In Love With a Stripper

(Jynx’s POV)

So it was settled. We would be living with Gerard and everyone was happy about it, well almost everyone. I was a little weary of it, I mean too many things could go wrong. What would happen if Gerard and I broke up, or if he just gets tired of me?

“Jynx I’ll come pick you up after you get off okay?” Gerard said pulling up to the club. I gave a slight nod and Robbi got out of the car. “You do know you don’t have to…”

“I have to earn a living some way,” I said reaching for the door handle. He took my other hand and pulled me toward him. His other hand cupped the side of my face.

“I mean it, you can work at a Wal-Mart if you want to.” I smiled.

“Nothing against Wal-Mart, but no.” I brushed my lips across his and got out of the car. A cold chill ran up my spine as I walked toward the club. It felt like someone was watching me, I could just be being paranoid, but something told me that I wasn’t. I hurried into the club and as soon as I got there Ruby threw her arms around me.

“I’m so happy you girls are back. I thought I was going to have to find two new girls to fill in.”

“We wouldn’t leave you hanging like that Ruby,” Robbi said. I just smiled not wanting to tell her that the first chance I got I was quitting this job.

“Well you both are going to be dancing for a private party up in the blue room.”

“Together? They must be loaded.” Robbi said. I smiled. That’s one way of putting it. For a private dance with one of us it was a pretty penny, but for both of us it was a fortune.

“Go change and then get up there.” I just nodded and we both went back. We decided to go with semi-matching costumes. She was a naughty angel, and I was the Devil. I had a tail and small pitchfork and she had a halo and wings to go with hers. I even had horns. We made our way to the blue room. It was the biggest of the private rooms. It had two huge navy blue leather couches that faced each other. It had two polls in between for us to dance on. It even had it’s own sound system built in and most times the client was the one to pick the music for us to dance to.

As we made our way between to the middle of the couch I began to recognize the clients. They were my chem. I mean it was Frank, Mikey, Ray and Bob. I froze. I couldn't dance for my boyfriends friends. That's just disrespectful.

"Frank what the hell are you guys doing? Paying for a private show from me, you know I can't dance for you. I'm dating one of your best friends. that's just disrespectful to me and Gerard." I said.

"Hey it was Gerard's idea?" my mouth fell open.

"He just said oh yeah I think you should see my girlfriend half naked too?" Mikey laughed. "And you Michael Way should be ashamed. Does your wife know you are here?" his face dropped.

"Hey you leave Alicia out of this,"

"No…"

"Hey calm down," Ray said. "Gerard asked us to come and keep an eye on you both. So we decided that we would all chip in and pay for a private dance. You guys can chill with us. You don't have to dance a step. Unless you just want to..."

"Don't tease her," Frank said. "Look he doesn't like you being a stripper anymore than you like being one, we just thought you might like a break." I looked at them skeptically. “I’m serious I was going to order a pizza and I bought Uno cards.” he bought the box of cards out of his pocket.

“Why didn’t Gerard just come himself?” Robbi asked.

“The no boyfriend rule,” I said.

“Oh that’s right.” She said remembering that Ruby said boyfriends weren’t allowed in the club.

“Look just sit down. We’ll order a pizza and play uno.” Frank said again. I plopped down next to Mikey and he handed me his jacket.

“Please put that on,” I smiled.

“Do my clothes offend you?” I asked.

“Yes…No…well a little…and its not offending it‘s…I really should shut up now,” he stuttered.

“It’s okay Mikes I hate wearing these stupid costumes too.” I pulled his jacket over my arms as Frank dealt the first hand of cards and Bob called for a pizza. They told the pizza boy to call when they got out front. Then one of the guys would go down and pick it up.

***************************************************************

We’ve played four hands of Uno, and eaten five and a half pizza’s. Frank got bored an hour ago and now Robbi was teaching him how to pole dance. It was quite entertaining.

“So you wrap you arm around it like this and you leg goes like this,” Robbi explained. You would think it was rocket science from the trouble that Frankie was having. I couldn’t help but laugh when he fell flat on his butt.

“Hey its two AM we are officially finished working,” I announced looking at Mikey’s watch.

“Let’s get out of here,” Ray took out a stack of money and sat it on the table.

“Your tips,” my chin hit the ground it had to be about four-thousand dollars in that stack.

“That’s too much.” I said seriously.

“Look…”

“No, its too much. We can’t take it.” I said. “We didn’t do any work all we did was…”

“Take it as payment for my pole dancing lesson.” Frank said. I bit my lip and looked at Robbi.

“It’s up to you,” she said.

“Fine, but…uh I’m cooking you guys dinner this weekend at Gerard’s. I won’t take no for an answer.” I turned to Mikey and went to hand him his jacket.

“You can hold on to that.” I smiled.

“I’m going to change before I leave. We don’t wear these clothes in the streets.” I said with a laugh. He blushed and looked away. I just rolled my eyes. Then Robbi and I went down and changed quickly. The guys waited for us in then waited for Gerard to arrive and watched us get into the car before they left. “Gerard what exactly did you tell them?” I asked.

“I told them about Jared.” he said without looking at me.

“Gerard! What possessed you to tell them that?” I yelled. “There’s way too much that…”

“I’m not going to just sit back and let him win. I can’t do that…”

“GERARD THIS IS MY LIFE NOT A GAME!” he slammed on the breaks and pulled over to the side of the road. He gripped the stairing wheel so tight that his knuckles were turning white.

“Jynx, I know this is your life. That’s why I care so much. I can’t stand to see you this wound up all the time about him. I can’t stand that you hate going to that stupid club, taking off your clothes for money. I know you hate it but you think you have to. You don’t want to turn into what everyone already assumes you are. I can tell you now that you could ask me for the world and I would do everything within my power to give it to you, but you barely ever ask me for anything. I don’t know what’s holding you back from me, but it hurts like hell to hear you say that you think I think this is a game.” he turned to look at me.

“Gerard…”

“No, let’s just go home and get some rest, its late.” then he pulled out into traffic. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what my problem was. Maybe I was trying to sabitage what we had, but I honestly didn’t know. I looked into the mirror to see that Robbi was looking at me. The look on her face was clearly asking me what my problem was. Why was I acting this way? I just shrugged and looked out my window.