"Alright who's smart ass idea was this?" Alexia Devon asked as she surveyed the crowded strip club.
Jess took a good look at the three girls she had entered the club with.
The woman next to her, Max, tossed her wild inky black hair over her shoulder and led the way to the clear table she'd spotted near the front. Jess's boss Gabriel had taken one look at Max and instantly fallen head over heels, and she had done the same. Of course they told the story a little differently. Jess knew the truth though - they were made for each other.
"The original idea was Jess's but we leapt on the bandwagon pretty quickly," Max confessed.
Alexia had gorgeous long dark hair, which flashed red whenever the spotlights hit it. She was taller than Jess -- but then all the women were.
Alexia was curvy, exotic and as quick-tempered and stubborn as the flashes in her hair suggested. She was also a member of the royal family, and a member of the Theris bloodline - the family who had staged a bloody and ultimately failed uprising against the royal Devon's.
Alexia was banished from her home country and put under the guardianship and old tiger called Jeremy, and more recently Rider, when her dual heritage was found out.
Of course you'd never guess that from the way she was waving fake strip club money at the gyrating G string on stage...
"I guess you could call it a joint birthday effort - Alex, put the fistful of cash back in your pocket. We've only been here 30 seconds, you need to pace yourself." Sabeen said, ever the voice of reason.
She looked vaguely uncomfortable in the press of screaming women. Sabeen wasn't really into this sort of thing, but once she'd caught a glimpse of the toned and tanned man writhing on the stage she had announced to the group that it probably wasn't going to be as awful as she had imagined.
Sabeen was the tallest of the four of them, and the most athletic. She came off as the cool voice of reason in the group, but they were all aware that Sabeen was the most likely to rip someone's throat out if they happened to threaten her or any of the people under her protection. She was pretty much the reason Alexia was allowed to be in the city without a disguise and an armed guard.
Jess grinned and relaxed into her chair, being with the girls just made her happy. They worked together, and lived together out of necessity, but in reality she couldn't imagine a better group of people to be visiting a seedy male strip club with.
The guys had given them an hour before they were due to meet at a club of Alex's choice. Jess and the girls intended for Alexia to get her money's worth in that time.
Slipping out of her chair Jess headed for the bar with the drinks order. She leaned over the counter, displaying just enough cleavage to get the bartenders attention, and placed her order, along with her request.
The man behind the bar regarded the firecracker of a woman in front of him before ginning and nodding.
"It's going to cost you though sweetie."
Jess smiled in triumph as he presented his cheek, and she planted a kiss on it. She wouldn't have minded giving him a little more for his trouble, but he was on duty, and she was here for Alexia, not her own fun.
"Thanks, it'll mean a lot to her... right after she gets over how furious she is with us all I'm sure."
Two hilarious lap dances later the girls lead an embarrassed (and broke) Alexia out into the night to meet the guys.
"I really can't believe you did that you little wench!" Alexia exclaimed after Jess had confessed to setting her up.
"Neither can I -- would it have killed you to set one up for the rest of us too?" Max giggled.
The girls entered the bar selected by the guys, and were immediately assaulted by the pounding music. The place wasn't too full yet, so it was still possible to have a conversation. The guys had snagged a booth up on the balcony, and the girls started up the stairs to meet them.
"Oh stop complaining, you've got Gabriel wound around your little finger -- He'd do it in a second for you if you asked." Jess replied.
"True. Although that first guy's ass was pretty spectacular." Max mused.
Gabriel appeared in front of them, trying his best to scowl fiercely.
"Boy I hope you didn't just say what I think you just said." Gabriel murmured as he hauled Max into his body, nuzzling his lips into the side of her neck.
"Do I need to re-claim my territory?" He asked nipping at her skin and causing Max to twist out of his grip giggling.
He half turned to the side to reveal the corner booth the guys had claimed.
Rider stood to make room for Jess to slide into the booth. At the same time he gave Alexis a once over, taking in her sexed up outfit, and sent her a feral grin.
Alexis licked her lips and swayed her hips to the beat. "Dance with me Rider? Please?"
Rider usually wouldn't have agreed to dance but she was making it hard to say no, besides it was her birthday. He sighed and lunged forward to, pick up Alex and sling her over his shoulder in a casual fireman's carry down to the dance floor.
Jess watched with a grin as her friends pared off and reacquainted themselves with their partners. You'd think they'd all been away from each other for a week rather than a couple of hours.
Sabeen and Marcus ended up at the bar, doing shots together and joking around with Grey and Michael, who were playing pool. Max, Gabriel, Alexis and Rider danced most of the night on the tacky flashing light floor.
Jess had a few drinks with Marcus and Sabeen, and danced a bit with Gabriel and Max. She didn't stay with them too long because the temperature was definitely rising on the dance floor, and she was feeling a bit like a third wheel.
Back at the bar she took a stool and looked around for Finn. He was doing his best to chat up a pretty blonde. She was having none of it, and eventually he gave up, leaving her to her friends and beer.
Catching sight of Jess, grinning at his failure, Finn jogged over trying to look annoyed at her amusement. He teased her by grabbing her by the shoulders, leaning her back over her chair and shaking her slightly.
"You're not laughing at me now are you?" He grinned setting her back upright on her stool.
