Chapter Text
Worth It: Fifth Harmony
July 2024
Las Vegas
Saturday nights at the strip club were way more packed than usual. The green lights mixed with red ones pulsed across the room, basically forcing everyone to dance and drink. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, booze, and a bunch of different perfumes all jumbled together.
Drunk people were flirting with whoever, not giving a single fuck who the other person was. Louis found it wild, how the hell could they so easily go home with a total stranger for a one-night stand? They might not even wake up the next day, might never see daylight again, unless they got insanely lucky and that one night didn’t end up being the last one of their life.
But whatever. Louis was completely hypnotized by the woman spinning around the pole on stage. She had these long legs on full display in black high heels, and she was showing off her delicate body in a tiny black lingerie set. Her long, curly blonde hair bounced around with a little tiara that had bunny ears on it.
Guys were throwing cash at her like they had money to burn.
“Hey Louis, did you hear what I said?”
Louis snapped his eyes away from the girl, who was bending over and teasingly showing off her ass. He lazily raised his hand, picking up his glass of wine between his fingers.
“My bad, I zoned out. Can you say it again, Oli?”
The ginger-haired guy let out a loud, annoyed sigh and repeated himself“I said don’t drown yourself in that drink. You’re the one who has to drive us home, dumbass.”
“I’m paying attention.”
“Nah, your attention’s all on that bunny up there on stage.”
Louis set his empty wine glass back on the counter and told the bartender, “Fill this up again.”
The bartender nodded. Oli watched the glass carefully as it was being refilled, making sure nothing but wine was poured into it.
“Louis…”
“Lay off, Oli. Stop riding my ass like a fucking mom.”
The woman bent over again to collect the money that had been thrown at her, instantly stealing Louis’s attention once more. A little boy who had now come up to the side of the stage made Louis’s eyebrows furrow.
“You like her, huh?” Oli asked.
“Hmm?”
“Louis, tonight you’re on another planet…”
“No, my mind’s just busy.”
Louis turned to the bartender and asked, “Hey man, what’s the name of the stripper who was just dancing?”
The guy wiped the counter with a cloth one more time and glanced at the stage. “Who?”
“The one with the bunny ears on her head.”
“Oh, Sabrina?”
“Yeah, that’s her. Sabrina! Thanks.”
Louis downed the freshly filled glass, slammed it back on the counter, and stood up. He looked at Oli and said, “Pay for the drinks and head home. I’ve got something to do.”
Before Oli could even reply, the bartender quickly said, “Sir, that stripper of ours..”
Louis ignored him and pushed his way through the crowd of sweaty bodies toward the stage where the woman was standing.
The woman shoved the pile of cash she’d collected into the arms of the curly-haired little boy and said, “Go on…”
The boy hugged the money tightly to his chest and whined, “But Mom…”
She ran her hand gently through his golden-brown curly hair. “Go home, watch TV or listen to your favorite album, I don’t care. Just remember to brush your teeth before bed, okay? Go on, baby. I still have to work till the end of the night.”
The boy pressed his lips together in frustration, turned away from her, and disappeared into the crowd.
Louis, trying to be polite, raised his hand to help her down the steps. The woman playfully placed her hand in his and slowly stepped down with a sway in her hips.
Without even acknowledging that she had just been holding his hand, she started walking away. As she moved, several men tucked more dollar bills into the waistband of her black panties.
Louis licked his lips and followed her. “Hey, gorgeous!”
The woman ran a hand through her long curly blonde hair, and the bunny tiara slipped off her head. Louis quickly stepped forward and picked it up from the floor.
“Hey bunny, you dropped this!”
She licked her lips, turned around, and gave him a flirty smile with her flushed cheeks. She reached out her delicate hand, and in an English mixed with a French accent, replied “Oh, thank you.”
Then she continued walking without saying anything else. Louis was determined to get her attention.
“Want a drink?”
She glanced over her shoulder at Louis, who had gotten closer and was circling around her. The stranger didn’t seem dangerous, but she didn’t have time for this right now.
“I have to work until the club closes.”
“I can wait for you, bunny.”
She licked her red lips again, pretended to think about it, and playfully bit the tip of her red-painted index finger.
“Ooooh… sure, why not.”
Louis took a deep breath and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I’m booking private room 22.”
The smile instantly disappeared from the woman’s face.
“What?”
“Three hundred dollars.”
“Look, I know how I look right now, alright? But I’m just a stripper, not a fucking hooker.”
Out of stress, Sabrina started talking fast and waving her hands around like she always did, a habit she hated. Without waiting for Louis to respond, she turned on her heels and walked quickly down the hallway toward the dressing room, the sharp sound of her high heels echoing behind her.
She tossed the bunny tiara in her hand onto the couch next to another stripper, catching everyone’s attention.
“What’s up, Sabrina?”
Sabrina looked at the red-haired woman and said, “That asshole thinks I’m a prostitute. He wants to pay me three hundred bucks to fuck me for the night.”
“Girl, everybody’s got a little bit of whore in them.”
Sabrina dropped onto the comfy couch and let out a heavy sigh.
She raised both hands in surrender. “No thanks, Ginny! I slept with my boyfriend once when I was sixteen, and nine months later Harry was born. That’s more than enough. I don’t need to sleep with anyone again, especially some random guy who probably won’t wear a condom and leave me with another baby I have to raise by myself.”
Ginny slid her hand over Sabrina’s bare thigh. “You’re way too hard on yourself, babe.”
She stood up, checked her lipstick in the mirror, and headed out of the dressing room.
“Wish me luck, Sabrina,” she called back.
Sabrina leaned forward, grabbed the pack of cigarettes from the table in front of the couch, pulled one out, and stuck it between her lips. Just as she was about to light it, Ginny popped back in the doorway.
“Sabrina!”
“Yeah?” she mumbled, the cigarette dangling from her mouth.
“Someone’s out here asking for you.”
Sabrina got up and walked over to Ginny, holding the cigarette between her fingers. “I’m not seeing anyone. He can watch me dance on stage like everyone else.”
Before Ginny could reply, Louis appeared in the doorway.
“I’ll pay for your next few dances. Just come with me, bunny.”
Ginny glanced between them. “I’m out. Manager’s gonna lose his shit if I stay.”
Sabrina nodded, leaned her shoulder against the doorframe, and stared boldly into Louis’ blue eyes. She put the cigarette back between her lips. When she realized she didn’t have a lighter, she muttered a curse under her breath. Louis reached into his pocket and pulled out a red lighter.
“Come here, bunny. I’ll light it for you.”
Before she could protest, he flicked the lighter and held the flame under her cigarette.
Sabrina took a long drag, blew the smoke out the side of her mouth, and said, “Thanks.”
“Sorry for assuming you were one of those girls.”
“No one here is a whore. We all just work here to pay the bills. Hell, some of the girls have never even gone into a private room with anyone.”
While she was talking, Louis counted out his cash, peeled off a thousand dollars, and held it right in front of her face.
“All yours. I don’t know how much you usually make per set.”
“I don’t need your money.”
“I know, bunny! I just wanna spend a few hours with you. I like you. Sit with me at a table and have a drink.”
Sabrina nodded hesitantly. “Okay… but you’ll have to talk to my boss. He doesn’t let the girls leave during work hours.”
“I already talked to him.”
She was surprised by how fast he worked but didn’t show it. “Give me a few minutes to change.”
Ten minutes later, Sabrina was sitting at a table with Louis. Seeing her friends dancing from this angle, as someone who wasn’t working right now, felt really weird and uncomfortable.
She tried to look him in the eyes, but the way Louis was staring at her felt strange.
Why the hell is he looking at me like he’s fallen in love? Nobody falls in love at first sight! …Do they? What the fuck??
“I only fuck whores,” Louis said casually. “That’s why I come to Vegas. No attachments.”
“At least you’re honest.”
Louis took a sip of his drink and nodded. “Yeah.”
“I want another one.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
Louis raised his hand and waved over the waitress. A woman in a slutty nurse costume walked over with a sway, placed her hands on the table, and leaned forward, putting her big tits on full display. “Yes, sir?”
While running a hand through his hair, Louis sneaked a quick glance at her breasts, then looked back at Sabrina. “Can you refill these for us?”
“Of course. Give me a couple minutes.”
Once the waitress left, the silence between Louis and Sabrina felt heavier than before. They didn’t know what to do now that their drinks were gone.
Sabrina pressed her palms together and slid her hands between her knees, staring at the man in front of her. “I really like the name Louis!”
Louis tilted his head slightly. “Really?”
“Yeah. It’s French. It reminds me of home. Are you French?”
Louis draped his arm over the back of her chair and started playing with a strand of her messy blonde hair, twirling it around his fingers.
“Nah, I’m English. But I came to America for my new book, I wanted to write it more realistically. I’m staying near Paradise right now. Might head back home soon.”
“Oh, so do you have horses too? Since you live out there and all!”
Louis laughed. “No, I don’t have any horses. Someone once told me you shouldn’t have more horses than you have ass…”
He chuckled at his own stupid joke and added, “And I don’t even have that one.”
Sabrina nodded and looked past him again, watching Ginny shake her body to the beat on stage.
“Let me ask you something,” Louis said. “A girl as beautiful as you, in Las Vegas, dressed like a bunny… what are you doing here?”
Sabrina hummed, stood up, and held her hand out to him. “Come on. I wanna show you my place.”
Louis raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised, but took her delicate hand and stood up.
Was this an invitation?
They pushed through the crowd and stepped out into the fresh air. Out here, there was no smell of alcohol and sweat, just freedom, warm night air, and neon lights.
“So, where’s your place?”
“I live right above the club.”
Louis turned and looked up at the upper floor of the building, squinting against the bright lights.
“You live here? Isn’t that hard?”
“Yeah, it is. But I don’t know where else to go. We’ve been calling this place home for a long time.”
They walked around the building and reached a set of metal stairs leading up.
“Why don’t you get into a relationship with someone who can help you?”
“We don’t need a man’s help. We want to be free… Love makes me sick, you know?”
Louis grabbed her hands, the ones she was waving around while talking, and pinned them behind her back. He pushed her against the wall and kissed her, pressing his lips against hers.
“You talk too much, bunny,” he whispered, then kissed her cheek. He pulled back and nodded toward the stairs. “Show me the way.”
Sabrina stared at him with wide eyes, completely lost for words. It had been a long time since someone had kissed her so suddenly and without asking.
Her lips slowly curved into a smile. Laughing softly, she stepped onto the first metal stair and glanced over her shoulder at Louis, who was standing right behind her.
“Follow me, Louis-who-isn’t-French.”
Louis pressed his lips together in a grin, his cheeks standing out, and followed her up the stairs.
Sabrina bent down, lifted the doormat, and grabbed the key. Louis asked, “Don’t you need to get your stuff?”
“No, this is my home. If I need anything, I can just go up or down and grab it. I already have my phone with me anyway.”
As the door opened, Sabrina walked in first, and Louis followed.
Right at the entrance, she kicked off her high heels and slipped on a pair of fluffy house slippers, then placed her keys and phone on the shoe rack.
Louis glanced around the small apartment from the short hallway that connected the entrance to the living room.
It was a cute little place. There was a small living room with an open kitchen. Against the crowded kitchen island sat a comfy two-seater couch, with two single armchairs next to it. Louis didn’t pay much attention to the smaller details, like whether the coffee table in front of the couch was made of real wood or if the rug underneath had stains.
As a writer, Louis usually noticed everything, especially the tiny little details.
The woman grabbed his hand and pulled him along, not giving him a chance to study the place any further.
What really caught his attention were the thick, dark curtains that blocked out all the neon lights from outside. And the smell ,the apartment actually smelled like a home, like real life and comfort. Soft music was playing from an old record player, wrapping around his ears like a lullaby.
Curious, Louis pushed open the door next to him and peeked inside.
The room was decorated with a certain delicate touch, at least half of it. The other half was messy as hell, which surprised him.
Once the music stopped, Louis started feeling awkward. He was already starting to regret agreeing to come back to this woman’s place… but that feeling didn’t last long.
Her lips were suddenly on his.
Okay, maybe not that regretful anymore.
The woman who kept swearing she wasn’t a hooker was the one who started the kiss, and Louis was more than happy to finish it.
He wrapped his arms around her slim waist, pulled her tight against his body, and moved his kisses down to her neck and collarbones. Then he lifted her off the ground, carried her a few steps, and dropped her onto the double bed that didn’t really look big enough for two.
Their clothes hit the floor fast. Skin rubbed against skin. Sabrina’s moans filled Louis’s ears every time his fingers moved between her legs.
He kissed her face, her neck, and between her breasts while his fingers kept working. He loved feeling her body tremble.
He kept going lower until his mouth reached her pussy. He settled between her thighs, wrapped his arms around her legs, and looked up at her flushed face.
“Is this what you want, bunny?”
Sabrina gripped the headboard with one hand and buried the other in Louis’ short hair, pushing his head harder against her. “I want you so fucking bad… but I don’t keep condoms in the house. I’ve got a sixteen-year-old son.”
“No problem. We’ll do it another way.”
He lowered his gaze to her wet, glistening pussy. Slowly, he put his mouth on her and started licking while grinding his own hard dick against the mattress for some friction.
“You’re so fucking wet, bunny,” he whispered.
Thanks to all the experience Louis had with both men and women, he quickly had her seeing stars. Sabrina was getting close, she let out a loud moan, then immediately slapped both hands over her mouth, trying to muffle the sounds.
“Hey, let me hear them. They’re hot.”
Sabrina shook her head. For a few seconds she moved her hands away and whispered, “I can’t… he’s sleeping.”
Louis raised an eyebrow in confusion. He hadn’t seen any guy when they came in. Maybe he had, but the horniness had blinded him.
He shrugged and went back to work. The more he moved his fingers inside and on her, the louder her muffled moans became. Her thighs squeezed tighter around his head, pulling him closer.
Suddenly, the door opened with the squeak of unoiled hinges, and the whole room fell into a heavy, awkward silence.
Louis pulled Sabrina’s legs from around his head and looked toward the open door.
A boy with sleepy eyes, wearing only a pair of shorts and messy curly hair, stood in the doorway rubbing his eyes.
His skin looked smooth and warm under the orange lighting, almost like wax. From that distance, Louis could even count the confused breaths the boy was taking.
At first, the boy didn’t even notice Louis. He was staring at Sabrina, who was desperately trying to cover herself with the blanket.
“Mom?” the boy asked in a raspy, sleepy voice. “You okay?”
Sabrina quickly wiped the sweat off her face. “I’m fine, Harry. Go back to sleep, baby.”
Harry ignored her and turned his gaze to Louis. “You broke our deal, Mom!”
Louis wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, sat up, and stared at the pissed-off 5'5 kid. Sabrina quickly pulled Louis back and closed her legs.
“We had a deal,” the boy continued. “You wouldn’t get anyone pregnant, and I wouldn’t bring anyone home.”
When the boy spoke, Louis couldn’t look away. Even though he was just a teenager with that height and build, he talked with the seriousness of a grown man, very protective.
The slight French accent mixed with his English made Louis want to smile, even though he really didn’t want to in that moment.
Sabrina quickly wrapped the blanket around herself, got off the bed, and rushed over to Harry.
“I’ll be right back, Louis.”
Harry frowned and took a step back, staring at Sabrina, who was almost the same height as him. “It doesn't need. I’m going back to sleep.”
“Harry!”
“Sorry, I thought something was wrong, so I came to check. Didn’t realize I was interrupting… that.”
Louis quickly got off the bed, ignoring his dick hard-on. He bent down, grabbed his Hawaiian shirt from the floor, and threw it on. “Sorry, Ma'am. I didn’t mean to cause any drama.”
“We don’t do drama with strangers,” Harry shot back.
“No, stay,” Sabrina said quickly. She rushed over to Louis and placed her hand on his chest. Harry pushed the door open even wider.
Louis immediately understood what that meant.
He kissed Sabrina’s cheek, then walked past Harry, who was now fully awake.
“Can you give me a piece of paper, bunny?”
Harry looked at his mom in disbelief and grumbled, “Now he’s got a nickname for you too?”
Sabrina clutched the blanket tighter around herself, kissed Harry’s flushed cheek, and said, “He calls me bunny because of the bunny ears I wear on stage.”
“He doesn’t even know your real name and you brought him home!”
She walked past him into the kitchen, grabbed a notepad and pen, and handed them to Louis. “Here.”
Louis licked his upper teeth, then ran his tongue over his bottom lip as he stepped closer. He took the paper and pen, placed them on the kitchen island, and started writing.
He could feel the kid’s heavy stare burning into him. He wanted to laugh but held it in so he wouldn’t piss off either of them.
“Nice meeting you. Enjoy your freedom and your life. I’m leaving my number, I’d love it if you called me. Take care of yourself, BUNNY!”
He put the pen down, kissed Sabrina’s cheek again, then walked past Harry, who stood with his arms crossed. Louis ruffled the boy’s messy golden-brown curly hair, messing it up even more.
From a distance, Harry had looked short, but up close, even with all that wild hair, the kid reached just under Louis’ nose. He wasn’t as short as Louis had thought. Still, at sixteen, he had time to grow taller.
Louis grabbed the door handle and looked over his shoulder at Sabrina, who looked dazed with a soft blush on her cheeks. “Hope I see you again, bunny.”
He stepped out and closed the door behind him.
The second the door shut, Harry turned to his mom with wide eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but Sabrina beat him to it.
“No! Don’t talk to me.”
She stormed past him and slammed the bedroom door. Now that she was upset, she was acting just as childish as Harry.
Harry turned toward the closed white door with raised eyebrows. Sabrina’s voice came through again “And stop raising your eyebrows like that! Go finish your sleep on the couch. I want to sleep alone tonight, Harry.”
For a second he wondered if his mom had left her eyes on him, the way she was nagging.
“Mom…”
“I don’t want to hear it, Harry.”
Harry puffed out his cheeks, stomped his foot angrily, and marched over to the couch he usually slept on. He threw himself onto it and stared at the ceiling. “I need to order a new mom.”
ᨒ
Louis found his car in the parking lot of one of the fancy hotels nearby. He had told Oli to go home, but his friend had decided to wait for him, though not exactly waiting sober.
The car reeked of sex, which was very unlike the usually careful Oli.
Louis frowned as he slid into the driver’s seat and stared at his hungover friend.
“I can’t believe you brought someone into my car. Didn’t you say she might kill you and steal it? This thing isn’t cheap!”
Oli leaned his head back against the seat. “Nothing happened. And it’s been a long time since I had sex that good.”
Louis started the engine, revved it a little, and the exhaust roared through the parking garage.
“Lucky you.”
“What happened with you? She wouldn’t let you fuck her? Wasted your money?”
“I didn’t fuck her. Well, she kind of stopped it. And no, I didn’t pay her.”
Oli turned his head toward him and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Louis pulled the car out. “Do you believe in love?”
“Huh? …Love? Yeah, sure.”
“What about love at first sight?”
Oli answered without thinking“No. Not at all.”
Louis drove at a steady speed down the neon-lit street. The warm night breeze hit his face, messing up his hair, while music from outside filled his ears.
“Well… I think I just got hit with love at first sight. They got these innocent eyes, a cute frown, and their body… fuck, it fits perfectly in my hands.”
“You sure you’re talking about a stripper, Louis?”
Louis lit a cigarette and shook his head.
“Stripper? …I don’t think so. I don’t know… I feel like I’m losing my mind. But I left her my number.”
Oli smacked Louis’s shoulder a few times and laughed. “You’re done for, man. Congratulations.”