Juicy pants, a Juicy “Sleep Rules” shirt, her fake eyelashes, lipstick, nail polish; she had her Juicy bag, sandals, and her Playboy bellybutton ring.

“I don’t know, how about Sushi on Fire?”

She smiled as we walked out of the back. “Yeah, I love sushi!”

We went to her car and drove to 301 Main St. Huntington Beach, California 926408.

We parked and walked inside, the place looked pretty bitching. We sat down and the waitress got me a Diet Coke and Sami a Fanta. When she came back with our drinks, I ordered a Cucumber Salad and Sami ordered Spicy Tuna Salad.

“How have you been?” she asked while sipping her fizzy, orange drink

“I’ve been okay. I finally told the guys and everyone about what happened in Seattle.”

Her eyes popped with fascination. “What did they say about you being a stripper and Kyle and Greg?”

I sighed and drank some Diet Coke before answering. “Well, they were upset, crying, disappointed, and shocked. I told Zacky first, then everyone else.”

“Isn’t Zacky the one you slept with?”

“Yes.”

“Do you two still like each other?”

“Not in that way. We’re friends, Sami. I’m staying at his place with Gena, his girlfriend.”

She nodded her head.

I sipped some Coke and the waitress came back and gave us our salad. We both dug in.

“Why don’t you date one of the guys?” asked Sami, after swallowing a piece of her salad.

I rolled my eyes and ate. “They’re my friends and plus they’re all taken. So don’t try something on them.”

She laughed. “Trust me, I won’t!”

The rest of the time we talked about seeing each other more often, when she could meet the guys, if she could set me up on a blind date, if I met someone, her boyfriend named Dean, if I was going back to dancing, what I’ve done since I’ve been back, and just catching up.

The waitress came back and Sami ordered a Spicy Tuna bowl and I ordered eight pieces of the Vegetable Roll. The lady asked what side orders we wanted and I said Steamed
Vegetables and Sami said Steamed Rice. The Asian lady left. She had long, straight, black hair and was very thin. She looked like she was about 32 maybe older.

“Still a Vegetarian, huh?”

I shook my head and said, “Yeah, me and my veggies!”

“How can you do that, not eat meat!”

I laughed. “It’s easy. Plus, it grosses me out that people kill animals for themselves.”

Sami rolled her eyes. “Meat is super good, Becka! I just can’t get enough!”

I stuck my tongue out at her and she did the same.

“So, are the guys omnivores or vegetarians like you?”

“Omnivores, but they make me vegetarian food. Or I do. But they love their meat and have no clue why I don’t. They’re such dumb asses sometimes!”

Sami laughed. “Men and their meat,”

I agreed with her and drank more Coke.

“What are the guys doing?”

“Johnny, Jimmy, and Matt are at Johnny’s playing pool and drinking, while Zacky and Brian said that they’d be doing a little of everything.”

She nodded and played with her napkin which was on her lap.

The food came and we just ate, didn’t even say a word. We just loved the taste and had to savor every little drop.

By the time we were done, we had to go back to Sami’s work. Sami and I split the cost and went back to her job. We arrived and we hugged each other.

“You better come back, you bitch!”

I laughed. “I will, I will.”

We stopped and we walked to the front door. The door opened and Sami said bye as she walked in. I’m guessing someone was leaving and left the door open for her. I turned around and walked back to the car.

“Yo! Man, where are you?” yelled the man behind me, he sounded drunk and like he was changing his voice.

I saw something from the corner of my eye but kept walking. Just then, I got a text message from Jimmy.

“Becka, are you almost done?”

I was just about to reply when someone bumped into me. I stepped back some and the guy started to turn around.

“Oh, sorry-” he began.

He was fully turned and I looked up. My eyes popped open and I bet you could pull out my whole eye just by sticking your hand in there, that’s how wide I had them.

“Becka?!” he screamed.

I just looked at him in shock.

“Bro, where have you been?” asked his friend.

I looked at my side and, I swear, my eyes got bigger. I didn’t know they could open that big.
The man’s smile faded when he saw me face.

“Becka?” he asked.

“What the hell are you guys doing here?!” I finally screamed.

They gave blank looks at each other.

“Brian and Zacky, so help me, if you two are here for what I think you two are here for; I will
kick your asses!” I yelled.

They turned white.

“Why are you here?! You have a wife, Brian. And Zacky, you have a girlfriend!”

Brian hung his head. “Becka, listen. Michelle told me to go to a strip club. She found my porno collection and demanded me to go to one and I couldn’t come home till I did go to one.”

I inhaled deeply. “Okay. I’m gonna ask her and make sure you aren’t lying. If you’re not, then you’re off the hook.” I turned to Zacky. “And you’re here because?”

He sighed. “Gena and I are having issues and I needed to get my demons out.”

“So you go to a strip club? Like I said, you have a girlfriend! She should be getting your demons out of you! Plus, you shouldn’t go to a strip club, that’s cheating Zacky. I know how heartbroken you were when Gena did it to you, but you decide to do it to her? What the hell! You and I both know that’s just wrong.” I was screaming in his face while he held his head in his hand. I looked over to Brian. “Why’d you let him? I know he told you what happened, and you just agree to take him with you because he needs to ‘let his demons out’?”

Brian gave a weak smile and then looked to the floor.

“I’m ashamed of both of you. I used to work in a place like this and it always disgusted me the way men came here to cheat and pay for something like what strippers do! It’s gross and shameful to woman!” I yelled. I was so angry.

I looked at both of them. They both weren’t looking at me, they were ashamed. Well, more like ‘Damn! We were caught!’ I’m shocked.

“Becka-”

I turned around and cut him off with my hand. “Zacky, I know. You’re sorry and you don’t want me to tell Gena and just keep it between us.” I sighed.

He smiled, flashing some bits of his teeth. “Please. I promise I won’t do it again. Just, please!”

I looked almost shocked at him; well I hope I looked like that.

“Becka, you don’t know how I’m feeling right now! It’s not all happy, I don’t feel like I used to about Gena! I can’t do it with her anymore! I just can’t! She did things to me and I forgave her, now that they were brought back from the grave, I just can’t get it out of my head when I see her. All I see is a skank whore that cheated on me! I don’t want to call her that but that’s how I feel! I thought I was okay with her, but I guess I’m still pissed at her.”

I do not know what to do! Gena is my friend and it’s right to tell her, but I have an older friend that’s spilling his guts out to me and asking for my forgiveness, to understand what he’s going through, and to help him. I’m torn between two friends!

He gave the sweetest smile and just stared at me with those eyes; eyes full of hope and
help.

I sighed. “I won’t tell her…”

He jumped with joy, like a five year old who woke up on Christmas day to find lots of presents under the tree! “Thank you! Thank you!” He squeezed me and lifted me up from the ground while kissing my cheeks.

I laughed. “Someone is a happy camper!”

“You have no idea!”

Zacky put me down but continued to hug me. Brian joined in and we just hugged for about two minutes straight.

“Let’s head home,” Zacky put his arm around me while we all pulled apart from each other.
“I’m going home, to my wife! Yes! Woo!” screamed Brian.

I hugged him and he went to his car. He drove to his house and Zacky and I went to his “baby”.

Zacky still had his arm around me and opened the door for me and closed it too! He must be pretty grateful!

I laughed to myself.

Zacky started to drive from the parking lot. “Remember when we started to date and then you wrote that song for me?”

He turned to the street before looking at me. “Yeah, I remember. The guys still don’t know who I wrote it for!” he chuckled.

“I love the song, Zack. I still remember how long it took you to revise it and make it ‘perfect’.” I chuckled at Zacky, such a dork!

He smiled. “I started to write it before we started the band and yet, I showed it to the guys while we were making Diamonds In The Rough. Girl I Know was for you Beck and still is.”

I flushed. I felt like I did when we started to date and he would kiss me. I smiled at him. “Thanks again. I love the song, Zacky.”