It struck me as odd that she had invited me to come at a time when she was in the middle of performing. For several heartbeats, I stood frozen. And I was literally just about to turn around and leave when her eyes locked onto mine. Oh. I had been spotted. She smiled at me and then somehow managed to beckon me toward the stage without missing a beat. And without singling me out to anyone else in the room. Unable to resist her summons, my feet started moving on their own.
There was a row of stanchions with red ropes hanging between them, blocking any further progress toward the stage. But she noticed my hesitation and nodded again, indicating she meant for me to go around them. I did as she requested, stepping into what appeared to be a "private" area of the club. As I walked closer, I saw
