Strip Tease

Chapter 6

I could feel the heat rise to my face as I glanced at Orion. Maybe out of embarrassment, maybe out of hatred. I wasn't sure yet. He was grinning down at his pancakes while cutting a little piece off to put in his mouth. I don't know why, but I couldn't lie to Ginger. That's like lying to Santa. Who lies to little old ladies? I would feel like I was mocking her with my stripper name.

"Well it's lovely to meet you Reagan. My boy here has never brought a girl in for me to meet! Only Paul." She Scowled at him and shoved his shoulder lightly and he let out a little chuckle, not bothering to look up from the breakfast that he was scarfing down.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your pancakes. I hope you love them! Come find me before you leave, dear. We need to talk." She pointed to Orion and gave him a slight warning look.

"Thank you for the pancakes!" I called and she smiled brightly at me and I watched her walk back into the kitchen.

"It's Orion." I snapped my head back to see him running his hand through is unruly black hair. He was staring at me with a small smile on his face. "But you knew that already. Didn't you?"

I felt that all too familiar warmth rise to my face. "A girl at work told me your name after you left but I don't know anything about you."

"Why didn't you look me up?" His face contorted into disbelief.

"Why would I? If you want me to know then you'll tell me. Will I find something if I do look you up?"

"Why did you lie about your name?" He asked changing the subject abruptly.

"Well, when a guy I've never met shows up at my work for a week straight it raises some questions. I didn't know what you wanted or what would happen if I gave you my name. Why did you lie about your name?"

"I could tell you didn't know who I was and I liked that. To you, I was just a person that was in your way. You didn't look at me like everyone else does."

"You know you do the same thing to me right? You're the only person that walks into a strip club and doesn't look at me like a stripper. You didn't even try to touch me last night."

"You're not mine to touch." He said with a sly smirk on his face. I gave him a smile back even though there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"That's different." He spoke quietly with a confused expression in his face.
"What is?" I looked down at our food and coffee.

"Your smile," My head shot up and returned the same confused expression he was giving me. "Your smile, every time I've seen it, it's this...I don't know." He said and grimaced a little.

Shit. "Um...I have a specific smile for work." I looked down at the table pushing the scraps that weren't there around on my plate. "My friends and I call them our "sexy smiles", it's supposed to make guys want us so we get more dances."

"That's pathetic." He said chuckling.

"It is not! What's pathetic is spending over one hundred dollars just to get a girl to go to breakfast with you." I glared at him. He stopped laughing and glared back at me. I will not be called pathetic for trying to make a living.

"You didn't have to make me spend that much. You wouldn't answer my question."

"I didn't make you do anything. I wanted you to go away." I said a little louder this time.

"Do you still want me to go away?" His tone was rough but his green eyes softened and searched my face for something.

"No." I said still irritated with him and myself.

"Okay." He didn't look away and he didn't smile. I really want him to smile. I hate that I want that.

"Okay."

"Well, I'm finished. Are you ready to go?" I nodded slightly and started to pick up my purse. He dropped a hundred dollar bill on the table and my eyes widened slightly, but I didn't question it. It's not my business. "I have to talk to the real Ginger really quick, but I'll meet you out in the car in just a minute." I nodded and walked out the front entrance as he jogged towards the kitchen. I held the door for a couple coming in for breakfast.

I buckled myself into the car and turned on the heater to attempt to warm it up before he got back. After 5 minutes, Orion finally came into view, walking alongside Ginger. He gave her a slight hug and she pecked him on the cheek. When she spotted me, she gave me a small wave. I waved back but I wasn't sure if she saw it with Orion's large body blocking the doorway as he left the small restaurant.

He opened the door on his side of the car and I felt a rush of cold air enter the car. He buckled his seat belt and waited quietly for me to drive.

"That wasn't entirely horrible." I mumbled quietly and he stared at me for a moment before he recovered.

"So, does that mean I get more than just breakfast?" His face lit up with a smile and it made me let out a small laugh.

"I've been awake since seven yesterday morning. I need to get some sleep. But I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime."

"Sure. Preferably not at four in the morning though." He chuckled and I couldn't help but smile now that his good mood was back.

"Ginger's place looked pretty empty and she said you never bring anyone there. How does she stay open?"

"Like I said, I go there a lot." He nodded his head.

"Yeah, but if you're her only business, how is she staying out of debt?"

"I sort of help out, like an investor." I nodded my head and continued down the street back to temptations. It was a silent drive but it wasn't completely uncomfortable.

I thought about how Orion smelled like pine trees and chocolate, and wondered if it was his cologne or if he was just the outdoors-y type. I was thinking about how Orion was so large that he barely fit in my car. It made me wonder what type of car that he drove. I wondered how often he worked out, and how tall his father must have been to be towering over me. Orion had to be at least six and a half feet tall, his hands were the size of my head, and the button down shirt he was wearing was barely holding itself together under the muscles that were there. I wanted to reach out and run my fingers over his fore arms, to see if the heat in the car was from him. Sure, my heater was on, but my car didn't work that well.

I pulled up to Temptations, realizing I didn't know which car was his. I stopped across the street from the front entrance and parked the car. We both stepped out into the street and met where the bumper should be.

"So, are you headed home?" I asked trying to fill the silence.

"No, I work around here so I'm just going to head to the office. Get some work in before I head home." I nodded my head and looked down at the ground. So much for construction. "I'll talk to you soon." He smiled down at me and gave me a curt nod. I smiled tightly back at him and walked to my side of the car. I opened my door and then paused before getting in. He was walking down the sidewalk, but hadn't gotten too far down the road.

"Thanks for stalking me." I called after his retreating form. He spun around and smiled brightly at me. The sunrise starting to form in the horizon, giving the streets and massive buildings a bright glow.

"Thanks for the dance." Her winked and continued on his walk.

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