Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Jagger
“ A re we sure this is a good idea?” Bowie whispers to me as we stand in line to get into Luminescence.
“Lennon and Marley wouldn’t make us go to an all male show…” I trail off as I look at my two brothers. They have the same concerned look on their faces. We look over at our two sisters and they’re trying to look innocent. Fuck. I think they tricked us.
“You wouldn’t.” Presley frowns at them.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.” Marley giggles.
I do see a mixture of men and women in the line and I saw a poster with both men and women on it. But I didn’t look at the date. Next time I’ll do some research before blindly following my sisters. There’s a lot of people in line—there’s a line for VIP, which we’re in, and one for general admission.
“What’s the difference between general admission and VIP?” I ask Lennon.
“VIP gets the booths and the first three rows inside. And at the end of the show, you get to go into the area with the dancers and hang out with them.”
“So the general admission has to leave when the shows over?”
“No, they’re just in a different area. I’ve seen the dancers go into the general area too, but it’s more fun in the VIP.”
I still don’t know what to expect tonight. But I’m always up for a new adventure.
We ended up waiting in line for about thirty minutes before we’re let inside. When we get inside, there’s booths that line the walls and there are tables in the back for groups to sit at. The main area has rows of chairs that fill up from the front to the middle of the room. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this definitely wasn’t it.
Quinlan
In our group of friends, there’s Isabella, Luciana, Chloe, Evangeline and Owen. It’s because of Owen that tonight is happening. He and Luciana are the photographers for Luminescence, which Luciana’s family owns. And he’s been asking if they would consider having a mixed night. It’s usually an all-male strip show, but tonight and tomorrow night they’re trying a male and female weekend for the first time.
“Have I said how happy I am that we’re finally getting a mixed weekend?” Owen smiles at all of us.
We’re setting up before they let the VIP ticket holders in. We do this every Friday and Saturday night when the club has shows.
I chuckle at Owen. “How long have you been asking?”
“Years. Maybe decades.” He laughs.
“So dramatic,” Isabella teases.
Luminescence opened two years ago. And Owen’s been asking basically since day one. He finally got his wish. I have to say I’m excited for tonight too. When you have an all-male strip show, it’s mostly women that come to see it. I’m looking forward to having men here tonight.
“Hot men coming to see the show is going to be so much fun,” Evangeline says as she’s wiping the booths down.
“I agree, I think this weekend is a good idea. Do you think you’ll keep doing it?” I ask Luciana.
Luciana nods at me. “I think we’re going to do the mixed thing once a month.”
Jagger
After taking in the club layout, I turn and see the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. She’s standing ten feet away from me and I can see she has two different color eyes, and the most mouth-watering curves. I need to know who she is.
“Earth to Jagger,” I hear my sister Lennon say to me as she’s waving her hands in front of my face.
I tear my eyes away from my angel to look at my sister.
“What? Sorry. Were you saying something?”
“I was telling you that our booth is over here. But you’re busy staring at that gorgeous woman over there,” Lennon teases me.
I roll my eyes at her and laugh. “You’re a dork. Let’s go sit down.”
As we sit down, I look over to see my angel looking at me, and I can’t help but smile at her. I want to go over and talk to her. I’m guessing she works here because she’s off to the side of the stage.
“Why don’t you go over and try to talk to her?” Presley nudges my arm.
“You think so? I don’t want to get us kicked out.”
“Fuck it. Just go and if they kick us out? Whatever. At least you tried.”
My brother Presley is a romantic. He says that he knows there’s someone for everyone and that sometimes we have to weed through the icks to get to the one. I’ve had a few icks and a few maybes but never the one. Until now. I know it sounds crazy, hearing me say it in my head sound crazy. But I just know.
“Go. Don’t be a coward and have to wonder ‘what if,’” Presley says to me. “It’s the perfect time. The show won’t start for another thirty minutes. GO.”
I get up out of the booth and make my way over to where she is. Suddenly there’s a few women and men coming up beside her. Shit.
“You can’t be over here,” one of the guys says to me.
Now I’m not a small guy. I’m six four, but this guy has at least two to three inches on me. I put my hands up in an ‘I surrender’ gesture.
“I just wanted to introduce myself to the beautiful woman behind you.”
He turns and looks at the four women standing behind him. One is clearly pregnant, and the others are gorgeous. But they’re not my angel.
“Which one?” he turns back to me.
“The one with one blue eye and one green eye.”
Standing this close to her, I can see how stunning she is with her multi-colored eyes. As she hears me describe her, I can see her smiling. One of the girls with her pushes her forward and she comes to stand next to the guy that’s talking to me.
“You okay?” he asks her.
She nods and he steps back, I watch him wrap his arms around the one who’s pregnant. My angel steps closer to me.
“Hi.” I smile at her.
“Hello.” She smiles, shyly.
“I saw you when I walked in and I don’t mean to sound corny, but when I saw you I knew I had to meet you. What’s your name?”
She laughs softly as I step a little closer to her.
“Quinlan Mendonca, but everyone calls me Quinn. What’s your name?”
I take her hand and kiss it.
“Jagger Peligue. Can you come and sit with me for the show? Or are you dancing?” I ask her.
Quinn laughs. “I’m definitely not dancing. But I do have to help out with set changes and things like that. You can stay back here with me if you want to…”
I smile at her. “Let me tell my brothers and sisters where I’ll be and I’ll be right back.”
I walk as fast as I can back to our booth.
“Holy fuck, you’re glowing.” Bowie chuckles at me.
“I just met my angel. And she said I can hang out with her backstage, she has to help out and can’t come sit with us. But I’ll make sure you all meet her after the show.”
“Good luck.” Lennon grins at me.
I turn and head back to Quinn.