Chapter 14

Ali and Bill were back in Los Angeles. Bill was meeting a banker downtown and Ali was going over her investment portfolio. She had just given Barbara Jamison some stock trades to execute when the phone rang. It was Jennifer Clifford. "Ali, welcome back! I just got a letter from my brother, Brian. What did you do to him? The little kid seems to be floating in the clouds. All he could talk about was Karen who, I gather, is a Swiss girl you introduced him to. Who's Karen?"

"Your little brother found an angel! Karen is a wonderful girl who's the daughter of a Swiss friend of mine. She also seems to be madly in love with your brother. She's a gorgeous blonde who was on the Swiss national junior ski team. Anyway, that's the story. But what are you doing?"

"That's really why I called. I'm still working on the Strip and the manager has decided I should get rid of my pubic hair so I'm taking you up on your offer. I guess it includes bringing my father to see me dance, if you really insist. Believe it or not, I'm the headliner now. Could you help me? I guess it's something I have to do, but I just can't bring myself to do it."

Ali agreed and said that she would come right over. She ordered her car out and drove to her old apartment that she had given to Jennifer to use. When the girl greeted her at the door, Ali was immediately struck by how different she looked. The first time Ali had met her she had been grim and antagonistic. The second time she had been distraught. This time she was smiling and relaxed.

She invited Ali in and they had coffee. Then Jennifer said, "Ali, could we just forget about the hair? Since we talked, I realized how disgusting the whole thing is."

Ali smiled softly and said, "Jen, I want to see you dance. It's the price of admission. Let's do it!"

"Thank you, Ali, very much. I read the directions for the infernal machine and already cut my hair short the way the directions said." She smiled wryly at Ali and said, "I thought the kitchen counter could serve as the operating table. The directions say I need something firm under my ass."

With that Jennifer slipped off her shirt and shucked her jeans. Ali saw the girl had a magnificent body. Her breasts were larger than Ali's but perfectly shaped. The rest of her body was slim, supple, and muscular in a very feminine way. Her pubic patch looked odd — almost as if she had a short crew-cut. While Ali examined the electrical instrument, she saw Jennifer take a piece of hard rubber and put it between her teeth to bite on. She slid up on the counter with her right leg dangling over the edge to flatten the pubic area as much as possible.

The instrument was all ready for use. It was a strange thing that caught a hair between rubber teeth and pulled it out by its roots. Ali started to work. Jennifer remained perfectly still although the process seemed never-ending and was obviously very painful. Once Ali glanced at the girl's face and saw tears of pain streaming from her eyes while she could see the girl's jaws locked on the hard rubber. She was about to stop when Jennifer signaled her to keep going. Finally it was done. Jennifer had her head propped up against the wall of a closet at the end of the counter and had been watching the whole process.

When Ali finished, Jennifer took the piece of rubber out of her mouth and said huskily, "Thank God!"

Ali looked at her for a moment and then helped her off the counter top, into the bathroom and ran the bathtub. After Jennifer gratefully lowered her body into the warm water, Ali used the washcloth to wash off the sweat that had been streaming from her body. Finally she helped the girl out of the tub, dried her off, and lay her on her back on the bed. Then she took a painkilling ointment and spread it on Jennifer's pubic area and started to massage the girl's body. There was not an apparent ounce of fat on the girl — just smooth skin and supple muscles. As she worked, she saw Jennifer drift off to sleep. When she finished the massage, she covered the girl and darkened the room. Several hours later, Jennifer emerged from the room looking angry.

Ali was startled and asked, "Jen, what's wrong?"

"You're what's wrong, Allison Clifford! I ask you over here to do me a favor. Not only do you handle an impossible chore — my God, if a girl asked me to pull out her cunt hair, I would die! — but you bathe me, dry me off and give me a massage to boot. Damn it, the only thing you didn't do was kiss me good night!" At that Jennifer bent over and kissed Ali sweetly on the lips, whispering, "Good night, Mom!"

Then she grinned at Ali and held out her hands saying, "Come on, Mom. I've got to work on that decrepit body of yours and try to keep it going for another couple of days!" With that she pulled Ali to her feet and led her into the bedroom.

Then she did for Ali what Ali had done for her: bathing her in a scented bath, drying her, and then massaging her body with oil. As she did she said, "Mom, I was pretty proud of my body until I saw yours. No wonder Dad is so happy! You are out of this world!"

As she massaged her muscles, Ali was moaning with the pleasure of it. She said, "Jen, where did you ever learn to do this? You're marvelous!"

Jen replied, "I'm a dancer, remember? We have more aches and pains than we can count so we always need a massage. The only way you can get a massage, though, is to be able to give one. But I'm only an amateur compared to you, anyway." She finished the massage leaving Ali asleep. Then she pulled the covers over her and kissed her sweetly again, whispering, "Thanks, Mom."

Later Ali was awakened. As she opened her eyes, she found Jennifer putting musk oil in her slit and between her breasts. The girl smiled and said, "Mom, it's time to go home. I thought I would set you up to be raped by Dad as you come in the door. Your glorious body is my gift to him tonight." She grinned and Ali grinned back.

When she got back to the suite Bill had just returned. He took her in his arms and kissed her softly. As he did he whispered, "My God, Ali. What are you wearing? You smell heavenly — and very exciting!" He continued to kiss her. Soon they were making love on the floor. Their lovemaking was exquisite.

Ali knew that Jen was off that night. The next evening she told Bill she wanted to go out to a nightclub. He looked at her strangely but agreed. Ali told Fred the name of the club on Sunset Strip and timed their arrival for Jen's last show at midnight. Jennifer had made sure there was a table for them in front next to the stage.

As they entered, Bill recognized the club immediately as a strip joint so he looked at Ali strangely and said, "Honey, are you sure this is really where you want to go?"

She said it was and they walked in. A stripper was ending her act as they were seated. There were the usual ribald yells and catcalls as well as a host of lewd suggestions aimed at the dancer. Bill started to redden about the ears and glanced at Ali. She appeared to be oblivious to the whole thing — she was not disturbed a bit. She even ignored a couple of low-voiced comments obviously aimed at her.

After they were seated and ordered beer, the MC came out and introduced the featured act at the club, Jenny. When she first came out on the stage, Bill partially rose from his chair. Ali took his hand in hers and squeezed it as he said softly, "It's Jennifer!"

She nodded and whispered, "I know, darling."

The music changed dramatically from the traditional stripper's beat to music that was slow and melodic. Jennifer came out wearing a white terry cloth bathrobe and sat at a mirrored dressing table. Then she took a letter from the table and read it. As she did, she allowed her robe to fall open and then slide off her shoulders. Now she was completely nude and fully visible to the audience in the mirror. It was obvious she was expecting her lover to arrive after an extended absence. First, she carefully applied lipstick to her lips. Then she quickly fixed her hair and applied rouge lightly to her nipples and her nether lips. As she did, she spun around so the audience could have a full view of her cunt as she spread her legs wide to apply the rouge. Then she rose from the chair and began to move as if she were in a dream.

Ali thought she was extremely good as she moved with grace and feeling dreaming her way through a seduction. She lay on the floor and ran her finger up her slit while spreading her legs wide to welcome her lover inside her. Ali noticed that the club was very quiet with the music setting a mood rather than a beat. Looking around, she saw the club was packed to the doors but the audience was mesmerized watching Jennifer on the stage. Finally, she reached her orgasmic peak and her loins seemed to explode in a frenzy of motion.

At one point in her dance she was close to the edge of the stage directly in front of Bill and Ali. She went to her knees, spread them as wide as she could, and leaned over backward, arching her back as her head touched the stage. Meanwhile her slender fingers were stroking her loins and her now-bare mound. When she jumped to her feet she gave Ali a quick wink.

The number concluded with door chimes ringing. Jennifer seemed to awaken, grabbed her robe and disappeared from the stage. There was thunderous applause that continued as, now wearing her robe, she came back on the stage to take her bows. Now there were cheers and shouts of approval as Jennifer smiled, waved, and left the stage. Since hers was the last act in the show, the house lights came up and the crowd noise started to increase in volume. Clearly, many in the audience were talking about the performance they had just witnessed.

Then Bill looked at Ali and tried to glare at her but without success. "You knew she was here, didn't you?"

"She had a problem that I helped her with, Bill. In return for the help, I told her I wanted to bring you here to see her perform."

Ali smiled. "Bill, when I learned she was working as a stripper I wasn't happy. But she is absolutely outstanding! She had the crowd in a trance. You saw the difference yourself: The first girl we saw was treated the way you expect a stripper to be treated — shouts of 'take it off'. Of course with Jennifer, since she started without clothes there wasn't anything for her to take off, but she had the audience absolutely mesmerized."

A few minutes later Jennifer joined them. She was wearing a very conservative sweater and skirt. When she sat down, the waitress was there immediately to take her order. Jennifer ordered a ginger ale and looked at her father. "Hello, Dad," she said quietly.

Bill looked at her and smiled. "Hi, Jen. You looked very good up there, although it came as a hell of a shock to see you. But why did you ask us to come?"

Jennifer smiled softly and said, "Because Mom wanted to see me."

"Mom?" Bill asked with his amazement audible in his voice.

"Mom," Jennifer repeated even more firmly. "Dad, there's something I want to give you. I gave it to Mom, but I'm sure she didn't give it to you." She took out a copy of the letter the lawyer had written for her renouncing her inheritance and giving any money due to her to Allison McGrath Clifford or her estate.

Bill looked at it and shook his head. "Jen, I didn't even know you were in Los Angeles. When did you leave Texas, and why? What are you doing here in LA?"

She smiled and said, "I'm still in school. This is how I support myself."

Her face turned solemn as she said, "Dad, when you cut me off it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was such an unmitigated little shit! I think working as a stripper started off as a form of penance. Mom already knows the story and I guess you should, too. I was so certain I was right and you were wrong! I went to USC and UCLA and talked to the kids about Ali McGrath. I would order a beer about noon and not get out of the Student Union until closing time. It was a game of Can You Top This? with Ali McGrath stories. The more I learned the worse I felt. Then I got this job.

"Incidentally, Dad, I got down on my knees in front of Mom to beg her forgiveness. I did it, not because you told me to, but because I wanted to. I told her there was no reason on God's earth why she should forgive me, but I learned that Ali is Ali. Dad, she helped me up and kissed me and just held me close. God, it felt good! Dad, believe it or not, I've reformed. I accused Ali of being a whore. Then I learned at the trial that Ali had been with two men a total of three times in her life ... and I believe her. She was virginal when you and she were married, wasn't she?"

Bill just nodded and said, "Jen, you can't believe how much I love Ali. Let's just say I couldn't imagine being with another woman. By the way, I fully expect Ali to replicate your act for me alone some day. It's just the sort of thing she would do. She claims it keeps me interested!"

Jennifer smiled warmly at her father and said, "Dad, Mom came over two days ago to pull out my pubic hair. It's a lousy, disgusting job. Yet she was as tender as she could be. When she was finished and I was in tears, she took me into the bathroom, bathed me, gave me a massage, and tucked me into bed. I told her later that all she didn't do was kiss her little girl goodnight. So Dad, I kissed her. I insisted on giving her a bath — I have never in my life seen a more gorgeous body, by the way — giving her a massage and tucking her into bed."

Ali interjected, "Bill, that was two nights ago. When I got home you smelled the musk oil our daughter poured in my slit. You took me right on the floor. Remember?" She smiled and gripped Bill's hand.

Just then a tall young man came over to the table. Ali heard Jennifer mutter, "Oh, shit!" A club bouncer moved to head the man off, but Jen motioned him away.

When he got to the table he looked at Jennifer and said, "Jen, is it really you?"

"I'm afraid it is," Jen said. "Steve, I would like you to meet my parents, Bill and Ali Clifford. Mom and Dad, this is Steve Chapman who is also a student at UCLA with me."

Bill rose and shook Steve's hand. Steve was very tall — about six feet three — with light hair and blue eyes. He had a very athletic build.

He took Ali's hand as well and his grip was firm. Ali said, "Jen, you're finished for the evening, aren't you?" Jen said she was, and Ali said, "Let's go somewhere then. Steve, would you care to join us?"

They agreed to meet at the Beverly Wilshire in the coffee shop downstairs because Jennifer said she hadn't eaten dinner yet. When Ali asked why, she smiled and said, "They don't like strippers with protruding bellies."

When they reached the hotel, they found that the coffee shop was about to close. Jennifer had made it ahead of Steve, providing Ali the opportunity to try to find out who he was. Jen said, "He's a guy I see at school. I guess he's in the graduate business program. We started to talk in the Student Union one day. I've never told him where I live, my phone number, or even my last name. He only learned that my last name is Clifford when I told him at the club tonight. He probably won't even show up."

A few moments later Steve appeared. Ali said, "Steve, it looks like we'll have to go to our room. Do you still want to join us?" Steve agreed with alacrity.

As soon as they entered the suite, Ali saw Steve's eyes widen. He immediately recognized it as the top suite in the hotel. Ali asked him if he would like to join Jennifer for dinner. When he immediately agreed, Ali ordered steaks for the young people and a platter of hors d'oeuvres for themselves. Bill made drinks for everyone and they sat down.

Steve was looking at Jennifer and said, "Well, I finally found you! And I finally learn your last name is Clifford."

He looked at Ali and Bill and said, "I met your daughter about a month ago and wanted to get to know her better. I meet her at the Union — in fact we had a couple of dates there — but nowhere else. Then, completely by accident, I find her dancing on the Strip. In some way, I guess it's her fault, though. I was feeling so frustrated because she would never go out with me, I wound up in a strip joint and then find she's the star there." He looked at Jennifer and said, "You were absolutely spectacular tonight. And your body is spectacular, too!"

Jennifer looked at him closely and said, "Thank you, Steve. I'm glad you like it. You really liked my dance?"

"I've never seen anything like it," he said. "Where did the idea come from? And the dream sequence: Unbelievable! How do you do it?"

She smiled at him and said very softly, "I think about you."

"You what?" he exclaimed.

"I think about you. I think of getting a letter from you saying you're coming to visit me after we have been apart for a long time. Then I think about how I would act, and that's what I do on stage."