Smythe.

sebastian. 32. Sole owner and manager of Lavish.

[smytheboss]

f2f 002 ⇆ may 11th.

dancerclarington·:

As Hunter watched Mr. Smythe take a sip of his drink, Hunter felt someone bump into him, making him immediately turn around to glare at whoever it was that invaded his personal space. A younger version of himself would take the situation as a means to start a fight, but lately he only used violence when absolutely necessary and, luckily for him, most of the strip clubs he worked at it wasn’t ever needed. Getting fired for breaking a customer’s hand when his crotch was grabbed at years ago was satisfying for only a brief moment. He would one hundred percent do it again if given the chance, however. Hunter took the short distraction as an opportunity to let his gaze drop down to Sebastian’s legs and gradually take in his boss, all the way up to his face in a manner that wasn’t too obvious but certainty wasn’t subtle.

“You’re forgiven,” Hunter said with a small smile. “But I’m not just anyone,” he added matter-of-factly. Hunter seriously doubted that he was the first dancer his boss had seen in public, and he definitely doubted that he was the first one that showed interest in him. It was well known around Mr. Smythe’s strip club that most of the dancers that were into men thought their boss was incredibly attractive. And yet, unlike other clubs Hunter had been in, his boss never showed interested in his dancers in return. Had Hunter not run into him at a gay bar, he would have no inkling that Mr. Smythe was into men, considering no one he knew had the chance to hook up with him. Hunter would love to be the first, and only. He didn’t like to share.

“What are you drinking?” Hunter asked with another smile before finishing off his drink, with full intention of ordering more whiskey once he got an answer from his boss. “And can I buy you another?”

Sebastian paused in taking his sip as he watched Hunter turn to look at a man who’d accidentally bumped him while walking by, dreading what he’d have to do if he saw one of his dancers getting into a fight off duty. The last thing he needed was for one of his top performers to punch a client on the job.

He had to refrain from rolling his eyes as he noticed Hunter’s eyes moving up his body. If he had any doubts about Hunter’s intentions before, they were certainly gone now. If he wanted to get out of this conversation while maintaining his professionalism, he knew he would have to choose his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to give his newest dancer the wrong impression.

“A sidecar,” he answered simply, ignoring Hunter’s earlier comment. He was right; he wasn’t just anybody. He was his newest dancer and all the more reason for this conversation to be over as quickly as possible. “But you don’t need to spend your hard-earned tips on me. I’m sure you have a full night planned for yourself without needing to entertain me,” he insisted, gesturing to the dance floor of men who would gladly want to spend a night with Hunter.

[watchanish]

[smytheboss]

f2f 002 ⇆ may 11th.

dancerclarington·:

Hunter raised his eyebrows slightly as his boss ran his fingers through his hair, unsure if it was in an attempt to fix his hair or just simply a gesture. Either way, he didn’t do himself many favors. He liked the polished look Mr. Smythe sported at work, very much so, but his not so put together look that he was currently sporting made him look younger and more approachable. It was much easier to forget that this was his boss who was standing in front of him and not some attractive guy Hunter that was looking to pick up at a club.

“Apparently so,” Hunter said in reply, trying his best to find the middle ground of professionalism and also letting his boss know he was interested in him. If Mr. Smythe really wasn’t interested in him, Hunter wasn’t going to risk getting fired for coming on too strong. He was just starting to appreciate and enjoy a strip club where he actually felt respected and he wasn’t going to be the reason he messed that up for himself. However, when he was interested in someone, he couldn’t stand the idea of them not being interested in return because it honestly was unheard of for him. Hunter was normally the one that wasn’t interested.

“It’s much more interesting now, though,” Hunter admitted before taking a long sip of his drink while keeping eye contact with the older male. “Are you here with anyone?” he asked, licking at his upper lip to lick away any whiskey that lingered there, knowing he was absolutely being more forward than he intended to be. Hunter definitely blamed the alcohol, and that was going to be his excuse if he did and said anything that his boss didn’t like.

Sebastian wasn’t sure why Hunter approached him in the first place. Back when he was the one stripping, he would have never made a point to talk to any of his club owners outside of work, though to be fair, none of his former bosses had ever looked like him. He’d had his own dancers be interested in him before; he just didn’t know if Hunter was one of those. The man had a way of toeing the line between friendly and interested, but either way Sebastian knew better than to humor him for even a moment. At least for this conversation, Hunter was fully clothed for once.

He took a long sip from his drink, which was probably a mistake if he was going to keep speaking to Hunter. Since arriving, he’d already had more than a few drinks and the last thing he needed was to come off as sloppy in front of people who were supposed to respect him as a business owner and professional. But on the other hand, if he was going to spend his night talking about work instead of a gorgeous man who didn’t work for him, he was going to need another drink or two.

A small smile pulled at his lips as Hunter referred to him as making his night more interesting, though he hoped that wouldn’t be the case. “No, it’s just me,” he answered honestly, still trying to switch his brain back into work-mode so that he didn’t accidentally speak to Hunter the way he’d spoken to the other men who had approached him earlier in the night. Maybe he was making too much of an assumption, but the way Hunter licked at his lips told him that the man hadn’t come over here just to be polite, which was precisely why he made a point not to look anywhere but Hunter’s eyes. “You’ll have to forgive me. Obviously I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone from work,” he explained, gesturing to his appearance. He knew he looked good, but it wasn’t exactly how he’d want to show up to work.

[smytheboss]

f2f 002 ⇆ may 11th.

dancerclarington·:

Considering the fact that Hunter worked at a club for a living, most of his days off consisted of him being anywhere but a club though, every so often, he liked to dance in a setting that wasn’t him stripping. Also, unlike most people with a job, he rarely liked hooking up with, and definitely never dated, a coworker, so if he was looking for something casual, a gay nightclub was the best place for that. He wasn’t really interested in anything serious and as much as he enjoyed what he did for a living, he could never predict how men would react to him telling them that he was a stripper so he reserved that part of his life to himself until he got to know someone better. Which, honestly, was very, incredibly rare. Despite how open he was when it came to his body, the same couldn’t be said for his mind, as it took quite a lot for Hunter to trust someone, even just as a friend. That was one thing that didn’t change from when he was younger, and he doubt it would ever in the near future.

But, having one or a few fun nights with someone was never off the table for Hunter. It was usually what he preferred, anyways. After dancing with a guy that wasn’t too terrible to look at for a couple of songs, Hunter headed to the bar to get his third drink of the night. Once he ordered a whiskey on the rocks, he turned his head to the left side of the bar to see if any men that he hadn’t seen yet would catch his eye and to his, pleasant, surprise he saw his boss, Sebastian Smythe, ordering a drink of his own. This would be the first-time Hunter has seen him outside of work, and he wasn’t sure if his boss looked better all polished in a suit, or in his current attire of a red V-neck and jeans, accomplished with slightly messy hair. Both were certainly pleasing to look at.

After his drink was handed to him, Hunter made a beeline to his boss, a small smile pulling up his lips. “Fancy seeing you here, Mr. Smythe,” Hunter greeted him from behind, waiting for him to turn around before letting his smile grow. “I’m surprised to see you do anything but work.”

It wasn’t often that Sebastian was free at night to go out to various clubs or bars, considering Lavish had the same prime business hours as any place worth going to. Occasionally he did let his managers take over on slower evenings so he could enjoy himself, and this was one of those nights. Despite employing dozens of gay, available men, Sebastian had never once shown interest in a single one of his dancers or used his position to get laid. He knew there were plenty of people in his position who did that exact thing on a usual basis, and he’d always considered that equally pathetic and a disgusting abuse of power, which was saying something considering his morals had never quite been where they should be. Since he couldn’t get laid through work, that left hookup apps and the occasional night where he got to go out- or the few times he got lucky by meeting gay men out in one of his usual coffee shops or cafes.

He turned around as he realized someone was speaking to him and addressing him by Mr. Smythe, a name he didn’t typically hear outside of work. The voice was familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it until his eyes locked on his newest performer’s face. Sebastian wouldn’t say he was disappointed to have run into someone from work while he was out, but it definitely wasn’t ideal. There was a very specific persona he presented while working, and he preferred keeping his business at Lavish separate from his personal life. It wasn’t that he disliked anyone he worked with, but befriending the strippers wasn’t really something he’d ever been interested in, not when it could too easily get him into trouble.

At Hunter’s comment, Sebastian put on his best smile, as if minutes ago he hadn’t been pressed up against a wall in the back of the club by some stranger he’d just met. “Likewise,” he greeted in return. A soft chuckle left his lips at Hunter’s observation on his work ethic, and it reminded him of what he must have looked like compared to his usual put-together self. He smoothed his fingers through his hair in a small attempt to fix what the stranger from earlier had done, not that Sebastian had been complaining at the moment. At least Hunter had spotted him while he was at the bar, and not while he’d had another man down on his knees in front of him. That was the last thing he needed his employees talking about the next time he walked into the back room.

“I do take the occasional night off,” he admitted with another smile, holding up his drink as if to show his evidence of not working for the night. “I assume you’re enjoying yourself, as well.”

[smytheboss]

f2f 001 ⇆ may 2nd.

Hunter thought it was safe to say that he’s never had a man, who was into men, not even glance in his direction, especially when he was wearing only tiny, gold shorts. Normally, he couldn’t get them to stop looking at him, which he rarely complained about considering his job was to be stared at, but since he entered Mr. Smythe’s office, the other male only looked at him to speak to him. And when he looked, it was only at his face.

While his boss was incredibly attractive, that wasn’t the reason he intrigued Hunter. His professionalism and his success was what Hunter liked in him. It was annoying that his boss didn’t seem to be at all bothered by Hunter’s half nakedness, but that was the exact reason why Hunter didn’t mind coming off a little bit flirty. He wasn’t going to outright flirt with him because the last thing he wanted was to be fired for coming onto his boss, however, he was interested in seeing how Mr. Smythe reacted to Hunter and his subtle ways of coming onto him. Hunter didn’t expect anything from him realistically, but he loved a challenge and he grew bored when one wasn’t presented to him over some time.

As his boss stood up and started buttoning his jacket, Hunter couldn’t stop his gaze from dropping to the motion of his hands. It wasn’t like him at all to be interested in his boss, but normally his bosses were much older than his current boss was and came off either sleazy, unprofessional, or, most often then that, were just unattractive. Mr. Smythe was Hunter’s first boss that checked off a lot of Hunter’s boxes of what he liked in a man. He was very captivating.

“Thank you, Mr. Smythe,” Hunter said with a small smile before standing up, taking a moment to stretch his arms up with his hands clasped, as if he was sitting in the chair for hours and not ten minutes. “I’ll see you Wednesday.” And with that Hunter left the other male’s office so he could finally change into his street clothes, wondering to himself when the next time he could have his boss alone would be.

[smytheboss]

f2f 001 ⇆ may 2nd.

dancerclarington·:

Hunter’s smile grew wider as his boss agreed with him. He normally couldn’t stand it when people were overly confident because he never thought they’ve done anything worthy enough to warrant that sort of confidence, but Mr. Smythe had no reason to not be anything but confident and proud of what he has done at Lavish as an owner. It was rare that Hunter heard nothing but good things from a strip club, but somehow his boss created a place that not only the customers enjoyed but the dancers did as well. Hunter was glad to be a part of it.

“If I’m not busy, then I’m not doing my job right. But, I’m always busy,” Hunter said, more than confident in his ability to be a good stripper. He didn’t want to attest to his abilities when he first started, but after five years of dancing, Hunter knew what he was doing and then some. He has learned a lot over the years, especially how to get men, and sometimes women, to give him as much of their wallet as he possibly could. He started stripping because he needed the money, and that was still the main reason Hunter stuck with it; he enjoyed the rush of people giving him money for not only being incredibly attractive, but because of how well he moved. His ego certainly didn’t need this job, but he loved the boosts that it gave it.

“I’m glad you’re pleased with my work, Mr. Smythe,” Hunter said sincerely in reply, resting the palm of his hands on his thighs. “There’s nothing I can think of at the moment, but I will be sure to let you know if I ever need anything.” Hunter then let his gaze drop down to the other male’s lips for a brief moment. “Or want.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Sebastian replied, a polite smile on his lips. He was always glad to know his dancers were busy; it didn’t look good to have men just standing around waiting to bring in some customers. Hunter had plenty of experience though, and clearly knew how to keep people happy, which was all Sebastian could ask for when it came to his employees. 

It was always difficult to get a feel of what dancers wanted from Sebastian. Of course they were all incredibly friendly with him considering he held the most power when it came to them working at one of the hottest clubs in the city, but there were always some men who were a little more friendly than others. It was too soon to know where Hunter landed on that spectrum, but Sebastian would definitely be making a point to make sure nothing he said or did could be misinterpreted for anything more than a boss speaking to his employee about work. 

He was unsure if it was just him or if Hunter looked at him with a little more interest than someone speaking to their boss, not that Sebastian could blame him. He knew he was easy on the eyes- he had to be considering his job before taking over Lavish, plus there was the fact that many men were attracted to power. Still, it was something he’d need to be aware of. He would hate to have to let a dancer go because they couldn’t keep their impulses under control.

“Please do,” he replied, standing from his seat to signal that the conversation was over as he clasped the bottom few buttons of his jacket. He typically left not too soon after his dancers and preferred to not walk out looking like one of their customers. “Enjoy your days off, Clarington. I have no doubt you’ve earned yourself a bit of rest.”

[smytheboss]

f2f 001 ⇆ may 2nd.

dancerclarington·:

“Oh, no, I don’t mind,” Hunter said matter-of-factly before sitting down in the chair that Sebastian gestured to, making himself comfortable by spreading his legs and leaning against its back. He was used to being on display for his job, but that wasn’t the only reason he was so nonchalant about being exposed. Hunter started stripping because he needed money for not only college but literally everything else he needed to live and breathe; however, stripping would have never been an option to him if being half naked was a problem for him. He had always taken up every possibility to show off his muscles, so he was in no way shy in that regard.

It quickly occurred to Hunter that his boss called him into his office for some sort of check-in, and while a part of him was mildly annoyed as he thought it was going to be something entirely, it was also a bit refreshing. Mr. Smythe was proving to be much different than Hunter’s ex-bosses who rarely asked how Hunter was enjoying his job. They normally only spoke to him to either hit on him or complain about a slow night, as if that was Hunter’s fault. He wasn’t asking to be treated like a God, though he also wasn’t opposed, but Hunter has learned over the years, after working at four different strip clubs, that he deserved respect at least. Especially since he knew for a fact that he was always a crowd favorite. Some of his bosses didn’t take too kindly to Hunter reminding them of that. Oh well.

“It’s definitely more upscale than some of the clubs I’ve worked at in the past,” Hunter replied honestly. Besides the positive reputation Smythe’s club had, the other reason Hunter applied to work at Lavish was because of its layout and the way it looked. It was incredibly beautiful, with its purple and blue lights, both during the day and the night, and Hunter has always had an appreciation for aesthetics. “The customers have been generous, for the most part, and I like the number of hours I have at the moment,” he added, running his fingers through his unruly hair. “So, I would say I’m enjoying myself here,” Hunter said with a genuine, yet somewhat playful, smile pulling up lips. “You run quite a tight ship, Mr. Smythe.”

Sebastian was used to being around bold men with absolutely no shame or modesty when it came to their bodies, but something about Hunter still surprised him, especially considering he was still the newest member of Lavish. He certainly felt comfortable around Sebastian in being himself - or at least a version of himself, but he was still respectful and professional, so it was no concern of Sebastian’s if his newest employee preferred meeting with him in nothing but a pair of gold shorts.

The smallest hint of a smile touched his lips as Hunter complimented the place. Sebastian was well aware of the club’s reputation as being one of the top strip clubs in the city: the hottest dancers, the most beautiful ambiance, the cleanest inside and out, and just the best overall experience. Still, he always liked hearing it from dancers who had been at multiple clubs before his. His smile grew just a little more at Hunter’s direct compliment to him. 

“Yes, I do,” he agreed, smiling. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. I notice a few of your usual customers have followed you here and you’ve kept yourself busy every night this week,” he noted. It wasn’t unusual for him to keep track of how his dancers did. The last thing Lavish needed was having a performer that no one was interested in, but Sebastian had hire standards when it came to hiring, so that never happened. He only accepted the most attractive men with the best entertainment personalities. How they behaved in their own time was on them, but some people didn’t realize just how important it was to play the part on stage; it wasn’t enough to just look good. “I just wanted you to know we’re happy to have you here at Lavish,” he said, already wrapping up the check-in. He did his best to not spend too much time alone with any of his employees; too much of that could leave men thinking they were a favorite.  “Let me know if you need anything while you’re here.”

[smytheboss]

f2f 001 ⇆ may 2nd.

dancerclarington​:

As Hunter was taking his clothes out of his locker after his shift was over for the night, he heard a knock on the door and immediately knew who it was. The only people who really ever came to the backroom were the dancers and their boss, and most of the dancers left by now; and they certainly did not knock before entering. That left only his boss to be on the other side of the door. Hunter didn’t waste his time in taking in Mr. Smythe, his eyes greatly appreciating the suit he was sporting, before lifting his gaze to his face, which was even more pleasing to look at.

Hunter lifted his eyebrows slightly as the other male spoke to him, unsure as to why he, and only he, was being called into his office. It wasn’t as if Hunter was close friends with the other dancers, so he wouldn’t know that Sebastian Smythe always spoke to them one on one after a month of dancing for him. The only things he really knew about his boss was that he was older than Hunter was, that he owned Lavish himself and that he was incredibly and undeniably attractive. Lavish was definitely the first strip joint Hunter had worked at that had upper management as gorgeous as he was, and while Hunter saw attractive men every day at his job, there was something so alluring about his boss that Hunter couldn’t shake.

It didn’t help that Mr. Smythe never even looked at Hunter or his body for more than a few seconds at a time, if even that. While Hunter thought it was refreshing that he seemed to be very professional, unlike a lot of his bosses in the past have been, it was still annoying that Smythe didn’t seem to be affected by him at all. Even at his audition a month ago, when Hunter was dancing for him, Smythe was serious and kept it strictly and only business, not reacting to the sway of Hunter’s hips. Maybe younger Hunter would have understood that and kept to himself, realized that he was there for work and only work, but younger Hunter also would never have thought of being a stripper, so Hunter didn’t really give a fuck what that Hunter wanted.

He felt sort of liberated when his family disowned him, because he no longer had to follow a set of rules, even if he did not feel that exact way when he was freshly eighteen. The first year of being alone was difficult, to say the least, and he trusted people he shouldn’t have but he was now, at the age of 23, in a good, stable place. Hunter had always been a fighter; nothing kept him down for long.

Contemplating on whether or not to change into his street clothes before meeting with his boss, Hunter decided to stick with his tight, small gold shorts instead, mostly because they were a bitch to get off and he was interested in what Mr. Smythe had to say. Also, possibly, a small part of him wanted to show off his body to him. He was a stripper after all, so he had great pride in the work of art that he called his body.

“You wanted to meet with me, sir?” Hunter asked once he was standing in the doorway of his boss’s office, taking a step inside a moment later.

Sebastian glanced up as he heard someone entering his office, surprised at how quickly Hunter had followed him. He hadn’t felt like he’d come across as needing to meet with him immediately, but Hunter also seemed more than eager to please Sebastian since he’d arrived. There had been a few times over the past month where Sebastian had caught Hunter locking eyes with him during a performance or lap dance, a few too many times for it to be a coincidence or accident. 

His brow furrowed in confusion at seeing Hunter still in his shorts, but he quickly masked it, not wanting to draw more attention than was necessary. 

“There was no rush. You could have changed had you liked,” he pointed out, gesturing to the seat across from his desk for Hunter to make himself comfortable in. The man clearly had no issue with being nearly naked around other people considering the job and it wasn’t as though Sebastian didn’t spend most of his time speaking to his employees while they were wearing nothing but shorts or a thong. He also offered velvet robes for the dancers to use when they weren’t on stage, which he knew Hunter was aware of, so him showing up was absolutely a choice that didn’t need discussing. 

“How are you settling in?” he asked once Hunter seemed comfortable, interested to hear from his employee and hoping he’d get an honest response. “How do you like Lavish so far?

[smytheboss]

f2f 001 ⇆ may 2nd.

Sebastian checked his watch, noting that one of his newest performers’ shifts had just ended. He’d been meaning to check in with Hunter Clarington at some point this week, and he finally had some spare time to ask him to stay after his shift so they could chat about how he’d been settling in. It’d only been a couple of months, but Hunter was quickly becoming a favorite among customers, which was no surprise to anyone. Sebastian had hired him for a reason. While it would be easier to hire someone to conduct auditions, Sebastian made a point to oversee all auditions himself, and he knew he would be an idiot to not want Hunter working for him. Adonis was a fitting name for the dancer considering every inch of him was covered in muscle, and Sebastian planned to make sure that the man never considered going elsewhere to perform.

After standing up from his desk, Sebastian pulled on his suit jacket and smoothed out the front before stepping out of his office to go and find his newest dancer. He had gotten used to being overdressed years ago, after dozens upon dozens of conversations with men wearing little to no clothing while he remained in one of his many designer suits. He knew it wasn’t necessary, but he was the face of his company and knew how important it was to represent it well and to remind people why Lavish was one of the best in the city.

He acknowledged his employees cleaning up after another successful night with a small nod as he made his way to the back room where dancers kept their change of clothes and other belongings.

He rapped his knuckles against the door and let himself into the dancers’ back room, always wanting to warn them before he stepped into a room. Keeping the best dancers on his payroll meant treating them with the respect they deserved, and he’d never been one for surprising his employees or catching them off guard. At the start of his career, he’d been in their same position, and he made a point to be the kind of employer that he would have wanted to work for.

“Clarington,” he greeted formally, not taking more than a few steps into the room. As soon as he had the other man’s attention, his eyes never left Hunter’s despite the dancer being dressed in nothing but a pair of tight shorts. Sebastian knew of other people in similar positions who took advantage of their role, spending a little too much time ogling their employees, but Sebastian liked to think he was better than that. Not only did it feel unprofessional, but the last thing he needed was to give any of his employees the wrong idea by letting his eyes linger anywhere, even if just for a brief glimpse. Besides, he had no issue spending his personal time with naked men. He wasn’t like the people who paid to spend their evenings drooling over men they had to tip to get close to. 

“Nice job tonight. When you’re finished here, meet me in my office. I’d like to check in before you go,” he informed Hunter before turning his attention to the only other man left in the room. “Enjoy your night, Williams.” With that, he turned and left, assuming Hunter would follow shortly after as he made his way back to his office, leaving the door open so Hunter could let himself in.

[grant-gust-archive]

grant gustin; la times photo studio