One Last Strip Tease

Chapter 9: Mr. Cobalt Blue

As soon as they swung open the door, the booming bass of the sultry dance music pounding in the ShowRoom reverberated in their ears all the way to their fingertips. In a beeline, they quickly headed toward it, their heels clattering down the small expanse of the hallway before being drowned out by the thick fog of music in the dance room.

Standing behind the curtain, they peeked out.

Laurie hung back a little but got a glimpse of the floor. At only 5 PM, the floor was half-full with its dinner crowd. About ten customers milled about the bar and chatted with one another or sat alone staring at the stage waiting for the show to start.

The DJ, Laurie recognized him as one of her kidnappers, introduced the first girl as “Trix who does the best tricks in town!" and a smattering of hoots and hollers followed this announcement.

Trix parted the curtains and strutted onto the runway barefoot before she took a running leap and did a flawless series of cartwheels and backflips ending in a sassy side split.

The men roared and slammed their tables, causing their dinnerware to rattle continuously and several wolf whistles pierced the air.

Laurie's mouth hung open in awe and intimidation. Her trembling increased.

“Gentlemen, that's the incomparable Trix!" the DJ declared, as the beat fused into the recognizable song “Milkshake" by Kellis and she began working the stage like the pro she was.

Men abandoned their dinners and waved dollar bills in the air before tossing the cash onto the stage, and a few were close enough to thrust the bills into Trix's thong straps. For their efforts, she twerked close to their faces.

Laurie's teeth wouldn't stop chattering. Her knees knocked together. Her shaking hand was clasped within Candy's warm, comforting palm. “I can't do this, Candy! No way!" but she couldn't move her feet to run away, not that she'd get very far. All the doors were locked, and cameras spied their every move.

“Don't worry!" Candy fiercely whispered. “You can do it! Just pretend you're alone and don't look at them."

As soon as Candy told her not to look at the crowd, her frightened gaze immediately scanned over it, and inadvertently rested on the best-looking guy she'd ever seen sitting right at the end of the runway.

Magnetic cobalt blue eyes watched the stage but with a look that bordered on disinterest. Black curls crowned his head, and his impressive physique reminded her of a pro-athlete. He looked vaguely familiar but there was no way she'd seen him before unless it was on TV during a sports game. Maybe he was a pro-athlete?

Suddenly, she felt better and knew it had something to do with the calm, masculine presence of this man. Whoever he was, he was her angel.

“And now, introducing our newest addition sent directly from above, Angel!"

Candy gently pushed her past the curtains and the former song fused into Zella Day's “You Sexy Thing." The singer's husky, plaintive voice and slower rhythm suited Laurie's mood and skill level but she felt stiff and awkward walking down the runway. Trying to remember the moves she'd learned in boot camp, Laurie knew there was no way she was going to do half of them. She didn't have the guts.

As casually as possible, she circled the pole while tentatively circling her hips until she was afraid people would start booing. She dipped up and down a few times until her legs tired and she desperately needed to pull on her wedgie. A couple of encouraging cheers followed.

She circled the pole the opposite way. Knowing she needed to change her moves, she remembered the easiest move of all and tried to sexily drop to all fours.

Crawling like a lazy cat while trying to avoid looking into the crowd, she didn't stop or even look up until she came to the end of the stage. Glancing up, her startled face looked straight into Mr. Cobalt Blue's gorgeous one. She barely heard the song switch.

Frowning briefly and biting her lip, she tried to place where she'd seen him before.

“Take it off! Take it off!" Men bored of her tame routine called out.

Balancing on her knees, Laurie turned her butt toward Mr. Cobalt Blue, not exactly knowing why but feeling safe and even a little bit sexy in front of him. Of course, he was extremely attractive, but that had nothing to do with whatever possessed her right now, or so she told herself.

She swayed her hips side-to-side and even twerked a little to appease the men, which made the crowd go wild.

Glancing back, hoping not to see a look of horror or disgust on Mr. Cobalt Blue's face, she was taken aback to see his eyes eating her up. He hadn't looked at Trix like that. Did he want her? Suddenly feeling a power she'd never felt before, her moves became more sensual and matched the rhythm of the music for the first time.

She lost her self-consciousness and gracefully stood up. When her hair fell into her face, she flipped her head back and arched her back, thrusting her chest forward and flicking her butt back. She felt like she was dancing just for Mr. Cobalt Blue, and suddenly she couldn't stop twerking for him or staring at him. His hot gaze, full of desire, was equally lit up for her.