Shambles

Chapter 2: Ember

We walk in a room that's huge. It has the biggest bed I have ever seen sitting on a platform that's surrounded by floor to ceiling windows. You have to walk up about three steps to get to the bed. There's a sitting area in the middle of the room with a fireplace and a huge TV above the fireplace.

The model walks over to the couch and plops down. He's just watching me stand by the door. I'm not sure what to do.

"So are you going to dance?"

"Umm..yea," I say looking down at the money in my hand. I walk over and stand in front of him. "Umm...there's no music."

He leans up and reaches around me. He grabs a remote off the table and hits a button. Some soft jazz comes on.

"What do you want to dance to?"

"Umm whatever," I say, playing with my fingers. He switches it to Power 92 and Drake 'Started From the Bottom' is playing."

Closing my eyes I start moving my hips. I'm not really a big dancer but I can keep the beat. When I open them he smiles because I know he knows I'm nervous.

He stands and his lean body brushes up against mine. I jump back. "You're too nervous, you need to loosen up." He smirks. "I don't bite." He walks over to a side table and pulls out what looks to be a small white cigarette.

He walks back over to where I'm standing. "You want to smoke...maybe it will help loosen you up."

"What is that?"

"It's just a little weed. It helps me relax."

Shrugging I watch him light it and take a long pull off the joint. He passes it to me and plops back down on the couch.

Not ever doing this before I put the joint up to my lips and take a long pull. I immediately start coughing - choking on the smoke. My eyes have started watering when I reach up and grab my chest. I feel a hand patting me on my back. When I look up, I find the model giving me a concerned but quizzical look.

"Have you ever done this before?"

"Done what?" I ask, passing him back the joint.

"Any of this." He motions his finger around. "Dancing or smoking. Most strippers' hands don't shake or they don't turn pale at the mention of taking off their clothes."

"Ummm..." I avert my eyes over to the window and look out at the darkness. "Umm..no."

"Well, why are you here?"

Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms in front of my chest. I wonder if I should tell this stranger that I will never see again that my mother made me come. "Ummm I needed to make some money." Is the lie I decide to go with.

He frowns before plopping back down on the couch. "You are a terrible liar."

"Sit." He points to the couch he's on. "I didn't want to be here either, but my brother Michael is getting married tomorrow."

Sitting down on the couch I watch as he lays his head back and takes another pull off the joint. He passes it to me. "Don't try to hit it so hard."

"Ok," I say. I'm really feeling the effects of the drinks and the one hit of the weed - I truly don't need anymore. I pass the joint back to him after taking a small tiny hit. I coughed a little but not like the first time.

He doesn't say anything and I just sit there quietly smiling at the idea of him seeing my underwear. I burst out laughing. When I look over to him he has an eyebrow raise.

"You ok?"

"Yea-yea. I'm just-" I start laughing again "I'm just thinking," I say.

"Well, tell me what you're thinking. I want to know what's funny."