How many nights had he spent here? He'd go there with his friends and they would all use their fake i.d.'s to get in and drink. Something kept him coming back. She was 5'4, and had his favorite hair color. Blonde of course, and a chest that wouldn't quit. And somehow she didn't seem to belong there. Six years older than John. She had ran away from home at 16 and used a fake i.d. to start stripping.
Candice Michelle Hamilton, but she just went by her stage name, Candi. As soon as he realized he had a thing for her, he tried to get her to quit stripping. But she had too many bills to quit. He couldn't stand guys looking at her. Pawing at her. It drove him crazy.
He was involved with Dorothea, but he couldn't get enough of Candi. Until the night he went looking for her after his show at the Stone Pony. He was ready to end things with Dot, that night.
He just stood there staring at her. The memory of the last time he was with her running through his mind.
"You can't even speak to me Johnny?"
His angry eyes, mixed with a hint of pain. Spoke more than he could ever say.
"I'm in a hurry, I got shit to do!" "He grumbled, ready to get the hell away from her.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just a delivery for my boss. It wasn't my idea."
"I guess you're still pissed at me! How many times do I need to say I'm sorry?"
"Just save your breath, because it doesn't mean a damn thing to me!"
"Johnny it wasn't my fault!"
He laughed. "Yeah right! How dumb do I look?"
"You don't know what it's like! I live on my own! My Mommy and Daddy don't pay all my damn bills for me! She yelled with a frustrated attitude.
"I moved out! I live on my own too!" He countered with just as much attitude.
"Then you know how hard it is, to get everything paid!"
"That might be true Candi! But I haven't had to resort to fucking my boss in the back room, to get it done!"
"John I told you how sorry I was you saw us that night! Travis told me I had to sleep with him! If I wanted to keep my job! But you sure act all high and mighty considering the fact that Dorothea was your girlfriend, the whole damn time you were sleeping with me!"
John laughed. "You seemed really into it, for somebody that didn't have a fucking choice! "Looks like a fine decision you made! Screwing your boss to secure your future in this dump! And don't even try to bring up Dot! You knew that shit was complicated and you knew exactly what you were getting into from the very beginning! I've got to go!" He turned to walk away.
"Wait! Don't leave!"
He stopped and slowly turned back around.
"I miss you Johnny." She issued her heartfelt plea with tears in her eyes.
"Whatever." He spoke coldly and walked away toward the door, where Richie stood waiting for him.
"Let's get the fuck out of here!" He blurted out as he reached the door.
They walked to the van and got in. John slammed the door and punched the steering wheel. "Why the fuck did she have to be here?"
"Just forget her man! She ain't worth the trouble!" Richie tried to convince him.
"Can you believe that shit? It's not her fault! I can't even believe she said that shit to me!" John yelled out all his pent-up anger and frustration.
"Let's just get out of here man!" Richie blurted out seeing a familiar car pulling up.
"It's Travis!" John yelled to Richie.
"Forget him man! Just drive, let's go! Let him have Candi! You wanted to get home to Ashley remember?" Richie tried to convince him to leave.
"Yeah I do. Fuck this place!" John mumbled as he drove away.
They made it back to Galaxy. And went back to the office to see Harold.
"Hello boys, you did a fine job. I might have some more work for you soon. Here's your money. He handed them each an envelope. With a look and a non verbal understanding to John, not to compare the amounts.
"Thanks Mr. Harold, if we can help with anything let us know." John grinned, holding his envelope.
"I'll be in touch." He shook both of their hands.
They walked out of the office up to the bar. Richie opened his envelope first. It had 3 crisp 100 dollar bills. Add in Mr. Martolini's 100 dollar bill and he had made 400 dollars for a little over 3 hours, it took them to finish.
John barely opened his and put a finger on each 100 dollar bill in his envelope. 6 crisp 100 dollar bills, added with his extra 100 dollars from Mr. Martolini and he scored for the day with 700 bucks. He knew not to make a big deal about it. Harold considered him family. And he didn't want to rub it in to Richie.
"Did you get 3 hundred's?" Richie asked, dying to know.
"Yeah, that's what I got too." John replied and Richie grinned, He loved making easy money.
They each ordered a beer and John walked over to the payphone.
"Hello Fast Lane this is Mike."
"Hi Mike, this is Johnny. Can I speak to Ashley?"
"Sure hold on."
He put the call through to her office.
"Hello this is Ashley."
"Damn you sound fine! Are you single?" John chuckled.
"Nope and I have a very jealous boyfriend!" She giggled.
"Hey baby, how is your first day going?"
"It's good. I had to learn to schedule the bands to play here. And fill out a lot of order forms and stuff. How's the painting going?"
"Harold had us do some deliveries instead. It was okay. Are you coming by to see me, when you get done?"
"If you want me to?"
"Of course I do. I miss you Ash."
"I miss you too."
"I'll let you go. Love you baby. Bye."
"Love you too. Bye."
"How's she doing?" Richie asked as John sat down sipping his beer.
"She said she's good. Learning how to do paperwork and stuff."
John sipped on his beer and seemed a million miles away.
"Are you thinking about that damn stripper?"
"No! Maybe! She just gets to me! It's like I forgot all about her, and then I saw her today and I just can't get her out of my fucking head!"
"Well you've got Ash now, that should make it a little easier."
"Yeah whatever you do, don't mention this shit about Candi to Ashley! It will really put my ass in a sling!"
"I won't but you are kinda hiding a lot of shit from her. Won't she really be pissed if she finds some of this shit out on her on?"
"I just keep my fingers crossed and pray none of their fucking paths cross. What else can I do? Hell I wish I didn't know some of the shit I know about her exes. It would just make it a lot easier."
"Well I'm going home and going back to bed." Richie stood up.
"Okay man thanks and sorry I was rough on you this morning."
"Hey I'm used to it." He laughed.
"Later man." Richie walked out of the club.
"John finished his beer. And walked out to his car. He had a few places to stop at before he went home. He was planning something special for Ashley, and he wanted it to be perfect.
He made a few stops, to get the stuff he needed. And went in Record Bar and bought a couple c.d.'s. he had been wanting to get.
When he finally got home he walked in his little apartment and put a couple things in the fridge. He put a couple things in the oven, and turned it on low. He went to the bedroom and it took him a little while to get everything set up, the way he wanted. He went to the fridge and opened a beer and sat down and kicked back on the couch. Waiting on his woman to walk through the door.
John had looked out the window five times when he finally saw her Trans Am pull in off of Ocean Avenue. He jumped on the couch and picked up a magazine off of the coffee table, so he wouldn't look like he had been so desperately waiting for her to get there.
Ashley turned the knob and walked in and she saw the the most handsome view sprawled out on the couch.
"Hey baby. I got a little surprise for you."
"What is it John?" Her face lit up with excitment as she threw her purse down and hurried over to get swooped up into his arms.
He kissed her and she smiled. "God I missed you."
"I missed you too." He jumped up and grabbed a bag and started loading things in it. "Give me a few minutes and walk over to the beach." He smiled.
His smile was contagious and she responded with her own obnoxious grin. "What did you do?"
"You'll see." He hurried out the door and across the road. He had already been over there earlier and picked the perfect spot and had a few things ready. He finished up and waited for her.
She walked up on him and everything he had laid out for her.
"John it's so beautiful! You did all this for me?"
"Yep to celebrate your first day at work. I got paid today and wanted to do something special for you. Open that envelope."
She picked it up wondering what it could be. A little card in a red envelope. It simply had written on the front. Because I love you. On the inside of it, he had written. You make my world brighter and my heart happier. Love, Johnny. And it had a little pile of money in it. "What is the money for?"
"For all the food and stuff you bought for the apartment. I appreciate it, but I want you to pay your Dad back."
"You didn't have to do that. I wanted to do that for you."
"I'm a man, and I just feel better paying it back to you."
"Okay thanks. I love what you wrote."
"Good, I mean it. Now sit down and let's eat. I had a heck of a time keeping this food warm!" He laughed.
He had gone by Enzo's and bought pasta and bread sticks. He had some wine and a caramel brownie dessert.
"Thank you so much for doing this John. Everything looks so good. I didn't eat much today and I'm starving."
They ate together on the blanket he had laid out. He had a small fire going. When they were finished they walked over by the water.
"You know what would make this perfect? He smiled his devilish grin at her.
"Oh no! I told you! I'm not doing it again, with you out here! We're gonna get caught!" She laughed.
He smiled at her. "I'm just kidding. I have another surprise back at the apartment."
"Your spoiling me John. I've never been treated so well."
"You deserve it baby. I just want to show you how much I love you."
They walked down the beach for while.
John sat down on the rocks. "I love the smell of the salty air. It always clears my head." He took a few deep breaths to try to forget about what happened at the Candy Store today.
He was over it. Yeah it hurt like hell at the time. But once his Mom caught wind of the fact she was a stripper, the complicated relationship was pretty much done anyway. There was nothing quite like Carol on a rampage about a girl she didn't want John to date. That's why he had to move out, when she started in on Ashley.
He looked over at her, she was staring out into the ocean, deep in thought. She was the best girl he had been with so far. He was thinking more and more she might really be the one. But whenever John found himself happy, that's usually when the shit hit the fan. And he was determined this time, not to fuck it up.
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