Il Lupo

The stripper stayed still, breathing calmly as she let him have a little fun on looking her that close. For someone who had been sitting on that booth for weeks, she doubted that he got anything from her besides her shoes, and she couldn’t deny him that, a chance to think twice before saying no to her invitation. “You seemed much cockier than that with that smirk seconds ago.” Was he actually insecure, or that was all part of his charm? He seemed like the type of guy who walked in anywhere as if he owned it, not the one who has to think if he is good enough. And good enough for a stripper.

At least she was rewarded with a smirk, which she responded with another one once she was receiving his full attention. Her hand moved to her own bare knee, resting as she leaned her head lightly to the side, removing a stray lock of hair from her face.

"Would you rather I behave like the rest of the crowd to prove a point?" he stared still, the smirk refusing to fade from his face. He knew his gaze could be considered intimidating by some, but he asn't trying to scare anyone off. It was simply the way he was taught to behave. Don't let people think you're weak for a moment, or something like that. He didn't paid much attention to what his father said most of the time.

Fiora winked. One thing she would give to the mysterious costumer: he knew how to make her feel comfortable. Despite her first impression of him, and the way he didn’t even threw a one dollar bill at the stage, he was almost as good when it came to keep a conversation going without awkward pauses.

He was interesting, funny and completely full of himself. Fiora had the feeling that he could do more than just amuse her with his witness, but didn’t raised her hopes that high. She was used to weak men who easily gave in, and he proved to be quite a challenge.

She doubted that he would follow her to a empty with a snap of fingers just like a little puppy.

Her wink was responded with a smirk and a quick eyebrow raise of amusement. Sure, it was all work. She was paid to act like she was. Yet, somehow, having her in his table because she wanted and not because he paid her to do so placed him on a level higher than any other men inside that place would ever be. He didn't needed to bribe her for her attention, there she was all by herself. He pushed his drink to a side, attention turned completely to the stripper. 

Whatever his name was, he was doing a great job to fill the clichê of the savior guy that some of the youngest girls believed that were going to fall in love with them save them, or at least make their life at least a bit more tolerable.

Fut Fiora new better, but she decided to join him into his little game, even though not all the rules were clear.

She sat by his side, turning her body to completely face him, resting a heel by his calf once she had her legs crossed. “You don’t? I’m supposed to believe you came her for my personality or just feel offended by that?” Despite her playful tone, her words had a little of truth, but her present smile kept that fact well hidden from the new costumer.

One step at a time, they said. He felt he had reached the whole nine yards by this small thing.

"I don't want to offend you, you do have a great body, but I assume everybody else has told you that in many different ways. I don't want to be another perverted men", he chuckled, shifting a little on his seat to face her. She looked stunning from that distance. He got a glimpse of that cocky, sexy smile she flashes every now and then while she's on stage and he loved it even more. This stripper was much more than what he expected her to be, and he wasn't complaining.

“You think you’re better then them.” A chuckle escaped her lips. It was obvious that looking-wise, he had a huge advantage when compared to… Everyone else in the room.

But he had just declined a few minutes alone with her. Fiora was never the kind of girl who offered propositions like that, she just took them for the extra money. And there were rules. But being denied just like that, for a man that at least said she was the reason he was there, and being expected to find it cute?

In all the time he had been visiting the club, Lupo had observed her. This girl was smarter than the rest --she knew where she should tease and who she should flirt with. All of her...targets, so to say, were people with any sort of power, name it money or positions in places of great interest to some. And there she was, hands on her hips, demanding answers from him.

She had to re-run his words over her mind before realizing what had just come out from his mouth, staring at him in obvious surprise, her quizzed expression not betraying her true feelings towards the situation.

It took a second for Fiora to snap out of how deep his voice was. Whenever she found herself attracted for one of the costumers, she made the effort to imagine them with stupid, girly voices, turning down any chance to keep herself interested into a man who was there for her body. And she couldn’t deny she was attracted to him, how couldn’t she? The lights didn’t helped defining if that was just a stubble or an excuse to have a beard. Deep blue eyes, strong jaw line and defined nose. But that didn’t made him special, just prettier than Christmas, for example.

“If you like me so much… “ Her ego was restored, knowing it wasn’t her fault. Maybe he wasn’t confident enough, which would be a shame. Fiora would like to believe he had some money left from drinking that horrible cocktail. “..why you keep hiding instead of asking to join me elsewhere?” And with that, she leaned back, resting both hands over her hips.

She was both surprised and confused enough to pull a laugh out of his lips, taking back the hold on his drink while she thought of his words. Calmly, he took a sip, placed the drink down, and leaned a little forward. He wasn't sure how she was taking it. She simply kept staring. While she did, Lupo tried to imitate the way her voice sounded on his head --exactly what he expected her to sound and more. Her voice had the right amount of sweetness and strength, and she wasn't shy about asking things straight to the point. He liked that. 

He liked her. It would be quite interesting to see what her life was like outside the club and away from the stripping and pole dancing.

Lupo's eyebrow raised a little at her question, and he shook his head. "I'm not hiding", he responded. "I'm right here, with a view clear enough to enjoy your show without having to share a space in front with the nasty looking perverts like that guy over there. I imagine you have lots of petitions to join people somewhere else, I rather just let you do your stripper work instead".

She counted her money. $80 dollars for a few quick minutes of dancing wasn’t perfect, but good enough. There was just one thing bothering her, and it wasn’t the glitter forever attached to her body or the way the girls eyed her after she was done. No, it was that guy, just seated there, doing absolutely nothing. He had money, he had a drink and the barman would never give even a glass of water without being paid. Wasn’t he pleased by what he saw?

Fiora checked herself on the mirror, fixing her underwear in place. She looked good, better than the other girls, and she also a better dancer. With a little retouch of make up and with a cracked ego, she made her way back to the bar, this time through the other door. The one who led behind all the tables and chairs, and no one would stop her from getting her answer.

It took him by surprise, to have her so close to him and hear her mildly upset tone over anything else. Lupo had his drink held up, and he slowly set it down the table, eyes fixed on hers. Thinking back, three weeks before this moment, he never had the chance to stare at her so closely. Her eyes were brown, with faint bits of a honey-like tint. She had a perfectly shaped face, and her hair framed it flawlessly. Her skin looked soft, well taken care of even with the make-up she had to use to appeal even more to the costumers.

She really was beautiful, how could she even think she wasn't good enough for him? She was good enough and much more, and it would be stupid to even assume she wasn't, but he bit his tongue at this thought and simply waved the thought aside.

Her heels were high, very high even for someone of her height, but she would never discard them, they were almost like a trademark, and somehow helped balancing herself through all those fancy movements some girls on the club still weren’t able to master.

She picked a bill on the floor, smiling she she folded and slipped inside of her own underwear, teasing the men for one last act of kindness before the music, and her time, ended. She acted like the night attraction, but actually there were a line of girls ready to earn their money.

He chuckled to himself, lowering his glance for a moment to pay attention to his drink for a mere second. Lupo could hear cheers and clapping from the men in front of the stage and rolled his eyes, already imagining the sort of things they would do to themselves after they returned home.  Sad, really sad.