Chapter 2

Someday I am going to learn that making a bet with my girlfriend is a lost cause. Not only do I usually lose, but also the stakes never seem to be what I thought they were. Not that she is dishonest; it’s more like she’s unexpected. If she says we are going fishing, I expect to be sitting on a lake or river trying to catch lunch. She would be driving me to the coast to catch a ride on a charter and we get to spend the day after some game fish. She did that once. We showed up dockside in bikinis and got a free several-hundred dollar-fishing trip. Outrageous!

See what I mean? One of the things I love about her is her imagination, her spontaneity, and her insanity. We balance each other well, I am more down-to-earth and she is in the clouds. Opposites do attract—we are the proof!

As I walked into the club, I wondered for about the 1000ᵀᴴ time what the hell I was doing there. Yes, I know Beth won the bet, like normal. I agreed to go clubbing with her as my loss. But I figured we were going clubbing—you know, some dancing, a little drinking, and like usual we end up in bed together and have a terrific time. Why in the hell was she taking me to a strip club? Two women would stand out in a crowd of horny men like a 6-foot redhead in Japan. Beth, who is closer to 6-feet than I am, once described standing in a very crowded airport in Tokyo as looking out over a black and brown bumpy carpet!

Beth, and you might have guessed, is my girlfriend of the past couple of years. She is quite a bit taller than I am, almost 5’11”, slender, dark hair, and dark eyes, besides being athletic, artistic, and having a high IQ.

My name is Tracey, I am shorter, closer to 5’4”, also slender and athletic, but the less said about my IQ the better. We met in a hotel hallway where she saved me from an alcohol-induced mistake. You might have read it in Part 1. It really doesn’t matter if you read it, this story is more about one of our regular activities, our wagering, than our original meeting.

One of our routines is betting, we seem to bet on everything, movie endings, friends activities, how we get treated in restaurants ... which is weird in this day and age, but you have no idea the looks we get when we ask for a table for two. All too often we get shown a table set for four and get asked when our dates are showing up. If it’s a host or hostess, we tip the server in cash and suggest they not share it. If it’s the server, we might leave a minimal tip. After all, they need to earn a living, but we also suggest being nicer to their customers and they might do better.

Well, this time it was a tennis match that I shouldn’t have lost! As soon as Beth mentioned “bet” I should have known better. I should just admit defeat, and not bother betting, but I lost and so I had to go clubbing. Clubbing isn’t one of my favorite things. Crowded clubs, full of dead from the neck-up guys who do not know how to take “no” for an answer! Beth really loves to dance so we go clubbing more often than I like, but then she runs on the hiking trails with me, which isn’t her favorite pastime. You shoulda seen her trying to keep pace with me in Willow Hill ... oh, but that’s not needed for this story. Okay, enough stalling. I guess you want to hear about the trip to the strip club.

Yes, you heard correctly, a Strip Club! The garish signs out front called this a Gentlemen’s Club—yea right! A little blood in the penis and the idea of being gentlemen goes out the window. It’s not that I hate guys, but I got really tired of their petty emotional games long before I met Beth.

The club had a stupid name, but I guess the neighborhood might hate it being called Strippers-R-Us. She tugged me in and the bouncer, or door attendant, let us in without a cover. I guess women are welcome, but I would have been shocked to see too many of us. The place wasn’t crowded, it was early, but except for the waitresses and a couple of dancers in robes talking to customers, we were the only women in the place.

Knowing my nature, Beth picked a booth along one wall. The club was kinda interesting. Tons of wood decor, it was actually nicer than I expected. There was a long dance area, raised, like a modeling runway. It was slightly wider and rounded at the end that stuck out almost to the center of the room. Around most of the raised dance area was a huge horseshoe-shaped bar. I thought that was pretty smart, a buffer area between the dancers and the customers for most of the runway. There were two areas where people could get right next to the stage. There were two pools tables in one area and a line of six-person booths along each wall running parallel to the dance floor, the rest of that area was filled with small tables. To one side of the back, on the left of the bar, was what had to be the ‘private’ dance area. There was a curtained-off door and a huge bouncer was standing there. The other side must be the dressing area. I saw a beautiful brunette coming out and head behind the bar, apparently to dance.

The waitress, a very cute twenty-year-old, with a real perky personality, came by quickly and took our order. “Hi, ladies, we are still at happy hour so everything is half-off.” She leaned over giving us a clear view of her very perky little titties. “Well, the drinks and food anyway. Plus...” She lowered her voice. “If you order everything now I can keep it at half price and just deliver it to your table as you need it.”

That was nice of her. Beth decided tonight was a real party night. She ordered two different sets of appetizers and eight drinks apiece. I looked at her like she was crazy, but she said it would still be cheaper than ordering fewer drinks later, even if we didn’t drink them all. I consented and the waitress bent over our table writing it all down. “My name is Bethany and if either of you needs anything, please just look for me. I’ll be looking for you, that’s for sure!”

Beth smiled and introduced us. She shook our hands; her hands were tiny but so soft! I think she hung onto our hands longer than necessary, but it was a nice touch.

“So what do you think?”

“It’s better than I dreaded. Can we leave yet?”

“You haven’t even seen your first dance yet. You can be such a spoilsport. Besides, we have drinks and munchies coming. Just relax and have a good time.” She pulled me closer and kept one arm around me as we both watched the brunette ascend up to the dance area. She was tall, but not as tall as Beth. She was also stacked! Those had to be fakes; there was very little jiggle as she went up the stairs. Her make-up was perfect; almost a cat-like expression and it suited her attire nicely. A slow song started. Oh god, what was that song? I turned to Beth, my musical encyclopedia.

Without having to ask she said, “Memories.” It was from the Broadway musical ‘Cats.’ Surprising music for a strip, but it is a great song.

The music was a little more lively arrangement than I remembered from the play, but the brunette used it well, with slow, long movements around the stage, showing off her long legs. It was funny, the stripping seemed appropriate and after several minutes she was down to a simple thong. The music shifted into something more athletic, I didn’t recognize it, but Beth did. She was singing in a low voice, her breath across my hair as I stayed next to her.

Bethany came back with our drinks and a nice selection of munchies. “I took the liberty of giving you a sampler plate. It has everything you wanted and a few other things. Plus it was even cheaper. I hope you don’t mind.” We both thanked her for her thoughtfulness. Boldly she knelt on the cushion of our booth and picked up a nacho and fed it to Beth. I was surprised, but Beth didn’t seem to be. Bethany got her fingers licked and she smiled. “I love it when women come into the club, it doesn’t happen often enough.” Her face was a little red, maybe a slight blush, but the tips of her small breasts were hard as a rock. She came to my side of the booth and fed me a nacho as well. She leaned against me for one quick moment and she smelled of a nice perfume. Beth’s hand squeezed around my waist; giving me a message I wasn’t quite sure about.

Bethany left but with a beautiful smile for us both. “I think she likes you.”

“Beth, I think she likes both of us.”

“You aren’t annoyed?”

“How silly do you think I am? She can flirt all she wants. I know where I am sleeping tonight.” I hugged her and kissed her. She smiled, but there was something wrong. The smile held a secret or a promise that I didn’t understand.

We watched the brunette, introduced as Joy, finish her very athletic routine, and add some very sexy moves. The guys around the bar were tossing crumpled bills on the stage. They weren’t rowdy, but appreciative. This wasn’t turning out as bad as I thought.

An hour and a couple of other dancers later, plus two more drinks complete with soft touches by our waitress, we could see Joy working her way around the room. Chatting with people while a much less talented dancer worked feverishly on the stage. Bethany brought her to our table and she sat down beside me. “Hi, I’m Joy. I hope you are having a good time.” She shook our hands and Beth offered her a drink. She smiled a wide smile and accepted. Bethany ran off the get it.

“Your dancing was excellent! Sexy and athletic, very smooth!’

“I’m glad you liked it. It’s fun to do and I had a special incentive today.”

“Really what?”

Joy looked me in the eye and said, “You two.”

“Us?” I said in a surprised tone.

“You don’t know what a soap opera a place like this can be. Ten seconds after you walked in we all knew you were here. Bethany came back and told us you were both very pretty and very nice. A combination that doesn’t happen very often.” She looked at us, her honesty evident. “Some girls come in here to disrupt the place, others try and compete with the rudeness of the guys. Rarely do we get a nice couple in here looking for an interesting evening.”

The next dancer was announced, “Kitten.”

“Oh you have to watch her, she’s amazing!” Joy slid deeper into the booth next to me and I became very conscious of being surrounded by Beth and Joy. Beth’s hand wasn’t helping matters as she lightly scratched the back of my neck.

Kitten really was amazing. A tiny girl, she couldn’t be much taller than 5’1”, but the things she could do in the air while holding onto the pole defied gravity. Her music was some Sting and a bit of stuff that made sitting still difficult. Joy was practically dancing with her which made her thigh press and bounce against mine. Her robe rode up and I could see her thong. Beth’s other hand went to my thigh and she started teasing the bare skin. She knows how her nails affect me!

Joy turned back at the end of Kitten’s set. “I have to go back and get ready for another round of dancing. Would you like to meet Kitten?”

Beth nodded and reached for her purse. Joy smiled, “Thanks, but you bought me the drink and you both are so nice to just relax with. Don’t worry about us; the ‘gentlemen’ will keep even the most mercenary of us happy. You two just enjoy the evening. Can I come back and talk later?”

“Of course,” Beth said. Her hand was making it hard for me to talk. Joy leaned over me, her breasts pressed against me. They felt softer than I thought--maybe they were real. She offered her lips to Beth, who kissed her chastely. She then pressed her lips to me, less chastely, I felt her tongue probe gently, then she was gone. She used a jasmine scent, very sexy! I noticed several customers watching us with interest.

Bethany came back with another round of drinks. I think I was starting to feel them. She slid into the booth next to Beth. “Joy is one of the best. She likes you two.” She looked down for a sec, “I do too.” She looked up, “Kitten will be out in a few. After she goes around the room, I’ll bring her here. She is a special friend of Joy’s and I think you’ll like her. Oh, she might get sidetracked into the private area for a lap dance. If she does, I hope you are still here when she gets out. The customers love her. I think it’s her Asian looks.” Bethany kissed Beth and that drew some more attention from the other customers.

The guys started watching us as well as the stage. I started feeling self-conscious when Beth whispered in my ear. “Let them watch! You are mine and those pricks can’t touch you!” With that she kissed my ear and slipped one hand under my skirt, lightly touching my sex. I was wet, as she certainly knew it. Her touch was teasing, rubbing my panties and pressing lightly. I squirmed and she kissed my ear again.

A guy tried to barge in, ruining the moment. “May I join you?”

Beth looked up, “No.” She said slightly abruptly, but not rude. If he had a sensitive bone in his body he would have known he was interrupting. But he was probably thinking with a different bone. Looking at his face, I knew he didn’t get it, he labeled us and went back to whisper with his buddies at the bar.

I was getting nervous, not excited.

“Fuck him. He can’t do shit in here. If I don’t kick his ass, the bouncers will.”

We both heard a loud “Dyke” from him to his friends. Beth started laughing out loud. When heads turned she announced, “We aren’t dykes, we just don’t want you!”

His buddies laughed at him and he took two steps toward us when two bouncers seemed to materialize from the floor. He stopped and they whispered a few things. Wiser than I thought he collected his jacket at the bar and was escorted out.

One of the bouncers came to our table. “The house apologies for his behavior. He’s a regular and he knows the house rules. Your tab is on the house for the rest of the evening. Please enjoy yourselves. There are other, more private, booths in the back if you need them. In the meantime, just remember the house rules. Have a good evening.”

I looked confused and Beth turned over the menu. “House Rules!”

Interesting. No hassling other customers must have been the one he broke. Also no sex in the club, shit, that means Beth was going to tease me all night. I wonder if the bathrooms have a little privacy! It wouldn’t be the first time for Beth and me! Although that one French restaurant was a challenge, hell, how were we to know the manager’s office was right next to the ladies’ restroom, and they heard every sound. Well, the food was lousy anyway!

Kitten came out and worked the room. The robe seemed to swallow her. She also opened it frequently, providing glimpses to her adoring customers. One of the bouncers approached her. She shook her head -- a negative to whatever he said. He said something else and she stamped her foot, shaking her head violently.

Beth jumped up, “I’ll be right back.”

I was confused, but Beth went to the bouncer and Kitten and joined the conversation.

In a minute the Bouncer left, apparently satisfied. Beth came back and said, “Grab your drink and come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

She tugged me towards, oh no, the private dance room. I tried to protest, but she kept pulling me. I felt like every eye in the place was watching me. I swear I only entered the room to get out of public view. The Bouncer was there and Beth handed him some cash. “Read the room rules. I will stop anything that violates them. The cops can shut us down, so don’t break them.”

When he left Kitten appeared. “You are Beth?” Beth nodded. I think I was awestruck. Kitten was incredible; she was shockingly, heart-stoppingly, beautiful. Then she smiled and became almost too beautiful to actually look at.

“Thank you, Beth. You saved me.”

She escorted us to two chairs, large one-and-a-half person padded armchairs. While we walked she explained the problem. “The guy who wanted me to dance for him is rude and twice bruised me. He isn’t nice, but he’s a part-owner of another club, so the manager here can’t throw him out without lots of other headaches. He keeps trying to pressure me into ‘working’ for him, but I know how he treats his dancers.”

She hugged Beth, who returned it enthusiastically.

“So what can I do for you, my savior?”

“Dance for my friend here.”

Kitten looked at me and smiled. “Of course, whatever you wish. I feel as if I owe you.”

Beth paused. “No, Kitten, don’t dance because you think you owe me something, dance because you love to dance, dance because my friend is beautiful.

Kitten hooked her arm around my waist and hugged me to her. “You have quite the lady here.”

“I know, Kitten, she’s a bit pushy, but she’s mine.”

She laughed a low liquid laugh and led me to one of the chairs. Beth sat in the other.

Kitten stood in front of me, slowly turning listening to the music. Her eyes closed, giving me a chance to study her.

She was more like 5’2, but she was in three-inch heels so she was taller than me in my flats. Her hair was jet-black and long, down to the small of her back. Her face was a delicate balance of smooth angles and softness highlighted by large almond-shaped eyes. A small nose, or maybe it just seemed that way because of her eyes. Her mouth was full, very kissable lips painted a dark red that complimented her skin tone. Her smooth skin was a remarkable color, tanned to an interesting shade of gold. She opened her eyes suddenly and smiled when she caught me studying her. Her smile brightened her face, making her more beautiful, and yet more approachable at the same time.

The bouncer intruded. “Kitten, we have another offer.”

She looked angrily at him. I hope she never looks at me like that; I might die on the spot! “I told you no! If he persists, tell Joey that I will quit!”

“Not that, he’s changed his offer. He is offering you a grand to let him come in and watch you give this lady a dance.”

A thousand dollars, WOW, but I didn’t want to feel like a spectacle for his enjoyment. I think it was time to get out of dodge while I had some dignity left.

Beautiful Kitten didn’t hesitate. “No! That’s not my policy. Let him jerk off at the bar. Close the door and leave us alone.”

“That’s against house rules.”

“Get the hell out of here, you are ruining things for me. I want some privacy to pay this beautiful lady the attention she deserves. Now get out and don’t let anyone in until I come back out.”

Her forcefulness was amazing and a real turn-on. He spun on his heels to do her bidding. I looked up at her; she was standing and looking at me, her face red in annoyance. “I am sorry, Tracey, that you had to see that. This job is like any other; you have the good and the bad. You saw part of the bad. May I offer some of the good and dance for you now?”

I swallowed nervously and nodded. Unable to trust my voice, I looked over at Beth and she was curled up in her chair like a long, limber cat, her eyes intent upon us.

I heard the door click shut and could see the bouncer standing with his back to the door, not allowing anyone passage.