A Pleasing Temptation

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  “I am not opposed to adults who fully understand the significance and consequences of their actions opting to make their living in that manner. I don’t know the ages of these men, but I would be concerned if I thought that they weren’t aware of the pitfalls of this lifestyle or if I got the sense that they were being taken advantage of.”

  “There are pitfalls?” Tarah asked.

  Her mother nodded. “Of course! Most strippers are hired as independent contractors, not as full-time employees. They have to deal with job insecurity, unstable pay and no health benefits. Most have to pay fees to the club for renting their stage. Then, of course, there is the stigma associated with exotic dancing. There are definitely pitfalls. A child doesn’t understand that. Most adults do.”

  “Well, I think we should just go to a movie or something,” Kamaya muttered.

  “Why does it sound like you don’t want your mother to find out you’re a freak, Kamaya?” Tarah asked, her brows raised as she stared at her sister.

  Katrina and Maitlyn both laughed. Kamaya cut her eyes at the trio, not at all amused.

  Katherine laughed along with Kayama. “Way too late for that!” she proclaimed. “Way too late!”

  * * *

  After excusing herself to use the restroom, Kamaya tried for the umpteenth time to call Wesley. When it went right to voice mail she shot him another text message, frustrated that she still hadn’t heard back from him.

  “Answer the phone,” she muttered as she paced in front of the line of sinks. “Please, answer the phone!”

  She took a deep breath, trying to decide how to keep her mother and siblings from discovering Wesley’s connection to the salacious business. They all knew he owned a nightclub. For whatever reason, most of her family thought it was a quiet jazz joint on the other side of town. She had never bothered to correct their confusion and she’d insisted he roll with it, as well. She suddenly imagined it all blowing up in her face when they walked in and he stood there, front and center, doling out orders.

  “Think, think, think!” she muttered again as she paced a few minutes more.

  She’d typed one last text message and was about to push the Send button when Tarah and Katrina burst into the room.

  “What’s taking you?” Tarah said, eyeing her curiously.

  “Yeah, what are you up to?” Katrina asked. “Because you’re up to something.”

  “I am not!”

  “I bet she’s sleeping with one of the dancers!” Tarah suddenly exclaimed. “You’re sleeping with one of the dancers and cheating on Wesley!”

  “I am not!” Kamaya snapped.

  “Then one of them is an ex. Is that it?” Tarah persisted.

  Kamaya shook her head. “You still have a very vivid imagination, I see!”

  Katrina laughed. “I’m betting it’s an ex, too! And I wouldn’t be surprised if he still has the hots for you!”

  Kamaya grinned. She pushed the Send arrow on her screen then dropped the device into her purse. “Neither one of you knows what the hell you’re talking about!”

  * * *

  Wesley was pacing back and forth, his anxiety rising tenfold. He cussed, noting the nonexistent battery level on his cell phone.

  Bryan sat in his seat, his feet resting nonchalantly atop the desk. “So, what are we going to do?” he asked.

  Wesley shot him a look. “Explain to me again why none of my dancers have punched in?”

  Bryan blew an exasperated sigh. “Victor and Trey were offered a nice side job to dance for some private women’s club in Shreveport. It was some lunch thing to honor the club’s president. They needed extra dancers, so they shared the joy with the other guys. Trey rented a bus and they all drove up this morning. They’re on their way back, but apparently the bus is giving them some trouble. They had to call AAA for a tow and get a new ride. They’re stuck on the side of the road waiting to be picked up. They’ll be here, but they’re going to be a little late.”

  “Who’s on call that we can get here in the next hour?”

  “Goldberg is down in the bayou somewhere, at his little sister’s wedding reception. He said he can be on the road and here by eleven-thirty.”

  “Which puts him here at midnight, too.”

  “Or sooner. With any luck.”

  “How the hell does something like this happen?” Wesley asked, exasperation seeping through each word.

  “We need to make sure we put some restrictions on the outside work they can take. It seemed fine at the time, and when they ran it by me I didn’t think it would be a problem. They had an enthusiastic audience, which I thought would be great advertisement for us.”

  Wesley blew a heavy breath, his head moving from side to side. “So, who do we have here now that’s ready to dance, besides you?

  “The new kid. He calls himself Titus Blow.”

  Wesley tossed a look in his friend’s direction, displeasure racing across his face.

  Bryan shrugged his broad shoulders. “We were working on that. He didn’t like any of my suggestions, and since I wasn’t planning on putting him out on the floor for at least another week or two it wasn’t an issue.”

  “Well, now it’s an issue. Can he at least dance?”

  “Oh, he can dance! He’s got mad skills, and I don’t see any problems with him soloing. It was the group routines he hasn’t been able to get a handle on.”

  “Okay, so we have a show that’s supposed to start at ten o’clock. And we only have two dancers, maybe three, until the rest of the guys get here at midnight. And that’s if they can even get here then.”

  “Actually, we have four dancers.” Bryan’s expression was smug as he dropped his legs to the floor and shifted forward in the seat. He folded his hands together against the desk top, his eyebrows raised as he stared at his friend.

  “Who else...?” Wesley started.

  Bryan’s eyebrows rose even higher, his head tilted slightly as his expression mutated into an air of self-satisfaction. He winked at his best friend.

  “Oh, hell, no! That’s not happening.”

  Bryan rose from his seat, moving to the one-way mirror that looked out over the club’s main floor. It was close to showtime and the crowd was growing steadily. Women were filling the seats at a rapid pace, and both men knew that it would only be a matter of time before they were at capacity. From where the two stood looking out, there was no missing the energy in the room. The crowd was ready and excited for a good time. Disappointing them was not an option.

  Bryan turned and gave him a look. “So if we open with Titus Blow, the kid can get them warmed up for the first thirty minutes. I can follow him and keep the ladies happy until eleven-fifteen or so. And then Deuce makes an unannounced, impromptu appearance and dances until midnight, or until Goldberg shows up, whichever comes first. Hopefully the boys will be back and in line by then. Unless you have a better plan?”

  Wesley paused. “Yeah, I do. Introduce the kid as the Wild Child. We have a reputation to uphold.”

  * * *

  Kamaya was actually surprised by the crowd. Wesley had been reporting excellent numbers, but seeing it firsthand put it in a whole other perspective. As they were led to a table, she stared at the oversized mirror that decorated the space. She knew Wesley’s office was behind it, and although she could only see her reflection, from inside, she knew he could see them. She prayed that he had gotten her messages and was hiding there in the back until she could convince her family that male strippers were a waste of their good time.

  When the waiter, a bare-chested clone of Gerard Butler came to take their drink orders, Kamaya ordered a one-and-one.

  “Drink much?” Tarah asked, giggling as she ordered a Tequila Sunrise.

  “What’s a one-and-one?” Katrina asked.

  “A shot of whisk
y with a beer chaser,” Kamaya answered, her eyes still flitting back and forth across the room.

  “Too much for me!” Maitlyn laughed. “I’ll have a glass of Moscato, please!”

  “Drink at all?” Tarah quipped.

  “I’m still breast feeding. I pumped enough until tomorrow but I need my system clean by the time I need to put Zakar back on the breast tomorrow.”

  Kamaya shook her head. “I don’t think our waiter wanted to hear all that,” she said.

  “TMI!” Tarah echoed, giggling softly.

  “All of you drink too much!” Katherine said. She shook her head. “Young man, I’ll have a white wine spritzer, please.”

  As he turned and headed toward the bar, they all followed him with their eyes, noting the exceptional fit of the young man’s denim jeans.

  Katrina cleared her throat. “Well, there’s definitely no shortage of eye candy in here,” she said.

  A round of laughter swept between them.

  * * *

  Wesley was digging in his desk for a phone charger when Bryan moved back into the room. He had changed into his costume, wearing white leather chaps over a nylon penis sock, a matching studded vest and a high-crowned, wide-brimmed straw hat. He was oiled up, his white chocolate complexion glistening beneath the lights.

  “You need to get dressed,” Bryan said matter-of-factly. “Or undressed, depending how you want to look at it. And show some enthusiasm! Deuce is about to make a comeback!”

  Wesley ignored him. “Have you heard from Vincent?”

  Bryan nodded. “They’re finally rolling. He said they’re making good time but it’s still going to be a minute. And Goldberg is on target to roll in about eleven-thirty so you shouldn’t have to dance but for so long.”

  Wesley nodded. He cussed as he came up empty, the contents of the drawer strewn across the desktop. “Where is my damn phone charger?”

  “One of the guys might have borrowed it. I would lend you mine but I didn’t bring one.”

  “I need to call Kamaya. She needs to know why I need to dance tonight.”

  “Why? You need your girl’s permission to get your hustle on?”

  “My girl needs to know that this is an emergency situation and when I told her that she would never have to worry about me dancing, that I didn’t lie to her.”

  “Just call her from the office phone,” Bryan said, pointing his index finger toward the desktop unit that sat on the corner of his desk.

  “I did. She didn’t pick up.”

  “Did you leave her a message?”

  “That’s really not the kind of message you want to leave your woman on a voice mail. I told her to call me back!” Frustration bellowed out of his mouth.

  “Do I detect a hint of attitude in your tone?” Amusement danced over Bryan’s face.

  Wesley tossed the man a look, annoyance creasing his brow.

  Bryan laughed. “She has you so whipped! You’re in love with that woman!”

  “Shut up!”

  “Head over heels! You go, boy!”

  “I swear, Bryan, if you don’t leave me alone I’m going to bust you in the face!”

  Before Bryan could respond there was a knock at the office door. He shot a look in Wesley’s direction before he moved to the entrance. The newbie, a college student named Marquis Johnson, stood in the doorway. He had one hand wrapped around his dick and a Hustler magazine in the other.

  “Bryan...hey... I’m sorry...but, well...nothing is working!” he stammered.

  Bryan and Wesley exchanged a look and then both burst out laughing. Wesley shook his head. “Handle that, please!”

  Bryan was still chuckling. “Come on stud. What’s your girlfriend’s name?”

  “I don’t have one,” Marquis responded.

  “So who was the last girl that gave you some?”

  The young man grinned. “Cassandra, I think. And that girl was fine! Large breasts, small waist, and the widest hips and ass!”

  “Let’s work with that,” Bryan said as the two disappeared down the hallway.

  * * *

  The house lights flickered on and off, and a roar of excitement rippled thought the room. The music, which had been low and seductive, was kicked up a notch, the DJ spinning an upbeat jam that had the crowd dancing in their seats.

  Tarah tossed her arms in the air and screamed her excitement with the other women. The energy was infectious and Kamaya laughed, joining in the revelry with the rest of her brood. Between the alcohol and the fact that there was no sign of Wesley, she had finally begun to relax, allowing herself to enjoy the moment.

  The master of ceremonies, a man they called Velvet, stepped into the spotlight. He wore a neatly tailored tuxedo, black dress shoes polished to a high shine and one very sexy smile. When he spoke, his voice was liquid butter, warm and slick and sizzling with an intensity that had every woman in the room fervent with anticipation.

  His voice rang loudly around the room. “Good evening, ladies! And welcome to The Wet Bar!”

  Another squeal of excitement resonated through the audience.

  “For those of you here with us for the first time, sit back, relax and let us show you a good time. If you’re back for another helping, well, sit back, relax and let us show you a good time! And we have some serious surprises for all of you tonight. So put your hands together and help me welcome to the stage The Wet Bar’s newest performer! They call him Wild Child!”

  The music suddenly thumped, Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” vibrating around the space. Wild Child made his entrance doing an acrobatic routine, a series of back flips and handsprings that landed him at the foot of the runway. He wore a denim baseball jacket, tear-away denim jeans and work boots. He was bare-chested with the youthful appearance of Baby Face and the body of the Hulk. The women went crazy, screaming their appreciation as he teased and taunted them. Dollar bills were being thrown from every direction and it was obvious that Wild Child was having a great time.

  From where they stood on the back side of the mirror both Wesley and Bryan nodded their approval.

  “He is good!” Wesley said.

  “Two left feet when we give him choreography, but he can freestyle like a beast!”

  “Can he go thirty minutes, though?”

  “A good twenty, and then we’ll have a little intermission before I take the floor.”

  Wesley nodded, turning to stare back at the performance. “Well, clearly the women love him.”

  “He’s a money maker! Ten more like him and we will truly be golden!”

  The crowd was thick and lively. The lights were dimmed, with just a spotlight on their new star attraction. All Wesley could see was an abundance of hair waving, hips thrusting and bodies gyrating. He moved to his phone on the desk and dialed Kamaya’s number one more time. And one more time there was no answer, the call going directly to voice mail. It would only be for a few more minutes, he mused. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, but he would do what was necessary. He couldn’t imagine that Kamaya would be so upset. He blew one more sigh and headed to the dancers’ dressing room to change.

  Chapter 13

  Kamaya laughed, the wealth of it billowing from her midsection. She shook her head, tears misting her eyes. The show wasn’t what she had expected and not what Wesley had described. There hadn’t been one hint of the group numbers that she knew them to lead with, and the men who typically walked the floor during intermission, working up the crowd, were nowhere to be found. Twice she had tried to excuse herself from the table to sneak into the area designated for employees to try and locate Wesley and twice Tarah had followed on her heels. After that she’d had one drink too many and suddenly nothing at all bothered her.

  “Look!” Tarah squealed excitedly, jumping up and down in her seat. “It’s the
naked man!” she exclaimed, pointing to where Bryan was gyrating for a small crowd of women surrounding him.

  The sisters all laughed.

  “That’s it, you girls have had more than enough,” Katherine exclaimed. “That’s no man! That’s a cowboy!”

  Kamaya erupted in laughter for the umpteenth time. She held her stomach as Katrina leaned her head on her shoulder. They were having a good time, and she was glad that things were going well.

  Velvet moved back to the microphone. “Let’s give the White Prince one last round of applause,” he said, his deep baritone caressing the audience like silk.

  Bryan jumped back onto the stage and took a deep sweeping bow. His male member stood at full salute, and as Tarah ceremoniously pointed it out to them, laughter rang around the table in abundance.

  There was a low drum roll that suddenly filled the air, moving the entire room to fall into a quiet lull.

  “We promised you something very special tonight!” Velvet crooned. “Something so incredible that it will have you ladies talking about it for ages to come. When our next performer retired, you all begged him to come back! For years you have been wanting and wishing for him to grace you with his presence, and tonight your dreams have been answered. He’s the king of kings, the ultimate dancing sensation and he’s come out of retirement for tonight only!”

  Someone in the back corner suddenly screamed, jumping up and down with so much exuberance that everyone around her bristled with excitement.

  Kamaya suddenly shifted forward in her seat, shooting her sister Maitlyn a look.

  Maitlyn’s eyes widened, meeting her sister’s stare. “What?” she mouthed, a grin suddenly pulling at her full lips.

  Kamaya shook her head, her gaze narrow as she flicked her attention back to the stage.

  Velvet continued. “Ladies, let’s welcome the man of the hour, our very own crown prince, the man you love to love, Deuces!”

  The roar in the room was thunderous. Katherine, Katrina and Tarah were on their feet clapping their hands excitedly. Both were caught up in the fervor that rippled from table to table. Kamaya’s mouth dropped open, her stunned expression had to have been comical. The color drained from her face and she looked like she’d just lost her very best friend. Beside her, Maitlyn was laughing hysterically, amusement dancing to its own drum.