continuation of last chapter hehe

—-

louis was out for his second smoke of the night when an all too familiar feeling swam through him.

he brushed it off as general performer's anxiety because weekend crowds can get a tad bit crazy when the alcohol gets to be too much. mason is usually the one that throws them out and tells them to go home and sober the fuck up before the cops show up. luckily they listen and leave majority of the time. mason can be pretty scary when the time is right. he intimidated louis when louis went in for his first audition but they warmed up to eachother pretty quickly, now mason is like an older brother to him. he's protective over his staff and shares an equal amount of love for everyone.

except for this girl lola, she's a total bitch. fuck her.

the stripper leans against the brick wall of the club and flicks the ashes of his cigarette onto the sidewalk silently. the air has cooled down to a small breeze, replacing the muggy feeling it held earlier. it's almost 2:30 in the morning. two and a half hours to go.

the club "closes" at 4 but none of the employees clock out to go home until roughly 5, due to counting and splitting tips and helping clean up the venue. it's a ritual. once the last customer leaves, the doors get locked, everyone crowds around the stage and bars to count their money and pocket their profits. they tip the bartenders and waiters for their help, converse about their shifts and go on their separate ways after everything is done.

louis' favorite part of each shift is tipping everyone else. he loves tipping marshall. marshall is quite the character. he cracks jokes every other second and can keep a strong conversation. you need that skill in order to be a bartender, gotta be able to handle people and their words. he's strong, both physically and mentally, and he's pretty. he has a smaller build like louis, but sports a sleek black ponytail and a small goatee. warm brown eyes usually framed behind a pair of glasses and he's always wearing the bartender uniform of a solid black button up with slacks. louis fancied him at one point but found out the man is actually in a relationship of his own so he never tried to make it go any further. boundaries, man.

louis traces the dips between each brick to entertain himself as the familiar vibrations rattle beneath him. the club life kept him vibrant and alive. he was a social butterfly as a kid, always known for socializing with students and staff and being on the footie team in high school. the public eye was something he was always kept into. now, stripping may not be the best thing for the public eye but it's good enough for him.

he tosses his finished cigarette to the side and squints his eyes as a pair of headlights beam bright onto him and he turns his head to step on the still smoking cigarette butt.

"hey babe!"

"fuck," louis whispers to himself as footsteps scuff his way. "hi mylo." he swallows thickly when mylo grabs his wrist to pull him in for a hug.

"missed you," mylo murmurs.

louis doesn't respond to that, only lets out a soft sigh. "i gotta get back."

"i'll walk you in, then," the man hums and reaches for louis' hand. louis jerks it back and stuffs his hands in the pockets of his joggers he had put on before his smoke and keeps his head low as they enter the building. mylo pays for his entry and allows himself to be searched while louis gets tugged away by his boss.

"lou, i thought you didn't want him back here?"

"i don't," louis gulps again. "but i can't make him leave."

mason eyes the boy up and down. "i can."

"mase," louis shakes his head, eyes almost pleading. "he'll cause another scene. it's been a good night, everyone's having fun. let's just try to keep it that way, yeah? plus that harry guy is here and if he's doing what you think he's doing then i'd rather steer clear of anymore public embarrassment."

his boss notices his weary look and gives him a small nod. "remember our code word."

"yup." louis gives him a nod.

"i'll put him on the ledge. go to your dressing room."

louis nods and scurries off to the back of the club, slumping down in his seat again. fuck. shit. fuck shit fuck shit fuck.

he spins his chair around to distract himself as a feeling of guilt sets deep within him. he's surprised he still has his job because when mylo is intoxicated he could be quite...fussy. always mad because someone else was touching louis, mad because louis liked his job, mad over just about anything during that time. he's had to be escorted out once for starting a bar fight — the first real incident that happened in his actual workplace instead of behind closed doors — and that's when louis put his foot down. mylo was not to be at paralyzer unless sober or in a somewhat decent mood.

what was supposed to be a fling turned into an almost year long "relationship", louis keeps quotes around the word because he knew deep down mylo didn't love him like he loved mylo. well, he had love for mylo but mylo was too insecure. too jealous. too angry. louis felt secluded. he couldn't even do his job without feeling scared that his crazy ex-boytoy would barge through the doors and possibly shoot the place up — and it's not like he was prostituting himself (one of the rules was no sex in the club), he was dancing. adorning the love he had for himself and his body for once in his fucking life and then this guy comes around and acts like he can control what louis does.

friendly advice, don't date a sex worker if you aren't okay with what it entails.

there's a pause in his chair spinning that makes him lift his head and he meets his best friend's gaze in the mirror.

"talk to me," zayn leans against the chair.

louis chews on the inside of his lip. "mylo's here."

"okay, so? i told you he may stop by."

"so," louis raises his eyebrows. "i have to watch what the fuck i'm doing in order for him to keep his cool!"

"he can't keep hovering over you like this," zayn frowns. "you aren't together."

"no, but i don't want to lose my job because of him," louis frowns. "i've got one more shot and if he fucks that up, zee, i'm gone."

the younger lad shakes his head. "mase wouldn't fire you. you're one of the best," he leans down to kiss louis' feathery hair. "so get yourself together. we have guests to entertain."

—-

"where are you going?"

"i'm on the clock," louis frowns. "i have to go to work."

mylo purses his lips in a tight line. "right...part of me forgets you're working at a whore house. excuse my ignorance."

louis clenched his fists by his sides and took a deep breath. "is this why you came? to belittle me again?"

"i wanted to see you."

"okay, well i really don't want to see you."

"i came all the way here to visit you and this is how you wanna act?" mylo's eyebrows furrow and louis blanches. wrong move. "you can't even give me a fucking hug, say 'hey mylo, i missed you too?' you've got your head so far up in the clouds when it comes to this goddamn strip club, no wonder you couldn't keep up with our relationship."

"fuck you," louis seethes, "i'm doing my job. i'm sick of fucking repeating myself when it comes to you!"

he steps back as the man steps toward him and louis swallowed thickly, eyes flicking toward the bar before they're back onto mylo. he's mad. maybe sad. louis isn't sure. he's a fucking mess.

"come over after," mylo says softly, reaching out to place a hand on louis' shoulder. the smaller man only pulls himself back to rid the tainted grasp and he shakes his head. "we can talk this out, lou. please. come home."

"no, mylo, i think it'd be best if you just leave now."

"but i just got here not even an hour ago."

"i don't give a shit."

"why are you being so rude to me?"

"because i don't fucking want you here!" louis' voice raises with each word and he sends an apologetic glance to one of the girls that pass him. "i don't want you here. i don't want you. i don't want to see you. i want you to stay as far the fuck away from me and this club as humanly possible before one of us ends up getting hurt again."

mylo frowns and he picks at the sleeve of his shirt. "i don't mean to hurt you, lou...but whatever. have fun whoring around."

louis steps forward this time, not stopping until he is chest to chest with him and shoves him backwards hard. "get the fuck out."

"alright, alright." louis is pulled back and he doesn't tear his eyes off of mylo as marshall steps between them. "mate, i think you should go before boss man comes back onto the floor."

"i'm not leaving him."

"i agree with marshall," louis hears another voice clear as day through the music and he hangs his head. it's harry. "he asked you to leave, so you're leaving."

"are you gonna drag me out?" mylo snorts at the sight of the other man before him.

"i can make some accommodations if you'd like," harry shrugs.

"i guess i'll see my way out then," mylo gives louis another glance. "i'll see you tomorrow, love."

"no you won't, let's go," harry places a rough hand on the man's shoulder and walks him toward the entrance.

marshall turns and pulls louis into his chest, stroking the back of his hair. "you're good, tommo. it's okay."

"i'm gonna lose my job," louis hiccups, "he just fucked my career up for good. that was my last shot. marsh-"

"come to the bar," marshall pulls back, tugging louis along with him. the stripper kept his head low as he was transported to the more populated side of the club and he sits behind the bar with an expression of shame. he wiggles on the barstool and spins it in a semi-circle, swinging it back around again. marshall silently hands him a beer and he takes it graciously.

harry comes back out of nowhere and he leans against the bar, glancing between the two lads behind it. "he's gone."

"for now," louis mumbled and flips the bottle cap between his fingers. "i'm sorry you had to see that, mr. styles. mason's gonna flip his lid when he finds out."

"i'm used to bar fights," harry shrugs and asks marshall for a beer as well, sliding him a ten and told him to keep the change. "old friend?"

"ex boyfriend."

harry clicks his tongue. "that's not good."

louis sighs and lolls his head back. "i'm sorry."

"it happens," harry tries to assure him.

louis could only nod and feel the embarrassment radiating off of him. he can kiss that l.a. club goodbye. he wasn't even sure if he really wanted to do it but it's always nice to travel, to see and try new things. and harry's supposed to be some big hot shot guy, he's here to pick his poison and quite frankly, at the moment louis is a bad apple.

harry murmured something to marshall and louis watches the bartender point to the private section of the club. harry's then standing, making eye contact with louis and nodding his head toward the lounge in a silent way of saying "follow me."

louis stuffs his hands in his pockets, not having the chance to change out of his clothes because mylo is a twat and louis hid from him for a while, and leads harry to the lounge. it's much quieter down there, mainly used for private shows. there are two bouncers, one at the front entrance and another at the back curtain. louis greets the front bouncer with a kiss to his cheek and they sit at one of the tables in the front of the section.

"i really am sorry about him, he's been a monkey on my back for quite some time now," louis frowns as he sets his beer on the tabletop. harry gives him a small frown but nods.

"it's alright, love, let's talk about something else, yeah?" harry murmured and leans back in his seat, crossing his legs. "you're talented."

"thank you, i take pride in my work," the small man's face flushes a soft red at the compliment.

"as you should. you seem to be quite the crowd pleaser up there."

louis chuckles and nods. that he is.

"so i did okay?" louis then asks, motioning between the two of them, referring to his lap dance.

"my neck still stings a bit, but i'll manage," harry shrugs, a smug expression coming upon him. "you get physical like that with customers often while on stage?"

"sometimes. you just looked like you needed to be bitten by a stripper."

harry laughs and takes a drink of his beer, shaking his head. louis leans back and relaxes in his seat, all stress of mylo somewhat flying out the window and following the idiot home.

"so mason told me quite a bit about you," harry then hums, twirling the glass bottle between his fingers. "i'm sure you've heard about me?"

"little bit," louis shrugs. he brushes some of his hair out of his face and mimics harry's position, crossing one leg over the other and lazily draping his arm over his tummy. "he said you hand select people to audition for you."

"that i do. i run a pretty big business, gotta have the best of the best. i just wanted to have a formal introduction of some sort and see what your style is like before i made my official decision."

louis takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, nodding. harry puts his beer on the table and rests his feet flat on the floor, intertwining his hands between his knees.

"i still think you should come to los angeles," he says softly. "i'll get you a room for the weekend. you can meet the staff and get a good feel of how we run things. i have a good feeling about you, louis, you're spectacular on the floor and i only want what's best for you."

louis ponders the idea for a moment. "can i get back to you on it?"

"of course," harry reaches for his wallet and pulls out a card, handing it over to him. "i hope to hear from you soon?"

"we'll see."

—-

hiya! the first chapter started off good so here's part 2 (:

thoughts so far?

mylo will be appearing for a grip, fair warning. he will be an in and out character until further notice. fear not, dears, i already have a plan for his toxic ass.

should louis go to los angeles?

why was harry quick to step in between louis and his ex?