Chapter 58

Saturday night

The stage show started a little after midnight, and I actually found it to be pretty good. A small band started tuning up, then the curtain parted, and a handsome guy wearing a tuxedo strutted out. He introduced himself as ‘Matt, the MC’ and told a few off-color jokes, then the band started playing, and he introduced the dancers. Six great looking girls wearing short skirts and vests came onto the stage and began dancing. The vests weren’t buttoned, and the skirts would swirl up and the vests would come open, showing great looking butts and naked breasts as the women moved. The crowd would roar every time that happened, and both the vests and the skirts came off before long, leaving the girls with nothing but G-strings. Their moves were well choreographed, and Jim explained that the girls were dancers from several of the hotels moonlighting for extra money when I commented on it to him.

The dance went on for quite a while, and got progressively sexier. The girls then paired off, and began dancing with each other. They all had fantastic bodies and they began a sexy seduction sequence, and started pretending to touch and lick each other. It was very hot, and amazing to watch as they almost, but not quite, touched each other around the breasts and crotch. Three of the girls squatted and stuck their tongues out while their partner undulated in front of them, at one point, then the girls who were standing reached down and pulled the squatting girls’ head and tongue closer and closer to their G-strings until they were almost touching. They slowly moved around to the music, and the changing colored stage lights created what would have been a very sexy scene had it not been for the hoots and hollers from the unruly crowd.

The stage lights dimmed after a few minutes of that, and a spotlight shown on two of the standing girls who were nearest the center of the stage. They turned to face each other, and as the other girls scampered off, they began dancing in front of each other. Two, tall, gorgeous, almost naked girls, sensuously moved across from each other, and I felt myself getting hard. I then closely looked at one of the girls. She looked familiar, and I was trying to figure out where I’d seen her, when the stage lights flashed and Matt, the MC, appeared between them. There was another flash of lights as he raised his hands above his head, then the sound of Velcro separating, and he was suddenly standing there naked except for a sequined cup around his ‘package’.

He was very well built, and the three of them immediately went into a dance that was both very sexy and oddly familiar to me. He moved back and forth across the stage with each girl wrapped around, but not touching him. He had his face a scant inch from one of the girl’s breasts one minute, and he was looking directly at the other girl’s crotch the next minute, but it was more sexy than it was dirty, and I was really getting turned on.

Then it hit me! They were doing the same dance that Mom, Kate, and I had done at New Year’s, and the girl was one of the dancers I had danced with at the Miracle later. Kristen grabbed my arm and said, “Do you see what they’re doing? It’s your dance!” I nodded and watched them closely. Pro dancers or not, I preferred the way we had done it, but they went a lot farther.

The girl I knew stopped dancing and stood motionless after a few minutes. The guy dropped to his knees in front of her, and he slowly rolled her G-string down, then she stood there as he turned and did the same thing to the other girl. Both girls were now completely naked. They soon turned toward the audience, stepped forward, and began swaying together. The audience was suddenly hushed.

The girls were gorgeous. They were the same size and build, and they moved as one. They swayed back and forth, mimicking each other’s moves to the letter. They acted almost like two giant puppets hooked together by invisible wires.

The man faded back out of the spotlight, and he turned around with his back to the audience at some point. The girls went on with their mesmerizing dance for a few minutes, then they stepped back and stood on each side of him. That put all three of them into the spotlight, and the girls slowly turned toward him.

The one whom I recognized reached over and pulled his ‘cup’ off, and he started to turn around, but he didn’t turn all the way around. He only turned until he was facing her, then he pulled her to him. The other girl backed into the shadows, and the guy and girl started into a very erotic dance. They worked together very well, and never got far enough apart so that the audience could see his penis. A bunch of girls in the audience suddenly started chanting over and over, “Show us whatcha got; show us whatcha got!”

The show ended when the girl in the shadows stepped forward and struck a pose, then the couple did the same, but he was still tight against her. The curtain started to close and the guy stepped away from the girl just before it completely closed, and showed a large, partially hard penis to whistles, hoots, and applause from the audience.

It was a very sexy show all in all, and I was sitting there thinking about the girls, when I suddenly felt a hand on my crotch. I looked at Karen, but she was talking to Frank, so I glanced at Kristen. She had been looking at me, and she left her hand there for a moment. Her eyes suddenly flickered and she looked past me. I looked back at Karen. She had seen us, and there was hurt showing in her eyes. Kristen quickly took her hand away and stared down at the table.

The house lights came on, and some people had started to get up and leave. The curtain quickly parted and the MC stepped forward flanked by the two dancers. They were wearing robes, and when the crowd saw them, they started chanting, “More, more!” But the MC waved his hands for silence, then thanked everyone for coming. He said, “We have some special people in the audience tonight. Please put your hands together for the ‘raven-haired beauty with the golden voice,’ Kristen Baker!”

Kristen stood up, and the audience applauded wildly. He asked her what she was doing in town, and she told him where she was appearing tomorrow and Monday. This news inspired a long burst of even more enthusiastic applause. The MC was eventually able to say, “And I see that you have some family members with you.”

Kristen put her hand on Amy’s shoulder, and said, “Yes, this is my sister and best friend, Amy Baker,” then she turned to me and said, “And this is my guy, Pete Baker.”

There was some polite applause, and she started to introduce the rest of the people in our party, but the MC interrupted her, “For those in the business, Amy Baker represents the Stone Agency, one of the hottest talent and management agencies in the country. And, Kristen’s guy, Pete, is the one we first saw perform the dance that the two girls and I did tonight. What a talented family eh, Folks?”

The applause was much louder this time. The MC and some people from the audience came to our table and everyone started talking at once. Most were trying to talk with Kristen, but I saw a bunch of business cards and notes being pushed in front of Amy as some people were trying to talk with her. This went on for quite a while, so I grabbed Karen and dragged her to the dance floor when the band started playing.

Karen is a good dancer, but she is so much shorter than I am that I was beginning to get a crick in my back when the girl dancer I recognized from the performance asked to cut in. She was in street clothes now, but she was still gorgeous. Frank must have been watching, because he ran up and grabbed Karen even before the other girl and I started dancing.

I tried saying “Hi,” but the room was too noisy to talk. The girl is a great dancer. She is almost as tall as I am in her heels, and she was able to follow anything I did. We were soon moving smoothly around the floor, and I was really enjoying myself.

Then the band switched to a swing number. Swing dancing has always been a favorite of mine, and it must have been one of hers too, because she kicked her shoes off, and we really got into it. I was twirling her, rolling her off my back and between my legs, when I suddenly realized that we were the only ones on the floor. The other people were standing on the sidelines, clapping in time to the music and watching us.

The band took the song through several extra choruses. I was tired, and I made a mental note to begin getting back in shape when it finally ended. The girl was at least five years older than me, and with her twirling and all, she was working harder at the dance than I was, but she somehow looked as fresh as she had when she cut in. There was a lot of applause from the audience, then I thanked the girl and asked, “What’s your name?”

“It’s Belle, and I love dancing with you. Did you like the way Matt and I did your dance?”

I grinned, “Yes, especially your costume.” She raised an eyebrow and grinned back. Then she asked, “How long are you staying?”

“I’m not sure. Probably Monday evening.”

“Maybe we can umm, dance again before you leave.” The way she said it promised more than just a dance, and thinking about that prospect got me a little flustered. I was trying to think of what to say to her, but the band started playing a slow tune, and Kristen stepped between us into my arms. She coldly looked at the girl, then put her head on my shoulder, and we began moving to the music. They say that everyone has a particular scent, and Kristen has hers. It’s not soap or perfume, it’s just Kristen and I’ve always loved it.

The hour was late, I was tired, and I’d been drinking. I knew that I should be dancing with Karen, but Kristen felt so wonderful next to me that I could sense myself getting hard. She must have felt my erection, because she started moving herself against it.

Karen then danced by with Frank. She glanced over at us, and I saw her look at Kristen, then at me. There was no shock in her look; it was one of resignation and that jolted me -- hard. What I was doing wasn’t right. I eased myself away from Kristen and danced us over to them. I was going to trade partners but the song ended, so we went back to the table. Several people were trying to talk to Amy, and Jim was looking bored that I suggested we leave.

The ride back to our hotel was quiet. It was after 2 o’clock and we were tired, but I think that everyone was still in a sexy mood. I know I was, and it was obvious that Frank was, too. He kept rubbing Karen’s shoulder, and glancing at me to see if I was watching. Jim was driving with his arm around Amy as the two of them quietly talked. I tried not to think about what they were talking about, and what might happen between them later. Jim pulled up to a side entrance when we got to the hotel. Everyone got out but Amy and Jim, then they both waved and drove off.

I got a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had known that this was eventually going to happen, but I still felt upset when I actually saw it. I was trying to figure out whether I was being overprotective, or just plain jealous when I noticed Kristen watching me. Karen and Frank were climbing up the steps toward the building as Kristen leaned close to me, nodded toward Jim’s retreating car, and said, “You’re bothered, aren’t you? Was Amy the real reason?”

I knew what she was getting at. She was still trying to blame someone for my not wanting to marry her, then Karen called out, “Are you coming?” from the top of the stairs.

I waved at her. “Yes, we’ll be there in a second,” then I turned to Kristen and took her hands in mine. I said, “No, Kristen, Amy isn’t the reason. Let me ask you a question if you want to know the real reason. Have people asked you out since you’ve been on the road?”

“Of course! I’ve had lots of offers, but I usually tell them that I’m involved with someone.”

“But these are people you work with, right?”

“Not always -- a Vice-President of an airline saw our show in Chicago, and he tries to call me all the time.”

“So you tell all these people not to bother you because you’re in love with a high school kid from California who’s not even a senior yet and has no career goals?”

“No, you’re much more than that, Pete, you’re, uhh...” I don’t know if she hadn’t thought about it that way, or if she was just struggling for an answer. I put my finger on her lips to stop her from talking, and we looked at each other for a minute.

I think it was at that very moment that I made the first truly important romantic decision of my life. I had to let her know that it was over between us, once and for all, and I made up my mind. I turned to Karen, and I called out, “Please ask Frank to wait for us inside, and come here for a minute, Karen?”

She mumbled something to Frank. He gave everyone a disappointed look, but he did head inside. Karen came down the steps and stood alongside me. She looked at Kristen, then at me. I saw a look on her face that shook me deep inside, and one that I never want to see again. That look was a mixture of fear and disappointment. I guess she thought that I had asked her out here to tell her that it was over between us. I put my arm around her, hugged her to me, and said, “I want you to be here while I talk to Kristen, Karen.”

Kristen had been waiting, and I began to see a sad look forming around her beautiful dark eyes. My heart went out to her, but I knew that it was something that needed to be done, and I might never be able to if I didn’t do it now.

I said, “We have to talk about this now, Kristen, and I want Karen to hear this. You were an important part of my life for quite a while, but you needed to move on, and so did I. You’re a little over a year older than I am, but you’re miles ahead of me in life experience, and that gap is growing wider each day. Your life is on a rocket ship ride that may never end, and you’re going to realize who I really am, and wonder what you saw in me, one day very soon. You pointed at two people this weekend and asked if they were the reason that I didn’t want to be with you, but neither one was the cause. The reason has nothing to do with another person. It has to do with you and me. I never told you, but I was always off balance when you were around. I always wondered if something would happen to separate us because you were too good to be true, from that first kiss in the hallway outside of Mrs. Garmin’s room, to the last night that we were together. It wasn’t till I heard you sing and I saw the plans that Tomaso had for you, that I knew for sure that we had no chance to be together. You’re going to be a star, Kristen. You’re going places that regular people only dream about. I’m just a high school kid, and I can’t be part of that dream.”

She interrupted with, “But you told me that you loved me!”

“Yes, I did, and it was true at the time. Hell, my head was so full of you right then that I couldn’t think of anything else, but our relationship was flawed from the beginning. Remember the first time that we got together? It was that night at my house after Karen’s party. You told me later that I overwhelmed you. The truth is, I was upset about something that I thought had happened, and I took my frustration out on you.”

“We started going together later on, and being with you was wonderful, but you come from a different world than me. You’ve been places and done things that I may never do. I’ve never been on a yacht in the Caribbean, or flown to Europe to watch a sunrise.”

“You could if you stayed with me.”

“I know, but I soon wouldn’t really be Pete Baker any longer. I would just be the husband of the famous Kristen Baker, and we both know that wouldn’t last. It couldn’t. I need to be my own person, and I would eventually do something stupid. Think about what happened between Lu and me. Lu was a beautiful woman, but she didn’t overwhelm me, or talk me into something. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’ve begun to think that I was subconsciously trying to sabotage our relationship. You forgave me for that, but you shouldn’t have. You should have kicked my ass, and never talked to me again.”

“You’ll always have a special place in my heart, but I’m with Karen now, and I like her a lot. She’s listening to this now, and I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do, but I didn’t want to hide anything from her, or let her think that there was still something between you and I.”

Kristen eyed the two of us, and frowned. “Why do you think that you and she will stay together?”

“I don’t know if we will, but she’s my age, and she comes from my world. I guess that we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Kristen glared at us, and I thought that she was going to lash out at me for a split second. She looked at Karen instead, and she seemed to soften. It was as though some kind of invisible bond had suddenly passed between them. Kristen looked sort of wistful when she asked Karen, “Do you love him?”

What followed was a conversation only between them -- I felt like an outsider.

Rather than directly answer Kristen, Karen quietly said, “He’s easy to love, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is.”

“When did you first know you were in love with him?”

“Almost from the beginning. I knew that there was something special about him when I first saw him. The next time I saw him was at your house the night of the party, and he absolutely blew me away. That’s what he was talking about just now. I’m sure that he’ll tell you about it if you ask him.”

“Are you ready to give him up?”

“No.”

“Even after what he just said?”

“Yes, and part of what he said is true. He is young, but he’s wrong about me. I’m going to be very busy for quite a while, but I’ll be back. It’s not over between us.”

“What if he falls in love?”

“He may. Knowing Pete, he probably will.”

This was getting difficult for me to listen to. I said, “Hey, Guys, I’m standing right here! Do I have a say in any of this?”

They both looked at me and shook their heads, then Karen said, “Please go inside if you wouldn’t mind, Pete. I’d like to talk with Kristen for a while.”

I shrugged and reluctantly went inside to look for Frank. I found him almost right away, since he was standing near the door playing a slot machine. He said, “Boy, you sure hang with some gorgeous girls when I walked up. Jim’s been talking about your sister, Amy, ever since New Year’s, and I see what he means now.”

I got that hollow feeling again when he said it, but I shook it off and said, “Yeah, they seem to hit it off pretty well.”

His eyes narrowed and he said, “But what’s with you and Kristen, Pete? She’s obviously nuts about you. She’s a fucking stone fox and she’s gonna be famous!”

“It’s a long story, Frank. I don’t want to get into it. Besides, from the way you look at her, I thought that you liked Karen?”

“I do. She’s the only one of the three I can relate to, but she’s made it clear that she’s with you.”

“You can’t be hurting for girls, Frank. This is Vegas, and you work here. You’re surrounded by some of the most beautiful girls in the world.”

“Yeah, but I work as a helper in a stage show, and they all know it. Romantically, it’s like the kiss of death, Dude. The babes are all looking for their ‘big break’ or some guy with money, and they know that I’m just small potatoes. I’ve been going through one wicked serious ‘dry spell’ lately.”

“What about that girl at Casey’s? She looked like a pretty hot number.”

He laughed and admitted, “She used to be. We’ve been going out for over a year, and it was great at the beginning, but she got religion about six months ago, and all she wants to do is drag me to prayer meetings and shit since then.”

We laughed and talked for a long time before Kristen and Karen came in. Kristen said goodnight to Frank and me, then she hugged Karen and excused herself.

Karen said to Frank, “Thanks for being my date.” He stuck his hand out, but she ignored it. She hugged him instead.

He acted a little uncomfortable, and his face turned red. He stuttered, “Uhh, uhh, g’night,” then he sighed, and went back to the slot machine. Karen and I were walking to the elevator when she asked, “What’s with Frank?”

I grinned, “Well, he’s been with a gorgeous girl all night; he’s horny, and he’s watching her go off with another guy. I guess that he’s frustrated.”

We were waiting for the elevator when Karen suddenly said, “Hey! Wait here a minute,” and rapidly walked back into the casino. I watched her go toward the bar, and I soon figured out where she was headed. Jan was sitting there, talking with some guy. Karen went to her and grabbed her by the hand. They walked a few yards away and began talking. I saw Jan laugh, then she shrugged. They walked to where Frank was together, and I saw Karen introduce them. Karen came back with a big grin on her face a few minutes later, and said, “There! We won’t have to worry about Frank tonight.”

It was after three when we got to the room. I asked Karen about the bathroom, and she said to go ahead. She was in bed, under the covers when I came out, but, she got up as soon as she saw me, and walked toward the bathroom naked. She stopped at the door and asked, “Are you going to be awake when I come out?”