[kaylor] strippers and unrequited love;

fourteen

        With a pout and a whine, Karlie's roommate, Jourdan, stands beneath the light in the kitchen with her arms crossed. Karlie is manning the stove, making her shoddy version of a stir-fry. She was thankful that the popping and sizzling of the oil and vegetables in the pan was slightly drowning out Jourdan.

        "C'mon, Kar! You haven't been out with us in so long. Candice thinks you've died or som'fin."

        The stripper looks up at the mention of her other friend, Candice. The two get along pretty well at work and talk to each other fairly often. 

        "I know that Jour, but every time I go out with you guys, something bad happens. It's funny actually," Karlie says, turning from her food. A smirk plays on her face. "Separated, you're all fine. There's no trouble and it's great. But together? It's like every kind of bad mojo is attracted to us."

        "Bad mojo? Really?"

        "I don't know what else to call it! Bad luck, troublemakers, you get my point."

        "But it's so much fun! You can't deny that."

        Karlie smiles lightly. Jourdan's right; the nights they have may be crazy, but every time they come out of it with amazing memories.

        "I guess so." Karlie gives a shrug.

        "So is that a yes?"

        Karlie's lips purse softly and she pushes around some carrots with her spatula. She had nothing planned for the night anyway, so she might as well.

        "Yeah." The subsequential squeal that comes from Jourdan makes Karlie flinch, but she has a smile on nonetheless.

        "Alright, well finish cooking your rabbit food and eat it because we're meeting up with the rest of the girls in like, two hours. Candice is having a party!"

        Karlie's brow raises and she turns up the heat on the stove a bit more.

/ / /

        They rent an Uber cab to Candice's apartment. She's a bit better off money-wise with an apartment in SoHo that could house nearly all the girls at Dominic's club. All of the girls wonder why she even strips in a place like Dominic's. If you don't need money desperately, you don't work at Dominic's. That's just how it goes. Candice is sort of a black sheep in terms of comradery between the girls; she dresses nice, eats well, drives a nice car, and has a nice place, but her personality is so enticing and enjoyable that the rest is often overlooked.

        When they arrive, Karlie presses the buzzer a few dozen times to piss off Candice, knowing how much the blonde hated the noise. As her and Jourdan laugh, the doors are clicked open and they make their way upstairs.

        Candice is waiting upstairs in her doorway with her arms crossed. Music and the sound of girls laughing floats outs from her apartment.

        "Seriously with the buzzer?" Her South African lilt questions, eyebrows furrowed. Karlie barks out a laugh.

        "What else did you expect?" Candice rolls her eyes and steps aside to let the girls in. They drop their things on her table and surge into the living room.

        Karlie's a bit overwhelmed at the mass of people. From outside, the music's volume was not given justice. Inside, the music is throbbing in her ears and she swears the floor is vibrating as a response to it. There's at least thirty, maybe forty, people scattered around Candice's apartment, mingling and eating and drinking. Karlie expected at the most the girls from the club and maybe some friends, but these are people she's never seen. Jourdan immediately notices her roommate's discomfort and approaches her side.