inferno // l.s.

two

continuation of last chapter hehe

—-

louis was out for his second smoke of the night when an all too familiar feeling swam through him.

he brushed it off as general performer's anxiety because weekend crowds can get a tad bit crazy when the alcohol gets to be too much. mason is usually the one that throws them out and tells them to go home and sober the fuck up before the cops show up. luckily they listen and leave majority of the time. mason can be pretty scary when the time is right. he intimidated louis when louis went in for his first audition but they warmed up to eachother pretty quickly, now mason is like an older brother to him. he's protective over his staff and shares an equal amount of love for everyone.

except for this girl lola, she's a total bitch. fuck her.

the stripper leans against the brick wall of the club and flicks the ashes of his cigarette onto the sidewalk silently. the air has cooled down to a small breeze, replacing the muggy feeling it held earlier. it's almost 2:30 in the morning. two and a half hours to go.

the club "closes" at 4 but none of the employees clock out to go home until roughly 5, due to counting and splitting tips and helping clean up the venue. it's a ritual. once the last customer leaves, the doors get locked, everyone crowds around the stage and bars to count their money and pocket their profits. they tip the bartenders and waiters for their help, converse about their shifts and go on their separate ways after everything is done.

louis' favorite part of each shift is tipping everyone else. he loves tipping marshall. marshall is quite the character. he cracks jokes every other second and can keep a strong conversation. you need that skill in order to be a bartender, gotta be able to handle people and their words. he's strong, both physically and mentally, and he's pretty. he has a smaller build like louis, but sports a sleek black ponytail and a small goatee. warm brown eyes usually framed behind a pair of glasses and he's always wearing the bartender uniform of a solid black button up with slacks. louis fancied him at one point but found out the man is actually in a relationship of his own so he never tried to make it go any further. boundaries, man.

louis traces the dips between each brick to entertain himself as the familiar vibrations rattle beneath him. the club life kept him vibrant and alive. he was a social butterfly as a kid, always known for socializing with students and staff and being on the footie team in high school. the public eye was something he was always kept into. now, stripping may not be the best thing for the public eye but it's good enough for him.

he tosses his finished cigarette to the side and squints his eyes as a pair of headlights beam bright onto him and he turns his head to step on the still smoking cigarette butt.

"hey babe!"

"fuck," louis whispers to himself as footsteps scuff his way. "hi mylo." he swallows thickly when mylo grabs his wrist to pull him in for a hug.

"missed you," mylo murmurs.

louis doesn't respond to that, only lets out a soft sigh. "i gotta get back."

"i'll walk you in, then," the man hums and reaches for louis' hand. louis jerks it back and stuffs his hands in the pockets of his joggers he had put on before his smoke and keeps his head low as they enter the building. mylo pays for his entry and allows himself to be searched while louis gets tugged away by his boss.

"lou, i thought you didn't want him back here?"

"i don't," louis gulps again. "but i can't make him leave."

mason eyes the boy up and down. "i can."

"mase," louis shakes his head, eyes almost pleading. "he'll cause another scene. it's been a good night, everyone's having fun. let's just try to keep it that way, yeah? plus that harry guy is here and if he's doing what you think he's doing then i'd rather steer clear of anymore public embarrassment."