All That Glitters

Chapter 8

Johnny and I are sitting at a table at the back of the cafe with our backs to the wall, so we can see the door. We're five minutes early, and I am giving Kingston until 9:15 a.m., and if he hasn't arrived by then, we're leaving. 

"Was Salem upset this morning that you left without him?" Johnny worriedly asks while he lightly spins the salt shaker in between his hands. 

"Not really since he was going to spend time with Troyer and Annabell, and then I'm taking him to the zoo for the day," I asnwer with a shrug as the cafe door opens with Kingston and Taylor entering, and they scan for us. 

"That's good," Johnny replies as the two men join us, and sit down across from us with bright smiles. 

"Hi," Johnny and I greet them with tiny smiles which they return. 

"What's good here?" Taylor asks as he looks over a menu. 

"Everything," Johnny answers deadpanned, making me laugh loudly - I love my best friend especially when he is being difficult. 

"If you like pasta, the mushroom raviolis with mushroom red sause is great," I reply on a chuckle, and a fond smile at my best friend. 

"So, how old are you guys?" Taylor asks once we have placed our orders. 

"I'm twenty-four," Johnny replies curtly as he fiddles with the salt shaker like he was earlier. 

"I, uh, I'm twenty-two," I mumble with flushed cheeks. "How old are you two?" 

"Taylor and I are both twenty-seven," Kingston replies for the two of them with a smile. "So, I know your real first name is Gabriel, and yours is Joh, or is that short for something?" 

Johnny raises his right eyebrow at him in defience as he shortly answers; "Jon is fine for now."

Glaring at him in hopes that he understands that I want him to be a smidge nice. 

"Maybe you should have asked Troyer to come instead of me," Johnny grumbles making Taylor and Kingston lightly chuckle. 

"You know he would be worse than you," I grumble. "Besides he's watching Salem for me with his partner."

Johnny nods as he sighs; "Fine, I'll be a little nicer if it will make you happy."

"Thanks," I brightly smile before focusing on the other two men, who are intently watching us with smirks. 

"So, what made you two decide to become strippers?" Taylor bluntly asks as Kingston opens his mouth to ask a question.

Kingston's mouth snaps shut as his eyes widen at his friends question as I try not to cry or become angry since I need to keep Johnny from exploding; "Jon, keep your temper in check, please."

"We're not strippers since we don't remove our clothing while dancing on stage, we're exotic dancers," Johnny lowly growls with fire snapping in his eyes. 

"All the same," Taylor shrugs as if he hasn't been at the club on several occassions. "What about you, Milan?" 

"I needed the money after my parents kicked me out of their home for my sexuality, and this was the only job I could find," I shrug.

"Doesn't your son's other parent care that you are doing this job?" Taylor asks despite Kingston's attempt to stop his friend. 

"Nope, since I don't know who his other parent is, so it's not an issue," I shrug with anger dripping from my voice. 

"So, you're an easy lay? Kingston, that shouldn't be a problem for you to get laid then," Taylor tells him with a bright smirk. 

Silently standing, I grab my wallet from my back left pocket to toss a twenty dollar bill onto the table to pay for mine and Johnny's meals. 

"Taylor was joking, please don't leave," Kingston pleads as I try not to cry at the moment. "Taylor, tell them you were joking!"

"It's okay, I should have known better than to come," I seeth as I stare back at him. "We may be exotic dancers, but none of us at the club are easy. Leave me alone, leave all of us alone. Oh, and I will tell Troyer about banning the two of you from the club."

"There's no need for that since Taylor was joking," Kingston pleads as he moves to touch my right hand which I snap from his reach. 

Lightly growling at him; "Don't fucking touch me!"

"Milan, let's go," Johnny says, taking me by the hand to pull me away from them. 

Kingston's P.O.V.

Snapping my attention to my best friend angerly; "WHy in the hell did you do that? You promised me you would behave!"

"Dude, I wanted you to forget about Royce, not to try and get involved romanticly with a stripper," Taylor huffs with an eye roll. "Strippers don't do relationships."

"That's where you're wrong," a female voice growls from behind us, making us turn to face the person who spoke - an older female with blond hair, and firey blue eyes. 

"How would you know that?" I ask as Taylor scoffs, and stops when I glare at him. 

"I used to be an exotic dancer, that's how I met my finace, who happens to be the owner of the club Milan and Rome work at. All of the dancers there except Milan have long term relationships."

She turns on her heel to leave with a bag filled with takeout containers, and I'm angrier than I have ever been with Taylor in my life. 

"I hate that you ruined any chances I had to know Milan better," I growl as I stand to pay the bill without any of us recieving or eating our food - I tell the employee do let someone have the meals. 

Leaving the cafe without another word or look at Taylor, and I need to decide if I am going to continue my friendship with him or not. I cannot believe he was an absolute ass to Milan and his friend, but I guess I shouldn't have been surprised he acted this way. He wasn't shy about making rude or snide comments toward Royce when he and I were together.