“Did you get naked,” she asked quickly, barely registering what I'd said.
I shook my head. “No Tess, I didn't get naked.”
Her face screwed up like she was a child denied a toy. “Ahhh, that's a shame.”
Her overt sexuality was starting to get on my nerves. “Er, no it's not a shame. Why is it a shame? Why is it a bad thing that I didn't get my tits out in front of a guy? Tell me Tess - how is that a shame?”
“All right, chill babe, we clearly have different ideas on this.” A cheeky smile crossed her face again. “I dunno, if it was me I'd have wanted to tease him till he exploded in his pants.”
“Don't be so vulgar Tess, seriously.” It angered me that that's exactly what I'd wanted too.
“Well, no, I got down to my thong and that was it. Nothing else happened. Nothing.”
“Girl you seem very pent up. Are you sure nothing else happened?” She crept in towards me, an inquisitive look on her face.
“Tess, I love you, and thank you for being a great friend, but right now I kinda just want to be alone. I saw Tom downstairs, why don't you go join him.”
Her face contorted at the sound of his name. “Him! God no, I'm done liking him.”
I was thankful for the change of subject. “What happened?”
“I caught him fucking Rosie Danver.”
“What! Where?”
“In the girls toilets downstairs.”
I stifled a giggle. “But you know he's a player, you know he fucks lots of girls.”
“Yeah, well, it's not the fact that I caught him, it's the fact that he got my name wrong...again! He told me to shut the door and called me 'Trish' or ' Trace' or something like that. You're right, guy's a fucking airhead.”
I laughed out loud. I didn't think she'd noticed his unerring ability to get her name wrong at every turn. “Finally you've come round.”
“Yep, just in time to put a smile on your face.” She jumped in and hugged me to the bed. “Come on sexy, let's party.”
Chapter 14
I woke feeling like someone was drilling a ten inch screw through my head. Tess had managed to lighten me up and persuaded me to go downstairs for a few drinks. A few turned to a few too many, and that's where my memory of the night ended.
I was happy for the distraction, happy to forget about all the shit being flung around my head for a while. Waking up in that dreary prison cell of a dorm room with a heavy hangover pressing into my skull, however, wasn't so productive.
I'd spent nearly two weeks now looking for a job, two weeks traipsing from bar to restaurant to club looking for something, anything. It hadn't worked - there was fuck all out there. Literally nothing.
Memories of the previous night filled my head. Thoughts of Kyle clouded my brain. That kiss, those lips, the strong feel of his hands at my waist, brushing through my hair. He was the sexiest man I'd ever met. I just wish he'd felt the same about me, but he hadn't.
I felt embarrassed about my performance, flashbacks bombarding my alcohol-soaked and sleep-deprived brain. The way I fumbled around on that stage, trying to dance sexily, trying to turn him on. He'd turned me on more just by sitting there, by the way he looked at me. It was humiliating.
Money. The word drilled itself further into my head. Rent was due in two days. Two fucking days and I had nothing. No job, no money, no car, nothing.
Shit, the car!
I checked the time - 11.30 AM. He said to get the car at midday.
I jumped out of bed and threw on whatever I could find on my floor. A pair of sweatpants and an oversized woollen jumper. I caught my reflection as I bounded out of the room and down the stairs.
The nearest bus stop was just round the corner. I quickly deciphered the frankly mind-boggling route plan and managed to just about sneak onto the correct bus. Why is everything so much harder with a hangover?
With the time edging towards the midday mark I got to my stop and popped out my phone to direct me the rest of the way to the garage. I was freezing as I ambled down the street, my jumper so full of holes you could have driven that bus straight through it. Should have put another layer on Alice!
After a short Arctic trek I reached my pole, seeing the grizzled mechanic, who'd done his best to wrangle as much money as possible from Kyle's wallet, with his head in a motor.
He looked up as he saw me approach. “Ah, Miss Newton, your car is good as new, as requested. I worked all morning on her just to get her ready for you.”
Yeah, no good sounding gracious when you're a swindling thief.
I nodded my thanks as he passed me the keys. “Even got that heater of yours fixed for you.”
Now that was pretty nice, forcing me to step up from a nod to an actual vocalization of my gratitude.
“Thank you, that's a big help, especially this time of year.” He laughed more than he should have for such an obvious observation.
“Don't mention it. He's the one you should be thanking.”
He lifted his head and pointed his gaze behind me. Confused, I turned to see Kyle pacing towards me, every inch of his body bar his face covered in black clothing that stood out against the falling snow. His eyes were stern as he approached, a 5 o clock shadow covering his cheeks.
“Alice, I'd like to talk to you if that's possible.” He flicked his eyes at the mechanic who trundled away back into the garage.
“I wanted to apologize about last night, about the way you left. It was my fault really.”
I stayed silent.
“I want you to come back again. I know you need the money Alice,” he said, seeing the look on my face.
There was nothing I could say to that. I needed the money more than anything. I'd do anything right now for it. Well, almost anything.
“But I was awful Kyle. I couldn't strip the peel of a fucking banana.”
His face cracked in a smile, that beautiful smile. How I loved that smile.
“Every girl's the same when they start. You're perfect Alice, that's something you can't teach.”
“Teach?”
He nodded, his jaw clenched. “Any girl can learn to take their clothes off. They just need to want to do it. They need to learn to tap into their sexuality, to break the taboo. Can you do that Alice? Are you willing to try?”
I looked into his blue eyes, so pure and clear, staring at me, longing for me to say yes. Did I have another option? Did I have a choice?
“I'll do it on one condition,” I said. “I'll do it if I get to practice on you.”
That beautiful smile grew wider, his teeth as white as the snow. “That's all I wanted to hear.”
Chapter 15
I walked through the door and into the studio. Along the top wall was a long mirror while in the center of the room stood a pole, fixed to a podium a couple of feet off the ground.
“And you must be Alice?”
A woman walked towards me from the other side of the room. Her hair was black, slicked back into a ponytail. She wore tights and dance shoes, her body lean and lithe. She looked to be in her mid-forties, her face showing signs of wrinkles hidden under make up.
“Yes,” I said nodding, hanging by the doorway.
“Come in then, don't be shy.”
She continued towards me gracefully, her feet light on the floor, her movements precise.
“My name is Mrs Jones. I am to be your dance teacher.”
Dance teacher. Yeah sure, stripping teacher might be more accurate.
“You look unsure,” she said to me, her eyes burrowing into my face. “You've never danced before have you?” She said it less like a question and more like a statement of fact. She could see right through me.
I shook my head.
“Perfect,” she said, “you'll have no preconceptions, no bad
habits. I prefer to work with a blank slate. Come closer, let me have a good look at you.”
I walked in towards her. Her eyes ran over me like a scanner, sampling every part of my body. I wore a pair of black tights, as she did, and a light white vest. I could see her nodding slowly as she looked at me, a placid expression on her face.
“Turn around,” she said, “slowly.”
I turned on the spot until I was facing away from her, back towards the door. I had half a mind to walk through it and away from this place.
“Good,” she said. “Now, walk around the room in a circle. I want to see how you move. Don't think, just walk.”
I started walking around the room as she stood to the side. I felt awkward with her eyes on me in the quiet of the room, knowing she was judging every step.
“Stop,” she said suddenly.
She walked towards me and stopped short. “You have a beautiful body Alice, very womanly, very feminine, and a lovely gait.”
“Gait?” I asked.
“Yes, the way you move, the way you walk, it's appealing to men.”
Wow, I had no idea that the way I walked was attractive, I thought it was just something that I did to get from A to B.
“You have curves that most women would die for. Men like that.”
I blushed slightly and turned my head away from her gaze. “I'm no supermodel.”
“No, you're not, and that's what makes you so entrancing to the men you'll dance for. These women you see on catwalks, you see on the front of magazines, they're not what men like. Men like curves, men like bountiful breasts and round bottoms, men like girls like you. That's what they pay the big bucks for.”
I was still trying to get my head around the fact that I was being fashioned into a trophy, a piece of meat to be ogled at and drooled over. I'd dance for Kyle, I'd dance for him for free, but a random stranger? I wasn't sure.
“You have doubts do you not?” It was like she could see what I was thinking.
“I do,” I said nodding. “This,” I pointed at the pole and podium, “it isn't me.”
She smiled a consoling smile and walked a little closer to me.
“Honey, everyone feels that way at the start. It is a natural reaction. But what you need to realize is that your body, your sexuality, your power over men - all of that is a gift. Why should you not profit from it? What should stop you from using your gifts? Don't be boxed in by guilt or shame or anything like that, life is too short.”
“Did you do it?” I asked suddenly.
“I did,” she said with no hint of regret in her voice. “I danced for men's enjoyment for many years. Now, as you can see, I'm not much to look at. I teach now, I support and I give confidence. That is why Kyle sent me to you.”
“But I've never danced in my life. I don't know how to be sexy.”
“Every girl has the power to be sexy. Every girl has that beast lying within, waiting to roar. I will bring it out of you Alice, I will make you a lioness.”
I couldn't help but stir slightly at her words, her passion. With instruction, maybe I would be able to do it.
“I am told that your motivation is money right now Alice?”
I nodded.
“That is where everyone starts. In time, you will come to enjoy it. Your motivations may begin to change.”
I highly doubted that. If it wasn't for the money Kyle had offered me, there's no way I'd be there. I didn't know if that would change any time soon.
Mrs Jones walked slowly over to the corner and clicked on a music player. Light relaxing tones spread across the room to my ears.
“A good dancer is a supple dancer.”
Why couldn't she just call it what it was - stripping.
“We will start with stretches and yoga. Are you ready?” She placed a mat to the floor and gestured me towards it.
“Good, then let us begin.”
Chapter 16
I had never ached so much in my life as I lay in the bath, the foam covering my modesty. Tess sat on a small stool beside the bath at my feet, eager to know what had happened.
“So how'd it go?”
“It was....good actually.”
“Yeah?” Her eyes were perky, wide and childlike.
“I mean, better than I expected it to be. My instructor - Mrs Jones - she has a way about her. I dunno, she made me feel at ease, like it was a privilege to be in my position or something. I guess I haven't looked at it in that way.”
“I'd say babe. What is it you're gonna get? Like $500 dollars per dance? Girl that's insane. Screw the feminists and all this selling yourself rubbish, if you can earn that much money for shaking what God gave you, you gotta take it!”
“It's intense though. I had no idea there was so much to it. She had me stretching, doing yoga, doing all these drills and a load of other stuff before we even got to the actual dancing part.”
“You mean stripping part?”
My laugh was abruptly halted by the aching in my ribs. “That's what I thought! She just insisted on calling it dancing. I didn't want to say anything - I think it's her way of making it sound nicer.”
Tess nodded her understanding. “Well, let me know if they're looking for anyone else down there.”
“Yeah right, you don't need it.”
“It's not the money babe, it's the excitement. All those men wanting you, but they can't have you. Fuck it makes me hot just thinking about it.”
“You're such a slut!” I said playfully. “So sweet to look at but you've got a dirty core!”
“Hey,” she said, splashing some water at me, “bitch!”
We giggled and chatted on for a little bit as I lay there, my aching muscles soothed by the warm water. I hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. The heavy weight of money had lifted from my shoulders, the constricting feeling at my chest loosened.
Kyle had given me some money to pay my rent. He told me that he was investing in me, that he didn't want me to worry. I'd pay that money back with personal dances just for him. Personal dances for practice, personal dances for pleasure. A dirty smile hit my lips at the thought.
Tess seemed to notice it. “What are you smiling at?” she said, that inquisitive look that I often saw planted smack on her face.
“Nothing,” I said, my words more coy that I'd have hoped.
“I know what it is. It's that guy....you like him don't you! Who's the slut now huh!”
I splashed water in retaliation, soaking her top and starting something of a mini water fight. It was one she was never going to win - I was already naked in the bath!
“OK OK,” she said, putting her hands out and waving a small towel as a white flag, “you win. If you don't want to talk about him I understand.” She kept that cheeky look on her face.
“Fine, he's cute all right? Well, more than cute actually. Look, you'll know what I'm walking about when you see him. I defy any girl with a pulse not to like him at least a little bit.”
“Yeah but Alice, he's a strip club owner and he clearly has a questionable code of ethics. He broke into your room for Christ's sake!”
“Hey I didn't say I was in love with the guy. Just that he's hot, OK. You of all people should get that, the neanderthals that you go after!”
“Hey, like who?”
“The whole football team!” How could she not see this. “There's hardly a brain cell between them, and if there is they do a damn good job of hiding it!”
She went quiet for a moment, before conceding that I had a point.
“I just want you to be careful babe. Don't go falling for a guy like that.”
Fall for him? She must have been mad. I hadn't fallen for anyone in forever.
Chapter 17
My car glided smoothly through the snow as I made my way back to the club. I hadn't been there since that night
when I'd 'auditioned' for Kyle in a bid to pay off my debts. That night I was a bag of nerves, highly sprung and ready to burst. Now, though, I felt calm and relaxed.
Kyle had summoned me to his office to see how I was progressing. Summoned - I hated the word but that's what Tess called it. “You've been summoned by master.” She was only joking around but yeah, it did kinda feel like that.
I stepped into the club and down the stairs to the office. I could hear the music through the big double doors at the bottom - the main floor where most of the strippers - dancers - earned their pay.
I turned to the left at the bottom of the stairs and went towards the room at the end. He was in there, waiting for me, waiting for me to dance, waiting for me to show him what I'd learned.
I knocked and his voice called me to enter.
He stood and smiled as I entered, walking around the desk to stand in front of me. He moved in as if to kiss me on the cheek but checked himself.
“You look stunning as always Alice. Come with me.”
He led me straight back out of the office and once again through the club towards the private rooms at the other end. Once more he sat down on the red sofa and crossed his legs. He said nothing, but just sat and looked at me.
Memories of the other night quickly flooded my brain. It felt like deja vu: him sitting there, me standing awkwardly in front of him. I'd hoped to be more confident this time, more sexy, more seductive. But there I was, a scared little girl standing where I didn't belong.
“Aren't you going to say anything?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “A client says nothing. He isn't here to talk, he's here to watch. He pays top dollar for our top dancers, and there's no time for chitchat.”
He stopped talking and resumed his stare, waiting for me to act.
I returned in my head to Mrs Jones' instruction. Make eye contact, be confident. Flirt through your body language. Use your hands, make every movement count. Above all, feel the moment, become one with it.
The Logan Brothers - Books 1-4: (EXPOSURE, CRASH, TWIN PASSIONS, and ADDICTED TO YOU) Page 6
