When You Play with Fire

It had been exactly forty-two minutes since we got here, and I've been staring for at least twenty of them.
Considering I was in a strip club, its not unusual to stare. It would actually be unusual not to, but I wasn't staring for the usual reasons, not totally at least.
I pulled a cigarette out of its case, and lit it up; waving my hand to put out the match. Not taking my eyes off her through the crowd.
She was in the third pole alcove in the large room. Wearing two small pieces of red, purple, orange, and a deep yellow fabric; the tapered tails of the small skirt whipping around her as she danced made me think of fire. Her pale skin and black hair helped give her the illusion of a match.
While her body was beautiful, what had me staring at her was her eyes. Much like the rest of her, they resembled fire. They were hazel, and mysterious, and I wanted to play in the flames of them, even if I got burned.
The longer I stared, the more anxious I got. Almost like some primal instinct came over me. I wanted her, and even more I wanted everyone else's eyes off her.
I saw her getting off her small stage, and start to slowly weave through the crowd. What was amazing was even though she was small, not a single man touched her as she walked past. They too must have also smelled the smoke of burnt hands that had reached out without permission in the past; she carried it confidently, almost flaunting it. You watch a bonfire, but you don't stick your hand in it.
I was so entranced by the way she walked on her toes, and how the skirt tails swirled around her with the sway of her hips that she was upon me before I even realized that I was her destination.
"If you like what you see, I can show you more. It'll cost you though. It's seventy-five for a private dance, but you get an hour. Which is how long you've already been watching me." She trailed her hand across my jaw, and down my neck.
"Seventy-five is a steal. How many private dances do you think you give a night?" I asked, wanting to reach up and touch her hand, but not quite yet wanting to get burned; I had a plan before I resorted to that.
"Three to four a night, more on weekends when it's busier." I could see her trying to calculate what I was getting at, but keeping her eyes hooded, with an almost dazed look. She was smarter that what she wanted people to think.
"Say you give five private dances tonight, 'cause it's Thursday and some people might be celebrating the weekend early. So five dances will get you three seventy-five, which we will round up to four hundred for all the ones that would have been thrown at you when you are on the stage. Now let's say I give you five hundred, and you come home with me. You'll make what you already did tonight," I gestured at a wad of ones and fives stuffed in her waistband. "plus what you would have if you stayed the rest of your shift. You'll make a profit, and I'll bring you to dinner, because my mother raised a gentleman."
I watched as the small fire in her eyes grew into roaring flames, and her hair fly around her as she reared her head back like a wild horse who found a snake in a patch of long grass.
"I'm not a prostitute. You want a dance, pick another girl." She swirled like her skirt, going to leave, and it was then that I was ready to get burned.
I stood, grabbing her wrist, and leaned into whisper in her ear. I guessed that I had made three minutes before security showed up and gave me a beating, before throwing me out.
"The not being a prostitute is a good thing, considering I want to bring you home, and keep you there. Give me a shot, you may end up liking what you find." Seeing her look at me, and then over my shoulder, I knew my time was up. I let go of her wrist to let her leave, but she didn't step away.
She stood there staring past me over my shoulder for a while, before she nodded; then looked back at me.
"Five fifty, and no promises or obligations to stay the night." She said to me, the flames in her eyes had settled, but were definitely still there.
"Six hundred, and deal." I said, giving her a full smile.
She raised her eyebrow, "Six hundred? I'm not sure you know how bargaining works, but I'll take it." I could see the hint of a smile on her face, but she wasn't going to let it slip, favoring the smolder that she has had on the entire night.
"Oh, I'm plenty sure of how it works, and I think I just made a great investment." I extend my hand out to her, giving her one last chance to back out.
She smirked at me, and put her hand in mine. I went to head towards the door, but she pulled me towards her stage.
"Settle down firecracker, I can do most ballroom dances, but I don't think this is my forte." I told her.
"Unless you want everyone outside that door to grab at me; which I'm sure you don't, I need to change, and you're coming with because I don't want you taking home another girl and give them my six hundred." She said, throwing me a grin that would make the devil proud.
She left me by a door, and told me to stay put. If only she knew how much of a hold she had on me already.
Before I knew it, she was back out wearing a cocktail dress that was as black as her hair, and had tiny gems all over it, giving the illusion of stars; she was also wearing a a pair of heels that gave her a good few inches on her short height, and a black fur shawl; she was carrying a small clutch.
I held my arm out for her, and she wrapped her dainty hand around it. We made our way to the door, and she nodded at the bouncer as we exited.
I opened the car door for her, and then went around and I got in the driver side.
"Alright Starfire, are you ready?" I asked.
Her facade finally broke, and a devious smile made its way onto her face. "Sure am, Sugar."