Love leads the way {closed for Indarkestknight}

Motorcycles parties dancing. She was a bartender and a stripper a bit of a wild child free spirit till that infernal thing called love dropped him into her life



He was all business... Old family wealth but he had found his own calling in the world. his only "fun" was the family horses and his yacht even that he had a crew on call for. He would have never even taken a second look at a woman like her but Love had other plans.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eric had been talking to his old childhood friend Thomas who had dropped a bundle on this party even with the ample discount he had given his old friend. They were now looking through the photos of the dancers for Thomas to pick out the perfect dancer for his friend's birthday party. When Thomas saw the picture of Lorelei he stopped.

Her... that is the perfect beauty for him. He will love her.

Eric laughed a little...

Lorelei it is and everyone loves her.

With that he walked away as her heard Thomas call out to his friend. This was great that he could help his friend and yet seriously bad as he had another VIP guest coming who could call in all the money he owed and who also loved watching Lorelei dance. Too late to change that now he had already told Thomas she would dance for the party. He vanished backstage to tell Lorelei that she was on private party detail for the night and reschedule the other girls to cover the dance slots now vacant by this arrangement.

LORELEI!!!! Private party detail... Lounge suite... Birthday party. Just move your routines there add however many you want the party wants you as the only dancer.

She looked over and blinked...

Eric did you forget that Callis Daniels is going to be here tonight? Are you sure this is such a good idea?

Eric shrugged... old friend and 50 grand vs someone who I owe three times that much to... guess we will see but Thomas said his buddy will love you so I could not say no to him. I will deal with Callis if the matter arises... worse comes to worse I will give you your cut and and him the rest and well... you next time he is here Got it.

She sighed brushing out her hair as she just shrugged.

Yeah... whatever...

The other girls looked to her worried but they knew she was tough Eric had gotten her out of a bad situation and she brought the club and in turn all of them lots of money even if it did cost her from time to time.

Damien Erickson stepped in off the curb, looking around him as he did so. Miami was stinking hot tonight, and not for the first time he wondered at Father's decision to schedule back to back business meetings in the town. It was just too bloody warm to talk business.

Not that anyone else seemed to be noticing it.

In contrast to Damien's spotless business attire, the dress code on the street seemed to run the gamut of 'slim' to 'none'. Back in Martha's Vineyard he'd seen bikinis less revealing than what some of the ladies were sporting here as evening wear. Heck, even the guys didn't seem to wear shirts half the time. Everyone was showing tons of tanned, muscular skin, and looking for a good time. Beers and margaritas were everywhere, and everyone was drinking, dancing, or making out.

The whole seen made Louis a bit uncomfortable. He didn't consider himself a prude, not exactly, but between business school, managing Father's company, and the strict social calender he was forced to abide, this sort of light partying had always been just a illusion for him. Part of him, maybe a part bigger than he would have admitted, wanted to relish the freedom, but the lion's share just wanted to go home.

Not that it was going to happen. Not tonight. Thomas had asked, no begged for for him to come here, and to his chagrin, Damien had agreed. Here was another question though. The club he was standing before wasn't that bad, but it wasn't a key nightspot either. More, from what he could tell of the neon ladies dancing on the sign, Damien suspected that this wasn't the sort of place Father would approve of him showing up to either.

Still, a promise was a promise.

Walking up to the entrance, Louis wasn't even given a second glance by the bouncer, who took one look at his suit and then waved him on in. Stepping in from the hot summer night, Damien looked around the crowded club, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness of the place.

His suit stuck out against the more lenient jeans and t-shirt dress code of the place, though at least in his favor he was still dressed. That was better than could be said for most of the employees.

He took in the nudity and drinking, with an odd combination of confusion and distaste, the emotions running rampant across his features as he tried to make sense of the location.

Damien looked down at his cellphone, confirming the name listed on it, against the neon lit sign above the bar. This place was definitely "Leo's", but it did not at all match up against what Thomas had said it would be.

Horror dawned on Damien's features as he saw a large, festively decorated banner hanging in what he assumed was the VIP section. It read 'Happy B-Day Damien!' in obnoxious, foot tall letters.

Beneath it, he could see Thomas, dressed now in an equally obnoxious hawaiian shirt, waving him over, even yelling his name.

Father is going to kill me if he finds out...

Just in time Damien... Found a great dancer for ya for the party and all the gang is here lets celebrate man.

Thomas dragged him into the lounge suite and led him front and center as the suite bartender/announcer introduces the dancer.

Our Raven beauty of dance its... LORELEI!!!

Her first dance was energized as she twirled and the fragments of modern life represented in her costume falling away from her as she stalked the stage with a smile as the beat and words of Honeybomb filled the air around her*

~Postal fever, Dow Jones
N'Sync, Rolling Stones
Nasdaq, Taliban
Income dies, Vidal Salon
Crack babies, School Prayer
Columbine, Electric Chair
World hunger, dot.com
It's time to drop the honeybomb~


*Her long black hair cascading down as she moves over towards a small group singing along turning rippling her stomach as she dances herself down to the floor of the stage then standing again as she moves from them to the man clearly the birthday boy sitting front and center. Smiling as the beat never fully changing from its unique speed and tempo*

~It's time to let the light shine from within
Don't fight the feeling, just give in
No matter who you are and where you're from
It's time to get together..drop the honeybomb~

Finally as the song begins top die down she smiles standing there a smile on her face and an innocent stance and glimmer to her eyes winking to the patrons who are still tossing money to the stage for her.

Thomas looked over to see Damien's reaction to their exclusive dancer for the night.

Damien found himself pulled front and center before the stage, a drink pressed into his hand by Thomas, and a great many slaps on the back from people he had never met before. The whole thing felt...well primitive. Like he was some tribal leader, and his tribe was giving him a sacrifice. A weird thought to consider. Nonetheless, Damien decided, based almost purely upon Thomas' endless cajoling to let the event play out. After all, it was only once a year, and surely it couldn't be that bad. Maybe he'd even find out what the fuss was all about.

A hush fell over the crowd as the stage lights dimmed, and the announcer spoke, introducing their act for the evening. Lorelei.

That was an odd name...Damien thought it might have been from myth, like some sort of goddess of beauty. Not a typical stripper name, at least from what little he knew of the industry. Not like Candy, or Vixen, or any of those absurd, fake sounding names. A part of him even thought whimsically that it might even be her real name.

Thought faded into the background as she began to move though, the music coming in a flood that was followed by her rhythm, like a building crescendo that pulsed through the room. As she swayed and moved before him, Damien found himself enraptured, captured by what she did, the style in which she did it. As her clothing came away, he found himself watching her beautiful tan skin, her raven hair. She was beautiful and amazing, and he found himself for the first time just lustful of her.

Not bound up with preconceived notions, or lost in the consequences of having her, but just the thought of her touch, of having her there. The very idea of her seemed to drive him to the edge of the seat. When the dance was done, he found himself standing, applauding her with as much ardor as he might of to an award winning violinist. There was just something about her, a freedom to the way that she moved that seemed to enthrall him.

Lorelei stopped from collecting the money to watch the birthday boy... clapping... standing and clapping. She found it sweet if not entirely confusing.

Thomas buried his head in his hand laughing.

Forgive him he has been sheltered. Damien... watch what everyone else is doing... toss money man.

The rest of them were too focused in Lorelei to really pay much attention.

A bit mortified by his error, but still enraptured with her dancing, Damien reaches into his billfold, extracting a 50 dollar bill, and extending it to her. For him, the motion is one of respect, though he little realizes how this act my be interpreted by a woman of her profession.

He stares into her eyes, the first genuine smile of the evening crossing his firm lips. She is quite simply all that he can see in this moment. Its almost like looking into the sun, so completely does she blind him with her beauty. Its almost enough to make him light headed.

Speaking loudly to be heard over the continual bustle of music and yelling from the main club, he gestures to himself, doing his best attempt at small talk, and making it quite small indeed. Most of the women he spoke with were business professionals like himself, and whatever they spoke up typically involved just that, business. It was an odd sensation for him to have nothing in common with a woman who interested him.

"My name is Damien. I guess I'm sort of the guest of honor. Birthday boy and all. Your name is Lorelei? Thats a very pretty name. I haven't heard it before."

The stammering, nervous words he spouts are a far cry from his usual confidence, from the manner in which he rules the board room, and manages business affairs. This sort of place, and this sort of woman set him off balance, make him act foolish.

A part of him thinks its high time he acted foolish. He'd spent far too long living in the world of business, and abandoning such a 'fun' outing. Maybe it was time to rectify that situation. To sow those wild oats his father was so often fond of expounding upon. Not that Father would ever, ever condone him association with an exotic dancer. Hell, the old man would probably disown him if he found out.

Nonetheless, Damien found himself unable to resist, and he spoke to her again, gaining confidence through one of the few social actions he knew worked in these kinds of situation. Buying a woman a drink was never, as near as he could tell, a bad idea.

"I'm sure you hear this all the time, but can I buy you a drink? Is that okay?"

Well Damien your friends here must really like you to drop the bills they did for tonight. Yes My name is Lorelei and as for that drink I will have to see even if it ends up being after I get off work and your party is over.

Taking the money she smiled and collected up her costume before looking back to him with a wink...

Happy Birthday Damien...

Slipping back into the back to get dressed for the private/lap dance she chose a little farmgirl/cowgirl in a pink and denim outfit and the Lorrie Morgan song My Night to Howl and prepared to walk out on stage. Calling up to the bartender to tell him the plan.

The Bartender/announcer called out...

Time for gift one guys get the Birthday boy ready

With that Thomas and the guys ushered him out of his chair and into the stage with his chair and sitting him down there. Thomas laughed as he hopped down off the stage...

Enjoy man...

As the music started she began to dance stalking across the floor to Damien and began to dance placing her straw cowgirl hat on his head covering his eyes a little and begins into the routine the music claiming her mind and body as she danced around him swiveling down to his lap and then draping along his shoulders as she danced. Her eyes fall to his as she slinks backwards from him back to the stage and continued to dance till all that remained on her being was the little star g string and bra. Slinking like a feline close to him to the last notes with her back pressed to the back of his chair draping her head and chest over his shoulder backwards her head turned to look him in the eyes as she winks and walks back to the stage to collect her outfit.

As one who had never enjoyed a lap dance before, Damien was notably lacking in experience with such matters. Nonetheless, he sat as instructed, giving Thomas an unsteady smile as he wondered just what might await him.

He didn't have to wait long. She appeared again, dressed in the style of a cowgirl, with sexy cutoff jeans, and, and a tight pink top that accentuated her full, lovely breasts. She had a hat too, but that didn't last long as she placed it on his head with a smile. The outfit made sense as an old school country song began to play, one he hadn't heard before. He didn't typically care for country, but he had to admit this number would make a believer out of anyone.

He felt her moving, her body warm and sexy against his, feeling himself becoming almost instantly aroused by her touch, the dominant way she controlled the situation. She was all around him it seemed, her every touch making him long for another. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Most women he'd dated, and they were few to be sure, had been professionals, as cold in the bedroom as outside of it. Most of them had just been in it for his money, and they'd both known it from the start. She was different, playful and intimate, even if he knew she was doing it just for the job. She genuinely seemed to enjoy dancing, touching him.

He didn't know the rules for this sort of thing, but part of him wanted so much to touch her, to cup her firm breasts, or draw her in for a kiss. Instead he sat, paralyzed, watching her move and gyrate around him, groaning at the slightest attention she gave to his body, wanting more.

When she was done, he sat for a moment, paralyzed, and maybe a bit embarrassed by his obvious erection. He smiled nervously at Thomas and the others, and then got up, holding his chair before him, depositing it back where he'd been seated.

More than anything, he would have liked to have talked to her, seen her some more, but recognized she was working her job. He would just have to wait until she came to him. It could not happen soon enough.

After two dances she took a little break but could not stop thinking about the birthday boy and how he had given her a standing ovation and just how innocent to this type of place. It was so endearing and sweet. She pondered what her next dance should be but her mind kept going back to how special this birthday boy truly seemed to be. Not like Mr Suit and tie would have any interest in her and not like she could get out of this life or this place.

Like her, Damien's thoughts were not to his birthday night. Not to the free drinks offered him, or the cajoling slaps on the back. His interests lay with the young woman who had danced for him, with her beautiful expressive eyes, and her tender, soft lips.

She was so amazing, so unlike anything else he had seen in this place, or indeed anywhere. There was just something so free about her, it just enthralled him.

He was drawn out of his reverie a bit when he heard a commotion from the bar; Apparently another patron was trying to get a girl sent to his table, but she was not available. Damien her 'Lorelei' mentioned.

That raised Damien's hackles at once. Even with barely knowing the girl, he knew she was no man's property. Separating out from his friends, he moved back to the bar, resting a hand on its smooth surface as he asked the bartender for another beer; really listening in on the other man's conversation. Apparently his name was Callis, and Lorelei was a favorite of his. So much a favorite, that he was now causing a scene.

Naturally, Damien decided to put a stop to this. He stepped up behind Callis, laying a hand on his shoulder, and spoke, making his tone forceful.

"Look sir, you're causing a scene. Lorelei is already engaged at my birthday party, and so she's not available for you. She's not your property, she just works here."

The response was not as Damien would have prefered. Instead of cooling his jets, Callis came around swinging, sending a right hook directly for Damien's head.

Damien, a former college boxing champion, took the blow like like a champ, only wincing slightly as it cut his lip. The blow was enough to change for formula for him though, and Damien took the offense, moving in fast with a hard fast jab to the man's exposed stomach, and a follow up right to the man's skull, toppling him like a redwood.

Straightening his suit, Damien smiled at the manager, and shrugged, glancing down at the fallen bully.

"Sorry for the mess."

The owner knew this was more than likely the last nail in his coffin with Callis Daniels but at lest someone had the guts to back him down.

Yeah... you have no idea the mess.

Lorelei hearing the commotion ran out in the black leather that was her next costume and seeing Callis on the ground and estimating what happened she looked at her boss then to Damien and almost looked scared.

Frank get him out of here... have his Dr come up with some BS excuse for everything.

With that she looked to the bartender.

After the next dance I will deal with this.

Looking to Damien.

You just may get that drink Suit.

Things sort themselves out soon enough, and Damien finds himself back with the rest of his group,seated back at the VIP section, a bag of ice for his stinging hand. His lip hurts, but thats fine. The pain gives him a reminder of what happened, of what he did. Its very unusual for him to get so closely involved in this kind of thing, and the thought of it has his adrenaline going strong. He doesn't quite manage to keep himself from shaking a bit as he sits there, waiting for Lorelei to come back out.

She's why he did it. Just the thought of someone treating her like property upsets him, upsets him in ways he doesn't quite understand. A part of him, the analytical side rebels against this sort of thinking. It argues, without success that she's just a stripper, that he shouldn't get involved, that he should have let matters proceed as they did. Its no good though, he can feel the passion in his blood, and it drives the reason out.

Here and now, in this place, he wants her. Wants to be with her, to kiss and touch her, to make something more of that moment back at the bar, when she smiled at him, offered to let him buy her a drink. She's intoxicating to think about, to where it almost hurts.

Behind him, he can hear Thomas talking to him, whispering about mistakes, crime families, not fucking with how Miami runs. Damien doesn't care, he's still basking in the moment, still waiting for the next dance. Thomas doesn't get whats going on, and he probably never would. Probably wouldn't be a good idea to explain it. As attached as he is to this sort of dark underside of the city, the man still has his standards, and telling him that you're falling for a hooker probably won't end in anything buck mocking laughter. As stupid as the whole thing sounds, Damien doesn't want anyone else to tell him that.

She walked out for her next dance her eyes kept moving towards the bartender but kept coming back to him. While she knew the damage he actually did she was comforted that he had. Strange as it was this guy was nothing like what she was used to but more what she maybe hoped existed out there... outside the club. Her dance again intense as she moved around to Hugh Dillon's Ten Feet Tall as if it was written about her. Finally settling into the music she smiled to Damien and began engaging with him more that worrying about what had happened earlier.

Once the song ended she made her way back stage and putting on some plain clothes she made her way out to the bar.

I know its against the usual rules but tonight is far from normal. Two bourbons and get over it.

Her eyes moved towards Damien as she clearly did not expect any argument from the bartender.

He watched as she did her next dance, enjoying the way that she made the song her own, the way she seemed to know every nuance of the music. It was, at least to his mind, a shame that stripping wasn't considered an art form. She seemed to have made it into one, and he enjoyed the oppertunity to watch, even as more and more of him was consumes with thoughts of more active participation. When she got off stage, he sat back, listening to the others talking about her, her sexiness and body, trying his best to just recapture her last words to him, about a drink. Already looking forward to what that might entail.

When she came back, Damien joined her at the bar, overhearing the conversation between her and the bartender. Noticing that she bought the bourbon herself, instead of letting him pick up the tab. He also noticed that she'd changed out of her stripper clothes, changing them out for what looked like casual wardrobe. He was only a bit jealous, as even in the cool bar, his suit felt a bit too constricting. Still, he hoped she wasn't leaving already. He wanted dearly to get to know her better.

He smiled brightly at the bartender, and took one of the offered drinking, taking a long slow sip of the bourbon. It wasn't quite the same as the high priced stuff Father preferred, but the taste was still familiar enough to Damien. It burned like fire going down, and he took a moment to enjoy that heat before he turned to her, addressing first her change of wardrobe, and then delving slightly into the personal.

"I like the outfit, but I don't think you could slip out of that nearly as easily as some of your other wardrobe. You closing up shop early? I'll be sorry to see you go, this is one birthday I'll never forget."

NO just gotta get a point across to you suit. Don't ever get involved there are elements of this town that... its just better to not get involved... safer too.

She leaned back against the bar.

I am here till the club closes as always just on break. Even if I was off work another dancer would just take over for me so no loss on the birthday party really.

Her chilly reception towards him only seemed to inflame his passions. When she was done speaking, Damien responded, making an effort to stay as casual as she, and not quite succeeding. Even now he had to admit there was something different about he, something alluring.

"I don't quite know who the guy I decked was, but I stand by what I didl. Just because you take your clothes off as a living, doesn't make you property. People who think it does, need to be educated."

There was something brash about his tone, a passion for protecting others that he himself was not used to hearing from his voice. Usually, it was all he could do just to get involved with other people, and yet here he was, acting like some sort of Don Quixote, tilting at windmills for a woman he barely knew. It was all too strange for him, but he had to admit it felt right. It had felt good to put the other man in his place, and he had no regrets about it. If the man in question decided he wanted to make an issue of it later that was fine, Damien had more than enough money to deal with that sort of nonsense.

In any case, his interests had more to do with the woman across from him, than some other man. She was the most fun thing that had happened to him on this whole trip, and he wasn't quite ready to give her up. Not quite yet.

"As far as being replaced, I'd hate to see that happen. You're amazing up there on stage, and I've had a lot of fun watching you work. I'll admit, this isn't my usual scene, but watching you makes me wish it was. You make the music come alive."

He took another hit on the bourbon at this, hissing at the heat of it as it went down, feeling it starting to burn in his stomach, and knowing that he was probably a bit too tipsy for this kind of place. A man could get himself with this many beautiful women, if he didn't keep his wits about him.

Trust me... Callis Daniels has more money than anyone. He owns at least 3/4ths of the criminal underworld in this city if not this state. When you end up in someone like his sights and favorites like I have you do what you have to do to keep everyone happy and safe. Dancing is just a part of it.

She listened more.

SO just because of me you think you wanna turn strip clubs into your scene? Well then you gotta watch more dancers than one.

Slamming down her shot and motioning for another one she watched Damien trying to let him process everything she had said feeling sure he would bolt hearing she was in the sights and favorite list of Callis Daniels.

If Callis' name or reputation had any effect on Damien it wasn't apparent from the cool manner in which he regarded her, or the slow smile that crept across his features. It wasn't so much arrogance from him, as a underlying confidence, as if the threats she suggested didn't even matter to him. In some respects they didn't, and he explained as much to her.

"Look, I hadn't met Mr Daniels before tonight, and I certainly had no idea he was a crime lord. Thats nice for him, but it really doing mean a thing to me. Without over inflating my own importance, I can tell you that people like him, don't bother people like me. He doesn't want someone with my father's connections looking into his affairs. That'd be bad news all around. As far as strip clubs, yeah they're nice, but I'm not enjoying this one because of the stripping, I'm enjoying it because of you."

Damien reached out, taking another sip of his drink, and then hissing at the bite of it. It was a lot rougher than what he usually enjoyed.

"Would it be forward of me to ask you out for coffee after work? I'm not trying to get in your pants, though I can't imagine a man on this earth who wouldn't, but you seem like a fun woman, and I would very much like to get to know you better."

She listened a poker face of her own in place. A bonus in her line of work learning what affects the client without revealing any effect they have on her if any.

You really are not from around here are ya sugar. Coffee... like I have not heard this ploy before but sure... coffee.

She finished off her drink and had another one before standing to head back to dance again.

She really didn't know what to make of this guy... not the typical sleaze or crime goon she was used to. There was something about him that made her think on his offer of coffee and suspect that it was just that... coffee.