The Devil's Lover

Chapter 2: Glorious G

If Jayce had to describe Glorious G, he would say it was a mix between a nightclub, a gay bar, and a strip club. While the club catered to people belonging to the upperclass—those who would not be caught dead at some back-alley establishment and always came through the club doors with designer outfits and expensive watches—the customers were not limited to only men. If one was in need of a place to let loose and enjoy as the strippers and dancers did the work while also maintaining a high level of discretion, Glorious G was the place to be.

The ceilings inside were high-rise, everything following the theme of gold, black, and velvet. Glorious G strived for elegance (or as elegant as a strip club could get), with crystal chandeliers and VIP areas for the truly honored guests. All first-timers were checked by Yana and Aren Gallant themselves before they were allowed to enter. In Glorious G, you pay the staff not only for their service but also for their secrecy. It didn't matter if you were a celebrity feigning you were straight or a politician who was married and had three kids.

Here, once you finished signing a contract by the entrance, no questions were asked.

In the employee's dressing room, it was Nora who had suggested that Jayce wear black instead of the traditional Valentine's Day colors.

Nora was the strip club's house mom. The woman in her late forties had volunteered to do Jayce's make-up, because while Jayce knew a thing or two about doing his make-up, Nora was the expert. She gave him a smoky-eye with hints of red on his lids, gloss on his lips, and glitter (damn glitter) on his cheek bones.

The whole look plus styling Jayce's dark hair had taken longer than they expected. It was five minutes until ten o'clock, and most of the other strippers had gone out to have first pickings over the guests. Nora had stopped Jayce from slipping into his planned get-up, and instead held up a pair of black silk shorts with tiny ruffles at the hems.

Jayce shrugged and figured, why not?

Glorious G was packed, to nobody's surprise. Jayce hadn't even gotten far onto the main floor and already he could spot a lot of regulars filling tables and booths. His co-workers—there were around fifteen of them tonight—were up on the stage and on poles, most were giving various gentlemen lap dances, all the while the speakers played a lively song that Jayce could feel in his chest.

Not all the strippers had to dress the way Jayce did. Glorious G was so successful because it gave life to more than one type of fetish. Sometimes strippers chose what were considered manly costumes like sailors and police uniforms (albeit with a lot less fabric), other times their outfits—like the one Jayce had on at the moment—leaned towards a more feminine look.

Apparently, Nora's idea was genius. Whether it was the celebration of Valentine's or because he truly stood out, not even five minutes had passed and Jayce had already been stopped twice, the customers inserting bills into the garter around his left thigh—simply for walking by.

The VIP areas were located on a mezzanine overlooking the rest of the club. A security guard was waiting by the top of the stairs to grant customers entrance. Not just anybody could enter the restricted area unless their name was on the list for that specific evening, not even if the person worked here.

From where he stood, Jayce could see that only one of the three VIP areas was occupied; a younger woman and two men being entertained by a dancer in bright red spandex. Jayce wasn't sure if Mr. Choi would have company with him tonight, but Aren and Yana weren't mingling with those currently in the VIP area so Jayce guessed this investor from Seoul had not arrived yet.

He felt a hand suddenly on the back of his leg, and it's years of practice which enabled Jayce to calmly turn around and flash a grin at the wrinkly man seated on one of the chairs specifically for lap dances. This customer couldn't have been younger than fifty, clad in grey slacks and unable to stop stroking and touching the back of Jayce's thigh. "I'd love to feel a pretty thing like you."

"Sorry, I'm on the look-out for someone." Jayce kept his tone light and was saved by another dancer, called West, who sauntered closer to the old man. West was wearing nothing but a pink thong, the light sheen of sweat on his brow indicating he'd just finished doing a stage performance. The old man was immediately distracted.

Jayce supposed he could just wait at the mezzanine.

Before he could actually make it to the stairs, another person had grabbed his attention by catching his wrist. The hold was gentle, not demanding unlike the old man who'd squeezed at Jayce's thigh like he was kneading dough.

This other customer was speaking before Jayce even got a good look at him. "Should I say please so you don't turn me down like you did that guy before?"

Once Jayce's sight had fully adjusted to the dim lighting of the main floor, he had to blink several more times due to how attractive this customer was. The man had East Asian features and a strong build hidden under a well-tailored, navy suit. They were close enough that Jayce could hear the deep timbre of the man's voice, how it contrasted the playful smile on his face.

Jayce was a bit sad that he had to turn him down. "I'm sorry, I–"

The man let go of Jayce's wrist, not once taking his eyes away from Jayce's face even as he waved a twenty in the air. "You seem nervous. I'm sure it'll help if you're loose enough for whoever it is you're waiting for."

Still playful, and now bordering charming. Like a breath of fresh air.

Jayce supposed he could spare a few minutes.

The man's eyes lit up once Jayce took the twenty. The DJ switched the song to a slow, bass-heavy track, and Jayce let the music flow through him, let it guide his movements.

The movie Magic Mike had certainly contributed a large influence as to how male strippers danced in clubs now—a lot of hip thrusts and shows of strength to emphasize their hard-earned muscles. While a number of dancers in Glorious G moved like that, especially on stage, Jayce had found that something else worked best for his features and his physique.

Sauntering behind the man, Jayce's hands glided down his arms, lips pressing to whisper right into the man's ear, "Will you tell me what you like?" The customer watched Jayce's hands slid up and down his arms a couple more times, fingers deliberately trailing down his chest to undo the buttons of his blazer slowly.

"If it ain't broke," Was the customer's simple reply.

Jayce could work with that.

The attractive man turned to meet Jayce's eye, their noses almost touching. "What's your name?"

Being sure to maintain eye-contact, Jayce straightened his posture and walked until he was facing the man properly. Using two fingers, he pulled at the ribbon keeping his mesh top together.

He figured if he was going to loosen up, he might as well do it right. "I'm J."

-----

Lucifer had many names given to him. Satan, Beelzebub, Light Bringer, The Ruler of the Underworld, The Fallen Angel. Different titles throughout history, and they just kept coming. He had approved at some and scoffed at others.

At present, Lucifer was simply called Choi Seuljin, a wealthy man from Seoul who came to Seattle for possible business (and pleasure, of course). His return to Earth coincided with the humans' celebration of St. Valentine, and while Lucifer had no such interest partaking in a day which had become such a commercialized scheme over the past centuries, he certainly did not mind having his stomach filled with good food and alcohol, a man scantily clothed dancing in front of him.

The man who called himself J was quite beautiful. Lucifer liked men no matter their appearance, he managed to enjoy every single one. If Lucifer was pushed to describe the dancer though, he would say that J was quite delicate-looking, not only because of the make-up and the black silk of his costume—which looked divine against his fair complexion—but also because J's moves were smooth and sensual in a way most men were not able to pull off.

It had Lucifer licking his lips.

Lucifer has received a number of lap dances before (he's been getting them even before they were thought of as something to earn money from). He's aware of the etiquette involved in places like this; like a child in a tableware shop, he wasn't allowed to touch the merchandise unless he was willing to pay for it.

It might've been because some time has passed since his last visit to Earth, but Lucifer found himself wanting to touch J everywhere. The dancer's body was not stacked with muscles, but he wasn't lanky either. J was toned in a not-so-obvious way, with certain areas of his body plush enough that they looked enticing to hold.

J had his hands on Seuljin's shoulders, his right knee in between Lucifer's legs while he straddled Lucifer's thigh. The dancer's hips swayed to the beat, eyes with thick lashes completely on Lucifer.

"Haven't seen you here before," J said, voice a bit lower than what Lucifer had expected. Their heads leaned closer in order to hear each other over the music. "First time?"

Lucifer flashed J a flirty grin, one he knew looked good on his current face. "Thought I'd check what all the fuss was about this place." He took a sip of whiskey before he asked, "And how long have you been dancing here, J?"

The words left his mouth just as J had slithered down to his knees, still in between Lucifer's legs, his palms dragging from Lucifer's chest to his thighs. The dancer raised an eyebrow at the question, almost a subconscious response. J's hands rubbed at his thighs while replying, "Long enough."

"It is," Lucifer couldn't let the opportunity pass, especially not when it was right there, nearly eye-level with J.

The Valentine's festivities were getting to Lucifer, sue him. Or maybe it was the booze.

Most dancers would often smile and humor his attempt, even flirt back a little to ensure a tip from Lucifer. But J only hummed at Lucifer's words, expression unchanging as he straightened his stance before slowly lowering himself to sit on the edge of Lucifer's lap.

Then J was moving again, taking the glass of whiskey from Lucifer and setting it aside so he could guide both Lucifer's hands to settle gently on his silk-clad hips.

J wasn't speaking English, Lucifer only managed to notice a beat later as he was distracted at the warmth of J's skin seeping through the thin layer of fabric underneath his palms.

Lucifer's gaze tore away from where his hands were, eyes slowly coming up to examine the matching piece to J's costume covering his chest. There was a necklace which Lucifer hadn't noticed until it was right in front of him.

He smirked at J, much more fascinated now. "What language was that?"

"Italian." J arched his back, gripping the back of Lucifer's chair in support. He patted at one of Lucifer's hand still on his hips. "Keep your hands there for me."

Lucifer obliged easily, squeezing at J's hips using only the slightest force. He chose not to mention the necklace for now, instead leaning his head back so he could look at the dancer's face. "Will you tell me what you said?"

"I asked if you were enjoying yourself," J answered with a smile meant to deceive, to steer their conversation into another direction. Lucifer let him, only because J was now so close that his cologne could be smelled– it was mild, not overbearing, but still attention-catching. Much like J himself.

"Very much so."

Lucifer had already been seated the moment J had entered the floor earlier. If the dancer had intended to stick out with his outfit, he did a very good job of it. While usually a patient man, Lucifer had immediately acted when J had drawn close enough, his hand reaching out before his brain fully caught up.

Lucifer had to let go of his hold on J's hip only so he could pull out another twenty dollars from his back pocket, fingers sliding the paper up and over the garter wrapped around the dancer's milky thigh.

Unfortunately for Lucifer, J stood up after running his hands down Lucifer's chest one last time. "I really do have to get going now." The dancer fixed the top of his leather boots which stopped before his knees, grinning gratefully at Lucifer who wasn't sure if the smile was because of the tip or because J did indeed look much more relaxed now.

Lucifer stood with him, deciding he should start mingling, lest he was left to his own devices again. The movement surprised J, yet the dancer didn't ask where Lucifer was going. It made Lucifer like him even more. He winked at J before downing the rest of his whiskey and turning to go.

"Hey," J's voice cut through the music loud enough that Lucifer looked back.

Lucifer must've been much more distracted than he'd originally thought, because there in J's fingers was his wallet, fat with unspent cash. "This yours?" J tilted his head.

Lucifer hadn't even gotten the chance to come up with something witty to reply before J was already a feet away, hand slipping smoothly into Lucifer's back pocket where the wallet had fallen out. "Try not to lose it tonight, yeah?" The dancer patted the spot his hand had been in, sending a wink of his own, the colors on his eyelids catching strobes of light.

Just as quickly, J spun to walk the other direction, calling over his shoulder, "Enjoy the rest of your evening!"

Lucifer watched him go, huffing out in a mix of amusement and disbelief.

-----

The night was in full swing, and Jayce had spent the last hour entertaining the two booths in the VIP area, twirling himself on the dance poles and stripping out of the top he was wearing, even teasing a bit more skin hiding underneath his incredibly short shorts. He found himself thankful that this pair wasn't pressing against his crotch like some of his other work outfits did.

The young woman with the two men along as well as the other two customers in the next booth were generous indeed. Jayce had to excuse himself for the second time tonight because his money garter, the garter of his shorts, and his boots were already holding onto too many bills.

He freshened up while in the dressing room, applying more cologne and making sure his make-up wasn't caking off from the sweat. Jayce also had to, for what felt like the nth time tonight, rearrange the placement of his matching silk thong. He did so just as the door swung open, and instead of a stripper it was Miles, still in the same outfit he was wearing earlier. Seeing what Jayce was doing, he staggered closer, chuckling and reeking of beer. "Price of beauty, huh?"

"Price of beauty," Jayce echoed.

Miles basically fell onto a vanity chair, the bottle in his hand slipping dangerously from his fingers. His head tipped to the side, pouting like a four year-old as Jayce stacked his second batch of tips in order to keep it within his bag. "At least you're getting paid to be here. I'm here because I'm waiting for the chance to get my phone back, but dad's still in the office."

"Do you want to use my phone?"

Miles scoffed. "No. I'm a grown man. I'm more than capable of sneaking my confiscated phone out, thank you." He looked at Jayce, gaze focusing for the first time since he entered. "Are all your dance outfits this extra?"

Jayce shook his head at how drunk Miles was, unsure whether he should laugh or flick his best friend on the forehead. "You gotta sober up, Miles. You've got class tomorrow."

"f**k that, I'm dropping out." He stood too fast for his inhibited senses, and Jayce had to steady him. Miles automatically wrapped his arm around Jayce's shoulder, finding his footing before pointing at the door. "We'll go back out there, you and me, we'll just enjoy tonight. Man, f**k college, you know?"

Jayce laughed, placing his own arm around Miles' waist as he allowed Miles to haul them out the dressing room and back to the floor. The fact that the boots Jayce was wearing had heels on them and that Miles had a few inches on him with a much more built body meant it took longer before Jayce could dump Miles into an empty booth, the people out on the main floor making it more difficult to have a clear path towards the other side of the first floor.

"Stay with me, J," Miles whined, slamming his beer bottle on the table. "We–we'll get a stripper to strip for you so you can just stay here."

"Your ideas just improve when you're drunk, huh?" Jayce said sarcastically, head tilting towards the mezzanine, about to tell Miles he had to get back to working but Jayce promptly shut himself up.

Even with the current weird, red lighting of the place, Jayce could see that the last VIP booth was occupied by a familiar face.

Miles called for another beer. Jayce warned him to behave, already making his way to the stairs and up.

It couldn't have been the man from before, because the last booth was reserved for—

Jayce hesitated once he'd stepped foot on the mezzanine. Damien, another stripper who was even tinier than Jayce, was already entertaining Mr. Choi Seuljin.

Deciding it wasn't worth disrupting Damien, Jayce had decided to entertain the other booths. That's when he heard Damien ask Mr. Choi, his butt rolling nearly against the customer's crotch, "Another dance?"

It seemed like Seuljin was about to say yes, but just then his gaze drifted to Jayce, as if he felt Jayce's gaze on him. His eyebrows rose in recognition. Surprisingly, Mr. Choi proceeded to pat Damien's thigh. "Thank you, Damien. It was a pleasure." A smooth tone, but the message was clear: that's enough. Damien tried to hide the disappointment in his face, but Jayce knew the other dancer's feeling won't last since there were two other VIP booths.

Choi Seuljin beckoned Jayce to come closer with two fingers, and Jayce obliged.

"Hello again." The man's grin was much wider now.

"Mr. Choi Seuljin," Jayce acknowledged as he stepped into the booth with a smile of his own, albeit a bit warily since he hadn't expected the attractive man he had given his first lap dance of the night to also be the guest he'd been tasked to look out for.

Seuljin raised his glass to his lips, a glint in his eye as he said, "Oh, so you know who I am?"

Jayce pursed his lips. "Back down there, I didn't."

The wealthy investor eyed him head to toe, his gaze appreciative. Again, it's years of practice which allowed Jayce to remain unfazed by it. Jayce proceeded like he would any other customer. He came forward, his torso leaning down so his face could be level with Choi Seuljin's even as he was still standing.

Jayce let his hand grip Seuljin's tie lightly. "I was told to keep an eye out for you."

Up here, the music didn't seem as loud, and there's not as many people. It gave Jayce more room to breathe, and the booth gave him the space to be able to prop his knees on either side of Choi Seuljin's legs, using his hold on the man's tie to pull until their chests were nearly touching.

"I wanted to know what treatment the non-VIP guests were getting." Seuljin paused long enough to watch how Jayce looked, thigh muscles coming to life as he straddled his lap. "I can see why you were the one they sent to look for me."

Jayce quickly but smoothly maneuvered himself so his back was to Seuljin's chest, letting only some of his weight fall on the man's lap as he moved his butt to grind against Choi Seuljin in slow circles.

"You flatter me, Mr. Choi."

Jayce turned his head just in time to see Seuljin bite his lips, the exact reaction Jayce was aiming to get.

The next words out of Choi Seuljin's mouth weren't what Jayce expected. "That cross you're wearing. Is it part of your costume?"

The sudden question made Jayce pause, his hand flying to the silver necklace. A startled chuckle escaped his mouth as he continued moving his hips. "I didn't meant for it to match, no."

Seuljin hummed at that. "You didn't intend to wear it out tonight?"

Jayce stood and twirled around to face his customer again. "My regulars took an immediate liking to it the first few times I kept it on," He explained, his knee landing right in front of Seuljin's crotch. Jayce could feel that the man was already half-hard. "Makes it seem like they're having fun with a good, Christian boy."

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

Seuljin was staring intently into Jayce's eyes now, a certain glint in his eyes. "Are you a good, Christian boy?"

Before Jayce could answer that, a voice which belonged unmistakably to Aren Gallant broke through their tiny bubble. "Mr. Choi! Finally, we meet."

That was Jayce's cue to get up.

Choi Seuljin smiled as he handed over a fifty instead of twenty. "I'll hope to see you around." The words sounded genuine enough, but Jayce did not know if Glorious G's potential investor was being serious so Jayce simply nodded and took the bill.

Aren squeezed Jayce's arm in a comfortable gesture as he passed by, Jayce already out of the booth when Seuljin called out his name again.

"Hey, J." There was that same glint in his eye.

Earlier, when Jayce was giving Seuljin a lap dance on the main floor, the man had made a comment trying to refer to his own apparently impressive length. "It is."

Jayce had answered him in Italian, "I have heard that many times and I always end up disappointed," before pretending that he had said something else.

Now, he could only stare at Choi Seuljin, who had just answered also in perfect Italian, letting Jayce know that he had understood his words from earlier perfectly.

"With mine, you will not be disappointed."