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Chapter 3

It was pitiful. When he wasn’t working at the Rooster, he was lurking around the Slayer’s house, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Not that she even deigned to notice him. She had to know that he was there – but she never even so much as threatened to stake him or, gods forbid, simply talked to him and asked him what he thought he was doing, hanging around outside her house.

Tossing his last cig of the evening and reluctantly heading towards the Rooster, Spike realized that he wasn’t going to even get a glimpse of the Slayer tonight. It wasn’t that he enjoyed spending all his free time stalking a woman who didn’t care if he was alive or dust. It was just that his unlife had become such a drag that the time weighed on him. A man needed a hobby. And if he couldn’t slay Slayers anymore, the least he could do was hope for a peek when she didn’t know he was watching. For some reason that he didn’t question too closely, he found the idea far more arousing than the constant barrage of tits and ass on display at the bar.

It was two weeks to the day when Harmony had announced that she was going to star in her own premier at the strip club. Tonight was supposed to be her big debut, but Spike would have bet money that it wasn’t going to happen. He’d just laughed and left while Harmony was still going through her clothes, deciding which outfit to wear over to the club. Her ‘stage outfit’ had been chosen long ago, and had already seen many a practice session. Harmony’s determination that everything be perfect for her big performance would have driven Spike to violence if he’d paid the least bit of attention to it. Instead he had simply chuckled and then walked out to see what the Slayer was up to before heading over to the club.

Harmony had her uses, but unfortunately companionship wasn’t one of them. Course he was used to that for the most part. Dru hadn’t been much of a conversationalist either. At least not of the sane variety. At least she had always kept him guessing. Harmony was more like an open book – or a record stuck on the same few notes. Whatever time Spike was forced to spend with his flatmate, he made sure that the majority of it was spent shagging, even if his heart wasn’t in it. After all the abuse it had already seen, it was a wonder the costume was still serviceable.

Nearly choking on his beer as Spike spied Harmony entering the club through the back, he belatedly realized that his laughter had probably been ill considered. He never imagined that she would actually take this thing so far. Now that she was here, short of physically hauling her out of the club, if Harmony really was determined to perform there was nothing he could do to stop her.

Deciding that he might as well try to enjoy it, he poured himself another beer. There had to be some perks to having a girlfriend who was a stripper. Over the weeks he’d watched Harmony practice, she’d actually put together a pretty good routine.

And the patrons always liked new talent. And if there was one phrase that described Harmony, ‘nice rack’ would be at the top of the list. Right after ‘dumb as a stone.’

It was an odd feeling waiting for his girlfriend to come out on stage and strut her stuff for all and sundry, but it wasn’t as unpleasant as Spike had thought it would be. In fact, in a way, it was a little bit intoxicating. Something the William part of him thought of as forbidden. Just like the demon thought that having sex with the one woman in all the world chosen to … Quickly he edited the thought.

… More like having sex in a public place. Yes, that was what he meant. Something exciting, but not dangerous. And definitely not involving females that could as easily kill him as look at him. Just a bit a of a thrill, that’s all.

His thoughts kept him amused until Harmony actually stumbled onto the stage. After having obsessed for days over it, her hair, makeup, and costume were perfect. One thing about Harmony, she was always a looker. And the advantage of this gig, was that Harmony didn’t need to open her mouth and ruin it all. Nobody could give a damn if she could even talk, so long as the clothes came off.

And that was just the problem. They weren’t coming off. The music was playing, but Harmony wasn’t doing the dance she had spent two weeks practicing. Instead she was standing awkwardly, peering out at the assembled crowd as if surprised to see them there.

Bloody hell, he’d known this was a mistake. Another minute and the crowd was going to turn ugly. He had to get Harmony off the stage and another girl on, fast, or things were going to turn violent. Of course Jim and the other bouncers were totally oblivious to the fact that Spike would be less than useless in a fight involving human patrons.

Quickly moving to climb up on the stage, the owner grabbed Spike’s arm and stopped him for a moment. “Just so’s we’re clear. If she doesn’t perform, I’m docking your pay for the five hundred dollars I advanced her.”

This time he couldn’t hold back the scream of outrage. “Bloody hell!”

Five hundred dollars! What had the stupid bint done with five hundred dollars? He couldn’t afford to have his pay docked, not by that much. Harmony might have other menu choices available, but Spike needed money to buy blood. He depended on it. Sure he had a little money put by that he could dig up in a hurry, but not enough to make that kind of loss inconsequential. If he needed real cash, he’d have to leave town to get it, and he really didn’t want to do that.

The crowd was chanting now, trying to persuade Harmony to perform. If anything, her reticence had whet their appetite. It was pretty obvious that this was her first time stripping, and they wanted to be there to see it. She really did look hot in the scanty cheerleader costume she’d chosen. Like a sacrificial virgin, Harmony’s status as a novice, combined with her apparent youth, just added that much more zest to the experience for the patrons.

Provided that she actually got on with the show, of course.

Harmony still hadn’t so much as moved. She appeared to be staring into the lights, like a particularly stupid deer. When Spike entered her field of vision she blinked.

He didn’t really have much of a thrall. Had never really wanted one. But if it was going to work on anyone, it was going to work on Harmony.

He tried to gesture to the crowd to settle down, but they didn’t quiet much. He moved so that he alone encompassed Harmony’s field of vision, stared into her eyes, and tried to initiate the thrall. With his right hand, unobtrusively, he motioned for the soundman to start the song again. Harmony had practiced so many damn times to this song, he hoped that she would start moving with just the slightest encouragement. He smiled into her eyes and curled his tongue.

Harmony stared back and began to lick her lips. Gently moving behind her, he put his hands on her hips and started her swaying to the beat. Luckily that was all the encouragement she needed, as she launched into her routine.

Quickly dodging out of the way, Spike tried to return to his spot just under the stage. But Harmony was faster. She grabbed him and stationed him on the stage with her. He wasn’t sure if his attempted thrall had actually worked, or if Harmony had just finally found her courage, but either way it was obvious that she still needed his presence. They had invariably practiced the dance together, and it was only now that Spike realized that he had become an integral part of the dance for Harmony. She just wasn’t the kind of person who could do anything on her own. He just needed her to finish so he could get her off the stage, and back home where she belonged. Even if it meant he was now part of the act.





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