“Do tell,” I cross my arms interested.
Ryan exhales, “When I started at Culture, Iwas a bartender and trust me, that’s all I ever intended to be. Onenight I was working the Male Revue and a dancer didn’t show up.Desperate for someone to fill in, one of the managers asked if I’dbe interested.”
“And you were?”
“No, not in the least. It took a lot ofpersuading. I was in the back room with a bunch of half naked guystrying to talk me into it. They flashed cash in my face, told meabout all the women they’d had, and about all the women who’d wantme.”
I grimace a little.
“I won’t get graphic.”
“Thanks for sparing me.”
“Anyway, in a panic I blurted out that Ididn’t know jack about stripping. That’s when Divan slapped me onthe back and said ‘that’s perfect, we’ll call you Jack theStripper,’ the rest is history.”
“And that’s the night you got wasted and toldLorenzo all about me?”
Ryan looks down at his coffee and fiddleswith the spoon, “Yes, the girl I danced for. She looked like you.”He glances back up.
I’m not sure how I feel about that. I know Itold Ryan I would try to deal with his occupation, but I’m not surehow well I can handle the details. On the flip side though, I’mcurious as hell. I’m stuck in-between a prying rock and a perturbedhard place.
“I wasn’t out of prison very long when Istarted working at Culture,” he goes on, and I’m suddenly at theedge of my seat. “Mac hooked me up with the job.”
“Mac?” I bat my eyelashes, surprised. Mac is,or at least was, Ryan’s best friend. He always reminded me of oneof those cute, popular guys in high school who had a quirky side.And he was always wearing one of those stupid T-shirts’ with thegoofy sayings like,This Is What Awesome Looks Like.
“Yeah,” Ryan rubs the back of his neck. “Hewas living in the city by the time I got out and promoting for afew big night clubs.”
“Mac knew where you were?”
“Yes.”
I huff, and sort of feel stupid. “I went tohim looking for you.”
“I know,” he says apologetically, “I toldhim, ordered him actually, not to tell you where I was.”
I’m kicking myself right now. I knew I shouldhave pressed Mac harder, recalling our last conversation. I wasconvinced he knew something and I just didn’t listen to myinstincts.
“Where’s Mac now?”
“California. He met a girl, got married andmoved out there. Bang, bang, bang. I was crashing on his couch whenit all happened.”
“Wow. Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“You must miss him.”
“Yeah, I do. But he’s happy. So I’m happy,”he smiles sincerely.
I can’t help but smirk. That statement is soRyan; Mr. Empathetic.
“So, Mac got you the job…?” I urge himon.
“Mac got me the job,” Ryan sighs, “he had hadenough of me moping around. I was in a pretty dark place after Igot out. I was angry, drinking a lot, unfocused. A mess really.Then they threw me up on stage and all my demons were right therestaring back at me. All long blonde hair and chestnut brown eyes. Ialmost chickened out, but then I sorta felt like if I bailed onher, I was bailing on you all over again. So I went for it. And itwas, I don’t know, rehabilitative.”
“Are you telling me stripping istherapeutic?” I raise my eyebrows.
“It was. You’re my therapy now.”