tiny star, bright light

stella rosalie baston 24 twin dancer exotic

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

Gio knew what it was like to be willing to do anything to make ends meet. Most get stuck in a vicious cycle though and never get out. He was one of the lucky ones. He hoped Stella would be one soon. 

Gio paused for a while in thought as he cocked his head to the side. “A rocket,” he replied in equal playfulness. “Elon Musk is beating me to it.”

“I understand,” he said after she spoke. “Aside from the sleazy guys which I know are difficult to ignore, do you like it?”

stella had hated the shift from being provided for to having to basically having to fight and fend for herself. well for themselves. she and her brother had never really been apart. 

stella looked up at him with a small smile as he thought about it. a soft laugh escaped her lips at his answer. “well then you definitely need a rocket,” she told him. 

she shrugged. “i guess it’s okay. i mean i like the creativity that goes into the actual dances but other than that? not really,” she admitted. 

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

“That’s just… wrong,” was all Gio could muster to say as let out another exasperated sigh. 

He was glad that the prospect of spending more time with him seemed to go well with her. “Sounds good,” he said before coyly suggesting, “Oh we don’t have to. I have a penthouse upstairs.”

He stood up and took her hand as they walked to the lobby. “How exactly did you get into dancing anyway?”

“yeah it’s definitely not very fun,” she agreed. and honestly she’d thought more than once about getting out. being a server living off tips might be better than that. 

she smiled and nodded. “great,” she said softly. she blinked and chuckled. “of course you do. is there anything you don’t have?” she asked playfully. 

she smiled shyly when he took her hand but only moved a little closer to him. “i used to work at a diner before as my second job. and one of the girls there told me about it. she said that it was supposed to be more upscale. not a strip club. and in the beginning there was just dancing on stage. and i could handle it. but then they started moving me out onto the floor and.....well it’s kind of been downhill from there. i just wanted to help my brother out,” she admitted. 

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

“Well you see, even if your line of work, isn’t there a rule you’re not supposed to touch the dancers?” Gio asked. “Sure, you’re half-naked but that doesn’t give them a license to grope you.”

“Don’t be because you’re right. Anything you want,” he said with a smile. “Okay then. What do you feel like doing?” 

“oh there’s supposed to be. management just likes to turn a blind eye most of the time. you’d think they were supposed to take care of us, right?” she asked back with a slight pout. “it doesn’t. but they seem to think it does. because of what we do. we don’t really matter.”

she smiled at him brightly. “hmm. maybe we could go for a walk? talk some more? you definitely don’t want to come back to my place,” she teased, shaking her head. 

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

“Well, a few good ones remain, at least,” Gio commented. He waved his hand. “Just because you’re in that line of work doesn’t mean you can’t call out a guy for being a sleazebag and a creep.”

He gave a slight laugh and shook his head. “Like I said, you’re so used to having decisions made for you so tonight, it’s all up to you.” He leaned forward and asked in a low voice, “What do you want?”

“just gotta find them,” she chuckled. “well yeah i know that. i just mean that in other circumstances, things aren’t really considered sleazy and creepy. definitely depends. though at work most are sleazy and creepy.”

she bit her lip as he leaned forward towards her. “almost intimidating. i guess i’ve got the world at my feet, huh?” she asked softly. “i don’t want the night to end just yet.”

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

“Yeah, human decency has recently taken a dip,” Gio commented as he let out a sigh before giving a coy smile. “Like I said, you don’t know me that well yet. I can be indecent at times - when needed… when wanted.” 

He smiled before digging into the dessert once more and wiping his mouth once he was done. He finished his wine and looked at Stella.

“So… what now?”

“yeah but i still believe there are some good ones out there. my brother is good,” she chuckled with a nod. she rolled her eyes playfully. “i’m not really sure - as someone in my line of work - that i can really judge.”

she didn’t even mind the comfortable silence as they finished their dessert and wine. she looked back up at him with a small smile. 

“you’re the mastermind, here,” she teased. 

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

Gio couldn’t help but let out a bit of a snort. “Why would I?”

He once again gave a shrug. “You see, I don’t get that. Nowadays, if you don’t do that, it’s extra points. But that’s just being a decent fucking guy.” He inhaled sharply. “Sorry about that, didn’t mean to cuss. It’s just… it’s insane to think about.” He sipped his glass. “And besides… I only do it when the girl asks.” 

He simply smiled and narrowed his eyes once more. “Do you not want me to?” he asked.

He watched her eat her dessert as a smile crept on his face at her words. “I’m glad. I don’t want it to either.”

“good,” she quipped playfully.

she tilted her head and shrugged. “i don’t really get it either. i was raised where you don’t act like that. especially in public. but i’m glad you’re decent. at least so far,” she chuckled. “but it is pretty insane. and to be honest i never thought i’d end up where i work now,” she admitted. “well that’s allowed i think,” she giggled slightly. 

she tilted her head and nodded. “i do.”

“i’m glad,” she admitted as they ate their dessert. 

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

“It’s the slipping that makes it a whole lot funnier, I think,” he agreed with a laugh. “We’re not being evil, are we?” 

A slight smile creased Gio’s lips. “Are you sure?” he teased. “You don’t know me that well.” He raised an eyebrow. “At least not yet.”

His dessert finally arrived, a tiramisu, and Gio immediately dug in. He narrowed his eyes at the young woman and playfully said, “Hm, past tense.” He looked at her. “Wanting the night to end already?”

“it really is,” she laughed. “maybe a little. they’re just so small and slippy. but i won’t tell if you won’t.”

stella blushed a little. “well so far you haven’t made any lewd comments or tried to grab my butt without permission. so i’d say you’re winning.” she couldn’t help the tug at her lips. “are you saying you want me to know you better?” she was surprised by her own flirting.

stella couldn’t help but hum when she’d tasted her own dessert. definitely was a sucker for chocolate. she tilted her head. “no. not at all.”

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

Gio couldn’t help but let out a laugh as he envisioned what she had said. “Yeah, little kids falling on the ice is pretty funny,” he admitted. He leaned a little more forward when she told him about the father and let out another laugh, shaking his head. “Wow. When you’re sleazy, you’re sleazy,” he said as he took a sip of his wine.

He simply raised a glass at her compliment before nodding his head. “By all means, please,” he said. “Speaking of which…” He called the waiter over and ordered his dessert and let them clean up his plate. “I’m glad your night didn’t turn out be a bust.”

stella laughed with him, glad he agreed with her. “little kids falling in general is actually pretty funny. but ice is definitely up there,” she replied. she grinned, leaning forward too and nodded. “yeah definitely not my favorite kind of person,” she commented. “but you’re not.”

she sipped on her wine with a smile. she watched with a small, polite smile as he ordered some dessert. she couldn’t wait to try that either. her smile brightened and nodded. “me too. i’ve enjoyed it.”

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

“Oh God no, I was apologizing on my behalf. You don’t have to,” Gio clarified as he topped off his wine and poured a glass for her. “That’s… cute,” he said. “I didn’t mean that in a condescending way, I just mean it’s… really cute. No wonder you love it.” He took a sip from his glass before pausing for a bit. His eyes narrowed before he asked, “Have you ever had that awkward moment where you meet a kid’s dad and he was one of your customers?” He chuckled. “Sorry if that was inappropriate,” he said quickly. 

He turned his attention to his plate for a while before his glance went back up to the TV. Giving a sigh, he signaled bartender to turn it off. He wanted to get his mind off things for now. It was going to be a long day - a long week, more likely.

“I hope your dinner’s delicious,” he said, smiling. “You sure you don’t want anything else?”

she offered him a soft smile and nodded, thanking him for the wine. she let out a soft chuckle when he called it cute. she didn’t take it badly. “thank you. yeah they can be pretty cute. especially the small ones. and - don’t tell anyone - but sometimes they’re really cute when they can’t stay up on the ice. i used to skate competitively. sometimes i miss it,” she admitted. “have you ever ice skated? cause you don’t look like someone who would,” she teased lightly. “once. and it was.....extremely awkward. but i did get him kicked out cause he wouldn’t stop hitting on me while i was trying to teach his daughter,” she replied. 

she looked back at the tv before turning back to her meal. she didn’t like to think about it. “it’s very good. you weren’t kidding about the chef,” she offered sweetly. “i can’t deny that i might end up splurging on dessert. i have a sweet tooth.”

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

Gio leaned forward, listening to the young woman speaking as his elbows rested on the table. “I wasn’t planning on letting you tell your life story, I’m sorry,” he said with a chuckle as he swirled his wine around. “But if you don’t mind me asking, what is your other job? I’m guessing it doesn’t pay enough to support both you and your brother.”

stella blushed softly. “i’m sorry i guess i tend to ramble sometimes, i guess. i’m sure you don’t want to hear my sob story,” she replied shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. she hadn’t really meant to divulge that much. “oh i’m a ice skating instructor. i work at the local ice rink. i used to skate more for myself but i like teaching little kids.”

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

Gio was genuinely surprised at the situation she posed. He’s had his share of hardships but with what Stella was saying, it was clear she wasn’t entirely out of the woods yet. He listened as she described her job and genuinely felt sorry for her. He knew how the men could be like despite the fact that the club was promoted as more “upscale”. Sleazy is sleazy, whether the guy is wearing jeans and a shirt or a business suit.

“Wow,” he said as he looked at her. “This may be a dumb question but aren’t there other jobs - better jobs - out there that you can apply for?” 

stella offered a small smile and shrugged. “probably. but a lot of the better jobs would require some college and i’m deferred so that my brother can go to school right now. i mean we don’t really have enough for both of us. and i know i could probably get something better but i love my other job so much,” she replied with a sad smile. “but we're managing i suppose.”

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

Gio gave a shrug. “Not necessarily. Sometimes eating alone is enjoyable.” He smiled. “Just not tonight. I’m glad to have the company of a beautiful woman.” He gave a sip of his wine as he smirked at her reaction before shaking his head at what she said next. “Oh I couldn’t do that. You spend a lot of time being told what to do and entertaining others at your work so please, order whatever you like and however much you like. It’s on me.” He signaled the waiter once again to come over so she could order before cutting up another piece of his steak.

“So be honest,” he began as he swallowed the steak and leaned forward, “Is the job you do enjoyable or do you always have to bear with sleazy men who want nothing but to put their hands on you?”

“well when you mostly end up eating alone because you’re in too much of a hurry or your brother is busy with school, it tends to get a little old. but i can understand where you’re coming from,” she chuckled. she allowed a light blush to dust her cheeks. “well i’m happy to keep you company.” and she was. he was definitely one of the more respectful men she’d seen in the club before. maybe because he didn’t actually want to go all the time like the others. “well thank you. that’s actually really nice,” she said, mostly referencing the fact that he would let her choose. maybe she’d been at her job a little too long. she was so used to people making decisions for her. the thought bothered her a bit. she quietly ordered something good but more simple and offered a small smile to the waiter. 

stella blinked for a moment, a little surprised by the bluntness of the question but recovered and offered a shy smile. “honest? i don’t actually like it all that much. but my other job doesn’t pay enough so here i am. and i love dancing and creating. just not necessarily on that kind of stage,” she admitted. “and the gross, sleazy men i meet are definitely not a bonus,” she added, shivering at the reminder of men’s hands on her. 

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

Gio’s smile widened at her words. As she expressed her doubt, he waved a hand. “Please, you’re not. You’ll be keeping me company,” he said, still smiling. He let her settle in before coyly replying, “Well, everything. I own the restaurant.” He gave a slight chuckle before signalling the waiter to give her a menu. “Honestly though, Chef Johnson is amazing. Anything on there is good.”

stella smiled back at him, relaxing a bit. he was at least playful with her. she nodded and settled in the seat, setting her things down next to her. “well it is kind of a bummer when you’re eating alone,” she offered playfully. she blinked for a moment. “right. of course you do,” she chuckled lightly. she remembered what it was like to be wealthy. thankfully, she managed to remember most of her etiquette training, sliding back into that as she settled in the seat. “well then i’m gonna trust you to pick me out something,” she half teased. 

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

Gio looked at the young woman with his eyes narrowed but a crooked smile that betrayed the playfulness of his words. “Are you calling me a liar?” he asked before giving a chuckle. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said. “Well, you’re already here so let’s not let it go to waste. Join me. What do you want?” He signaled for a waiter as he waited for her response.

stella worried for a moment that she had upset him but smiled when she saw the smile on his lips. “me? never,” she answered playfully with a chuckle of her own. 

she shrugged. “it’s alright. i’ll check on her another time,” she replied. she tilted her head. “really? i mean i wouldn’t want to be a bother,” she started. though he hadn’t necessarily asked her. she slid into the chair across from him. “i’ve never eaten here. what’s good?” 

[littlexstarxflower]

dommcretti‌:

Eyes glanced down the watch that adorned his lips, wondering how much long he’d need to stick around without his absence causing eyebrows to raise. Downing the remaining liquid in his glass, he sent it down on a nearby table when he spotted the brunette. He didn’t know her personally, saw her in passing when the Mob decided that having a meeting in a strip club was a brilliant idea. It wasn’t but he didn’t make the rules, at least not yet. “Did you know the kid?”

stella relaxed a fraction when she spotted a face she’d seen at the club with a group of them from time to time. even a strange familiar face was better than a sea of strangers. she offered a small smile in greeting before shaking her head. “no. i came here for a friend,” she answered softly. “you?”

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

“Why wouldn’t I? You gave me one of the best dances I’ve ever had - and that’s saying something because I don’t usually go,” Gio said. The offer to run a gentleman’s club (not a stripper joint because gentleman’s club is a little more sophisticated and expensive even if the same thing goes on behind their doors) had been made multiple times to Gio but he never took it. He wasn’t really into it. But he had to go at times for clients, to butter them up and treat them. On one occasion, Stella was the girl that danced for him and she was… different, to say the least.

“What brings you around to my neck of the woods?” he asked. “Got a date?”

stella blushed softly. “you’re just saying that,” she muttered with a small smile. of all the men she saw come in and out of the club, he was on her list of the ones she actually kind of liked. he was nice to her instead of trying to touch her all the time like some of the others. 

“me? oh no not a date,” she chuckled. “i had a friend i haven’t seen in awhile who works here but apparently she’s sick and not here.”

[littlexstarxflower]

giocastiglione‌:

The screeching voice of Thea Collins exasperated the hell out of Gio. He’s used to politicians and their empty promises and flowery words, but Collins had a voice that was just utterly irritating. He had to watch this though. He wanted to be updated about things, especially when the Mayor wants to rant about cleaning the streets and whatever other bullshit she wants to spew. 

“… and I will stand by my promise to purge Atlanta’s streets of the Mafia-style gangs that have come forth—“

Bang. A single gunshot. Chaos. Cameras were pushed to the floor as people ran aimlessly. 

Gio pried his eyes away from the TV and got his phone. A few phone calls later and he would find out the DA Alastair Wright is dead. 

The inevitable meetings and phone calls would happen soon. As far as he was concerned, everything was airtight on their side so it could only have been the Dixie Mafia’s doing. It was probably going to be a long day, and since it was the calm before the storm, he took the chance to come down to the steakhouse at his hotel to have a late lunch.

Seated alone as he cut through his medium rare, he took a swig of the red wine beside his plated before chewing down on his steak. He took a glance at the TV by the bar playing news reports of the shooting. Atlanta would be on lockdown. Everyone would be checked and vetted. Gio had to prepare, and what better way to prep than with wine and steak?

He felt someone come up to the table as he watched the TV from afar. When he finally was able to pry his eyes away from the screen, he looked up at the person. “Fancy seeing you here,” he said. 

stella still couldn’t seem to get the gunshot out of her head. it echoed like a bad feeling. she glanced up at the tv as she entered the steakhouse, shuddering at the memory. she’d come to check up on one of her friends to see if she was alright after everything. she hadn’t been at work for a bit. 

stella paused when she spotted one of the men that sometimes came to the club. she wondered if he would recognize her. the brunette found that some of the gentlemen wouldn’t remember her face at all. only if she was in something a little more revealing would it jog their memories. it bugged her most days. she gave a small, shy smile when he did recognize her and she moved a little closer. “hello,” she greeted politely. “it’s nice to see you again.”