Chapter 28

Using Melissa's spoken directions, Sophie steered through Des Moines. They ended up in an area full of large industrial and warehouse buildings. A moderately sized stand alone building on a corner surrounded by asphalt for parking gave its name on a sign over the main entrance: "Q Tease—A Gentleman's Club."

"I had a suspicion," Sophie sighed.

"A suspicion?" asked Melissa.

"Worst fears confirmed?" Sophie gathered herself to go.

"Wait."

"What for?"

"Just wait here. I'll be right back."

Getting out of the car, Melissa walked over to two people chatting and smoking cigarettes, one inside low metal fencing, the other outside, standing beside a dark green camper van. The man by the van stood six feet tall, thickly muscled, ruggedly handsome with a face that showed some abuse as a boxer but the nose still had some bridge to it. The woman behind the fence seemed half his size, with impossibly buoyant and large round breasts pressing out a dressing gown that showed a lot of cleavage. Both had the dark complexion and black hair of a mixed Indian Mexican heritage.

"Melissa!" shouted the big man.

"Hi Juan, Angelita."

"What are you doing here?" asked the lovely, curvaceous woman.

"A friend from back east came for a surprise visit. I wanted her to see your show. I figured you might be hanging with Juan between shows."

Angelita smiled. "Give me a kiss, sweetie." They kissed briefly on the lips. "Does Brittany know?" Brittany being Sarah's alias.

"Yes. I wanted to surprise Sarah, but..."

"Too excited?" asked an amused Juan. Both Mexican Americans had a surprising educated West Coast accent if one presumed them to have English be their second language. They grew up in San Diego and met in college there. A few years older than Angelita (Mary actually), Juan (Joe actually) matriculated after a couple years fighting professionally made him realize he didn't have the predatory determination boxing required. "She seemed excited and happy too. Now I know why." He embraced her in his big arms.

"When are you going on?" Melissa asked Angelita.

"Ten minutes?"

"Have Sarah call me when you're about to go on. I want Sarah and you to stand alone as an experience. I doubt Sophie has ever been in a strip joint. She can witness the normal stuff after. How's the place?"

Angelita shrugged. "Pretty typical: a rustic bar with a stage. The stage is huge though."

Juan handed Angelita a cell phone. Melissa heard the buzz of the vibration.

"Yes?" said Angelita in a Mexican accent. "Yes? No, I'm afraid I'm booked for the evening. Perhaps you are free tomorrow afternoon? Four?" Juan nodded. "Si. 1 hour? Please seignior; we can discuss this ... Okay. Call me at a half hour before, yes? Good. Mañana." She ended the call and handed Juan the phone. She said in her good English, "He wondered if he would be strictly a voyeur."

Juan nodded. "Then he will be pleasantly surprised."

The phone buzzed. Juan handed it to her. "Yes?" she said into it with her fake accent. Melissa kissed Juan and returned to the car.

"Who's that scary man?" asked Sophie.

"Juan's a sweetie unless he's required not to be," Melissa explained.

"Bodyguard?"

Melissa smiled mysteriously, "Something like that."

"Shall we go in?"

"Patience, love. Are you sick of my company already?"

Sophie smiled and chuckled. "Never. When did she start stripping?"

"Pretty much after Paris last year. She'd sneak off to amateur nights at alcohol free clubs with a fake ID. Mostly she liked chatting with the strippers and found them to be more interesting then her colleagues. Some were real sweet. Others kind of cold and cynical. But only a few of the most stunning had the curse of the narcissist. She learned a lot and she learned to dance sexy and she wanted to incorporate modern dance with strip. When she ran away, she ran to LA and worked the clubs there and eventually found a partner to work up a routine. She found an agency that represents touring strippers in the Midwest and Canada and has been working gigs for the past couple months."

Ten minutes later, Melissa's phone rang. She answered it without saying anything and ended the call. "We can go in now," she said to Sophie.

In the entryway, a hulking man greeted them asking for ID. Sophie kept her surprise to a minimum when he accepted Melissa's ID. A voluptuous older woman in a ticket window took their ten dollars, stamped their hand and they entered.

"Where did you get that?" asked Sophie as they negotiated through the small dark wood tables and found one near the large, jutting stage.

"Juan," said Melissa with a smile, showing the fake Hawaiian drivers license putting her age at 21.

"Does Sarah have one of those?"

"Yes, but she doesn't need it. Ironically she can perform but can't drink. We can drink but can't perform."

The stage filled with a mist and colored lights flickered in it. "Ladies and Gentlemen," an MC's voice boomed loudly through the speakers, "Q Tease, the finest purveyor of beauty in the Upper Midwest is proud to present in their exclusive engagement the most memorable and talked about purveyors of the art of seduction ever to light upon this or any stage, Angelita and Brittany: Fire and Ice!"

A heavy bass chord sustained, vibrating the room. Angelita hopped on stage wearing a red bustier and a red leather mini skirt. She moved across the stage smoothly, glaring at the customers. When Sarah climbed up, wearing white, a tight outfit looking like a shrunken wedding dress and her black hair hidden beneath a wig of white reaching just past her shoulders, Angelita glared at her.

Music changed to "Beat It," by Michael Jackson. Angelita's mean gaze caused Sarah fear, but she bravely shrank the distance between them with a pattern of approach and retreat. Their movements had a power and definition defined by their breath. It showed Sarah's well developed modern dance ability.

Each began stripping away their clothing, Angelita taunting and Sarah responding to the challenge. By the time they came together, each only wore a g-string. "Fire and Ice" by Pat Benatar began as they rubbed nipples together. Hands reached out and touched the other's body cautiously, moving quickly away and shaking them as if burned. Their bodies however moved gradually closer. Their movements at first in counterpoint began to become mirrors. When their lips met, a shock made them back off quickly. They tried again and again until lips sealed together. Hands moved across bodies, stroking everywhere. Fingers intertwined, their bodies pressed tightly together. The kiss ending, Angelita, an evil, lusty glare on her face, forced Sarah to lie beneath her. Their pussies still hidden by tiny fabric rubbed together. Angelita brought Sarah's hands above her head, moving her face down to Sarah's breasts and sucking the nipples. Sarah writhed and groaned. Moving further down, releasing Sarah's hands, Angelita teased Sarah's torso with lips and tongue. Her hands squeezed Sarah's breasts. Suddenly her hands took hold of Sarah's g-string and pulled it off, her mouth shoving into the revealed space. Sarah arched beautifully, her body undulating. She lifted herself gradually and with remarkable athletic ability and grace until she stood, Angelita's mouth still attached to her quim like a vampire sucking out blood. Turning around, Sarah forced Angelita onto her back, removed her g-string and returned the favor. The two undulated together. Finally, after seeming to cum, Sarah turned and embraced, pushing her pussy against Angelita's.

Sarah sprang from the embrace expressing a taunt silently with her body and face. She climbed the pole and spun powerfully above her partner, gesturing provocatively. When Angelita jerked to her feet with athletic prowess and lunged at Sarah, Sarah flew from the pole and Angelita climbed it. As Angelita spun impressively, Sarah slapped her butt, seeming to promote the spin. At first upset at this humiliation, when Sarah laughed, Angelita laughed with her. Perilously flinging herself from the pole, Sarah caught her, using the generated force to cause the two to spin together on their feet and topple and roll together on the floor, kissing.

Lights dimmed. The music changed to a recent heavy metal number. Performers gathered their clothes and the many bills lining the stage.

"Let's hear it for Fire and Ice!" rumbled the MC, greeted by moderate applause and some surprisingly loud whistles and screams. "Next we have Tasha. Angelita and Brittany will return for more dancing, so stick around!"