Avery’s POV

I could barely contain my rising anxiety as the taxi pulled up in front of The Dancing Girl strip club. My heart was racing a mile a minute and I felt like I was going to be sick. I hated all this sneaking around and lying, but I had to prove that all those rumors floating around were wrong. I had to see for myself that Brian was faithful in every situation so I could have some peace of mind. I knew I was being silly and that he would never do anything to hurt me, but some small part of me still needed proof. All the rumors were making me feel insecure about the one true thing in my life.

“Here you are ladies,” the cab driver said as I nervously chewed my bottom lip. We had finally reached the strip club and I felt my stomach drop. I had been dreading this part of the bachelor party all night because I knew Brian would either prove he was loyal or show me the thing I feared the most.

Maya and I had been following the guys around all night as they hopped from bar to bar, drinking and partying the night away for Brian’s bachelor party. By the time they left the Bourbon Bar, they were all a little more than intoxicated. I honestly couldn’t believe how many bottles they had downed in the past five hours. It had to be a new record for them. But then again, Maya and I had also had our fair share of drinks to calm our nerves. We hadn’t seen them interact with anyone yet, but the worrisome part was now upon us.

I mean, if Brian was faithful with a room full of beautiful woman grinding against him, I knew I had absolutely nothing to worry about. So tonight was the ultimate test and I really hoped he passed. The man was the love of my life and I knew I wouldn’t be happy without him. Hell, Brian made me happier than anything in my entire life—even ice cream—and that said a lot!

“Do you want me to wait or is this your last stop of the night?” The cabby asked, turning around to look at Maya and I from the front seat. Only we were both staring out the window, watching as the guys stumbled out of the SUV limo with my blindfolded fiancé. “Ladies?”

“No this will be our last stop,” Maya replied, absent-mindedly waving her hand in his direction. I could see her watching Matt as he threw his head back with a laugh, a small smile pulling over her face. She was just as anxious about all this as I was, but I could see all her love for the big guy in her eyes. I just hoped everything worked out because Maya’s engagement was depending on a positive outcome tonight.

“All right, suit yourself. Your total for the night is $167.98.” I felt Maya shift in the seat next to me as she pulled out her wallet to pay the cab driver, while I continued to stare out the window.

“Come on take the shot! Take the shot!” Jimmy screamed, shoving the bottle of Laghroaig into Brian’s mouth. “The night is only begun! Now it’s time for a little piece of heaven!”

“Is each destination named after one of our songs?” I heard Zack laugh, only to see him earn a pointed death glare from Jimmy. “If I wanted to do that, I could have gone drinking at home!”

“You shut your whore mouth!” He bellowed, dragging a stumbling and blindfolded Brian into the club. “This is Gatesypoo’s night! So stop being a fucking party pooper!”

“That’s right, bring on the tities and ass!” Johnny added before the whole entourage headed inside. “Bring on the girls!”

“All right, here goes nothing,” Maya said, her hand landing on mine and pulling me away from my stare.

“I don’t like this,” I muttered, twisting my hands in my lap and chewing on my bottom lip. I could barely feel my bottom lip from gnawing on it all night and my freshly manicured nails were my next line of defense.

Maya sighed and me my eyes, pulling my freshly manicured fingers away from my mouth. She knew it was only a matter of time before I started biting my nails too. “I don’t either but don’t you want to keep an eye on the situation? You know, to make sure nothing happens behind our backs?

“I guess… “ I exhaled, looking at my red nails that were painted a few hours ago, willing myself not to bite or peel off the polish. This whole situation was making me uncomfortable, especially when I thought about how Brian would react if we found out what we were doing. I mean, of course I trusted him, but there was some small part of me that wanted to double check and make sure the rumors weren’t true. “What if they see us?”

“They wont,” Maya rolled her eyes at me and shook her head. “We are going to stay hidden backstage. I’ve got it all worked out,” she assured me as we carefully climbed out of the cab. “Besides, you and I both know we’ll feel better knowing what happened tonight. We’ll know the truth, everything can go back to normal, and we can forget those stupid rumors.”

“And live happily ever after,” I finished with a small smile on my face. Our wedding was only a little more than a month away and we were getting down to the wire. It was time to put all this crap behind us and just live our lives without these stupid fears. I mean it was ridiculous! We were getting married in about a month! Brian wouldn’t do anything stupid to jeopardies that, and deep down I knew that, but some part of me needed to see it in action. Damn I had really let all this bullshit get to me.

“Yes for you and me both, now this way before someone sees us!” Maya grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the back of the building as my head started to spin. Wait, weren’t we going inside?

“What? Where are we going? Don’t we have to go in the front?” I asked, looking around confused. I was starting to get whiplash from the way Maya was dragging me around. “I thought we were going to spy? Did you change your mind?”

Maya chuckled and shook her head, knowing that I would just keep asking questions until she answered me. It was just one of my anxious habits. She quickly pushed me behind the building and covered my mouth with her hand, preventing my nervous ramblings.

“Little Gnome relax, I’ve got this all planned out,” she said with a small smile coming over her face. “Do you remember Jimmy’s friend Brittany from the last Vegas party we went to with the guys?” she asked, her brown eyes bearing down into mine. She meant business today.

“Yeah, the blonde that was dancing with you and Jess most of the night?” I replied, trying to recall that blurry evening a few months ago. In typical Avenged party fashion, we all got very drunk and high and I only remembered bits and pieces of the evening. Thankfully I remembered the girl Maya was talking about.

“Yes that’s her. Well, I did some calling around and I found out that she works here…” Maya flashed me a wicked smile before she continued. She could be very sneaky when she wanted. “Aaand she is going to get us in and help us out. She said that the guys rented out the VIP section on the left side of the stage and there is a curtain we can peek through. She also said that she spoke to the girls that will be dancing in that section and asked them to up their game to see what the guys do,” Maya said her smile falling as she spoke.

I didn’t like the idea of some other woman trying to seduce my fiancé but I guess that was the ultimate test, right? If he denied her advances, he passed the test and I would never have to worry about any rumors again. I just didn’t know what I would do if he didn’t deny another girls advances. The thought made my chest hurt and I quickly pushed it away, not wanting to think about it. I had lived it once and I didn’t want to do it again.

“Are you ready?” Maya asked, taking a deep breath as she stepped toward the employee entrance. I didn’t know if I would ever be ready to watch my fiancé at a strip club but it was now or never. I gave her a curt nod as my heart thundered in my chest.

Maya knocked three times on the back door before it opened revealing a very tall, heavily make-uped, blonde with big hair and big stilettos. She was dressed in a long light blue robe and white lingerie. “Well it’s about time you girls showed up. I was starting to think you weren’t coming,” she said, pulling both Maya and I into a hug. “It’s been a long time no see! And congratulations Avery! I’m so excited for you and Brian! It’s about time someone tied that asshole down.”

“Thanks,” I said, feeling my face squish against her boob in the hug. I guess this really was one of the curses of being so short. “It’s good to see you too again, Brit,” though if I was being honest, I didn’t remember her too well. Maybe that drunken night we had become really great friends, but I didn’t remember.

“Thank you for doing this for us, Brit. We really appreciate it and we will definitely owe you,” Maya said as we pulled away from the hug.

“No problem, M. I was actually just about to go take another round of drink orders if you’d like to come watch,” Brittany looked around and then frowned. “But wait right her for just a second. Emily is supposed to be on stage in five and I’m not sure why she isn’t dressed yet… be right back.”

“Isn’t she great?” Maya asked as we both looked around back stage. There were old blue curtains hung over the concrete walls, long dressing room tables, large round lights that illuminated the whole dressing room, and clothes and glitter everywhere. And you know what they say about glitter… once you touch it it’s like an STD that never goes away, and wasn’t that the truth.

I looked around the room just as the girls sitting closest to Maya and I turn around and face us with a big smile and wide eyes. “How’d it go tonight?”

I opened and closed my mouth at her. What was she talking about? I didn’t know her and I certainly didn’t think she knew who I was. “I-I—”

“Holy shit, it was insane!” A voice gushed behind me. I turned around to see a woman dressed only in a white robe push past me and sit down in front of the mirrors. “There are a lot of guys in the club and they are paying big bucks!” she said, pulling a wad of money out of her robe and dropping it on the table. “And the VIP section just filled up… and let me just say, I wouldn’t mind doing some private dances over there. Those guys are fucking hot!” she blabbered.

As the woman talked about our guys, I felt my chest constrict with a wave of jealousy. Those guys were taken and they were not there for her to toy with! I swear if she took one step toward my fiancé I would claw her eyes out! Whoa, where the hell did that thought come from? That wasn’t like me at all. “I don’t like this M…” I breathed, looking over at her.

“Relax it will be fine,” Maya promised, though the look on her face told me she was just trying to be strong. She felt jus as insecure as I did, which was something I had never seen from her before. “They wont do anything stupid… they cant… we wont let them…”

“Hmm, maybe they’ll order a dance from me,” the other girl replied as she stood up to put on her thigh high stockings and teasers.

“Okay, you girls ready?” Brittany’s voice suddenly sounded in my ear, making me jump. I really needed to get a grip and relax. Brian wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, right? No, of course he wouldn’t. He loved me!

The next thing I knew, Maya and I were watching Brittany take the guys drink orders through the side curtain. They were all laughing and joke around with each other as she moved through their little entourage. I couldn’t help but let my eyes linger on Brian as he threw his head back with a laugh. His flawless jawline, that amazingly handsome face, that dark spiky hair, his charming smile, and those hypnotizing brown eyes made me feel weak in the knees. I was so in love with him that it was almost painful to stand this close and not be able to touch him or let him know I was there. God, all this was so stupid! Why was I even questioning him?

“Woo! Bring on the girls!” Johnny yelled as the light dimmed and the music started for the next dancer.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Miss M to the stage,” the announcer said before the room erupted with applause.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Maya’s hand tighten on the curtain and I quickly followed her gaze. There right in front of us the guys were biting their knuckles and cat calling at the woman on stage. It was sick to watch them all drool over another woman like that. Luckily Brian was too busy talking with Brit about his drink to notice what was happening on stage.

“Miss M? That must be fate, Shads?” MB teased, elbowing Matt in the sides. “You must need a lap dance from her.”

To my surprise, Matt just laughed and shook his head, his eyes never leaving the woman on the stage. “The night is young, let see what she can do first.” My jaw dropped as I looked over at Maya, my heart aching for her.

“I swear if he orders a lap dance from one of these girls I’ll fucking kill him,” Maya hissed, her eyes narrowed to slits. I had never seen her like this before but I knew exactly how she felt because seconds later another stripper came out and sat on my fiancé’s lap.

“Oh, hell no!” I said, moving to take a step through the curtain. Maya quickly wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me back as I struggled against her. “Let me go, M! I can’t just sit here and watch these girls touch him like that!”

Maya sighed and ran her hands over her face. We hadn’t been watching for more than fifteen minutes and already we were both ready to kill someone from rage and jealousy. What had we turned into? Maya and I never used to act like this! “I know but we cant blow our cover like that… the guys would never forgive us,” she huffed, looking more than frustrated.

“We need to do something! I can’t stand to watch this! Hell it would be better if I dressed up in a disguise and tested him myself,” I raged, still feeling that little green monster coursing through my veins. I didn’t like the thought of another woman touching Brian like I did, though I didn’t watch long enough to see how he reacted. Maybe he pushed her away? Fuck! I hated this!

Maya turned to look at me with wide eyes and a mischievous smirk. “Ave you are freaking genius! That’s it! We can dress up in a disguise and test them ourselves! That’s brilliant!” Maya gushed, pulling me into a hug. “Then we’ll know first hand what happens!”

As Maya rocked me back and forth in the hug, reality started to set in. We were going to what? “But-but how are we—I don’t think we could do that!”

“Sure we can!” Maya said, looking around the dressing room. “We just find some wigs, get a stage name, and go out and dance. Think of it just like giving brown eyes a little strip tease,” she winked at me and I blushed madly.

“I can’t do that in front of all those people!” I squeaked as Maya pulled me back toward the dressing room. “And what about the girls? Won’t they be upset?”

“Please, like you’ve never given brown eyes a strip tease,” she said with a pointed look that made me look like a tomato. Okay, so maybe I opened the hotel room door and dropped my towel once, thinking it was Brian, only for it to be Matt. And maybe it was his favorite story to tell people about me…

“M…” I begged as she pushed a red wig and dark purple set of lingerie into my hands.

“Fine suit yourself,” she shrugged, grabbing a blonde wig and black lingerie. “But I’m not going to sit and watch some other girl try to steal Matt away.” I sighed and threw my head back. I knew I couldn’t do that either, which only left one choice…

“Fine… Where do we get changed?” I sighed, only for Maya to drag me off into the changing station in the back. I didn’t like this at all but it was the lesser of the two evils.

Twenty minutes later, Maya and I were sitting in front of the mirror applying make-up and securing wigs with bobby pins. I didn’t even recognize the over-the-top stunning red head in front of me with long curly hair. Was that really me? I found it hard to believe and I really hoped it was some kind of dream that I could wake up from any minute.

“Are you sure you cant see me tattoos through these tights?” Maya asked as I brought the bottle of tequila to my lips. If I was going to do this, I needed to not feel anything. I swallowed hard, enjoying the burn that went down my throat. What the hell was I getting myself into? “Ave?”

“No you’re good,” I coughed, whipping a stray drip from my lips. I felt so anxious I could barely stand still. “What are they going to call us when we go out there anyway? We can’t be Maya and Avery.”

“Candy and Roxy,” a voice said behind us and we both turned to see Brittany. She looked down at us with an amused look on her face before shaking her head. “I can’t believe you girls are going through with this. I honestly thought you were joking Maya.”

“Nope,” Maya replied, popping the ‘p’ as she applied some make-up. “We’re doing this. When do we go on?”

Brittany chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Well, I can squeeze Ave on first as Roxy and then Maya you will go on as Candy twenty minutes after. Just don’t forget that when you’re done you go down to the floor for individual lap dances. They have a card they will hold up if they want you to come by,” Brittany explained and I felt like I was going to be sick. What if I had to give a lap dance to some stranger? I couldn’t do that. “Relax, the extra dances are only for the VIP section, the other patrons get dances from the girls that roam the floor all night.” I let out a sigh of relief, though I honestly didn’t feel much better about it.

I nervously chewed my bottom lip as I looked out to the stage entrance, not having any clue of what to do when I got out there. There would be lights, music, and hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at me. I honestly didn’t know if I could go through with this. “You’re up Miss Roxy,” Brittany said, causing me to suck in a deep breath.

“What?” I squeaked, feeling small and mouse like. “I-I—”

“You can do this… just remember its for Brown Eyes,” Maya said, her eyes staring into mine. She was right. “Its all for him and you are the only ones in the room. Ignore everything else…” That was easier said than done…

I quickly threw back the bottle of tequila and took a large sip. It had to help me feel better because I couldn’t stand the thought of all the attention on me. “Making her dancing girl debut, please welcome the sexy Miss Roxy to the stage!”

“Here you go,” Maya said, giving me a push through the curtain into the dim lights of the stage. “Come on go get ‘em Roxy!”

As I walked out, I let my hips sway to the very familiar guitar riff from I Get Off by Halestorm. I let my eyes wander around to the VIP section to see Brian talking with Zack and Jimmy. Though as soon as I walked to the pole in the middle of the stage, those stunning brown eyes snapped up and my direction and I couldn’t help but bite my bottom lip.

I carefully ran my hand down the pole as the insane crowd started chanting my new stage name. Instantly my heart started to race facer and I quickly looked back over in Brian’s direction. Our eyes locked and suddenly everything else in the room disappeared. It was just the two of us and I was going to make him the happiest man in the world. I knew how to dance and just what he liked.

You don't know that I know, you watch me every night and I just can't resist the urge to stand here in the light. You're greedy eyes upon me and then I come undone.
And I could close the curtains but this too much fun.

I loved this song and something about dancing to it here and now made me feel really sexy. I started swaying to the music, wearing my long black silk coat on top of my purple and black lingerie. I smiled wickedly at Brian as I slowly grabbed the hem of the coat and lifted it up, revealing my long slender legs. Brian licked his lips and swallowed thickly as I slowly pulled it off and dropped it to the floor.

The air on my skin was ice cold but I could barely feel it because Brian’s gaze was making me hot and alive. I watched as slowly leaned forward, ignoring whatever Zack was saying to him, his attention fully on me and my dance. Oh, I had him right where I wanted him. The only problem was that I had forgotten that right now I wasn’t Avery Jacobson…

I slowly walked around the pole before I climbed it and slid down slowly, earning a loud eruption of catcalls from the audience. At this point Brian had leaned back and was looking at me like he was about to eat me alive.

I get off on you getting off on me. I give you what you want but nothing is for free. It's a give and take kinda life we make When your line is crossed I get off I get off.

I dropped to my knees and crawled across the floor, making sure to accentuate my ass that Brian loved so much. As I crawled, I arched my back and flipped my new long red locks before coming back up to my knees and running my hands over my body. This song and Brian’s gaze were making me so hot and I couldn’t wait to feel his touch. I wanted him more than I ever had before.

I quickly grabbed the chair at the edge of the stage, to dance the end of the song in the sexiest way possible. I knew there was no way Brian could resist me after this.

I get off on you getting off on me. I give you what you want but nothing is for free. It's a give and take kinda life we make When your line is crossed I get off I get off.

I got on top of the chair on my hands and knees and arched my back to enhance my assets, my long curly hair falling on one side of my head. I could feel Brian’s eyes staring at me and I knew I had him in the palm of my hand. Suddenly his eyes locked with mine, and I couldn’t help but lick my lips. I continued dancing on the chair until I kicked it away and went up the pole again. I couldn’t even describe how alive I felt as my hips sway with the bass at the end of the song. It was only then that I remembered that I what I was doing and that Brian had been pinning over another girl… not me.

I took in a shaky breath, my heart squeaking painfully in my chest as I picked up my coat from the floor and made my way off the stage. How could he look at another woman like that? I felt more than hurt but I didn’t have time to think about it because in the next minute someone was calling my stage name. Shit, I still had to play the part and pretend nothing was bothering me. I was still Roxy as far as everyone in this room was concerned.

“Roxy! Roxy! Over here!”

I squinted my eyes as I made my way down the stairs and into the VIP section. Suddenly I was face-to-face with Jimmy and Zack and I sucked in a sharp breath. Fuck, if they recognized me up close I was in deep trouble. I held my breath as they giggled and look at each other and then back at me.

“How can I help you boys?” I asked, making my voice deeper and raspier than normal. Luckily they appeared to be too drunk to notice anything out of the ordinary about me.

“We’ve got our lucky bachelor of here who needs a little pick me up,” Zacky explained, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he lead me toward Brain in the back of the section. “He is missing his future Mrs. and needs a little distraction. Do you think you could help him relax and have fun, Miss Roxy?”

Brian was really missing me? Or was Zack just making up a story? I wasn’t sure but the look that Brian gave me while I was dancing told me that he wasn’t missing me as much as he thought. But maybe it was all just some misunderstanding. He could have been thinking about me while watching ‘Roxy’ dance, right?

“I can try my best,” I said, playing the part and twisting my fake red hair between my fingers as I looked at Brian. He was looking at me with an unreadable expression and I didn’t know what to make of it.

“Are you up for a private dance Mr. Bachelor?” I asked flirtatiously as I moved in front of him and slowly dipped down in front of him, showing him my ass in the black lace thong. “Will that cheer you up?”

Notes

So how do you think the girls' plan is going to work out? Good or will it fail miserably? Let us know what you think!

Happy Holidays everyone! <3