His hands slowly moved from my waist down to my ass and he began to gently rub.

“You’re not supposed to be doing that.”

I knew he could hear me, even over the loud, thumping music the DJ was playing. Still, he refused to answer me for several seconds.

“C’mon, I just want to get my money’s worth, I’ve been watching you dance all night and I just wanted a little feel.”

There was only about a minute left in the song and the lap dance would be over. It was just easier to be a trooper and get through it, instead of making a scene.

I pushed my breasts into his chest and pressed my mound into his erection that was poking through the rough, coarse denim of his jeans. Hopefully, that would distract him for a few more seconds until the song ended.

I moved in a bit closer so my long, light-brown hair was brushing against his face. Due to my close proximity, I could really smell the alcohol on his breath. Because of the Clark County ordinance, the club couldn’t serve alcohol and have nude dancing. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop our patrons from entering the club already drunk.

“Your hands should be at your sides,” a low, menacing voice from behind me growled.

“I’m ... I’m sorry, Ma’am,” the man stuttered. “It won’t happen again.”

“If you touch one of the girls again, you’ll be eighty-sixed, no refund for the cover charge, do you understand?”

“Yes, Ma’am, I understand,” he said sheepishly.

Thankfully, the song ended and I rose up off his lap. I grudgingly thanked the drunk and accepted the crumpled twenty-dollar bill. Then, I turned to face the woman who was now in front of me and I took a moment to look her over. She was tall, at least six feet, and her dark hair was cut very short and almost shaved on the sides. She wore blue jeans and a T-shirt that had, “Security” emblazoned prominently on the front. Her thickly muscled biceps pulled the sleeves of her shirt tight around her skin. It was obvious she spent a lot of time in the gym to get a physique like that.

“Thank you ... for that...” I said shyly.

“You’re welcome, but I was only doing my job.”

There were a few moments of awkward silence, it was as if neither of us knew what to say next.

“I’m going to take my last break,” I said over the loud drumbeat while the singer sang about his love for “Cherry Pie.”

She looked into my eyes before speaking.

“Would you mind if I joined you?”

“No ... Ummm ... that’s okay.”

I could feel a hundred sets of eyes on me while I followed her through the club: Those lustful, longing stares that I tried so hard to ignore when I was on stage. Men always stared, since I was very young, but that was different because I had clothes on. Here at work, I was naked when I was up on the stage, or wearing very revealing lingerie or skimpy outfits when I roamed the large, expansive room looking for men who wanted lap dances. Instead of thinking about the lurkers, I chose to focus my eyes on her.

She had such a manly gait. She walked with authority and her every movement said, male. However, her very “butch” demeanor didn’t entirely hide the fact that she was very beautiful. A week earlier I’d read an online article that coined the phrase, “Chapstick Lesbian” as opposed to the traditional “Lipstick Lesbian.” The author described Chapsticks as being much more low-key and less concerned about their appearance. This type of lesbian was much more concerned about her career and relationship instead of how she looked. It made me wonder if this girl fit into that category.

We made our way past the changing area and I grabbed my robe to put over my little babydoll nightie and my pack of cigarettes. Unfortunately, when we reached the small break room, there were five of my co-workers sitting around the small table giggling and gossiping.

“Do you want to go outside?” she asked.

“Okay.”

Leaving the safe confines of the building was something I’d never do alone, but with her, I felt safe.

When she opened the door, the searing heat hit me in the face like a blow dryer. Even though it was ten at night, it was still at least ninety degrees.

Summer in Las Vegas.

We sat down in the two small folding chairs by the door and I lit up.

“You know those are bad for you, right?”

I shot her a little smirk.

“Yeah, I think I’ve heard that somewhere before.”

She shook her head.

“You’re Grace, right?” she asked.

My jaw dropped open, I had no idea she knew my name, my real name.

“Yes, and what’s yours?”

“Ava.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said shyly.

“You haven’t been here long, have you?” she asked.

“I started on Monday.”

“That makes sense, why I haven’t seen you before, I only work here on the weekends.”

I took another drag from my cigarette.

“What do you do when you’re not here protecting me from the drunks?”

Her face broke into a little grin.

“I’m an electrician, I wire new homes, that sorta thing.”

There were a few moments of comfortable silence until she spoke again.

“Is this your first foray into dancing?”

“No, I worked at Cheetah’s for about a month before coming here.”

“It must be a change then going from dancing topless to nude.”

“It’s taken some getting used to, but the money’s better here.”

I took another deep drag from my cigarette.

“How did you know my name, my real name?”

“The manager is a good friend of mine, and Sierra just didn’t seem to fit you very well.”

My face broke into a little blush and I quickly put my cigarette out by stomping it into the ground with my clear, plastic heel.

“I should get back in there before they send the dogs out after me.”

“Okay, I enjoyed talking to you, getting to know you a little.”

“I liked it too.”

Her eyes wandered over my body. She looked at me like men did and that was a little disconcerting.

The last two hours of my eight-hour shift went smoothly. I danced on the main stage two more times and was able to give several lap dances and even got one of the guys in the ‘Champagne Room’ for a half-hour. All told, I was able to make about twice as much as a typical Friday night at my old club. I was still getting used to the ‘nude dancing’ thing, but the considerable monetary increase helped assuage any lingering reservations about my decision to work here.

Throughout the rest of the shift, I could feel Ava’s eyes on me while she closely watched me with the men. It was almost as if I had my own private bodyguard looking out for me. I had to admit, it was a good feeling.

At midnight, I showered and got the sweat and the smell of the men off my body. It felt good knowing I didn’t have to be back until six tomorrow night. I could sleep in, relax, and forget about this place for a while. I hated that I didn’t have the weekends off anymore, but in this line of work, working weekends was where the money was.

I changed into a short, jean skirt and a pink lace top. I completed the ensemble with a little black lace thong, matching bra, and Cocobell gilded leather sandals.

My breasts weren’t that large and there were times when I didn’t wear a bra when I went out. I’d always been envious of my co-workers who had larger breasts because so many guys seemed to be into that and I knew it helped them make better money than I did, most of the time. However, my small 34B’s fit my long, lanky 5’6” frame pretty well and I’d been told I was easy on the eyes. Regardless, I never considered myself to be beautiful like some of the other girls I worked with.

After I secured my locker, I made my way towards the back door and pulled out my phone to call an Uber. I knew the club would have at least one security guard by the door to ensure the safety of the girls who were ending their shift. Once I reached the exit, I saw a familiar face.

“Where are you going?”

It was Ava. She still had on the same jeans, but she’d changed out of her club mandated ‘security’ T-shirt and into a pretty blue blouse.

“I’m going home.”

“Feel like getting a cup of coffee with me?”

I wasn’t very enthused about going home and having a little company on Friday night sounded much better than spending the remainder of the evening alone in my one-bedroom, shoebox apartment.

“Okay.”

We walked silently to the parking lot in front of the building. Even at midnight, there was still a line of at least two dozen guys waiting to get into the club. Typical for a city that never sleeps, I reasoned.

“They’re all waiting to see you, and you’re leaving.”

I shot her a little smile.

“Yeah, I wish.”

We walked fifty more feet until we were standing in front of a lifted Ford F-350 pickup.

“This is me, what do you think?”

“I like it, it fits you.”

I heard the little chirping sound as she unlocked the door.

“How do you get up in this thing?” I teased.

“Let me help you.”

I opened the door and she moved behind me. I felt her hands around my waist and she effortlessly lifted me up into the cab.

Involuntarily, a little chill coursed through my body. I’d been grinding against men all evening, but this was the first time I actually felt any type emotion all night, or for a long time, actually.

“So where do you want to go for coffee?” she asked after climbing into the cab with me.

“I’d rather get a drink.”

“Me too, but you’re only eighteen.”

I cut my eyes at her.

“You know my name and my age ... what else do you know about me?” I said gruffly.

“Settle down and don’t get pissed. This is me taking an interest.”

I took a deep breath and attempted to calm down a little. My privacy was very important to me, I didn’t need the drunken men who showed up wanting dances at the club knocking at my door.

“I’m sorry ... it’s just...”

She rested her hand on my thigh and gently squeezed which sent another shiver through my body.

“I’d never do anything to hurt you ... okay?”

I looked down sheepishly.

“I’m sorry for being so defensive.”

She pulled up to a red light and looked at me.

“If you want to get a drink, we can go to the Piranha. One of my friends works at the door and I can get him to let you in.”

“I ... Ummm ... I have a fake ID.”

“Just how did you get a fake ID?”

I looked down again, unable to meet her intense glare. At that moment, she sounded just like my mother.

“A guy who used to come into my old club works at Nellis ... let’s just say we traded services.”

The light turned green and her truck lurched forward.

“You’re a little hustler, aren’t you?”

I cut my eyes at her again.

“Just what does that mean?”

“You get what you want.”

“No, not always.”

She shifted gears and her truck gained speed.

“Do you escort?”

My jaw dropped open. I’d never met anyone so direct.

“No, I don’t.”

“Good.”

“And just for the record, I didn’t fuck him to get the fake ID. Let’s just say I was a little lax with the rules that night when he bought lap dances.”

She broke into a little grin.

“Yeah, I can imagine.”

“There wasn’t a hulking female security guard looking over my shoulder at my old club so I could pretty much do whatever I wanted.”

We both laughed at my little joke.

“Maybe you need someone to keep you in check.”

“Maybe I do.”

A few minutes later, we arrived at the Piranha nightclub on Paradise Road. I’d heard some of the girls talk about the Piranha and knew it was a very popular LGBT hotspot in Las Vegas. When we pulled into the parking lot Ava came around to the passenger side of the truck and helped me down out of the cab. Again, I felt the now-familiar little tingle course through my body when she touched me. As we made our way to the entrance, she reached out and took my hand. I wasn’t sure what to make of her gentle overture so I just gave in to the moment and went with it.

There was a small line at the door, but after a couple of minutes, we were standing in front of a rather large security guard.

“Hey Ava, it’s good to see you ... it’s been a while,” the burly man said.

“Hi Mike, I’ve been busy, working two jobs now, so I don’t have a lot of free time.”

I felt Mike’s eyes move over me while he sized me up.

“Your new girlfriend?”

“No, just a friend, her name is Grace.”

“It’s nice to meet you Grace, can I see your ID?”

Ava shot him a stern look.

“She’s with me, Mike.”

I reached into my purse.

“I do have an ID.”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

Ava reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty, presumably for the cover charge.

“Keep it, I owe you anyway.”

He stamped both of our hands and shot me a knowing smile.

“Have a good evening.”

I gave him a polite, little smile and Ava once again took my hand in hers.

Once we stepped inside, we were immediately greeted by the loud, thumping house music that was blaring through the club’s large speakers. I took a moment and let my eyes adjust to the darkness and it allowed me to check out my surroundings. The club had at least a dozen large stone columns on each side of the expansive dance floor and it also had hot blue and red lighting which gave the place a fresh, hip vibe. Even though it was a little after midnight, the club was packed with people who were dancing and drinking which made it difficult to get up to the bar and order drinks.

The patrons in the club were an eclectic mix that would be difficult, if not impossible, to describe in a single sentence. The women were dressed in a variety of clothing that ranged from traditional feminine club attire of short dresses and skirts to more masculine ‘butch’ style leather gear. Similarly, the men were also dressed in every type of fashion imaginable from traditional Dockers and a polo shirt, to very risqué costumes. As we fought our way through the crowd, I looked towards the dance floor and saw one young man, about my age, dancing with his male partner in assless leather chaps and an open cowboy vest. I definitely felt out of my comfort zone.

“Why don’t you find a table and I’ll get us some drinks,” Ava said.

I looked around the packed space trying to find somewhere to sit.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“What do you want to drink?”

“I’ll take a Hpnotiq.”

“What the hell is that?”

“It’s an alcoholic beverage,” I said while attempting to keep a little of the condescension out of my voice.

She shook her head and gave me a little smile.

“Try to stay out of trouble,” she said before turning and making her way towards the bar.

I once again scanned the room and found an empty booth not far from the bar. Quickly, I walked towards it before someone else could take it. Once I sat down, I pulled my pack of cigarettes out of my purse and lit up.

“Gotta love a girl who smokes,” a voice above me said over the thumping club music.

I looked up and saw a middle-aged, very butch woman dressed in leather gear with long, flowing blonde hair.

“I’ve been told it’s not good for me.”

“Nonsense, it makes you look sexy as hell.”

“Thank you ... I ... Ummm ... think.”

“When you’re done with your smoke, you wanna dance?”

“I’m ... Ummm ... here with someone.”

“Whoever she is, forget her. I can make your body purr, little girl.”

Just as I was about to respond, a deep voice broke into our awkward conversation.

“She’s with me ... move along, blondie.”

The woman turned and looked up at Ava.

“Oh ... I’m ... Ummm ... sorry ... I Ummm ... didn’t know.”

The woman quickly and wisely scurried away as Ava slid into the booth next to me and a little smile broke across her face.

“Rescuing you is getting to be a full-time occupation, I thought I told you to stay out of trouble.”

I broke into a little smile.

“Hey, you’re the one that brought me here.”

A shiver ran through my body when her hand rested on the inside of my thigh while her other hand slid my light-blue drink towards me.

“Just what is that stuff?”

“It’s a tropical fruit liqueur with vodka and cognac.”

“Oh, a typical ladies drink.”

“Yes, because I’m a lady ... try it.”

I picked up the little glass and held it up to her mouth and she took a sip.

“I guess it’s not that bad.”

“And just what are you drinking?”

“Jack Daniel’s.”

“The alcohol equivalent of a Ford F-350 pickup, right?”

She shot me a little smile.

“I guess so.”

There were a few moments of comfortable silence until she spoke.

“So do you live with your parents?”

“No, I have a small apartment on Trop.”

I didn’t know how much of my personal life I wanted to reveal, but in the end, I felt I could trust her and I opened up.

“I used to live with my mom until...”

“Until...”

“She got a new boyfriend and he started hitting on me when she was at work.”

I felt a little tear in my eye and I quickly wiped it away.

“It was just a matter of time until ... you know ... I just didn’t feel safe there anymore.”

I could see the look of concern on her face.

“Did you talk to her about it?”

“Yeah, but he denied it and she didn’t believe me ... she’s really into him and...”

“She chose him over you?”

“You know ... I guess it happens.”

I downed my drink in one gulp while she took a sip of her whiskey.

“If we’re going to talk about this, I’m going to need something stronger than Hpnotiq.”

Ava flagged down a passing server and ordered two double Jack Daniel’s.

“So what happened then?”

“I moved in with my friend for a couple of weeks and started dancing at Cheetah’s so I could afford my own place. I needed to be able to support myself and I couldn’t do that working a minimum wage job.”

“Where did you work before you started dancing?”

“I worked at Del Taco when I was in high school.”

The pretty server sat our drinks on the table and Ava reached into her pocket.

“You got the first round, it’s my turn,” I said.

She pulled out two twenties and handed it to the server.

“Keep it.”

“Thank you, have a good night,” the waitress said appreciatively before moving onto the next table to take their order.

“You could have let me pay.”

“You’re my date, and it’s on me,” she said sternly.

Until that moment, I hadn’t thought of going to a club and getting a drink as a date. However, I decided to just ‘go with it’, like I had all evening.

“Okay,” I said sheepishly.

I took a sip of the whiskey and felt it burn all the way down to my toes.

“So ... I assume dancing wasn’t your childhood dream.”

“I was accepted into the nursing program at UNLV until...”

She waited patiently for me to continue.

“You know ... until everything happened with my Mom’s boyfriend.”

“You should be in college, not on a pole.”

I shot her a little scowl.

“You are direct, aren’t you?”

“I guess I am ... it’s just something you’ll have to get used to.”

“Maybe I can change you.”

“People don’t change ... but I’ll try ... for you.”

“It’s okay ... no one has ever called me on my shit before, I’m just not sure what I think of it yet.”

“I’ll always be honest with you and tell you what I think.”

We each took a sip of our drinks.

“You got good grades, didn’t you?” she asked.

“I did okay.”

“Better than okay, right?”

“Yeah, I guess better than okay ... I was in the National Honor Society and I had a high GPA, but it’s something I don’t like to talk about.”

“All that talent ... and potential...”

I looked down into my drink, unable to meet her intense gaze.

“And I’m wasting it ... you sound just like my mother.”

“Your mother is a bitch, but she’s right about that.”

“Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you want, but you adapt and move on.”

I looked up and our eyes romantically met.

“You’re a fighter as well as a hustler, I like that.”

“I don’t know ... I’m just me.”

Her hand squeezed my thigh, she leaned in and our lips met. I felt a little tingle in the pit of my stomach as her tongue delicately entered my mouth. There were a few seconds of apprehension but I decided to give in to the moment and for because some reason, with her, it just felt right. She made me feel safe and protected, it was something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

When she broke our tender embrace, my head was spinning. I’d never had sexual thoughts about another woman or even considered the possibility of being with one. Yet, at that moment, I just decided to throw caution to the wind and go with it and see where the night would take us. However, she was still a mystery to me and I wanted to learn more about this woman who I was quickly growing attracted to.

“Tell me about you,” I said while wiping just a bit of her saliva off my lower lip.

“There’s not much to tell, I guess I could show you my resume,” she teased.

She sounded a bit closed off, and I wanted her to open up to me.

“Where did you go to high school?”

“I went to Coronado and then enlisted in the Marines when I graduated.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“I did a tour in Afghanistan, they taught me how to be an electrician, and after four years, I separated and got into the union.”

“So that would make you twenty...”

“Twenty-five.”

I took another sip of my drink.

“Why did you get out of the Marines?”

“Their attitude has improved a little, but in my experience, they aren’t very accepting of gays.”

“Why do you work security ... electricians make good money.”

“I don’t do it for the money.”

I waited patiently for her to continue.

“I work around guys all week ... this gives me a chance to ... you know...”

“Meet someone?”

She looked down and a little blush broke over her face.

“Yes.”

She seemed so innocent, and there was just a bit of social awkwardness in her answer. It was a very endearing quality that I immediately liked.

“I’ve always had a difficult time talking to women, it’s something that never came easy to me.”

“You’re doing just fine, okay?”

She smiled.

“Okay.”

“So has it worked?”

“What do you mean?”

“Trolling the strip club ... looking for girls,” I gently teased.

“About six months ago I briefly dated a girl ... but it didn’t work out.”

“What happened?”

“She was doing more than dancing, behind my back.”

Now, I understood the reason behind her earlier escort question. She liked that girl, and I could tell it broke her heart when she learned of her activities outside the strip club.

“I dance but I don’t escort ... I never have and I never will.”

“I know, I can’t see you doing that.”

She leaned in and kissed me passionately, our tongues sensually exploring each other’s mouths and I loved feeling her large breasts crushed up against mine. The experience was so new and different, it was nothing like kissing guys in high school. Her lips were so soft and supple, the more we kissed, the more I wanted to kiss her.

“Do you want another drink?” She asked after breaking our tender embrace.

I already had a good buzz and I didn’t want the evening to be further clouded by more alcohol. This was turning into the best night of my life and I wanted to remember all of it.

“You took me to a dance club, maybe we should dance.”

“I’m not really much of a dancer.”

That social awkwardness was coming out again.

“C’mon, one dance ... for me ... okay?”

“Okay,” she said grudgingly.

When we stood up and exited the booth, she possessively wrapped her arm around me. It was a delicious sensation, we weren’t just two girls together in a club, we were a couple. It was a feeling that hadn’t been present in months and I realized at that moment how much I missed it.

The club was still packed and it took us a bit to fight our way to dance floor. Once we finally got there, She took me in her arms and pressed her body against mine. We moved together in perfect unison, as one. She had a good sense of rhythm and it made me think she was a better dancer than she let on. She pulled me in close and our bodies sensually rubbed together and I could hear her moan, even above the thumping house music.

I pushed her away from me, and raised both of my hands above my head and began to seductively twirl in front of her. I could feel dozens of sets of eyes on me, just like when I was up on the stage, but I easily ignored them. It was as if we were the only ones on the floor.

I moved closer to her and spun around so I was facing away from her. Then, I felt her hands move to my hips and I ‘twerked’ my bottom against the front of her jeans. I immediately bent my upper body at the torso and pushed back against her. I could feel at least a hundred desirous eyes on me, but again, the moment was only about me and her.

It was getting hot in the club and I could feel a bit of sweat on my body. Even over the thumping house music, I could hear her little moans and grunts. She turned me around and we faced each other. She could see the hungry, desperate look in my eyes and she seized the moment. She pulled me to her and pressed her body into mine, and gave me a long, hot kiss. I moaned into her mouth as my body melted into hers. Just as we were finishing our romantic embrace, the song came to an end and Ava whispered into my ear.

“I’ll go get us another drink, meet you back at the table?”

“Okay.”

She turned and walked away towards the bar, and the room began spinning and it felt like the walls of the large club were closing in on me. At that moment, there was such an intense rush of emotions it felt as if I couldn’t process them all. The large, expansive space suddenly felt small and it was as if the walls were closing in on me. I quickly began making my way towards the front door. Once I got outside, I saw Mike who’d just took the cover charge from two guys who were holding hands.

“Hey Grace, you doing okay?”

“Yeah, I just needed some air and I had to get out of there.”

I reached into my purse and pulled out a cigarette and lit up.

“I know it’s none of my business,” he began, “but Ava’s a great person who’s had a run of bad luck in the last few months, just take care of her, okay?”

I took a deep drag from my smoke.

“Maybe we’re saving each other.”

“She’s fiercely loyal, and there’s no one better to have in your corner.”

I broke into a little smile. I didn’t know how much I wanted to reveal to a complete stranger, but he seemed like a nice guy and I loved the way he talked about her. It also made me realize I’d never had anyone in my life like that; someone I could count on and who’d be by my side, no matter what life would bring.

“I’ll take care of her, I promise.”

“Good, she deserves that, and so do you.”

Just then, the door burst open and Ava came bounding out. Her eyes nervously scanned the parking lot until they rested on me. A look of relief washed over her face and she shot me a little scowl.

“I thought you took off on me,” she said nervously.

I walked over to her, took her hand, and led her past the small group that had congregated in front of Mike and were waiting impatiently to get into the club.

“I didn’t mean to run on you, I just had a little panic attack and I needed some fresh air.”

A look of concern broke over her face.

“Are you okay now?”

I squeezed her hand gently.

“Yes, I am.”

A gentle breeze picked up and was lightly swaying the palm fronds on the trees in the parking lot. It felt like such a perfect, romantic evening and I didn’t want it to end.

“Were you talking to Mike?” she asked.

“I was until you came out.”

Her face broke into a little frown.

“He’s a great guy, I can’t blame you for wanting to get to know him better.”

I could see where she was going with this and I turned, faced her, and took both of her hands in mine.

“It wasn’t like that...”

I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts.

“The only person I’m interested in is standing in front of me, okay?”

She pulled me into her arms and we exchanged a deep, passionate kiss. It was a little unnerving to share such an intimate embrace and have such an unguarded moment in such a public place. Regardless, the world just seemed to melt away while she held me tight in her arms. She made me feel so safe, so protected ... After all of the turmoil and upheaval in my life over the past few months, it was a feeling I couldn’t get enough of.

“I know you just bought drinks, but could we get out of here?” I whispered softly into her ear after we broke our romantic embrace.

She possessively wrapped her arm around me and we made our way to the door. It was a short walk back to her truck and she helped me up into the cab.