Second Chance Romance (2 page)

“This is my promise to you. I will be with you wherever you are.
If you need me, I’ll come for you, no matter what. I love you Jules.” He kissed my cheek and tears blurred my vision. The waiter came and Noah settled our bill. We went back to our room and made love for the first time. It was perfect and not anything like I expected it to be. It was as if we’d done it a hundred times, like we were made for each other.

The next day
I packed up my suitcase leaving my iPod and a book handy for the plane ride. I threw my hair up in a ponytail and picked a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt that were both fashionable and functional. A million butterflies formed in my stomach as the minutes ticked by. The thought of running kept popping up but I squashed it down but I didn’t want to leave him either.

After
check out we headed straight to the airport with promises to see each other as much as our schedules would allow.

“Promise we’ll stick together.” I said to him.

“Like pages in a porn magazine.” He promised, making me laugh.

We kissed for the last time…

That was ten years ago.

CHAPTER ONE

Porn Star Dancing

Present Day

“Noah.” Professor Mitchell called during attendance.

To this day every time I hear that name I want to run away. Although it wasn’t ‘my Noah’ it still stung. The pain of losing him had numbed over time but never went away. It had been ten years since I’d seen him and I still couldn’t forget him. I quickly snapped out of it and turned my attention back to the podium. I couldn’t wait to finish my last semester of graduate school.

I treaded through the rest of the day before heading to work.

“You know you love ‘em, you know you want to bang ‘em. I know I do. Introducing… our very own Felony and Miss Demeanor.” Keith, the clubs MC, crooned into the microphone.

I walked out onto the raised platform with my best friend and roommate Ellie
, except here I was Felony and she was Miss Demeanor. Ellie and I met during junior year at the boarding school my mom sent me to once we moved in with Clark. Our song ‘Porn Star Dancing’ by My Darkest Days was pumping through the stereo making the floor beneath shake. I loved the thrill, it filled me with adrenaline. I looked around the dimly lit room that was mostly lit up from the stage. The front of the stage was lined with stools, while the rest of the club had tables and an expansive bar. Double D’s is an upscale gentleman’s club in the center of Manhattan and frequented by men that have more money than sense. They came here for business dinners and bachelor parties, and I made a ton of money. Win, win.

I grabbed onto the pole and started swinging
. I tossed my hair around playfully. I teasingly untied my black patent leather bikini top giving them a peek before tossing it off the stage. A regular named Russell slipped a couple hundred-dollar bills into my boy-shorts. He was handsome for an older man, with sparkly blue eyes and a shaved head like Mr. Clean. He was sweet as pie and had offered me a multitude of extravagant gifts to be his girlfriend (he was only partly kidding.) I kissed the top of his head leaving a red lipstick print and gave him a wink before turning my attention the rest of the crowd. Ellie was working the other side like the porn star princess she was. She’d already lost her top and had a group from a bachelor party throwing money at her.

“
Take it off!” They shouted drunkenly. She stood shaking her finger at them.

The song turned to AC/DC’s ‘Shook Me All Night Long’
. Ellie and I did our rehearsed dance before exiting the stage. The room erupted into cheers for an encore.

“How’d you make out?” I asked
, once we were in the break room. I unbuckled my black patent leather seven-inch spike heels and tossed them into my bag. I grabbed a make-up remover wipe and took off the excess eye shadow and changed into some regular lingerie and street clothes. I was exhausted and happy I was done for the night.

I haven’t spoken with my mother since a couple months after we moved to New York and my dad cut me off when I graduated high school so I worked at Double D’s to help pay bills, but mostly to pay for school.

A couple months after we moved during spring break things got really ugly with my mom, so bad that cops were involved. I left and never went back. I’ve been on my own ever since. I didn’t like to think of that night, just like I didn’t like to think of
Noah
. The one person that I explicitly trusted more than anyone in the world, the one that ended up ripping my heart clean out of my chest and pulverized it in a blender.

“I made three-hundred and forty-four dollars
, not bad for our eight minute segment.” She gave me a high five. “How about you?”

I pulled out my money
and counted it. Russell gave me five hundred and with the other money I got I had made a total of $721.

“Seven
hundred and twenty one smackers.” I winked, stuffing it into my bra.

“Holy s
hit! Not bad chicky. We should do a shot to celebrate. Brad’s working the bar tonight.” I didn’t like to mix business with pleasure, but Ellie had a huge crush on Brad so I knew I wasn’t getting out of going.

“Alright
, but just one. I have class early tomorrow.” I said sternly.

“Yay.” She hooked her arm in mine and we headed to get a seat at the bar.

“Hey sexy ladies.” Brad said. “What can I get you?”

Brad was cute in a boy next-door kind of way. He had dark blonde hair and brown eyes that crinkled when he smiled. He had only been working here for about three months and seemed nice enough but I didn’t take the chance to really get to know most of the people here
, unlike Ellie.

“I’d like a slippery nipple.” Ellie ordered
flirtatiously, batting her fake eyelashes.

“I’ll have a Corona with lemon
, not lime.”

“You got it sweet cheeks. That was one hell of a crowd out there.”
He commented looking at the bachelor party crowd who were cheering obnoxiously at the current dancers.

“Eh. It was alright
. We’ve had better.” Ellie said.

“Are you ready for the huge one on Saturday? I can’t believe the
y rented out the club for the night! Must have cost them a fortune.”

“I’m sure it will be memorable just like all the others.” I said
dryly. I loved the money from the bachelor parties, but they were all the same. Just a bunch of drunken men trying to get a piece of ass.

I finished my
beer leaving Ellie talking, more like flirting, with Brad. I kissed her cheek and told her I’d see her at home. I waved to Dan, who was the security guard that stood watch at the door to the parking garage.

“Have a good evening
, Miss Kline.”

“You too Dan
, and I told you call me Jules.”

I climbed into my Infiniti
IPL G convertible tossing my bag onto the passenger seat. I spent the thirty-minute drive home thinking about all the schoolwork that I had waiting for me.

CHAPTER TWO

Saturday Night’s
not
Alright

The rest of the week had passed quickly. My days revolved around school and my nights revolved around work. I was busy trying to finish my thesis on Romeo and Juliet that was due at the end of the semester. I was getting my MA from Columbia University in
English and Comparative Literature. I was typing away when
I looked at the clock I realized it was already seven. I needed to get ready because we had some huge bachelor party tonight. The guy throwing it had rented out the entire place. It was most likely some yuppie from the east side with too much money on his hands. Hopefully, that would make it a good night for me. Ellie had already left to help Brad stock the bar, chances are they were busy getting it on in the supply closet.

I tossed my
black-framed glasses onto my desk and rubbed my eyes. I jumped in the shower and lathered up in my Love Spell lotion. I blow-dried my hair and picked out a black leather pleated skirt and red lace bustier and panty set. I threw on a pair of flats and tossed my black stilettos into my duffle.

I headed from our
tiny house in Amityville to the Big Apple. I pulled into the parking garage of the club at quarter to eight. I greeted Dan as I walked through back door and headed toward the break room.

I sat
at the vanity and started applying my make-up. I teased my blonde hair with black highlights and added some silver glitter eye shadow. I opted for a nude lip-gloss over my regular red. I didn’t like doing too much to my eyes and adding bright lips, to me it just looked trashy, so I did one or the other. I changed my shoes and checked my panties.

Ellie came barreling in
with a huge grin on her face. She was in a white lace set with knee high white leather boots. She always liked to dress like a bride for these things. I opted for the devil.

“Holy hotness
! The crowd looks like a fucking GQ photo shoot! I mean they are seriously yummy Jules!” I rolled my eyes and laughed at her. I loved her dearly, but it didn’t take much to impress her. I think even Steve Erkel could impress her if he tried hard enough.

She handed me a Ring-Pop
. I gave her a ‘
what the hell’
look and she just laughed.

“I changed our opening song. You’ll need it.”
I had to admit she looked amazing tonight. Her year round tan courtesy of a tanning booth contrasted with the white in her outfit. She curled her black hair into thick curls that went down to the middle of her back and bounced with her step. 

Our boss Adam came in to talk to us before we took the stage.
He was dressed in his usual jeans and Double D’s polo shirt.

“Ladies. Looking delectable
, as always.” He smiled looking us over.

“Thanks
, Adam.” Ellie purred. She had a thing for Adam when we started working here but surprisingly he didn’t sleep with any of the dancers, it was one of the things I admired about him. That didn’t stop him from perving.

“As you know this group is paying a lot
, and I mean
a lot,
of money for the full club experience. I expect you to give it to them. If they want a private lap dance I’ve arranged for Preacher to be in the room with you for your safety. Any problems let me know.”

“Will do.”
I said with a salute.

“Alright
, go make me some money.” He slapped my ass and I fought the urge to slap him in the face. I felt bad because he was an overall good guy, but he was a total perv. Keith called our introduction and we headed onto the stage. Instead of Porn Star Dancing she changed it to Nickelback’s ‘Something In Your Mouth’, so now I understood the need for the Ring-Pop. I took one side of the stage while Ellie took the other. They were a generous bunch for sure. They were tossing twenties and fifties like our regulars threw fives and tens. I unzipped my skirt letting it pool at my feet earning me a bunch of whistles and whoops. I kicked it off the stage. A Johnny Depp look-alike caught it. I winked at him and the guy next to him, a blonde, practically knocked him off his chair to grab it. The song changed to Theory of a Deadman’s ‘Bad Girlfriend’. I was having fun shaking my ass. I was doing it like my tuition was depending on it, it was.

Ellie and I met in the middle of the stage and she handed me a piece of paper. I
unfolded it and read it quickly.

Gotta meet the ho
ttie with the million-dollar body.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to the other side of the stage
. I started to dance when I froze in place, I had to grab the pole to keep from falling over. In front of me sat Noah Sinclair, the same boy that broke my heart ten years ago. He was looking better than ever. When I got my whit’s back I walked, okay I sprinted, off the stage. As soon as I was off stage I started hyperventilating. If I wasn’t worried about what was on the floor I would have been on it.

Adam came storming over
looking pissed off.

“What the hell are you
doing? Get back out there, right now!” He yelled.

“I can’t.” I felt tears burning my eyes.

“What
the fuck do you mean you can’t? You can and you’re going to even if I have to drag you back out there myself. You’re the best dancer I have. The guy throwing the party specifically booked the both of you.”