A short romantic story about a teenage girl whose passion for dancing makes her meet the true love of her life. Read how Sarah meets Joe in a night club while strip-dancing to her favourite song here. In this part, you will read about Sarah’s boyfriend Joe surprising her by visiting at her work and standing up for her when she needed.

Never had I imagined I would practically live out of Joe’s house. After the fight last week, I was ecstatic to believe that Joe gave up and agreed to live separately. But now when I see around his house, I see more of my things taking residence. I had barely stepped in my house over the week, mainly because I was either engaged with him, reading, or my job at Foxy. Yes, I had resumed my work a week back, but this time, I was working as a bartender. It was a training-in-progress situation, but I was happy. And not that I continue to secretly desire to dance on the stage, I like to think of the idea of dancing as a relief to stress now. Though shortly after getting in a physical relationship with Joe (Not addressing the emotional connection), I had left the waitress part of my work for almost two months, and resumed out of boredom strictly as a behind-the-counter server. And though I would have earned a good amount of money as a server, I had fewer expenses now that I was with Joe. Being a businessman, Joe has practically everything and everyone taking care of my needs. It still gets difficult for me to accept that my life has changed so drastically in a just few months.

Still, I wish it changed a little more considering that I don’t get much time to spend with Joe due to my odd work timings. When he is done with his day, mine only starts, and by the time I end it, we both are tired enough to do anything else. Though I am not dissatisfied nor is he because we find our quickies more than often. But I wondered how long will we survive on quickies.

As I reach the bar, I greet my colleagues who have become a family far away from my own.

“Hey, Sarah. You come on time. Can you grab the chairs from the table and set them, right?” Jennie, the floor manager, commanded in her polite-but-straight manner.

“Sure, Jennie. Let me put my bag in the locker and return,” I say and move to the breakroom where the lockers are placed.

Standing near the stage, Tiger turned and gave me his not-so-decent stare. He has always been shameless when he stared at me and gave me those creepy expressions. Once I reached the lockers, he was out of the view.

Just as I was stuffing my bag in my assigned locker, Ash spoke from behind, “That bas**. What the hell he thinks of himself?” While shouting, he opened his locker and banged it closed quickly.

“Who pissed you today?”

“The same man who holds the privilege every day.”

“Tiger.” I sighed and added, “What did he do?”

“I heard him asking Jennie to put you on serving drinks to the tables.” Though I had stopped working as a server, on days when the footfall was highest and the servers were bare minimum, I was put on the duty to take, make and place the table orders. When you have the experience, you really don’t have a choice to put up multiple hats, do you?

“I am sure I know why.” That last call from him wasn’t a friendly one either. I had expected him to pursue it at the club. Hadn’t expected him to do it so openly.

“When I intervened and suggested to assign me that work, he denied it outwardly. Like hell, is he the manager to order like that?”

“No, he isn’t. But we both know Jennie is influenced by him a lot.”

“No, she is bossed by him…on and off the bed…a lot. Can’t she see what a waste of a man he is?”

“It is her choice. You and I should not judge her. Whereas Tiger is concerned, I can protect myself from him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. He is just dirty words and nothing else.”

“Be careful.”

“I will.” We both headed outside and got busy with our work. Within an hour, I was behind the bar and engaged with making drinks for the early comers. Though Tiger tried brushing me when I moved back and forth on the floor and brazenly introducing me as his ‘special someone for the tonight’ to more than one patron, I gave him no heed what-so-over.

“The new girl is an amazing dancer,” said Rossie, my co-bartender.

“And beautiful too,” I added.

“Don’t forget sexy with a body to die for,” Ash mused loudly.

“Are you hitting on her?” Rossie asked.

“I don’t mind trying if Tiger keeps his filthy hands off her,” he huffed.

“Unbelievable. He can’t leave a single girl alone,” Rossie spoke angrily.

After serving a customer, I turned and replied, “He won’t unless someone stops him.”

“Or better, kick him out of here,” Rossie suggested by demonstrating a leg kick.

“Why do I have a feeling that one will be you?”

“You are right, darling. I can’t give away that pleasure,” Rossie moaned to give her words an effect.

Blushing, I looked around to make sure no customers heard her moan shamelessly. Luckily, no one noticed due to the loud music played by the DJ.

“Don’t turn. A handsome guy staring at us from a couch near the dance floor. He is a regular,” Ash spoke loud enough for both of us to hear.

“I hope he is staring at me. I have that he-is-my-client and I-want-to-be-more-to-him crush from ages. He is so handsome,” Rossie commented.

“You do exactly what you are asked not to,” Ash huffed annoyingly.

“Yup, that’s me.” While Rossie kept staring at the stranger behind me, I turned slowly to eye what she was eyeing so hungrily.

My mouth went open in surprise and I gulped.

“You girls are lucky that we have more guys frequenting this bar,” Ash complained.

“That’s because of the sex-on-the-toes dancers. I wonder who the stranger is looking at ignoring the almost-naked sexy women on the dance floor.”

I could not find my voice to say ‘Me’ when I saw Joe walking towards the bar. I wondered how long he had been looking at me from his couch. I didn’t notice him enter the bar even when I had my eyes on the door most of the times.

He took an empty stool four feet away next to a group of customers I was serving. Ash pushed me with his elbow encouraging me to serve the stranger. I wanted to say he is not a stranger to me. Since I left the club on leave and resumed just days back, I never got the chance to tell them I was dating the same handsome man they were blatantly staring at.

Before I could reach him, a woman walked behind him and tapped on his shoulder. She walked to his side and stood close to him leaning on the bar.

“Would you like to buy me a drink?”

“Sure,” he replied and I fumed.

“Vodka with lime water,” she turned a little and ordered her drink. I could not find my legs to bring her the drink.

Joe turned to me and spoke in his soothingly commanding voice, “Get me your best whiskey and what the lady ordered, sweetheart.”

“I am Sen,” ignoring me completely, she leaned and roamed her fingers over his neck.

He took her hand and squeezed before letting it go. I was super angry at him and super murderous for her. Thank God, we were in public. I busied myself making the drinks while keeping an ear on them.

“Nice to meet you, Sen. But I would have to say we have our drinks and go our separate ways.” She looked shocked and I looked impressed. I walked to them with their drinks and placed them on the bar.

“I thought you came alone,” she whined.

“Yes, I did. But I intend to not leave alone.” He looked at me and continued, “I have my eyes on someone.”

“She must be lucky,” Sen sighed and took a sip from her drink. “I am sure it is one of those erotic dancers. You must like seeing her dance a lot to wait for her to finish.” Her eyes were on the dance floor where the girls danced at the tone of the music.

“I love her dance. I love to watch her dance…only for me. Well, I am a little selfish when it comes to her.” I knew he liked it when I did a sensual show for him behind our closed door with just the two of us. He was one of the reasons I decided to never attempt a dance in public.

“Good luck to you. Hope you get her where you want her,” she winked with a defeated look on her face but smiled nonetheless. I looked at her with pity. I shouldn’t have been hard on her or think bad of her.

“Don’t worry. She will be there soon,” he said with a wink. As soon as Sen left with her drink, I stepped closer to him and leaned.

“Where you want me?” I giggled and asked him after moving a little more closely.

“You’ll find out soon,” he replied.

I smirked and spoke, “Missed me?”

“You can tell?” he smirked back.

“I can,” I nodded and added, “Missed you too.”

“Does that mean you are happy to see me here?”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean I can come here every day to see you?”

“Maybe, if you don’t distract me.”

“Is that possible?”

“No…” If he was around, I was bound to be distracted.

“Would you like to see me every day here?”

“Yes.” I am selfish at times.

“Good. The bar will like it too to have a regular customer,” he winked and took a sip of his drink. Of course! I rolled my eyes at him.

I smiled and took orders of new customers before they started complaining. In between orders, I gave attention to Joe who kept looking at me while I worked. He kept on distracting me by chit-chatting with other girls who approached him thinking he was alone. He even troubled me by staring at me at all the times and giving his most sensual expression which said, ‘Just wait till we are alone’.

I wondered what the customers must be thinking about my constant attention to one particular customer. Even Rossie and Ash were suspicious about my constant eye locking with him.

“Looks like you have an admirer,” Ash had commented. “He has his eyes only for you. And I see him undressing you in them,” Rossie had confessed with a little jealousy in her voice.

When I turned after serving another order, I found Joe was nowhere at his seat. I looked at the couch in front where he had sat earlier, but he wasn’t there either. Thinking he must have gone to the restroom or outside to take a call, I relaxed and returned to my work.

“Sarah, it’s your break time. Go before you have to rush back,” Jennie walked to me to relieve me for my break. She came behind the bar to help my co-workers while I took my needed break.

Giving a last look around the bar to find Joe, I walked to the breakroom with an intention to grab my phone from the bag and call him.

Once I stepped inside the room, the click of the door behind me alerted me of someone’s presence. I got scared thinking about Tiger coming at me in private. But, since it was a weekend, the bar was full enough to keep him busy with his dancers.

Two arms came around me and I jerked before realizing who they belonged to. He nuzzled his nose at my neck and whispered, “You are late.”

“Late for?”

“Your break.” That’s when I realized, he had planned this. He knew when my break was and came here to wait for me.

“I am here now.”

“That you are. And I don’t intend to let you go till your break ends.”

“I would love that,” I whispered back. He angled my head to the side and licked a hot stripe to my ear. His hands roamed inside my work shirt and rubbed my bare skin. Soon our clothes were out of the way, just not completely removed. After dropping himself on the chair, he tugged me over his lap facing him. That is when I realized, he was ready for the real action. I dropped myself on him and his fingers dig into my waist to steady me. We found our rhythm and forgot about the outside world.

Nothing could have stopped us. Not even a knock at the door or someone’s desperate attempt to walk inside. We were so engrossed in each other that nothing else mattered. His kisses were intoxicating and his touch was driving me crazy. Being with each other for so long made us synchronize our moments expertly. It was at that moment I realized how badly I wanted to introduce him to my co-workers, let them know that I was taken. Let that idiot of a man know that I was off-limits.

Will Joe like it? I hope he would. We chased our release and found it together.

After catching his breath, Joe spoke, “I think you can book me a table. You’ll find me here every day.”

I giggled and whispered, “Then I’ll never want to return to work after my break.” I kissed his neck and sucked which made him groan.

“Your break is over, baby. Don’t arouse me or else you’ll never see the outside before your shift ends.”

I laughed and nodded. He stood and dropped me on the floor. We righted our clothes and kissed passionately.

“I had heard a knock at the door,” Joe shared.

“I did too. I’ll handle it.” I smiled at him and he smiled back.

We walked outside and I went to the bar to continue my work. He took a couch and not the barstool to give me space to focus on my work. We decided to leave together after midnight when my shift ended.

“I see you had some personal business in the breakroom that required locking it,” Tiger leaned over the bar and whispered.

“Not that it is any of your business,” I replied.

“Don’t you think making a staff breakroom your personal business demands answers from you?”

“No. There is no such rule to not lock it to attend to a personal matter.”

“Fair enough. So, would you like to share who your personal business was with?” he asked looking in the direction of Joe.

“I believe you already know.”

“Not the details, only the face and body. How much did he offer?”

I sighed and spoke with anger in my voice, “I told you already I don’t sleep with people for money.”

“Then why you do it?” he spoke with a devil smile.

“Because he is my boyfriend.”

“Wow. So that’s the guy I heard rumours about. That guy looks like he comes from money. How did you catch him?”

“That’s enough. You stay out of my life,” I shouted at him. Nearby customers turned to look at us out of curiosity.

“Or what? Will you complain to Jennie about me?” he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. I jerked and brushed his hands off aggressively.

“Yes, and she’ll kick your ass out of this bar by getting other staff to speak the truth against you. Ever hear majority wins?” Joe walked behind him with fury on his face. I could see he looked composed but barely held his anger back.

“Oh, that’s a great idea,” Rossie joined us.

“I am in,” Ash voted. I could hear other waiters and waitresses approve too from distance. I hadn’t realized that most of the staff had gathered near the bar throwing daggers at Tiger. I wished Jennie was here but she was nowhere to be seen. Probably, Tiger left her behind the stage to take his place while he took his break.

“You can’t do that,” Tiger whined.

“Yes, we can. And we will if you don’t stop troubling us,” Rossie stood strong and took my arm.

Lifting his hands in defence, he said to me, “I’ll stay out of your life.” Tiger scurried away after receiving a snarl from Joe.

I nodded and walked out to hug Joe. He tightened his grip and hugged me back. I felt my tears barely held back from spilling.

“You’ll be fine. No one will hurt you ever,” Joe spoke in my ear.

“I believe you. I trust you,” I whispered back. He pulled me tighter and kissed my temple out of affection.

Now, everyone knows he is my boyfriend. Everyone knows he’ll stand for me whenever I’ll need him. And everyone knows he’ll protect me always – without me using any words.

If this is my life where I get to be with him, then— I went on my toes and whispered in his ear, “I’ll let you come to the bar every day if you’ll be my personal bodyguard while I work and entertainer while I take my break — a wild & pleasurable break.”

He took my face in his hands, smiled and whispered back ‘It’s a deal’ before sealing it with a passionate kiss.

End: A silent threat from Joe made Tiger keep a safe distance, rather kept every guy who witnessed who her boyfriend was. And since Joe refused to never stop coming to the bar every day, they never stopped having their SECRET moments!