Blood Stains on the Stage

"Fireball whiskey." Ashley ordered, desiring the burn of the cinnamon and a chance to strike up conversation with the gorgeous man who'd been watching him. He turned his head and met his gaze, corners of his eyes crinkling up in a smile. "Hello." He said warmly, voice throaty and low from the smoky air around him. "I'm Ashley."
"So I've heard. I'm Andy." He nodded. "Nice job up there.." He said awkwardly, seemingly searching for what to say. Ashley laughed and flipped his long, silky hair over one shoulder.
"Aw, aren't you sweet..." He laughed. Andy stood up, face flushed red. Ashley noticed that he was tall, tattooed, and the living embodiment of Ashleys perfect man.
"Yes, well... I best be going. It was nice meeting you, Ashley." He shouted over the music.
Ashley laughed and turned to face him entirely, leaning against the bar with his hip cocked out a bit. "See you soon, doll face." He winked.
Andy blushed the slightest bit and began to walk to the door. Ashley perched on the bar stool, legs crossed demurely. He thought fondly of days past, days of fleeting innocence leading into nights he danced away. He'd been drawn to the clubs since a young age, maybe fifteen or sixteen. With the aid of a fake ID, he 'd been young and incredibly stupid. Night after night, he'd drink and dance, sitting on old men's laps with their hands all over him, buying their sick, twisted affections. He'd paid for his naivete..
He remembered nights on the street after moving to California at the age of 18. He was nothing but a street rat- filthy, broke, cold, starving.. and seeing the light of the neon sign in the distance. Barely Legal, it was called then. The sign flickered, magenta lights clinging to life against sheets of black rain like the gates to heaven. It promised warmth, relative safety.. so he went inside. He just couldn't take another night alone on the streets.
He'd been young and dumb, no doubt.. eighteen years old and taking his clothes off to pay rent on a place he shared with a fellow dancer and his so called 'mama bird', one who went by Jinxx. Jinxx had kept him safe from the drugs and booze that consumed so many other dancers. Girls came through here- fresh faced and optimistic. Most made it a few months- some made it a year or two before they were brought down, nothing but dry grass in the wildfire of the club scene. Ashley made it three before the light faded on his dreams. It was hard to have a day in the sun if you had to avoid it. He sighed to himself, finishing his shot and standing up. He took a moment to arrange himself, boa draped sensually over his lower back. He walked through the crowd, heels clicking. At once, there were a thousand hands all over him, groping and squeezing. A sharp slap on his rear made him grimace but yet, he turned with a sweet, innocent smile. The offender was a large man, short, fat and mostly bald, a leering smile plastered on his flabby face. He wore an ill-fitting suit, jacket slung over his broad shoulders. His shirt stretched over a rather impressive beer belly, buttonholes gaping as they clung to his shirt. His fat stomach protruded over his slacks, jiggling as he leaned back. It was true what Jinxx said, the ones with the money were never cute and the cute ones were always broke.. Ashley laughed falsely, a feminine giggle. "A little handsy, aren't we?"
"Cmon, little one. Dance for us." He slurred.
Ashley held back a cringe. "I'm not scheduled to dance for a couple hours.. but I can just dance for you." He smiled appeasingly. He straddled what he could reach of the man's lap. He had to be this sleazy pervert's perfect fantasy.. he hated parts of his job. The man tucked some money down his shorts, groping his ass as he grinded and danced.
Six lap dances, one main dance and a few table dances later, he was finally clocked out. He pulled his leather jacket tighter around him against the freezing wind, walking quickly. His cowboy boots clicked against the pavement as he listened to the sounds of the city. He felt a hand on him, whirling to look. It was the fat man from before. Ashley stared, bewildered.
Taking advantage of his bewilderment, the man pushed him up against the cold brick wall. "Hello, little one." He slurred, drunk as ever.
Ashley scoffed a little. He let the man drool over him for a little before wrenching his neck to the side and sinking his teeth in. He fed for several minutes. "Don't fuck with me." He hissed, teeth dripping with crimson blood, tainted with the bitter taste of liquor and oily texture of cholesterol.
The man gave him a stupified smile, dumb and sleepy. Ashley rolled his eyes and stormed off. People were disgusting. He sang to himself, voice echoing off the deserted streets. The sleazy nightlife would vanish for the day, masquerading as fathers, husbands, friends.. He unlocked his door, walking inside. Once he was safely inside, he decided to count his money. He pulled it out of his boot, spreading it out. Singles.. a couple twenties. A few hundreds from his private dances. All in all, he made about 500. Not bad.. he put a couple bills in an envelope for rent and gazed out the window. The sun was rising now, staining the filthy night with threads of gold.
He thought of the man from earlier- the beautiful one carved from marble with eyes as fair as the sky, not the sleazy creep, a fond smile etching onto his rosy lips. Andy.. he wanted to see him again. Fat chance of getting another shot with him. Guys usually didn't want to date strippers. Late hours, stereotyping.. the risk of disease, the knowledge that someone else- or a dozen- had their hands all over their lover.. it really was no shock that he was single..
He sighed, going to take a hot shower and wash away the fingerprints of too many men, allowing himself to relax under the spray. The water ran crimson with the blood drying black on his skin, swirling down the drain.
He got out, drying his hair and skin. He crawled into bed, curling up. He was awoken at noon by the sounds of Jinxx moving around, probably getting ready. He listened to the blow dryer run for a few minutes, creeping into Jinxx's room. "Morning, Ash. How was your night?" Jinxx asked, loud over the blow dryer.
"Okay. Some guy tried to follow me home." He sat on Jinxx's bed.
"Gross. Hope you taught him a lesson." Jinxx laughed, flipping his head over to dry the underneath.
"I did. Don't worry." Ashley giggled. "He was nasty. Kept following me around all night.."
Jinxx flipped back up. "Remember what I told you. The cute ones are broke and the rich ones are sleazy." He shrugged.
Ashley nodded. "I know..." he looked down. "There was such a cute guy watching me yesterday.."
Jinxx eyed him. "You're crushing. This is strange. Tell me everything." He set down his makeup brush and sat on the bed besides Ashley.
Ashley whined and hid his face. "Okay. He was tall- like, six three at least, maybe six four. Tattoos, just- his tattoos.. there was Jesus in a war bonnet, it was pretty cool.. and these eyes.. just.. stunning. Enthralling. The prettiest shade of blue.. l could stare into them forever.." he blushed.
Jinxx raised an eyebrow. "You're like a fourteen year old girl. This is literally like living with an hormonal teenage girl." He went back to his vanity. He leaned against it, texting Jake. Jake was an old friend.. and the guy that Ash was describing sounded a hell of a lot like a friend of Jake's..
In just a few texts, Ashley's number had been passed down to Andy, due to meddling friends, Andys apparent inability to get laid, and a seemingly mutual interest in each other.
Ashley watched Jinxx get ready, painting his brows on meticulously. "I caught Roxy snorting coke yesterday.. have I mentioned how grateful I am that you saved me from that?" He said softly.
"Once or twice. You're welcome, Purdy." He ruffled his hair.
Ashley smiled a little. "Thanks. Really. I would've been dead by now." He sighed.
Jinxx smiled sadly. "I was there once. You're a lot like I was... I couldn't let you spiral down the same road I did. Sorry for taking away your.. you know. Chance to live."
"I'll be young and beautiful forever. I don't see a downside yet." Ashley shrugged.
Jinxx's sad smile grew a little. "You will one day. Trust me."
Ashley's tongue wandered over his teeth, pointed canines prodding at his tongue. "Yeah.. maybe."
He got up and went back to his room, washing his clothes to get rid of the stains. Blood, glitter, liquor, smoke.. he reeked of sex, of clubs and cologne. Disgusting.. Just the icing on the cake of why he was single for the rest of eternity. He curled up in bed, sleeping away the hours until he had to be back on stage, personal space invaded, treated like trash.. he couldn't wait.