The Dancer

Her heeled boots clicked along the paved sidewalk as she made her way from the parking garage towards Planet Hollywood. She and Gemma were supposed to go shopping for new outfits, or pieces of outfits, but Gemma’s new boyfriend had called to hang out.

Dakota was completely bitter about the entire situation. The last time she’d asked her mom about going on a date, she’d gotten smacked across the mouth. She didn’t understand why Gemma could date and she couldn’t, but her mother hadn’t given her a reason. In fact, the only thing her mother had said was “Men are dogs!” before she walked away.

The only bright spot in her shitty day was the fact that her mother had given Dakota the bank card, meaning she really didn’t have a spending limit. She knew not to get too crazy, but the thought of having the card to herself was making her shake with excitement.

When she walked through the doors into the Miracle Mile Shops, she sighed before setting off towards Vegas Royalty, one of her favorite stores to get her shorts from. She immediately found a pair that said “bitch” and smiled.

She made her way all around the shops, depressed that she’d only found a few things, before walking into her last store: Victoria’s Secret. She purposely left that store for last, knowing she’d pick up a bunch of things there.

Dakota set her bags down on the ground, hoisted her purse higher on her arm, took a sip of her smoothie, and picked up a pair of underwear. They were small hot pink shorts with black lace all around them.

“Those would look amazing on you.”

She whirled around to see Brian standing there. She rolled her eyes and sighed, turning back to the underwear.

“Now I’m really starting to think you’re following me,” she said, setting them back down on the display.

“Actually, we’re staying at Planet Hollywood and I wanted to come down and look around. I just happened to be walking by when I saw you come in.”

“Fantastic,” she said and moved on to a different pair.

“Looks like you’re super busy,” he said, following her.

She flung the pair of underwear she was currently holding down and turned to look at him. “What do you want!?”

“Lunch,” he said, smiling. He ignored her attitude. “I want you to go to lunch with me.”

“I don’t have time for lunch.”

“Who doesn’t have time to eat?” Brian asked with a weird look on his face.

“I don’t,” she replied and turned back around.

“Look, I’m not sure what your problem is, but I was just offering to buy you lunch. If you don’t want it, fine. I just thought it would be a nice gesture, considering you’re going to be dancing for us in two days.”

Dakota’s hands froze and she sighed. He was right; he was only being nice and she was being a bitch. She blamed her mother for instilling in her the opinion she had of guys. Hell, it was just going to be lunch. She had a dance class that night anyway, she’d burn off whatever she ate and she’d have yogurt for dinner before work or something.

She turned back to Brian. “Alright, we can go to lunch. I’m sorry for acting like a bitch. I’ve just got to finish getting a couple of things and then we’ll go, okay?”

“Whatcha got to get?”

“I’m making a new outfit so I’m looking for all kinds of pieces or colors.”

“I liked the ones you were holding when I came in,” Brian said with a smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but she smiled before picking the pair back up.

Brian helped her pick out five pairs of underwear, a few for herself, and several bras, too. He’d jokingly, or so she thought, asked her to try on a few of them for him, making her laugh.

“Where does one even buy…dancer outfits?”

“Go-go dancer,” she corrected. “There’s a couple of stores on the outskirts of town, but I try not to go there unless necessary. I like to have original things, but I guess I’m going to have to go there.”

Brian watched her sigh. “I’ll come with you.”

“Don’t you have a concert to do tonight?” she asked.

“Yeah, but I don’t have to be back until six,” he said with a smile. “We’re free to roam the city.”

“Yeah, because that’s a good idea,” she said rolling her eyes. “Letting Avenged Sevenfold roam the City of Evil?”

He laughed at her joke. “You’re funny. We’re not that bad.”

She just looked at him.

“Okay, fine, we are that fucking bad, but they can shove it.”

“So, that gives us like, what, six hours?”

“Something like that,” he said with a growing smile.

She was going to cave in, he could feel it.

“Let’s go grab lunch first and then we’ll go.”

“How are we getting there?” he asked.

“Do you think I walk everywhere I go? I do have a car.”

Brian chucked and nodded his head towards the door. She paid for her things and they walked out of the store. She suggested they eat at Cabo Wabo, which Brian readily agreed to. The meal was surprisingly interesting for Dakota, considering Brian never ran out of things to say, and afterward she led him to her car. She was surprised yet again, when he had nothing to say.

“Why are you so quiet?”

“Your car is fucking hot,” he said, looking around the interior. “No offense, but this is like an expensive car.”

“It was thirty-two g’s and it’s already paid off.”

Brian gave her a sideways look. “You didn’t rob a bank, did you?”

Dakota laughed loudly. “No, I didn’t rob a bank.”

I just steal from the guys who think I’m going to sleep with them, she thought bitterly.



Dakota was completely surprised at how helpful Brian was with her shopping. He saw all sorts of combinations she never would’ve thought of and it was nice to have a guy’s perspective, even if it wasn’t necessary.

When they finally got back to her car and put the bags in the trunk, some of which he carried, she was astonished to find that not only had she scored a load of ribbon, fabric, jewelry, paint, and pieces that she and Gemma would be set for life, but that she also didn’t spend as much as she thought she was going to.

She was also astonished at how easy it was to talk to Brian. There hadn’t been a silent moment since he’d seen her car, and she even found her cheeks hurting from laughing and smiling so much. The fact they had so much in common was a bit unnerving to her but she immediately waived that feeling off. He’d asked her about her tattoo, to which she explained she’d been going through a “hard rock” phase when she was eighteen and wanted to get a tattoo. A friend of hers in school had moved from California and introduced her to their album “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” and she’d followed them ever since.

“My sister actually pushed me to do the audition.”

“Is she the one you threw your hat to?” Brian asked.

She made a face at him. “You saw like fifteen hundred girls or some shit. How do you remember that?”

“You made an impression,” he said with a smile.

She pulled up to the parking lot of Planet Hollywood to let him out. She had the music playing a bit softly and he didn’t get out immediately.

“Thanks…for taking the time to go to lunch with me.”

“Are you getting sappy now, Mr. Gates?”

“Fuck you,” he said, laughing.

“There’s my boy!”

He rolled his eyes.

She laughed and flicked her cigarette out the window before looking back at Brian. “I did have fun today. Thank you for your help.”

“I really like that zebra thing, too. That’s a winner.”

She laughed at the memory of her trying on the zebra printed corset and his jaw dropping. She instantly knew she had to have it, and was proud to say it was neatly wrapped in her backseat.

“I’ll take a picture for you to see at the concert,” she said, still smiling.

“I’ve got a better idea,” he said after a few seconds.

She watched him reach down to her center console where her phone was resting and pick it up. He fiddled with it for a few seconds before she heard a chirp, and he pulled out his own phone. He set hers back in the console and smiled broadly at her.

“Do you work tonight?” he asked.

“No, I’ve got an early flight in the morning.”

“How long are you gonna be in Long Beach?”

“I’ll be there until Saturday,” she said, taking a sip of the coffee she had in her cup holder.

“So you’re coming out with everybody Thursday night, right?”

Dakota looked confused. Brian smiled a bit.

“We’re taking everyone out on Thursday after the concert to a club just as thanks for the DVD.”

“I didn’t know that,” she mused.

“Not a lot of people do, yet. You just happen to be on the V.I.P. list,” he said with a smile.

He made sure he had everything before thanking her again and climbing out of the car. She said goodbye to him and watched as he started to walk away. Just as she looked down to get a cigarette, she saw him turn around out of the corner of her eye. Glancing up, she saw him walk back and put his forearm on the door of her car, sticking his head through the window. She lifted her eyebrow towards him and lit the cigarette resting between her lips.

“Make sure you wear a dress,” he said with a smile.

She inhaled and pulled the cigarette out, waiting a few seconds before exhaling a stream of white smoke out of the cracked window. Turning back to him, she saw his chocolate brown eyes crinkle just a little bit.

“Giving me orders now, huh?”

“Nope,” he said, popping the ‘P’. “But if you’re going to be on my arm, I want you to put everyone to shame.”

“Who said I’m going to be on your arm?” she queried.

He tilted his head down, laughing. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll make you look good,” she said with a wink.

He just smiled as he stood up and backed away from the car. He watched her pull off a bit before revving up the engine and peeling off. He shook his head as he walked towards the hotel, wishing he could go to that dance class she had. That would be a fun sight to see. He had a sudden image of her in a very short dress and he froze. Ah, hell. What had he gotten himself into?