Naughty Friend Buys My Silence Ch. 10

March 3, 2021

NOTE: So I've recently begun posting Innocent Devil's Harem on RoyalRoad (a website similar to Scribblehub and Lit), and if you happen to already have a RR account, then I would love if you could visit the story over there and leave a rating, as well as upvoting/downvoting the reviews you feel like are most helpful.

Just leaving stars is fine, no need to leave a written review.

(And if you don't have a RR account, then definitely don't worry about it.)

I ask only because 'review bombing' is a huge problem on RoyalRoad, and the rating was doing great until about a week ago, when I had over ten drive-by bad ratings (probably coming from the same 'group' of review-bombers, because often it's an organized thing).

Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

ANNOUCEMENTS: Two new things.

1) First, some of you have been asking for digital files, so I’ve begun working on it. Check out this post on how you can get a free copy of “Innocent Devil’s Harem – Book 1”

2) Second, Patreon thinks that some of you guys want an annual option (with 10% off), so I’ve set that up (here is info about it). Obviously, if it’s not something you’re interested in, then don’t worry about it.

I'm not trying to get anyone to do anything in particular, but what I am doing is trying to improve my Patreon, including the perks I offer, so that you guys can find the solutions and setups you are most interested in.

And I hope that most of you guys are satisfied with the effort I'm putting in to make improvements.

DISCLAIMER: All characters engaging in sexual conduct are 18 years or older, and legally permitted to engage in such activities, irrespective of pet names used for each other.

<< Chapter 9 | Chapter 1

- CHAPTER 10: Stripper -

- SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19: Late Evening -

I tried to steady my heart as a literal redheaded bombshell walked up to me in the club, wearing black PVC boots, a matching pleated mini-skirt, and a wet-looking bikini top that was covered by a transparent plastic hoodie, which somehow made her look even more slutty and sexy than it would have without the extra garment.

She also had shiny red thongs straps pulled up on her bony hips, and had a pierced belly button, along with her black bikini top having very slight bulges, causing me to wonder if maybe her nipples might be pierced too. Or maybe her nipples were just really hard.

It was obvious her measurements were almost the same as Amber’s, her tits only a little bit smaller, possibly 36-D cups, and her hips noticeably a bit wider, but otherwise being just as thin.

But then there was her face.

Fuck, she had the face of an angel if I ever saw one, the kind of face that would look attractive even if she weighed three-hundred pounds, though her slim neck and delicate jawline were definitely hot as fuck, never mind her gorgeous blue eyes tastefully surrounded by dark makeup. And the whole thing was framed by thick vibrant red hair hanging in heavy curls on her shoulders.

And then there was her adorable cute nose, and full lips that had a light sheen of lip-gloss, looking extra shiny in the dim lights.

As she approached, and I kept my gaze averted so I could try to calm down, it took me a second to realize that the transparent pleated skirt that Amber had been wearing on stage probably went with this plastic hoodie, which actually made me even more nervous when I thought about them sharing an outfit between the two of them.

Fuck.

Fuck, I was in trouble.

Never. Never in my entire life had I ever felt this uncomfortable around another human being.

I was almost relieved when someone intercepted her and got her attention, prompting her to stop and turn away briefly to address them, only for me to immediately focus on her plump ass when I realized she had a vibrant blue butterfly tramp-stamp just between the two dimples on her lower back, her shiny red thong pulled up high enough to just barely cover part of it.

Holy fuck.

Oh my God, I was in so much trouble.

Shit, I needed to calm down. And fast.

Trying to take a deep breath, I kept my shaking hands out of sight as I thought about school, just trying to reminisce over how stressful this last semester had been, and wondering how it was going to be attending this more unorthodox college in the spring, which didn’t have traditional semesters, but would allow me to get some general education classes in through five week increments.

Just anything to get my mind off my present situation.

Before I knew it, the gorgeous redhead was stopping a couple of feet away from my table, facing directly toward me.

“Hey,” she said sweetly, her youthful innocent voice making me feel like I was going to melt in my seat, a slight hesitation to her tone. “Ryan, right?”

I cleared my throat, trying to relax as I glanced at her. “Yep, I’m here with…err, Hazel,” I said lamely, almost saying my sexy blonde friend’s real name.

She grinned at that, a breathtaking smile that almost made my mind go completely blank. “Thought that was you,” she said cheerfully. “Mind if I have a seat? Your girlfriend sent me out here to entertain you a little.”

Oh fuck.

Holy fuck, Amber, no you didn’t.

I wasn’t sure if I could handle this right now. I was so uncomfortable that I actually would have preferred she just walk away, even though every other guy in existence would scream at me for being an idiot, but holy shit I couldn’t handle this.

She had a sexual presence so powerful it was palpable in the air. I could feel a literal tension, created from the raw carnal sexuality that was her entire existence.

Fuck!

I cleared my throat, feeling like I couldn’t even think straight. “Umm, yeah. Sure, you can have a seat. Feel free.”

She nodded, her plastic outfit making all the sexy noises in the world as she moved closer to sit down across from me at the small two-seater table, only to fold her hands in her lap and smile at me warmly as she tilted her head slightly, looking like the most adorable fuck doll in existence.

“I’m Jess, by the way,” she said politely, only to lower her voice. “I’m sure you know my real name, but if you wouldn’t mind…”

I nodded simply, keeping my eyes on Sarah still dancing on the stage, but no longer seeing her now that all of my attention had been trapped by this slutty goddess.

“Enjoying the show?” Victoria wondered curiously, her deep blue eyes nearly sparkling, her vibrant red hair hanging in those heavy curls on her transparent hoodie.

I cleared my throat again. “Umm, yeah, for the most part.”

“Aww,” she pouted, not seeming convinced. “What’s wrong, cutie? Something missing up there?”

I wasn’t sure what she was going for, wondering if she was thinking I was disappointed that my ‘girlfriend’ wasn’t on stage anymore, but decided that I needed to get my ass in gear and try to be at least a little bit charming.

“Umm, well I’ve been outside all this time, and I guess that means I missed your dance,” I replied lamely.

Her azure eyes lit up at that like a Christmas tree, her expression full of pure joy. “Oh, well I can fix that for you real fast, if you want a private dance, handsome,” she said with a sexy wink.

Oh my God.

Oh shit, this was too much. How could a single person exude so much eroticism?

I felt like a room full of strippers couldn’t compete with this single individual.

And her plastic hoodie was reflecting the light in certain spots so that I couldn’t see her skin in that particular area, almost making it feel like I had x-ray vision and was seeing underneath her clothing when I shouldn’t be able to do so.

Shit, I bet she would look absolutely adorable with the hood up, forcing some of her heavy red curls more flat.

“Umm, that’s alright,” I replied uneasily to her offer, feeling like my head was starting to spin.

“What?” she said in mock disbelief, clearly exaggerating her reaction. “You don’t want a private dance from me? But it’s even free of charge.”

I focused on her in surprise, prompting another gorgeous grin that took my breath away.

She looked proud as she spoke. “I did say your girlfriend sent me out here to entertain you, didn’t I?” She pouted then. “I’d be a really horrible friend if I charged you for something as simple as a little lap dance.”

I wasn’t sure what it was, but something about her playfulness, including her exaggerated pout, unexpectedly made me feel more relaxed, almost as if it reminded me of how Amber and I would sometimes tease each other.

Without even realizing it, my hands stopped trembling, and I found myself smiling at her, my entire chest feeling really warm.

“You can entertain me with your words,” I replied sincerely. “More than happy to talk with you for a little bit. If you don’t mind.”

She seemed genuinely surprised at that for some reason, but quickly recovered. “Okay,” she said warmly. “Then can I ask how long you and Hazel have been together? I had no idea she split with her previous boyfriend.”

I shrugged, surprised she went for that topic right away, wondering if she was playing the ‘concerned friend’ role, wanting to scope out Amber’s new ‘boy-toy’ to make sure he was alright. “Not long,” I admitted. “We’ve known each other for a while,” I added allusively. “But just started dating recently.”

She nodded slowly, her brow furrowed slightly as she seemed to absorb that.

“What about you?” I wondered. “Got any boyfriends?”

She grinned at that. “I love it how you made that plural,” she said playfully, only to giggle at my embarrassed reaction. “Yes, I do have a boyfriend, but it’s nothing too serious.”

I nodded. “Must be pretty hung, huh?” I blurted out.

Fuck!

Did I really just say that?! What in the hell was wrong with me?!

Holy fuck, I was making such a fool of myself!

Surprisingly, she burst out laughing. “Nope, not really,” she chuckled, seeming highly amused. “He’s actually not very tall either,” she added, only to elaborate when I gave her a confused look. “See, your girlfriend and I don’t exactly have the same type of guy we like. She likes them tall, built, and well-hung…” Her grin widened. “As I’m sure you are,” she giggled. “Whereas I’m much more interested in how my man treats me. Like, my boyfriend waits on me like I’m a princess, and loves to blow my mind in bed in any way I want. He always makes it about me.”

“I see,” I replied simply, uncertain of what else to say.

She giggled again, holding her curled fingers up near her lips as she snickered. “Yeah, those things are much more important to me than how big his cock is, or how tall he is,” she continued with a grin. “Plus, he’s cool with keeping it casual. Like, we don’t live together or anything, and he has no problem with it when I occasionally bring a guy from the club back to my place to fuck. So yeah, pretty casual.”

I nodded, sincerely shocked she was disclosing that she lived a similar lifestyle as Amber. Like, disclosing she did ‘tricks’ on the side didn’t feel as if it should be something to share with a stranger, but maybe she realized that I must be in the same kind of situation, since I was Amber’s boyfriend.

I mean, she must know that, if she was being so open about it.

When I didn’t respond, she smirked at me. “You don’t seem too surprised by that,” she commented.

I shrugged, glancing away. “I mean, you’ve got to make a living somehow,” I said simply.

Unexpectedly, she looked surprised, and a little confused. “What do you mean by that?” she wondered.

Now I was confused, knowing she should understand what I was saying. Did she just want me to confirm that we were talking about the same thing?

“Umm, just that I get it?” I said hesitantly, deciding I needed to explain that I really understood how it was. “My girlfriend mentioned that this kind of job can be up and down, and I’m sure you might have some nights where you don’t even break even if it’s slow, since you have to pay out a stage fee and such. So I’m just saying it makes sense that you’d want to supplement your income every once in a while,” I added with a shrug.

Unexpectedly, she leaned forward and lowered her voice, her blue eyes narrow. “Wait, do you think…” Her eyes widened. “Shit dude, I don’t fuck for money. You know that’s illegal, right?”

Oh shit!

Oh shit, I’d fucked up! Again!

And worse this time!

I quickly tried to recover. “I am so sorry,” I replied, my tone as sincere as I could manage, knowing I’d look like even more of an idiot if I attempted to lie and say that wasn’t what I meant. “I didn’t mean anything by that. Fuck, I’m sorry. You probably think I’m a complete asshole now.”

She frowned as she sat back and crossed her arms, seeming pensive briefly, only to look over when someone started approaching us.

At the same time, I realized Sarah was crouched on the edge of the stage now, only wearing the shiny sky-blues stockings, thong, and matching blue bikini top, busy with her head tilted back as she took a long swig of a guy’s drink while she let him rub the smooth material over her thin thigh.

Which was surprising to me, the drinking part, since while I was sure the bar staff should know she was twenty-five, she had been introduced as an eighteen-year-old. But then again, I highly doubted most of these college guys even thought about that, since they were used to underaged drinking.

Sarah then handed the beer back to him, almost dismissively waving him away as she gestured for the next guy to come over, who likewise handed over his drink so she could take a swig while he rubbed her thigh, it appearing as if the ‘drink’ was payment for the service.

Fuck, she looked so hot in that particular position, but was also acting as slutty as hell, having cash sticking out all over the place from all the tips she’d accumulated in the last five or ten minutes. Not to mention, the thong she was wearing was too tiny down below to fully cover her trimmed pubic hair, which wasn’t noticeable when she was standing, but was very noticeable in this position.

Even from here, I could tell the guys were staring, undoubtedly wishing they could get away with touching there, instead of only her thigh. Because sure, a shaved pussy was hot, but there could also be something very raw and carnal about seeing a hairy, but well-groomed, one.

Yeah, I was totally going to fuck this chick like a whore real soon, feeling a little excited about ‘punishing her’ for being such a slut tonight.

Returning my attention back to the person walking up to Victoria, I realized it was a nerdy dude with some pretty bad skin problems, seeming to have no reservations as he walked right up to her and rested his hand on her shoulder, beginning to rub the shiny plastic material over her undoubtedly warm skin.

“Whoa!” Victoria said in surprise, quickly twisting away. “Hey now, you know the rules, honey. No touching unless I give you permission.”

“Oh,” he replied with wide eyes, his voice a little nasally. “S-Sorry, Jess. I was just wondering if I could pay you for a lap dance.”

She gave mean apologetic expression, actually fully relaxing to her normal position, even though he was standing so close, only to speak to him. “Afraid not tonight. Sorry. We’re low staffed and I’m taking a short break before I have to get back on stage.”

“But I’ll tip you really well,” he promised, looking desperate.

She frowned at that as she focused up at him. “Look, cutie. I’d love to give you a lap dance and take all your money. Really. But I can’t tonight. Management won’t let me.”

“B-But, I’m going home tomorrow,” he pleaded.

Her red eyebrows -- which I only now realized looked like they were her real hair color, indicating she might actually be truly a redhead who dyed her hair a more vibrant shade -- raised up slightly at that. “You go to school in the area, right?” she said seriously.

“Oh, umm, yeah,” he replied lamely.

“Then you’ll be back in a couple of weeks?” she continued, her eyebrows still raised.

He shrugged. “I mean, I guess.”

She nodded, looking away from him entirely as she focused on me. “Well, I’ll be here,” she said simply.

Surprisingly, he didn’t take the clear hint, making it obvious he wasn’t going to accept a refusal. “H-How much do I have to pay you to change your mind?” he blurted out.

I decided to finally step in.

“Hey,” I said firmly, leaning toward him as I squared my shoulders. “Take a hint, man. It doesn’t matter how much money you want to pay her, she can’t tonight. You need to accept that, and let her take her break in peace.”

“B-But…”

“Hey,” I repeated a bit harsher, abruptly gesturing to my chest. “You see this shirt? You see this? Let her take her break, or else we’re going to ask you to leave for harassment.”

“Shit, man, I’m not trying to harass anyone,” he said in shock, looking almost a little afraid at the use of that word. “I just want a lap dance. What’s wrong with that?”

“Lap dances are not on the menu tonight,” I snapped. “That’s what’s wrong with it. Sorry, but you’re out of luck. Management said no. Do you really want to get her fired for breaking the rules?”

“N-No, of course not,” he stammered, looking even more alarmed.

“Good. Now apologize to her,” I said firmly.

He looked like he was about to cry now, quickly focusing on her. “I’m…I’m sorry Jess. I just really need a lap dance from you.”

Unexpectedly, she was overly sympathetic, her expression pouty. “I know, cutie. But I can’t right now. But you’ll come back to see me in a couple weeks, won’t you?”

He nodded adamantly, still not budging from his much too close spot.

“Okay, I’ll see you then,” she replied warmly, turning back toward me. “Thanks for letting me take my break,” she added. “You’re doing me a big favor.”

“O-Okay,” he replied, finally taking a step away, and then turning back around with hunched shoulders, sulking the whole way back to his seat.

Victoria turned her head toward the wall as she grimaced, only to take a slow deep breath and then put on a pleasant smile as she focused on me. “Thanks,” she replied almost affectionately. “Maybe I should get Mike to offer you a job for real. You’ve definitely got some decent people skills.”

I shrugged, not really having any intention on working at this place, but thankful she’d forgotten that I’d indirectly called her a prostitute just a few minutes ago. “I was pretty social in high school,” I admitted. “And I’m kind of used to dealing with all kinds of people without it getting out of hand.”

“Social in high school?” she repeated, her gorgeous head tilting slightly, her heavy red curls shifting on her plastic-covered shoulders. “Does that mean you’re not social in college?”

I sighed at that, taking a deep breath. “Well, I took too many classes is all. Didn’t really have time to socialize much.” I paused, focusing on her eyebrows again -- which was a great excuse not to focus on her massive cleavage. “By the way, just curious but are you naturally a redhead?”

She smirked at that. “What gave it away? My eyebrows?” she wondered.

I nodded. “Yeah, I guess you don’t dye those, since it’s obvious your hair is dyed.”

She nodded. “My natural hair color is red enough that most people don’t notice, but I really like the color it currently is. That’s why I dye it.”

I nodded. “Looks good,” I said simply.

She nodded as well, her eyes darting briefly to my coke. “Hey, mind if I have a sip?” she wondered.

“Oh, sure, that’s fine,” I replied, reaching out to gently slide it toward her.

She gave me a big grin as she sucked the straw between her perfect full lips, leaving a little bit of shine from her lip-gloss behind after taking a couple of sips.

“You can have more, if you want,” I commented. “I can always get another one.”

She shook her head, her smile still warm. “Nah, I’m good. Thanks though.”

“Sure,” I replied, only to hesitate, feeling like an awkward silence was going to fall over us if I didn’t speak up. “Umm, so are you in school?” I wondered.

Instantly, her expression dropped, and she looked away.

Fuck, what did I say wrong?

“Umm…”

“I dropped out,” she unexpectedly said, her blue eyes tight. “Was in school to become a nurse and decided it wasn’t for me,” she quickly added, only to take another sip of my drink, her eyes still averted.

“Oh, umm, well that’s understandable,” I offered, only to scoff. “After this last semester, I kind of wanted to just drop out too.”

She nodded, clearing her throat and turning her head to look over at the stage. I glanced over too, realizing Sarah had left and it was vacant now, not even having noticed her departure. Of course, they didn’t need someone up there at all times, so it didn’t appear as if Victoria was in any rush to get back.

At least, I assumed not.

Maybe she was thinking about leaving now…

After all, her focusing in that direction kind of felt like she’d checked out of the conversation…

Fuck.

“Hey, sorry for bringing it up,” I unexpectedly blurted out, desperate to change her mind from leaving, causing her to look at me in surprise. “I know there’s sort of a stigma about dropping out, but honestly college isn’t for everyone. And besides, you’re probably making more money now than I’ll be making when I’m in my thirties, even with a business degree under my belt. Like, this isn’t a bad career choice, especially if you want to be a bit more free to do your own thing.”

Victoria just stared at me for a long few seconds, before sighing heavily.

She then glanced away again, but this time focused on the wall, which somehow felt different than her focusing on the crowd. Almost as if she was engaged in the conversation again, instead of thinking about leaving.

“My mom died,” she said almost inaudibly. But I still heard, even if just barely.

“Shit,” I hissed under my breath, with everything about this whole situation -- regarding the person sitting before me and everything else -- all flipping on its head in an instant. “I’m so sorry,” I replied with more feeling than I felt like I’d ever used in my entire life. “That…fuck. That really sucks so bad.”

She nodded, her hands still folded in her lap, her shoulders slightly hunched now, almost looking vulnerable underneath the plastic hoodie. “Yeah, umm, she was actually a nurse,” she said quietly, again to the point that I almost couldn’t hear her over the music. “Actually got stuck by a needle about ten years ago, and ended up contracting a bloodborne disease from a patient.” She sighed heavily then, turning her misty blue eyes up toward me, an entire universe of pain, torment, and loss behind them. “She was fine for a long time, but then…” She shook her head. “I couldn’t…I couldn’t go through with it. Not after…” Her voice trailed off and she turned her head more toward the wall again, seeming to try to collect herself.

And I didn’t know what else to say. What could I say?

Sorry again?

Fuck.

Unexpectedly, she blinked her eyes a few times and then cleared her throat, her tone shifting, still somber, but sounding less like she was about to fall apart. “Never knew my dad,” she admitted, only to clear her throat again. “Just had my mom, so now I’m kind of just going through the motions, not really sure what I plan on doing long-term.” She sighed. “I’m twenty-two and haven’t got a clue what I plan on doing.”

Again, I didn’t know what to say. “Umm, I’m guessing that some days are harder than others,” I commented randomly, just trying to keep the conversation going.

She sighed heavily, finally looking up at me again. “Yeah, I have my ups and downs,” she admitted, only to give me a weak smile. “I usually take a guy home with me on the ‘downs.’ Helps keep my mind off it.”

I nodded, not about to be judgmental about that decision. “Thanks,” I said gently.

She looked at me in surprise. “For what?” she asked in confusion.

I glanced toward the stage, surprised to see that Amber was up there again, wearing a gypsy outfit, looking super hot but at least clothed now…

Well, for now…

I was kind of surprised I hadn’t noticed the change in music, or seen the movement in the corner of my eye. Honestly, with Victoria in front of me, it was like she was all I could see and hear.

Everything else was a complete blur.

The rest of the room might as well not exist.

I shrugged in response to her comment. “Well, I’m assuming you don’t share stuff like that usually, so thanks for confiding in me,” I replied honestly.

“Oh, yeah, I don’t tell people that at all,” she said seriously, almost seeming to finally register that I was technically a stranger to her. “So please keep it to yourself.”

“Of course,” I agreed with a nod, glancing back at the stage.

Damn, Amber was good at belly dancing. I had no idea she could move her stomach like that.

Victoria abruptly continued, almost seeming as if she needed to explain to herself why she shared. “I guess you’re just easy to talk to,” she admitted. “Like, you really seem to take an interest in people and actually care. And I guess I know you’re being genuine, since you obviously don’t want to fuck me.”

I looked at her in surprise, deciding to be a bit sarcastic.

“Did someone slip something in your drink?” I asked seriously.

She immediately looked down at my glass in front of her, unexpectedly looking a little scared for real.

“Umm, no?” she said hesitantly, almost sounding a bit hopeful. “W-Why? Do I look drugged?”

I kept my expression serious. “I mean, you must be high, or something, if you think there’s even a single guy on this planet who doesn’t want to fuck you.”

She just stared at me in complete disbelief, only to abruptly laugh. “Wow!” she said emphatically, relaxing completely. “No wonder your girlfriend likes you so much,” she chuckled, leaning down to take another sip of my coke. “You’re smooth. Real smooth,” she said with a grin.

I laughed as well. “Not at all,” I countered. “I actually have no experience trying to sweet-talk women, and only say what I genuinely think.”

She shook her head, not believing that for an instant. “And apparently a good liar too,” she added playfully.

“You do know I’m only nineteen, right?” I replied, not waiting for her to respond, knowing she was teasing, but wanting to be serious. “This is the first time I’ve ever been to a place like this, and I didn’t really party at all this last semester.” I then paused, deciding to elaborate. “I did have a few guys on my floor who tried to get me to hang with them, but this was my first year of college, and I honestly wasn’t prepared for the workload. Like, I definitely took way too many classes to be messing around.”

“You’re being serious, aren’t you?” she said skeptically, seeming to eye me as she started to poke the remaining ice in the glass with the straw. Her hands were so delicate looking, and of course her fingernails were immaculately manicured, looking a little shiny as if she’d used clear fingernail polish.

“Of course I’m being serious,” I replied. “I mean, do you feel like I’ve been trying to get you in bed this whole time? Or do you feel like you’re just talking to a person?”

“A person,” she said simply, not even needing to think about it as she leaned forward again.

“Well, there’s your answer then,” I said with a shrug. “Glad you think I’m smooth though, even if I’m not trying at all.”

She smirked at that, taking a deep breath as she glanced back down at the table. “So,” she unexpectedly began, still focused down. “How many girlfriends have you had?”

I frowned at that, hesitant to head down this line of discussion.

She finally focused up at me, her deep blue eyes inquisitive, prompting me to respond.

“One,” I finally admitted.

She smirked. “You knew I probably wasn’t going to believe that, didn’t you?”

I shrugged. “I guess it’s up to you if you want to believe me or not.”

Her grin widened. “Okay, I’ll extend you a little trust. So then, how many women have you fucked?”

Damn. So blunt.

And I bet she couldn’t answer that question, if I asked how many men she’d fucked, yet she was asking me…

I frowned, holding her gaze until her blue eyes finally narrowed slightly.

“Two,” I finally replied.

She continued to look at me skeptically as she slowly nodded. “Okay…And I bet both of them are on stage right now, aren’t they?”

I was briefly surprised that she was implying that Sarah was on the stage again with Amber, not having noticed anything going on beyond this conversation, but I couldn’t bring myself to look away from Victoria’s deep blue eyes.

“Yes,” I finally said simply.

“I assume your girlfriend knows, since I doubt you would have told me otherwise.”

I shrugged. “Of course she knows.”

She nodded hesitantly, unexpectedly seeming uncertain. “Are the two of them, like, together at all?” she wondered cautiously.

I looked at her in surprise. “Oh, umm, no. Not really.”

Her expression pained then, prompting her to abruptly look away.

“Wait,” I said in disbelief, wondering if that look and question meant what I thought. “Do you have a thing for my girlfriend?”

She immediately turned her face to the side to shake her head, only to abruptly stop herself, pausing for a long second before slowly angling her face back toward me, her gaze averted. She then finally looked up at me with a grimace, sighing heavily.

“We used to be really close,” she admitted quietly. “Like, she was my best friend. But then my mom passed away, and things just kind of went downhill from there.”

“What?” I said in surprise, not understanding at all, given what I knew about Amber, and the fact that she’d mentioned that it wasn’t her pushing Victoria away. No, Amber said her friend kind of became more distant, not the other way around. “Did something happen?” I finally asked seriously.

She held my gaze for a long few seconds, seeming to debate if she wanted to say, before sighing heavily. “The day my mom passed, she stayed over at my place to be there for me, and we…” Her voice trailed off as she grimaced again. “Well, we sort of got drunk and ended up crossing a line.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, knowing I couldn’t act too shocked or else she might stop talking.

Instead, my voice was even. “You fucked,” I assumed, not really posing it as a question.

Her expression pained, her voice almost too quiet to hear again. “I couldn’t get her there,” she whispered, visibly looking like she was admitting her worst failure. “She got me there so hard, and then I couldn’t…” Her voice trailed off as she abruptly leaned forward, hunching in her seat to the point that her tits squished against the edge of the table, appearing as if she was trying to make herself as small as possible. “Afterward,” she continued quietly, unable to meet my gaze now, her blue eyes unfocused. “Nothing was ever the same. I could tell it had been a bad experience for her, and I could see the disappointment in her eyes whenever we talked.”

Well shit, I was again left speechless, having no idea what to say. And it wasn’t like I could share with this girl personal information about my supposed girlfriend, such as the fact that Amber couldn’t easily have an orgasm from normal stuff -- that wasn’t my right to share that kind of thing with anyone, and no way in hell was I going to risk Amber being pissed at me for doing so.

Even if I had good intentions.

But at the same time, I could see clearly that there was a huge misunderstanding going on.

So I had to say something.

“Jess,” I said gently, remembering to use her stage name. “When I first asked who you were, she told me that something happened between you two, and that you started pushing her away afterward.”

She looked up at me in shock. “W-What?” she stammered in disbelief.

“I don’t know if it’s true,” I quickly continued. “Like, maybe it was really her, and she just didn’t want to talk about it. But that’s at least what she told me -- that you were her best friend and then you pushed her away. Not the other way around.”

She just stared at me. “You…you aren’t shitting me right now, are you?” she asked seriously.

“Of course not,” I affirmed. “In fact, that’s why we’re even here tonight. It was obvious she wanted to do you this favor. Because she didn’t want to let you down, even though we sort of had other plans.”

I was kind of exaggerating a bit on the ‘other plans’ part, but figured it was harmless.

Victoria’s blue eyes began visibly filling with tears.

“Again, I’m just telling you what she told me,” I continued gently. “But it sounds like you might have made an assumption about how she felt about the situation, and might have ended up pulling away on your own because of how you felt.”

“But…but I couldn’t…”

I realized she was still hung up on the orgasm thing.

Fuck.

“It’s not you,” I blurted out.

She sniffled, reaching up to attempt to discreetly wipe her eyes as she replied. “What? What do you mean by that?” she asked seriously, her brow slightly furrowed.

“Look, I don’t want her to get pissed at me for sharing her personal information, but I’ll just say that if she’d been with a guy instead of you, then the result probably would have been about the same.”

She just stared at me in complete confusion. “I don’t understand,” she said bluntly.

Shit, seriously?

How was I supposed to explain this without just flat out telling her? Because I couldn’t do that. No doubt Amber might end up getting pissed and start becoming reluctant to share stuff with me.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to take a different approach by explaining something a little less private. Even if only a little.

“You know, sometimes when she and I do stuff, she stops it before we actually get there.”

It was again a bit of an exaggeration, since it had only happened once, but I figured it might help Victoria understand a way in which it might not really have been her.

Needless to say, she was staring at me in surprise.

“B-But why would she do that?” she finally asked.

I sighed. “Because she likes the intimacy. Like, getting there isn’t always the goal for her, and she actually once told me that she felt like climaxing would almost ruin what we’d shared together. So she saved that part for later, stopping stuff before we got that far.”

“So you’ve fucked without cumming?” she said bluntly in disbelief.

I shook my head. “That’s not exactly what I mean. We’ve shared some intimate moments together, without it turning into sex right away.” I sighed. “But that’s not even the point. I’m just saying that the issue isn’t you, and while I don’t know for sure, I’m thinking it might not have been her who pulled away from you.” I paused to let that sink in. “I don’t think she was disappointed with you.”

She only nodded slowly, seeming pensive now.

“Look,” I continued. “Don’t tell her that I told you any of this. Seriously. And if you decide to talk to her about it, then maybe start by having an honest conversation about how you feel, and see if she’ll admit on her own to what I just said. Because she might get pissed if she finds out I told you all that.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’m pretty good at keeping secrets, so I’ll be careful.” She then sighed heavily, glancing back at the wall. “Hey…” she said hesitantly.

“What’s up?” I prompted.

She met my gaze, her expression tender. “Thank you.”

I shrugged. “You’re welcome.”

She smiled slightly then. “You know, I said Amber and I have different types…”

I frowned, feeling like she was pointing out again that I wasn’t her type.

“Yeah? What about it?”

She hesitated briefly, glancing down before meeting my gaze again. “Well, I guess I’m just not used to our types overlapping, is all.”

Oh fuck.

Instantly, my face grew hot, feeling like it was going to explode. I tried to clear my throat, suddenly feeling like I had a lump in it. “Oh, umm, thanks.”

She giggled softly then, her tone gentle but amused. “Wow, you really are inexperienced, aren’t you?”

I scoffed. “What, are you going to start teasing me about it?”

She grinned. “No, I like inexperienced men. They’re a lot of fun, and I love it when they get flustered. But I’m not sure if I fully believed you until you just blushed at something that would make most ‘players’ look accomplished.”

“Not a player,” I said under my breath, only to frown. “Wait, are you saying that you were playing me just now? To see if you could really believe me?”

She looked surprised. “Oh. No, I meant what I said.” She then grinned, glancing at the stage. “Anyway…oh fuck, what time is it?” she abruptly asked, looking alarmed.

I tried to pull out my phone to see, realizing Amber had left the stage again, but Victoria was already jumping up. “Shit, I need to get back there. She’s going to be pissed if…” Unexpectedly, her voice trailed off as she abruptly met my gaze, looking even more alarmed at whatever she’d been about to say.

And almost at the same time, a thought occurred to me as I quickly considered what would both piss Amber off and what this chick might not want to say out loud…

Like the two overlapping spaces of a Venn diagram…

Suddenly, it felt like a ton of bricks fell on my head.

Because I could only think of one thing.

“Wait,” I said in sincere shock. “Didn’t you say she sent you out here?”

Victoria immediately gave me an apologetic look that was borderline desperate. “I’m sorry. I just kind of figured you’d be more willing to talk if I told you she wanted me to show you a good time, and I knew she wouldn’t be upset over a little lap dance, so…” Her voice trailed off.

Fuck, that’s really what it was.

And shit, I didn’t know how to respond, suddenly uncertain about everything, since this whole conversation had been under the pretense that Amber wanted me to socialize with Victoria some. But then, I hadn’t really told this chick anything too bad, right?

Like, I just played my role as Amber’s boyfriend, and I didn’t really share anything too personal…right?

Fuck.

“Hey,” she said seriously, her tone and expression still apologetic. “I really am sorry. I promise I’ll never do anything like that ever again.”

I shook my head. “And how am I supposed to believe that?” I asked seriously.

She grimaced, lowering her voice. “Maintaining a certain persona is my job, and it naturally involves a little bit of deception. I’m an entertainer after all. But things are different now,” she said seriously. “You were just a random guy when I sat down, and now you’re not. So I promise I won’t deceive you again. Ever,” she added.

I couldn’t respond. I felt like an idiot in the first place, and I needed time to process this situation. I needed time to think over what I’d told her and figure out if this was going to mess things up with Amber somehow.

Victoria glanced over her shoulder, looking even more desperate. “Fuck, please forgive me,” she pleaded. “Give me another chance.”

I just held her gaze, my mind feeling numb over this situation. Like, I wasn’t trying to be overly dramatic, but fuck. I might have really told this chick things she didn’t need to know. And honestly, even if everything was alright now, it didn’t change the fact that she’d played me, breaking my initial trust, and I felt like I’d be stupid to trust her again just because she asked ‘nicely.’

Or just because she was the hottest and most sexual person on the planet.

She might be a pathological liar for all I knew, and she’d need to prove otherwise before I just said ‘no big deal’ and moved on.

“Fuck,” Victoria hissed again, her expression pained. “Look, I’ve got to get back there, but please give me another chance. I promise I’ll never do it again,” she repeated, only to turn away with a grimace and begin making her way across the room.

Several guys waved at her and tried to get her attention, but she didn’t even acknowledge them, her pleated PVC skirt bouncing with every step she took as she hurried away in those thigh-high boots.

To be fair, as I finally had a chance to begin processing the situation, I realized Victoria was right that Amber probably wouldn’t have cared about a lap dance. And honestly, if I asked her if I could fuck her hot redheaded friend, it was very likely she’d just grin at me and encourage me to ‘Go for it.’

Not to mention, the whole idea of Amber asking Victoria to show me a good time might actually even happen in the near future, even if it hadn’t happened when the chick initially said it did.

So yeah, I understood all that.

Theoretically, what she did wasn’t that bad at all.

But it was the principle of the matter.

At this point, I had no way of knowing if Victoria was truly sincere now, and I wasn’t just going to automatically believe she was. I’d need proof of her sincerity first, or at least Amber to vouch for her. Not to mention, I wasn’t sure if it even mattered if I forgave her or not.

Like, I doubted I’d be seeing much of her again after tonight, unless I decided to start visiting this strip club on my own time.

Or unless I decided to start working here…

Neither of those things were probably going to happen, but they were interesting ideas at least.

Taking a deep breath, I shifted my gaze when I saw the waitress was finally coming with my meal, suddenly finding that burger a lot more appetizing now that I needed the distraction. I thanked her warmly when she dropped it off, watching as she walked away, trying to pinpoint exactly why this chick’s hot ass just looked like it needed to be smacked so badly, only to focus on my food and try to relax.

In the meantime, my conversation with Victoria began replaying in my head, uncertain about how I should feel about the interaction, or what would ultimately become of it.

One thing was certain though.

I was never going to be able to forget this chick, even if I tried my hardest.

She’d forever end up a star in my most sexual wet dreams, even if I never saw her again.

The sexuality of her presence was that potent.

Fuck.

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Chapter 11 >>