Innocent Lust

18th Birthday

I walk in to the room set my bag down against the wall and begin warming up. I start by cleaning the pole. I then do some easy spins and turns.

"Hey, Baylor!" My instructor walks in, "Happy birthday!"

"Thank you!" I smile happy that someone other than my parents remembered.

"You're eighteen now right?"

"Yup! Officially an adult!" I smile.

"Perfect! Now you can come work with me in the studio down the street!" she says.

"What do you do for your job?" I ask curious as to why she thinks I will do it with her.

"Pole dance. Just like we do here but instead people watch and give you money," she explains to me.

"Really?" I ask excited.

"Yeah," she looks me up and down. "You would make a lot of money there."

I blush. She must think I am really good at this.

"You are the only one signed up for todays class so how about we go get you interviewed?"

My eyes shoot open wide, "Y-yeah let's go!"

I happily drive over to the studio with her. The neighborhood is kind of sketchy. We are on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Lots of crime happens here.

The building we walk into is also sketchy. There is a big open space with chairs and tables set up everywhere. There's a stage in the middle of it all with poles set up. Everything is red or black. There are only men here other than the women working.

"Jerry!" my instructor calls out.

"What?" I ragged old man yells back.

"I have a new girl to be another dancer."

The man looks me up and down, licks his lips, and says, "You're in. Your first dance is in thirty minutes."

I smile brightly, "Thank you!"

Yay! Maybe I will get the attention of someone big and they will ask me to be on broadway or something big like that!

I pick a slow song and imagine myself dancing to it. I perform the dance in my mind over and over until it's time for me to start.

"Dayton! Baylon?" the old man calls out.

"Do you mean Baylor?"

"Yeah, you. You're up."

The music starts and I walk up to my pole. I walk around it and grab onto to it. I continue to walk in the air. I spin wrapping my legs around the pole. I get lost in the music. Spinning, flipping,
and twirling. I finish by sliding down the pole upside down and catching myself inches from the ground.
A bunch of people clap and I look at the stage to see it covered with money. I pick it all up and walk over to my instructor.

"Is this what I will do everyday?" I ask excitedly.

"Yeah, you can come in whenever you want."

***

I don't want to go to school tomorrow. I don't want to see Jack. What do I do? Do I break up with him? Oh my god. No. We can fix things.

I decide to call him.

The phone rings. Once. Twice. Three times.

"Hey Baylor," he picks up.

"Hey," I try to speak but that's all that comes out.

"What's up?"

"Baby come back. I want your hands back on me," I hear a girls voice say in the background.

My heart races, "W-who are you with?"

"Just the boys. Why?" he says.

"Jack don't lie to me. I heard that girls voice," this is the meanest I have ever spoken to anyone.

"I'm sorry Baylor. You wouldn't do anything with me. You would barely kiss me. You couldn't fulfill my needs," Jack explains.

I don't even know what that means. His needs? What kind of needs does he mean?

"We are done. I am breaking up with you, Baylor."

Tears sting my eyes. He hangs up the phone to do god knows what with that girl. "Fill his needs"
WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!

My mom comes into my room.

"What's wrong dear? I could hear you crying,"
she cradles me in her arms.

"Jack cheated on me. Then broke up with me," I sob into her arms.

"It's okay cause today is Friday. You don't have school tomorrow and we can talk about whether or not you want to go back."

"I love you mom."

"I love you too. Now go to bed. We can talk tomorrow," she kissed my forehead and leaves the room.

I tuck myself into bed, turn the lights off, and fall asleep.