“And just what are these reservations that are making you be moral all of a sudden?” I rolled my eyes. The room was poorly lit and smoky. The music from outside was unintelligible and pounding on the walls.
“Well, for one thing, Dave’s going to kill me,” she said, taking my coiled hair off the curling iron and arranging it.
“You didn’t tell him?!” I nearly shrieked. The woman in the chair next to me rolled her eyes as she applied lipstick.
“Hell no. I told him Heidi was bringing you.”
“Wait, why would Heidi be bringing me here?” I asked.
“Where else would Heidi be going?” D.C. asked, arranging more of my hair.
“To the pre-party party!”
“This is the pre-party party!” she laughed.
“What the f*ck!” I spun around. “You didn’t tell me that! I invited Taylor and his girlfriend!!” I was yelling really loudly.
“Shh…”
“D.C.!” I was almost in tears.
“Tay, I’ve told you the whole time, you don’t have to do this.”
I remained silent as she finished my hair. I almost laughed at myself. How had this happened? Here I was… dressed in an all pleather outfit- a tube top that was exactly four inches in width, and some booty shorts that weren’t much larger. I had boots up to my knees and leather cuffs around my wrists (to cover my bandage). My hair was half up, half down, curled under and sprayed until it was kind of wild and animal looking. I was wearing about an inch of black eyeliner and some crazy blackish blue color… in the smoky, red back room of a strip club!
“Hey, little one, get over here,” Antonio- the owner- called. I obliged. Antonio and I had a bond. He was originally from Brooklyn. He acted all tough, but he was really a nice guy. “Is this your first time doing this?” he asked.
I nodded, my palms sweating.
“If you get nervous, don’t go out there. I’d rather you not do it than to choke out there. Why’s a nice girl like you in here anyway?”
“I’m not that nice,” I smiled shyly.
“That’s bullsh*t, he laughed, punching my chin playfully.
“Please, now I’m asking you not to do this,” Heidi whispered into my ear.
I didn’t say anything. I just wanted to not be me anymore. I liked that I was this pleather wearing vixen, pushing the limit between sexual dominatrix and jail bait. It so wasn’t me. It made me feel free.
Walking out onto the stage was the greatest. Flashing lights made it impossible for me to see if anyone I knew was out in the crowd. “Hypnotize,” the Notorious B.I.G. song (one of the greatest) started pumping out. D.C. was at the middle pole, and I, since I was new, was on her right.
Once some of the smoke cleared, I could see all the people in the room. It was some sort of a “company” party tonight. There were huge amounts of people there at the club. Strippers were allowed to invite three people each. D.C. got Dave, Heidi, and Oscar’s names on the list. It was up to me to get Ike, Zac, and Taylor’s names. I felt bad (not really at all) that Trina was not going to be allowed in. Boo hoo. The downside of that was, however, that Tay would not want to come either, because he wouldn’t leave Trina to be by herself.
I danced, grinding with the pole, et cetera, for about five or six songs, and then it was some other girls’ turns. Tonight there was no lap dancing involved, buy people could pay us to dance with them. The manager- Antonio- was a nice guy and told me that for my first time, I could “play the field”… meaning I didn’t have to do anything one on one.
I knew all my friends were going to think I was gross and yell at me and tell me I was a horrible person, kind of like I wanted to when I threw up watching D.C. I tried to delay Deece and I going out into the crowd, but I knew it eventually had to happen.
I followed her. There were bodies everywhere. Since most of them were friends of strippers, they weren’t as interested as the normal crowd. A lot of them were dancing on their own, and many were sipping drinks at the bar.
“I don’t want to,” I grabbed D.C.’s arm and held her back.
“Come here,” she lead me to the bar, asked one of the topless girls to get me a “cherry popper,” and handed me the cup of liquid. I poured it down my throat, welcoming the disgusting flavor and the goose bumps. At least now I might be more relaxed.
We found Oscar first. He was arm in arm with a red haired girl. He stayed just long enough to tell us we rocked and that he and his new girlfriend- Carissa- were leaving. DAMMIT! Now there was a free space, and Trina could come to the party.
I was complaining this to D.C. when there were arms around my waist, hugging me tightly. Dave spun me around and kissed me, long and hard.
“What the f*ck?” he smiled when he was done, “Why didn’t you tell me you were dancing?”
“I…” I was totally shocked that he wasn’t going to kill me.
He grabbed me again and we made out there in the crowd for a little while.
“I see you in a whole new light now,” a familiar voice said. I pulled my tongue out of Dave’s mouth and saw Zac there, with his arms crossed. For a second, I wondered how he’d gotten in, but then I remembered that this was a guests only type of night, and everyone was getting in.
I smiled a little proudly and did a little bow as Dave wiped my lipstick off his mouth.
“No, seriously, you come over to my house today in a pink dress with a baby… and then here you are, shaking your ass in my face, wearing nothing.”
“I’m not wearing nothing, and I was shaking my ass in everyone’s face, not just yours,” I reminded him.
“Besides, you’ve seen her in less,” Ike joined our little circle.
I hit him, “Shut up, Ike!”
“It’s true,” he laughed.
“It’s just cuz you want some…”
“You guys trying to buy my woman?” Dave asked, high-fiving Ike and Zac.
“I had her for free,” Zac smirked.
“Shut up!” I punched him. “I may be naked, but I can still beat you up.”
“Is that a threat or a promise?”
“Shut up, you horny little bitch!” I laughed.
I introduced D.C. to everyone, and we all chatted and danced around for a while.
“I need water,” I excused myself from the crowd and going up to the bar. I was frozen in place when I saw who was there.
“Hi, Taylor,” I felt a lot more comfortable around him when Trina wasn’t right there.
“I didn’t know you were a stripper,” he said, holding up his glass and looking through it.
“I didn’t know you were an alcoholic,” I replied. I surprised myself. Being half naked in public is very freeing.
He laughed, putting his cup down, “I’m not an alcoholic.”
“I’m not a stripper,” I leaned on the bar next to him and requested some water.
“You looked hot.”
I wanted to jump his bones, but instead I smiled coyly and said, “Thanks.” There was a silence, but it wasn’t weird. “So where’s Trina?” I asked, thanking the topless girl for the water.
“She couldn’t come.”
“I thought she was the one that was interested.”
“She wasn’t the only one.”
“So you’re interested?” I stared intently in his direction.
He looked back at me, half-smiled, and then sipped his drink.
“Talk to you later,” I downed the last of my water, put the glass on the bar, and walked away. I could have been flying, I was so happy.
