His Betrothed

The Second Customer

I stood on the balcony watching Dylan swing and fly on the ruby silk. I was just as interested as his audience. I watched as his shadow changed the red lighting across the walls and ceiling. I watched the sweat drip off his toned muscles as he swung his weight to fly to the other corner of the building. I couldn't keep my eyes away from him. I never looked away out of fear he would fall. He was almost done and we would meet in the changing room and he would hug me and we would kiss. I sighed. We were just going on a dinner break.

"Hey Monroe!" I heard a rough voice yell at me. "Pass me that disc?" 

I turned around to hand Zac the disc. He took it out of its cover and roughly put it on the turntable.

"Hey man, careful!" I shot at him. "Discs should be handled  with care."

He gave me a look out of the corner of his eyes. I looked back to Dylan. He wasn't on the silk anymore but walking his way towards the changing room. Soon we would have dinner together. I walked towards the stairs but Zac stopped me.

"Hey, I just got a call, Jesse says you have a customer." He said.

"What? Now?" I whined. "I was just about to go on my dinner break!"

"Yeah, but you've got a customer..." He said again.

I groaned and stomped down the stairs to meet Dylan. I turned down the bend of the stairs to see Dylan changing. I was surprised to see him there. He took off his performance pants and pulled on his sweat pants. He was wearing green underwear. That was odd. The club's color scheme was reds. I walked into the open area, leaving the security of the wall blocking him from seeing me. I pretended to act surprised. 

"Hi!" I exclaimed.

"Hey." He puffed. He was slightly panting and sweaty. He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my forehead.

"Are you ready for dinner? I was hoping I could grab a coffee before we--"

"I can't" I cut in. "Zac told me, that Jesse says I have a customer..."

"Now?" He asked concerned. "Man! We were going to get dinner!" He looked a little more than let down.

"I'm sorry. But I need the money." I turned around before he could say anything else. Before I was out of the room he ran to the doors and grabbed my shoulder taking away a little bit of the gold tint.

"Monroe," he said shyly "I can pay for it." 

"I'm sorry" I said. "I have a customer waiting..."

~~~

I laid on my stomach with my face in the pillows. Don tracing my tattoos with his rough fingers. I wonder how his wife was feeling? Maybe his kids as well? Don had been one of my regulars; but today he had come for his last appointment. 

"I've decided to sober up..." He tells me. We sit on opposite sides of the bed staring into different corners. I decide to get up and straighten up the bed.

"I'm sorry but this means... I won't be seeing you anymore." He said.

I was actually fine with it. He was one of my most well-paying customers; but I always felt bad for his children. I could never imagine them. I had never seen Don as a family type. But apparently just as sweet and caring as he was in bed he was at home as well.

"It's alright Don... I understand." I consoled.

"Here is some extra for my... retirement you could say..." He looked a little disappointed. But obviously it was for his own sake. It was only in my best interest that he take care of his children.

"What are their names?" I asked him. He pulled out his wallet and showed me a picture of two children and who I was assuming was his wife.

"Lisa, Charlie and my wife Denise" He said. I hugged his shoulders and he got up to leave. He left the money in a neat pile on the pillows. What a tragically intricate man.