Where's my roommate

THEODORE

When it comes to all the things I love doing, dancing is a close second.

It’s freeing as fuck, gets your blood pumping, and then comes in the form of a paying job at a place where no one can ever find out about my true identity. The full package, truly.

Tonight, I’m dancing to a slow song at the requests of the customers with my eyes closed. A sure given way to help me get out of my head after the kind of day I had which I really don’t want to think about.

Is it the day or a person you don’t want to think about?

“Come on, Dorey,” someone at the far end of the crowd shouts my stage name, waggling his tongue at me like a dog. The lights here are positioned in such a way that it’s on me, but I can make out the woman clearly. “We’re not feeling it.”

Not feeling it?

What can I do about that?

“You can’t be serious,” I shout back, turning my head to the side. I make sure I stay as far as I can from the edge of the platform while remaining as close as I can to the men and women, who keep trying to either touch me on the exposed part of my feet or smack me on the ass. I kid you not. This is a real thing.

Even when Devil’s Knight has a policy against touching the dancers, some people are still too dumb or entitled enough to want to do it. The money helps me forget those little accidents.

“Come on, boys and girls.” I twirl around, twisting my lower body just enough that it pops to the side. When I turn again, I wink at the couple closest to me, who keep staring at me while not moving their body at all. “I see you, Darron. Yeah, you too, Trixie. Shake that thing.”

The man, Darron, just shakes his head, clearly entertained by my antics. He brings out a wad of cash from his pockets and starts throwing it down onto the platform, green eyes never leaving mine.

Testing me. He never fails to do that.

The same couple has been trying to get me to have a threesome with them since the beginning of time, sending my manager again and again with double of the last price they offered. Never giving up.

“Just do it for the night, Dorey,” Dan, my manager, said the last time the couple made an offer. To tempt me, he gave a detailed analysis on why it wouldn’t hurt to indulge in some fantasies. Even if it was the one part of this job I vowed never to get involved in. “A lot of the other guys do this. It’s another way to earn quick cash, and you won’t have to share it with the management since it won’t happen here. You’re not even fucking the guy.”

“Tempting,” I pursed my lips, tilting my head to the side like I was actually contemplating the offer. “Such a shame though because you have to tell them I’m not interested.” I’ll never be interested.

That was two weeks ago.

From the way they’re staring at me, I reckon they’ll be making another offer tonight.

“That’s it, boy,” a new louder voice comes into the mix. Like everyone else, he’s wearing a mask with a name tag attached to his shirt. I turn to the side, hands stretch out to give him a teasing wave when he does the unmentionable.

He smacks me. Twice.

And on the ass too.

“Fuckk,” I scoot backwards, almost falling off the platform from how fast I moved. How dare he? “Don’t touch me!”

“Come on, it’s just an ass grab… it won’t kill you,” the nasty man says, coming even closer so he can do it again, when one of the bouncers walks up to us and tells him he has to leave. “Oh, you fucking idiots at Devil’s Knight act like such virgins. A man dressed like this is only asking for one thing and I can give him that. You don’t mind, Dorey.” He licks his lower lips and makes another attempt to touch me. “Let go off me… let go.”

His little fight is nothing against our bouncers.

“Dance for us, Dorey.”

“Don’t mind the idiot.”

“Let’s dance.”

When I get back to the dressing room I share with three other guys once my time was up, I’m not surprised to find it empty. The people are always amped up after a performance like that, and If I won’t indulge them, others will.

Everyone needs money, and they’ll find a way to get it.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror, taking note of all the glitter on my face and hair, while trying to ignore the sting on my bottom. If Sue sees me like this, she’s going to have so many questions. I don’t want that. I’m trying to remove the glitter stuck to my lashes when there’s a knock on the door and Dan walks in.

“I’m not going to fuck Darron and Trixie.” I keep my eyes on the reflected image of the man. He’s dressed in purple today, arms crossed to show authority. “So don’t bother telling me their offer.”

“I know, I know. That’s not the reason I’m here.”

Of course. “Then why are you here?”

“I know you don’t like to indulge…”

“Forget about it.” I cut in, removing the last piece of glitter from my face. If any other comes up, and it will, I’ll have to come up with a suitable lie. “I don’t think I can stress how not interested in such activities I am.”

Dan moves to take the seat by my side. He removes a cigarette from the pack on the table, lights it up and takes a deep drag. “That’s not it, Dorey. Someone just paid the standard f*e to have a look at you. He promises not to touch or do anything nasty.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m not stripping.”

He lets out a puff of smoke. “You’re not. He just wants a look, and one of the guys will be stationed outside the door so you can scream if anything happens.” He drops a single key and a few bucks on the table. “You always do good, kid. The only reason I’m giving into these eccentricities.”

When I get to the room, still dressed in my outfit, I’m a bit surprised to find there’s no one there. And the only things amiss are the half-filled glass of alcohol on the table with the spread out stained handkerchief beside me. The words Something came up, sorry are scribbled down on the cloth.

Sucks to be him then.

Dan has no issue with me going home after that.

Maybe I’ll order pizza and have that as my dinner before turning in for the night… or some Chinese food, or maybe… the sound of the TV blaring stops my train of thought, and I check the time on my phone. Eleven fifteen. There’s only one reason Sue will have that on now.

She has someone with her.

“Fuck me… just one night of silence, please,” I groan, shielding my eyes as best as I can for the event that they just couldn’t wait. “Sue…”

“She’s not here,” a masculine voice interrupts.

I quickly remove the hands from my eyes to find the last person I wanted to see in my apartment sitting on my couch, watching some sort of weird show. Did Sue let him in?

“Where’s my roommate,” I sneer, irritation rising up my throat.

“What do you mean?” Noah asks, eyes on me. The fucker is smiling like this isn’t some sort of fuckery. “I am your roommate, Theo.”