Hot for Charity (2 page)

“The time isn’t up?” Kyler asked.

“Your friend was overly generous. It’s more like three lap dances. Don’t leave me hanging.” Cody ran his hands down Kyler’s chest and shifted his weight.

“Fine. I volunteer at a shelter for homeless GLBT teens. Funding is drying up, and it might have to close if we can’t get some quick cash. The managers are trying to get some celebrity sponsors, but they won’t be in for a couple of months. I don’t make enough to give more than time,” Kyler said.

“At least the kids won’t freeze in the Vegas spring.” It might have been the wrong thing to say, but Cody tried to look on the brighter side when he couldn’t fix a problem. He’d had patients die in his hands, but he always knew he’d done everything he could and arrived at the scene as soon as possible.

“I know. People think because it’s warm here there’s no reason for shelters. These kids need someone to talk to, someone to try to get them home. If their parents kicked them out, there are volunteers who reach out to them to see if their attitude has changed.” Kyler frowned.

“I don’t know if I could do that. How do you talk to the parents?” Cody was admiring this guy more and more. It wasn’t just sexual chemistry.

“I don’t. Usually that goes to the older ladies. People are more receptive to a grandmotherly type. If the teens can’t go home, we try to find another family member to take them in. It’s better than foster care. Vegas gets runaways from everywhere so the kids will just continue to run rather than going into the system. We get some donations of stuff, but the shelter needs cash to keep the lights on and water running.” Kyler ran his hand up Cody’s back.

It felt amazingly good. Sexy yet comforting. “Wish I could help. I’ve got two jobs so I’m not exactly flush.”

“I wasn’t asking for help. You wanted to know why I was bummed. That’s it.” He shrugged. “I was lucky I didn’t end there. My parents weren’t thrilled when they caught me with a guy in high school.”

“But they didn’t kick you out. Good family. We’re lucky. You’re such a nice guy. You don’t belong in a place like this. Some of those dancers will try to take you home,” Cody warned, switching topics.

“That won’t happen. I can get a free hook up at a gay bar. I’m not one to pay for that.” Kyler tried to slide back.

Cody held on. “I’m sure you can get tons of men in bed. I can feel all the muscle under your clothes. You could probably be a stripper.”

“That’s really not a goal of mine. My plans involve clothing and a little charity work.” Kyler smiled.

“I’d like to help, if I can,” Cody offered just before the time was up.

Chapter Two

The guy was good at seeming genuine, but Kyler wasn’t just going to fall for any good stripper doing his job. He didn’t seem like a liar so maybe the paramedic thing was legit, but Kyler was not looking for compliments to stroke his ego or a date with a stripper.

“I’m sure the time must be over now.” Kyler stood up, forcing Cody to stand as well. “Thanks for the muscles and sympathy.”

“No problem. It’s nice to feel like a person…not just a tight ass.” Cody grinned.

Kyler remembered the tip and slipped a twenty along Cody’s side, tucking it under his briefs. “Thanks.”

When Kyler turned, strong arms tugged him back. Cody’s superior physical presence sent a thrill through Kyler. Cody tossed the cowboy hat aside and kissed Kyler. It was playful at first, and Kyler relaxed. Then Cody deepened the kiss and pulled Kyler in closer.

Cody had to be six-two and felt like a wall of seduction as Kyler gave in. The sexual attraction was white hot, but when Kyler felt the rhinestones on the white costume briefs, he backed off. It was a joke. A stripper?

“Sorry. I think this was weird enough. I don’t think we should complicate things.” Kyler stepped back and reached for the door.

“Wait.” Cody put his hand over Kyler’s. “Go talk to the bartender. The owner here is really serious about supporting gay rights and helping causes. We have plenty of gay men on staff and obviously as customers. Maybe there’s a fundraiser we could do or something.”

Kyler nodded. “Okay, thanks. I appreciate the tip.” He exited the pod and saw Brian and Joey smirking.

Cody went back to his crowd-pleasing activities. On to the next customer as if nothing had happened. Kyler knew that for Cody this probably was just another night at work. Nothing special. Pushing away the swirl of desire and confusion, he focused on the potential that could come out of the “lap dance” rather than the longing he felt for more of Cody’s kissing skills.

A strip club doing a fundraiser for a teen shelter? That would be public relations nightmare, but they needed the money, and he didn’t care if the devil handed it to them as long as they could keep the doors open until they could hook a big, long-term sponsor.

“You look stunned. What did he do? Was he good? Extra generous?” Joey asked as he met Kyler on his way to the bar.

“Don’t be gross,” Kyler said.

Brian was right behind his boyfriend. “I hope I got my money’s worth.”

“You did, but not the way you think.” Kyler headed for the bar and quickly surmised that the older black man was in charge there.

“What can I get you?” he asked.

“Strawberry daiquiri, frozen please,” Joey chimed in from behind him.

“Shot of Crown Royale.” Brian nodded.

“Diet Coke and some information. I’m Kyler.” He extended a hand.

The black man eyed Kyler for a second. “The name is Avery, but I don’t date customers, especially ones young enough to be my kid.”

“Weird much,” Joey said to Kyler.

“Not that type of information. Sorry. Cody said you’d be the man to talk to about a potential fundraiser for a gay cause.” Kyler fished through his wallet for the business card the shelter gave out. It had the address and phone number on it so kids could find it. They printed them by the thousands and left them around Vegas at any logical place. He always carried some in case he ran into someone in need.

Avery looked over the card as another bartender blended the daiquiri. “A teen shelter wants strip-club money? Is this a joke?” He shook his head and went to work. An expertly poured shot and a Diet Coke with a lime wedge later, Avery had done his job.

“It’s not a joke. We need all the help we can get,” Kyler said.

“How much do I owe you?” Brian asked Avery.

Kyler left the card there and did not let up on the staring contest with Avery. The other bartender settled up with Brian as Avery grabbed the card again. “Stubborn.”

“I am. We need some temporary help until we can get a sponsor. Just something to keep the doors open for a few months. If the owner is not comfortable with an event because it’s for teens, we would take a donation or whatever they want to do.”

Avery looked over Kyler’s head and nodded to someone in the crowd. “I get it. Hang out if you can. When the crowd thins out, we can talk about this more. If we’re going to help you, it needs to be handled right.”

“Sure. I’ll be right here. Thanks.” Kyler felt positive for the first time in days. Going through the motions of fixing other people’s cars and trying to help with a charity had pulled him into a gray area. That wasn’t him. His friends were right. Maybe a strip club hadn’t been the perfect idea, but Kyler did need to step out of his own comfort zone and dare to make a fool of himself…especially for something he believed in.

“You’re really hitting up a gay strip club for charity?” Joey asked.

“Hey, I’m out of my rut.” Kyler shrugged. “I’ll tell you what, I’ve only had one drink all night, and I didn’t even finish it. I’ll be the designated driver. Drink up, go flirt with the strippers or make out or whatever. You brought me here so don’t complain.” Kyler pointed to the hot men doing a dirty tango on stage.

“He’s feeling better.” Brian shrugged and downed his shot in one gulp. “Come on, babe.”

Joey grabbed Brian with one hand and held his big strawberry treat in the other. “Don’t be such a goody-goody all the time, Kyler.”

Smiling, Kyler watched Cody dance and caught a glimpse of Avery on a cell phone. The silver fox was hanging out near the bartender, and Kyler wondered if they were partners and the owners or if Avery had the owner on the phone.

When he looked back, Cody was giving another customer a lap dance right in public. Too bad Kyler had offered to be the designated driver. A little rum in his drink might just help. He had no reason to be annoyed over Cody’s job. That guy had turned him on and opened up a door for a possible donation. Still Kyler was annoyed.

* * * *

Cody couldn’t help but continue to notice Kyler all night. Kissing a customer? Sure, he had hooked up once in a great while when the chemistry was insane. But usually it was just sex. This seemed different.

As the dancers finished the finale, Cody darted backstage quickly and pulled on his jeans and a T-shirt. Instead of mingling with the crowd, he went straight for the bar. Ken gave him the evil eye, but when wasn’t that old stripper giving all the younger guys crap? Someday, Ken would retire, but he would bitch and whine all the way. His angled features were still tight, but his blond hair had turned a nice silver.

He was a weird mix of old and new. He had real talent, but his body couldn’t do some of the stuff the twenty-somethings could. Cody made it to the bar and smiled at Kyler. “So? Good news?”

Kyler shrugged. “No clue. Avery wanted me to wait.”

“Your friends look like they’re having a good time.” Cody nodded to the pair slow dancing among the tables.

“I’ll get them home safely. They’re good friends, but they found each other so easily, it makes them think I’m not trying.” Kyler shook his head.

Cody slid behind the bar and wiped it down to be useful. “Is that why you really came here? This isn’t the best place to pick up guys.”

“No, normally they drag me to gay bars. This was breaking the routine, and I’m glad. The bars don’t want to touch a teen shelter because they don’t want to be perceived as trying to lure in any underage customers. The ones who will give, want to be anonymous,” Kyler said.

“Bev doesn’t worry so much about what people think. That’s why she has Avery and Ken.” Cody straightened up the bar.

“Is that the silver fox?” Kyler asked.

“Don’t call him that to his face, but yes. Half the time, he acts as if he is in his twenties up on stage, then he’ll get all old-fashioned, and we’ll have to show him some technical thing. Refill?” Cody nodded to Kyler’s glass.

“No, I’m good. Thanks. Do you tend bar too?”

Cody laughed and stared at Kyler’s serious brown eyes. “No, but it might be a good night-job instead of this at some point. Avery used to strip.”

Kyler leaned on the bar. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Cody hoped it might be for a phone number or a date before they got down to the charitable business.

“Are Ken and Avery a couple?” Kyler asked quietly.

Disappointed but not shocked, Cody considered the question. He had asked that himself, too. Everyone at Big D’s had. “There is some history there, but no one knows for sure. Right now, no, so don’t even act like you think they are or you’ll piss them both off.”

Kyler frowned. “They seem to gravitate to each other.”

“Ken sort of oversees the dancers’ rehearsals and stuff. Avery manages the bar. Bev bops between the Reno location and here so they have to work closely together. But it’s work.” Cody winked at Kyler.

“Bev is the owner?” Kyler nodded.

“Yep, and she’s not on site now, but they probably got her on the phone. She’s generous but tough.” Cody wanted to change the subject badly. “Are you really looking for a boyfriend, or are you just teasing me?”

Kyler turned bright red as Avery and Ken appeared from the office and headed straight for the bar.

“Thanks for the help,” Avery said to Cody.

“Sure.” Cody backed away from the bar and watched Kyler for any further reaction.

Not many men jumped at the chance to date a stripper. When they did, it was more for a hot date, great sex, and the second doubts hit, they became jealous freaks. The relationships ended fast. Cody hated to lie by omission, but he was a paramedic as well, so he often left off his stripper job when talking to prospective mates. Kyler knew the truth already, and Cody hoped the fact that there was more to him than costumes and glitter would help. A guy like Kyler, who went this far for a charity he believed in, that was a keeper.

Not that Cody had been on the hunt for a serious relationship, but it was something better than being a piece of ass to every guy. If the right man showed up, even though Cody was still pretty young at twenty-four, he wasn’t going to miss out.

“Okay, I talked to Bev. She wants a little more info, but she wants to help. First, Kyler, you need to check with the owners or managers or whomever at the shelter that this won’t be a public relations issue for them. If where the money came from gets out, and you know how stuff can get out, they have to be willing to deal with the consequences. You said there was sponsor potential, so check that out first.” Avery grabbed a pad from behind the bar and scribbled notes.

“Sure, I can do that.” Kyler smiled.

“Not just a quick chat. You need to understand we do full nude stripping and private dances and all of it. We don’t want any misunderstandings if we do an event.” Avery handed him a sheet of paper. “That’s the address, my cell, Ken’s cell, and Bev’s. I’ll talk it over with her more in-depth tomorrow, but you might want the shelter people to take a tour here, too. Just in case.”

“I understand. It’s not up to me, but they’ll appreciate that anyone wants to help,” Kyler said.

Ken cleared his throat. “This is asking for trouble. We can collect donations, and Bev can make one, too. But an event is a mistake. Asking customers to support a shelter. It’s depressing.”

“Not if we’re all in on it. What if the dancers donate their tips? Work for free? Bev donates the salaries, too?” Cody suggested.

Avery scratched notes. “I’ll talk it over with her.”