Editor's Note: story contains gay male sexuality.
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"Happy Birthday, Dear Dad! Happy Birthday to you!" My father smirked at me, before quickly blowing out all the candles on his cake.
"Ah, no boyfriends." I said, sitting next to him at the table. My father was gay, so was I. He never came out to me, and I never came out to him. We just sort of always knew, I guess.
When I was younger my father used to bring his boyfriends over fairly often. But none of them ever really lasted. He had me when he was really young, and as such, most of the men he met were young, and not prepared to deal with a child. As soon as my mother had given birth to me, she'd stepped out of the picture. But it's fine, I really love my dad. He makes up for her not being here.
"No! I can't be single for another year." He exclaimed before laughing.
"I know, especially now that you're so old." I said with a smirk.
"Forty is not old! I'm in my prime."
He was right about that. He looked great.
My father works in construction. He's been working with the same company since he graduated high school. Throughout the years he was able to move up into management, but he didn't lose his muscular physique. He was fit, he was always weight lifting, training for marathons or half-marathons.
He was different from me in that way. He had an athletic build, whereas I was more slim. I was still fit, but I was a dancer, and I had that sort of body. But I was definitely more drawn to his body type than mine.
"You're twice my age, Jeff. I'll have to send you to an old folk's home soon." My father laughed again.
I glanced at the clock behind him.
"Shit," I cursed, "I have to go. I'll be late!" I quickly stood from the table, grabbing my bag from the kitchen counter. My father followed me.
"I wish you could stay. You haven't even had a piece of cake yet." He said, frowning. He looked so sad. I wished I could stay too, but I had work.
"I'll have some when I get home, around one. You'll still be up then, right?" I asked, pulling my sneakers on. He rubbed his hands through his thick brown hair.
"Yeah, the guys will probably still be over. I guess you can meet them then." He said, giving me a small half-smile.
"Sure, Dad. Sounds great." I stood, pulling him into a tight hug. He was taller than me, by about six inches. He kissed the top of my head before releasing me. He always did that, kissed the top of my head. I realized, as I got older, that it sent a sort pleasurable shudder down my spine.
"Happy Birthday, Dad." I said, before quickly leaving the house.
I felt bad. It was awful having to leave him on his birthday. He had been trying to introduce me to his friends for a while now, and I still hadn't made the time to meet them.
And to make matters worse, I was lying to him about my job. He thought I was a bartender, which was true, Monday through Thursday. But today was Friday, and I'd be working at TKO, the gay strip club about ten blocks from our house.
If my father knew about it, he'd die.
My father didn't always have a lot of money. He'd had me when he was twenty, which is far too young to have a child. But he always tried to give me the best. So as soon as I was old enough to get a job, I got one.
After I turned 19, I was able to start bartending, and was making a pretty good amount in tips. But I make a lot more stripping. Most of the money I make goes towards savings, so I can go to college. I give the rest to my father, who is way too reluctant to take it.
I don't mind though. I sort of feel like we're partners, we take care of each other. And I like that.
Besides, I don't really mind stripping. It's not like I feel used or dirty. It's just a job, that's all. But my father wouldn't see it that way, so there's no way he can ever, ever, ever find out.
"Hey Ty, we switched the rotation. You're on the floor tonight. Check the schedule." Tom said, as I entered the building. I nodded my thanks to him and carried on into the back to change.
The entire thing was all very organized. We had specific times that we went on to dance. The more popular the stripper, the later they went on.
We had five stages. Four smaller ones, and one main stage. Usually I only worked the stage if one of our more veteran dancers was sick or away. Which was fine with me, I found serving drinks and giving lap dances got me the same amount of tips. But the work was easier because, ironically enough, I'm pretty shy. I'm better with one on one interactions.
I went to the back room and began undressing quickly. The server's uniform was pretty basic. A pair of silver spandex booty shorts and a bow tie. (Because we had to look "classy").
As I pulled the shorts on I felt a strong hand grip my ass cheek.
"Hi Paul." I said with a smirk. Paul pulled me against him, wrapping his arms around my stomach. I could feel his erection through his pants. Must've just come off the stage.
"Mm, you dancing tonight, babe?" He asked, kissing my neck.
"Not on the stage."
"Well, I suppose I'll have to buy a lap dance then. How much do you charge again?" He asked, grinding against me. I turned to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Whatever the price baby, you could never afford it." I said, quickly pecking his lips. I gave him a wink, then left the back room.
"You're such a tease!" He called after me. I chuckled.
Paul had been trying to get into my pants ever since I started working here. But we weren't really supposed to date coworkers, and that's what it would take to get into my pants.
I'm not easy. As I said, this is just a job, not a lifestyle.
Sure, I'd been a little promiscuous in high school, blowing my boyfriends in the front seat of their cars during lunch. But no one had ever fucked me. I was waiting on that one.
Yeah, call me old fashioned, but I want to actually care about the first person I sleep with. And yes, I get that saying that is sort of ironic.
If I was being completely honest, I was holding out for one man in particular. It would probably never happen with him, but I would wait a few more years, just in case.
"Ty, these drinks need to go to table seven." I nodded at the bartender, Matt, before grabbing the tray and heading off to the table.
The night seemed to go by quickly. I gave a good amount of dances, I'd have a good tip at the end of the night. I'd get my father something nice with it. I still felt awful about leaving him on his birthday.
Around midnight I served table nine. There was a group of three men waiting.
"What's your name, babe?" One of the men asked me as I set their drinks down. He looked about middle-aged. He was cute, had black hair and brown eyes.