Stripping For The Alpha King

Chapter 7

"So tell me, rich boy, how are you finding Denver?" I asked as we strolled to the gardens. Ajax had offered to drive, but I wasn't ready to get in a car with him just yet. Besides, a little fresh air and sunshine was always good for the body.

Ajax rolled his eyes, not seeming to be particularly fond of my nickname for him, but answered anyway, "Frankly, the men whose sole purpose was to cater to me this trip didn't seem to have a clue of what I really wanted to experience. So, as of right now, I'm basing my Denver experience off of you. To put that into one word I would have to say: unexpected."

"I see."

Privilege dripped into his voice and it agitated me. He seemed nice enough with the way he was always smiling at me, but there were moments when he spoke that made me wonder about his true intentions. He could buy me coffee and talk to me sweetly, but maybe he was just better at playing his game than I thought. That auburn hair and those dimples would be enough to fool anyone into thinking he was just a wholesome young man. Maybe he was just concealing the snobby rich kid beneath all that. Or, maybe he was just a genuinely nice man that never had to check his privilege before and didn't always realize how his words sounded.

"Wow, it's an amazing building," Ajax murmured as we approached the gardens.

"Wait until you see the plants inside. I've been here so many times and they still manage to impress me," I replied with clear excitement. But my eyes were not on the building. They were on Ajax and I noticed the way his hand twitched towards me, like he wanted to touch me, then fell to his side again when he thought better of it.

We made it inside and he paid our entrance fee without even asking if we should split it. And, for a little while, he didn't try to start up a conversation. Maybe it was just because he wasn't on a time limit now, but he didn't seem so inclined to spit words out of his mouth so consistently. However, I did see him glancing at me often as we moved through the indoor gardens.

I would pretend not to notice it as I sipped my caramel coffee, but there was something rather adorable about the way his brow furrowed when he looked at me. It almost seemed like I was a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out and it gave me an odd sense of satisfaction. I enjoyed the idea of being untouchable, even just for a little while.

Ajax continued along beside me as I progressed through the maze of flowers, succulents, and trees. Sometimes, when I turned towards him he would snap his gaze away from me with the fear of being caught. Other times he would blatantly stare at me while biting his lower lip. I thought about breaking the silence and telling him what I knew about the plants before, but decided against it. He had wanted to meet me for coffee so badly and he had wanted to continue on, therefore he could come up with the conversation when he was ready to speak. And if he didn't want to then I had free access to one of the most beautiful places in my city.

"Can I ask you something?" he blurted when we were halfway through the gardens. To be entirely honest I was simply surprised that he had managed to keep his mouth shut this long.

"Sure," I said with an absent shrug. Though I had been pretending to be noncommittal with him this whole time I was incredibly interested in this man. He had some kind of strange effect on me and I wanted to unravel it more than I wanted anything else in that moment.

"And please answer honestly, even if you feel weird telling me the truth, okay?" he pressed.

Now I was really intrigued.

"Sure, shoot."

"Have you ever felt strange?" he asked, seeming nervous.

"Because I'm a stripper I'm supposed to feel strange?" I shot back, raising a single eyebrow, "Ajax, I'm a preform whose art is all about self-love. Maybe the first time on the stage was a little tough and I do remember feeling a bit awkward afterwards, like I couldn't believe I had done such a thing. But over the years you learn to love it. And it's one hell of a work out. Imagine getting paid for going to the gym and listening to some guy's problems."

Ajax's face twisted into disgust, like the last thing he wanted to think of was my work. Though I was proud of what I did seeing him respond that way made me insecure.

"I don't mean your work. I wouldn't expect you to feel weird about what you do three times a week," he corrected.

"Then what?"

He took a moment, seeming to ponder for the right words. "Do you feel like there are parts of your life that just don't add up? Like memories that don't make sense?"

"No," I answered immediately.

I wanted to continue on with the conversation and the walk as I found Ajax interesting and I had always loved the gardens, but I couldn't. I suddenly felt feverish. My skin felt a little too hot under my sweater and my feet weren't as stable on the floor as they were before. I moved over to a small bench that was tucked away in a secluded corner. I was sure that the feeling would pass after a few moments as I wasn't feeling ill at all.

"Really?" Ajax sounded baffled but sat down beside me without any hesitation.

"Really," I replied.

But with him so close to me I became acutely aware of how he smelled. It wasn't like a typical man from the city with expensive cologne. He smelt foreign, woodsy. It was fresh and damn near irresistible. My head tipped down, moving towards his shoulder. It felt like I was being drawn by a magnet and I wasn't strong enough to stop it. All I could think was how nice it would feel to touch him.

Ajax shifted away, "Keiko, I-" he paused, noticing my tilted head. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, just a little warm," I murmured.

"Oh God," he breathed. Then he was on his feet, pulling on the sleeves of my sweatshirt until he heaved me into a standing position, "We need to leave. Now!"

***So we didn't hit the twenty four hour mark but that's a lot of friggin votes and I'm so grateful. So here is update number one of two. Enjoy!***