Excerpt of Touch My Body by Megan Ziese

Chapter 1

David couldn't believe he'd let Todd talk him into going to a strip club. He just wasn't into watching women parade half-naked in front of him, pretending to care about him, pretending like anything and everything he said was witty and, or, interesting. It was all very false to him. Besides, he lived in the real world. He had responsibilities, priorities, and those did not include getting his jollies off by paying a woman he didn't know to rub all over him.

He gritted his teeth, a muscle in his jaw ticking. He was irritated at himself for letting Todd talk him into it, but he had done so under the pretense that it was a sort of farewell to the military party and it was the only place that Todd could get their mutual friends, who were also getting out, to come together for one night.

He still didn't like it. It just didn't sit well with him, but he'd done it for Todd, because, although he was a pain in the ass, he'd been there for him through thick and thin while they had dogged their way through foreign territory, and that was something he could never repay. He could at least oblige him this. And of course, Todd had reminded him of that.

His rambling thoughts were forgotten as he pulled up into the gravel parking lot under the bright neon pink lights of the strip club, Cheaters. Even the name of the club grated on his nerves. But he wouldn't let his distaste for such establishments blemish his evening of revelry with his friends. He'd sit as far away from the stage as possible, toss back a few beers, and listen to the other guys talk about which woman they wish they could take home. After about an hour of doing his part to be social, he'd leave.

He stepped out of his car, grimacing as he noticed the word Cheaters reflected on the hood of his car. He really didn't like strip clubs.

Looking around, he noticed Todd's truck was already in the parking lot, along with several vehicles that belonged to the other members of their party. It looked like he was the last one to arrive. He had a feeling they were so preoccupied by their activities inside that they hadn't even noticed. Maybe they wouldn't notice if he was also the first to leave.

Making his way through the dirt path in front of the parking lot around the small structure to the entrance, David took a deep, fortifying breath and mentally braced himself for a night with his rowdy bunch before opening the front door. His friends had been kicked out of clubs all over the world, he had a feeling tonight would be not different.

He paid the cover and got stamped by the man up front before walking through the red velvet curtain that separated him from the reverberating interior of the club.

Although the place was pretty packed with guys and smoke, it didn't take him long to spot Todd. It probably helped that he hollered at him the moment he walked through the curtain.

"Over here David!" Todd yelled at the top of his lungs, giving a big whoop and waving his arms back and forth in a completely unnecessary gesture to get David's attention.

David grimaced and rubbed a hand over his face and through his hair in embarrassment and irritation at his friend's announcement of his arrival. He was certain that everyone in the club had a look at him as he made his way to the table Todd and the others occupied. He tried to remind himself he didn't care what the other customers thought. But Todd knew better than to make public displays with him, and he didn't appreciate the slip. He could tell it was going to be one hell of a night.

"Hello, Todd," David said through gritted teeth as he made his way directly behind Todd, giving him a very rough couple of pats on the back. "I almost didn't see you sitting over here," his said, his voice noticeably dripping sarcasm.