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2. Joe

The commotion had brought the big guy who punched Pete running from inside the club. He helped me to carry the fainting chick inside.

"What the fuck happened here?" he asked me in a very threatening manner.

"Some guy was attacking her in the alley," I quickly tried to explain. I had seen this guy's fists in action. He narrowed his eyes at me, clearly unsure whether to believe me.

"Megan. Hey, Megan," he said, trying to bring the girl around. She stirred slightly.

There was a crowd gathered around us by now. Some of the girls were still in stage clothes, and I felt the heat build up in my face as I realised how naked and how close they were.

"God damn it, Joe, concentrate. Don't ogle the chicks," I repeated in my head.

I forced myself to concentrate on the brunette lying on the floor. Her eyes fluttered open, fear evident for a second. She quickly took in the faces around her, relaxing as she realised her attacker was gone. Her piercing green eyes came to rest on me, before her face relaxed into a smile.

"Hey, Joe my hero," she whispered, barely audible.

I sat back on my heels, confused. "Have we met?" I asked.

She giggled, pulling herself into a sitting position.

"Don't recognise me with my clothes on, huh?" she said huskily, leaning closer to me.

Holy shit. My mind raced. Surely I would remember a chick this hot if I had ever been in a position to see her naked. I looked into her green eyes.

"Think, think," my mind screeched. I mean, it's not like I had many possibilities here. I'm hardly a chick magnet.

She let me stew for a few minutes, before she and the big guy burst into peels of laughter.

"It's Candy," she finally managed to choke between giggles.

I felt my eyes widen as I took her in. The blonde girl who had been gyrating in a bikini in front of me not two hours before now sat at my feet wearing jeans and a hoodie, with not a scrap of make up on her face. Her short dark hair, funked up with purple stripes could not have been more different. I offered her a hand, pulling her to her feet.

"Wow, there," she stumbled against me as she stood, falling against my chest. I hurriedly clasped arms around her, in case she fainted again. Her arms went up, against my chest.

"Um, sorry. I felt a little woozy there. S'ok, it's passed," she mumbled. But she didn't move back from me. Just stood close to me, green eyes turned up towards my face. I felt a flush of heat go through me, but it wasn't a blush this time.

"Oh, God don't let me lose control of little Joe at a time like this," I willed my nether regions, as I took a small step back from her.

She flashed me a smile as she removed her hands from my chest. I felt as though she could read my thoughts. God, she was hot.

"Hey, guys, the police are here," the guy I had spoken to earlier, Frank I think he said his name was, interrupted our staring competition and I breathed a sigh of relief. Police interrogation was preferable to her intense stare right this second.

We sat and went over the attack with the police. I couldn't help stealing glances at her. More than once, I caught her looking at me. While I would blush like a total dork and look away, she would just beam a smile at me and keep fixing me with those damn eyes. I would have confessed to anything right now. Except I hadn't actually done anything. Jeez, moron.

It was almost daylight by the time they were finished with us. The big guy, who finally stopped looking at me with suspicion, introduced himself, and shook my hand reverently.

"Thank you. I mean that. And maybe I won't hit your buddy next time I see him, " he was even intimidating when he was being nice.

Frank could not gush enough.

"Hey, kid, you come back here tonight. You get anything you want, on the house. And I mean anything," he shook my hand and winked sleazily at me. I couldn't help wiping my hand on my jeans when he released it.

Megan stood off to the side, sipping at a glass of water. She looked a little shaken.

"Hey, hero Joe," she grinned as I approached her. "Thank you. Sincerely. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up..." she bit her lip, and shuddered slightly.

I shrugged. "Anyone would have done the same."

"Well, you have my gratitude. How bout you come back tonight, and I'll prove it," she offered.

My mouth fell open in shock.

She laughed lightly. "I'll buy you a drink, Joe," she shook her head at my misunderstanding. "I'm a dancer, not a hooker." There was amusement in her eyes.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean......I never," I stuttered, cursing my stupid face for being incapable of hiding anything.

"Hey, quit while you're ahead. I'll see you tonight," and she headed off into the morning.

Smooth, Joe. Real smooth.