Dating Jessica: Meeting her for lunch.

A part of you wonder why Jessica would choose a restaurant somewhere in the heart of Hollywood for the lunch meeting on Valentine's Day. Then again, you did choose a...normal...nightclub in Beverly Hills to go to tonight, figuring that it would best suit a woman like Jessica. Either way, you figure it would help you learn more about the dancer from "The Sparkling Siren", even though you have seen her dance for nearly a full year.

So you drive you truck out to Hollywood, going as fast as traffic congestion would allow, especially when you go down Hollywood Blvd., dodging other vehicles and the heavy pedestrian traffic, looking for a parking space. Then you travel the rest of the way on foot, heading towards the set of stores and eateries on Hollywood & Highland. For a Valentine's Day on Saturday, it's really busy. There are couples everywhere, taking selfies or pictures of the plaques of their favorite celebrities on the "Walk of Fame". Merchants line the streets, plying their trade. There's even a handful of cosplayers and celebrity impersonators along that stretch, where people can take photos for tips.

It is in that area, where your destination is. In one corner of the area, is a set of eateries of different kinds. As you look around, you find Jessica at one of the tables outdoors. You've seen her in various dresses at the strip club, but to the best of your knowledge, this is the first time you've seen her wearing some kind of business suit. Her hair is pinned up, and she is wearing glasses, or at least some kind of reading glasses. The sunlight shows the brightness of her pink button-up blouse, and her legs are crossed at the knees, where you can see her black dress pants. From your POV, it looks like her feet are either bare, or in nude-colored stockings or hose, save for the pair of black, flat slippers. What's in front of her, next to her meal, is quite surprising to you. You can see her typing something, on an Apple laptop. Jessica's light blue eyes spots you, and her full lips curl into a smile, as she waves to you. When you walk over to her, she stands, and hugs you tightly, kissing your lips. With a whisper to your ear afterwards, you head off to choose your particular lunch for the day, then head to the table where Jessica is seated once more. Jessica had taken a few bites of her meal, and is sipping some water from a bottle, as you join her.

"I hope getting here wasn't too much of a hassle, Eric." Jessica looks to you between her lunch, and the laptop. "Even I was amazed at how busy this area got as the day wore on."

"You've been here since morning, Jessica?" You ask her.

"Yes, I was essentially here in Hollywood the whole morning." Jessica replies. "I was helping my dad oversee the final touches to a newly renovated cafe, that he co-owns with a business partner. I am just finishing the requisition orders, to get it stocked up and ready to reopen on Monday."

"What is that, now," you ask her, "about 10 cafes now, along with 7 different restaurants, including 3 high-end ones?"

"12 cafes, to be exact." Jessica tells you. "I did mention about my parents running various restaurants and cafes in previous visits. They're not franchisees, Eric, they're entrepreneurs."

"And here I am, figuring you'd follow in their footsteps." You tell her. "You never really told me about what led you to do exotic dancing, to go with your...apprenticeship in enterprising."

"Eric, you know that I love dancing." Jessica replies, giggling. "I wanted to do stage or theater dances at first, since my mother wanted me to take up ballet lessons as a little girl, which I did. Obviously, my body shape isn't best suited for a ballerina. I choose exotic dancing because of the way my body looks, and how I've sculpted it from my workouts and balanced diet."

"And that makes you one of the most popular dancers at the club." You tell her.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I let every man touch me whenever I'm at a dance club." She tells you. "My father also wanted me to take up self-defense classes, which I did. It has helped me stay out of trouble for as much as possible."

"Well, that's something new.....in my books, anyway." You tell her, which makes Jessica giggle.

"How about you, Eric?" She asks you. "I know you're quite the handyman and artist, making those sweet-looking rides and all. But can you defend yourself, if need be?"

"Yes, I can." You tell her. "I've taken self-defense courses myself, whenever my schedule allowed. Growing up in Vegas is never easy, especially in a neighborhood full of crazy people, fueled by ****, excessive gambling, and the occasional ****."

"What made you move here to California?" Jessica asks you.

"A better opportunity." You tell her. "There isn't alot you can do in Vegas, especially if you don't enjoy spending nights in a casino. Alot of people here, of all kinds of backgrounds, love having their rides customized. So when I heard of the job offer from 'Angels & Demons Customs', they were willing to help pay for my relocation. I've been there for 7 years now."

"And we've only known each other for no more than two years." Jessica tells you. "How long have you been going to strip clubs?"

"No more than 3 years." You tell her. "As much as I had grown up around Vegas showgirls, models, and strippers, I never really put that much thought into being around women back then. I wanted to be sure that I could live an independent life first, so that's what I concentrated on. Besides, I'm only 28, so I still have time."

"That leads me to my next question, Eric." She asks you. "There are alot of hot women here, and alot of hot dancers. Out of all the girls at 'The Sparkling Siren', why am I your top girl--the girl you wanted to date today?"

"I love the way your body looks, and the way you dance." You tell her. "I also like how you work to live as much of an independent life as you can, that you're working to have something you can work with long after your dancing days are over."

"Oh, Eric." She looks to you, smiling. "I could sit on your lap, and kiss you all over right now (giggling). But we'll save that for later tonight."