by Small,DJ
Rachel brought Ava her drink while she was carefully applying black eyeliner to her bottom eyelid. A couple of weeks ago, she discovered that she liked the way the dark make-up made her amber eyes appear more seductive and feral. When her makeup was all set, Ava settled in her chair, and enjoyed her gin and tonic while she read a medical journal on her tablet.
The pre-performance ritual helped her get into the right state of mind. It still amazed Ava that she didn’t get nervous before a performance. That was something she found weird because whenever she had to give lectures at the hospital or go to a speaking event she had terrible stage fright. But dancing in lingerie in front of strangers? That she could do with no problem and wouldn’t even give it a second thought. She figured it was because there was no speaking involved.
A half hour had gone by when one of the girls told Ava that it was almost her turn to go on stage. She thanked her, and after she put her tablet away Ava put on the dark blue stilettos that matched the lingerie set that she was wearing. She made her way over to the wings of the stage and waited for Nat to finish her set. When Nat was done, the DJ told the audience to give the young woman another round of applause as she walked off stage. Nat grinned at Ava as she walked by and wished her luck.
Ava thanked her then waited for the DJ’s dramatic, pause-filled announcement. “All right folks, now that you’ve had some Rayne tonight, let’s turn it around. Coming…to brighten up your night…it’s the talented and beautiful…Sunshine!”
Ava gave a quick roll of her eyes, then let a seductive smirk take over her face as she walked onto the stage. Loud hoots and hollers came from the crowd that was gathered around it, and Ava’s smirk turned into a grin. She couldn’t say that she didn’t like the attention. Her seductive mask returned as she began to walk down the long runway that divided the front club. Her hips swayed back and forth to the beat of the fast techno song that was playing. She took hold of the shiny, gold plated pole that was positioned in the middle of the runway and let her head fall back as she hooked her leg around it.
Ava let the beat of the music fill her entire being as she spun around on the pole, losing herself in it as she started her performance. She paid no mind to the people that watched her, so she never registered the sea of hungry gazes that were directed at her or the leering smiles that came from the men that were closer to the stage. All she was aware of, was her being and the way she felt at peace.
Ten minutes later, her first set was coming to an end. A light sheen of sweat covered Ava’s body, but she felt like she had only been on stage for a few minutes. As the music came to a close Ava collected the money that littered the stage, then made her way to the back. She received another round of applause from the crowd when the DJ announced her stage name again. Ava was thinking about changing up her sets as she walked through the dressing area when Rachel stopped her. “A customer wants a private dance from you.”
Ava gave the woman an all-knowing look. “You know I don’t do private dances, Rach.”
A mischievous grin came to her friend’s face. “You might change your tune when you see this customer. If you don’t do it, then I might.”
“Then you should take that customer. Tell him I’m only doing the stage tonight,” Ava said as she continued to make her way over to her spot at the vanity. She didn’t give private dances for a number of reasons, but the biggest one was her disinterest in dancing privately for men. Yes, she could dance for them on the stage, but that was different because security was in place.
Rachel took hold of her hand and begged, “Come on, Ava! She was pretty insistent and-”
“She?” Ava interrupted as her brow furrowed in confusion. The gender of the customer surprised her, but it shouldn’t have. Women came into the club all the time, usually in groups. Ava had never had a female customer request a private dance, though.
Rachel chuckled then grinned. “I guess I should have led with that, huh?” Ava chuckled with her and shook her head. It didn’t matter if Rachel had given her that bit of information first. She was still going to say no, however a part of her was curious to see the woman that wanted to get a lap dance from her.
Ava got her robe off the back of her chair and slipped it on. “All right. I’ll take a look at her.” She tied her sash closed then pointed at Rachel. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to give her a dance.”
Rachel laughed and grabbed Ava’s hand, dragging her to the door that went to the main area. They walked into the main lounge, sticking close to the door since security was by it. Rachel pointed to a woman sitting at the end of the bar. “What do you think?”
Ava took in the woman’s profile. From what she could see in the low lights of the club, the woman was attractive. Her dark hair was pulled back into a meticulous French braid that fell down her back but was hidden underneath the nice leather jacket she wore. A pair of form fitting jeans covered her lower half, making Ava wonder if they had been molded on to her.
But despite how alluring the woman was, and the distance between them, Ava could tell that there was something dangerous about her. The realization sent a shiver down her spine, and she quickly shook it off. “Nope. Not doing it.”
Rachel groaned as Ava turned around and went backstage. Her friend followed, and the two of them sat down in their chairs in front of the vanity. Rachel started to get ready for her next set, which was in a few minutes. “One of these days, Ava, you’re gonna give someone a lap dance and you’re going fall in love with it. You’ll make a lot of money.” Ava scoffed, picking up the bottle of water that was sitting on the vanity counter. It would be a cold day in hell before she would give a customer a lap dance.
∞
An hour later, Ava was giving her face a quick touch up when she heard one of the girls call out that Kayla was finishing her set early and that it was almost time for her to go on stage. Ava put on the red stilettos that matched the lingerie set that she had changed into then rushed over to the stairs that led to the stage.
She had spent the last hour reading a research report and getting ready for her second set, so she didn’t feel rushed by the early start. The DJ announced her again, and Ava made her way down the runway. This time her walk down it wasn’t seductive. Ava stalked down the long platform as though she were on the prowl, hunting for something, knowing that a number of men by the stage were hoping that she would catch them.
For this set, Ava’s music was slow, provocative, and sensual, and she performed most of her routine on the floor of the stage. Ava was close to the end of the runway when she saw that the dark haired woman that Rachel had pointed out earlier was sitting front and center of where it ended. She was captivating, but Ava refused to let the woman’s attractiveness disrupt her concentration. She leaned back against the pole that was behind her then with both hands she reached above her head and took hold of it. She slowly slid her body down the pole and as she did so, her legs spread open. A minute later, Ava was still holding onto the pole but she was doing a full split at the bottom of it.
Ava let go of the pole and lowered her upper body to the floor of the stage. She got on her hands and knees, then crawled over to the right side of the runway to the beat of the slow, compelling music. She was able to maintain her focus on the music and the acrobatic positions that she was manipulating her body into, but when one of her moves had her dropping her head back, she lost all concentration. Her eyes instantly met the intense gaze of the woman that was sitting at the end of the runway. Ava found it hard to regain her concentration, but she managed to recover. She moved to sit on her ass then spun around to face the end of the runway. Ava got on her hands and knees, but as she slinked towards the edge of the stage, her focus shifted.
The music was no longer dictating how her body moved and she was no longer interested in the routine that she normally performed. No, the dark haired woman with intense, brown eyes had garnered all her attention and it was this woman that was causing her to move her body in ways that she had never done b
efore. Ava couldn’t understand what it was about her, but she knew that her movements were becoming more sensuous and that she was getting turned on. That was something that had never happened during a performance before.
As she got swept up in the sensuality of her performance along with her growing arousal, Ava’s mind began to wander. In her head she was only dancing for the dangerous, mysterious woman that was in front of her. In a teasing manner, Ava roamed her hands over her sensitive skin as the fantasy in her head continued to play out; in her mind the hands touching her were the woman’s and not her own.
Ava lay down on the floor of the stage, then arched her back off it. She continued to maintain eye contact with the other woman. Ava rolled onto her stomach, then got on her hands and knees and crawled her way over to the end of the stage. When she reached the edge of it, Ava dropped her head down and jerked it back up, causing her wild blond hair to fly back. She smirked at the woman then slowly ran the tip of her tongue across her upper lip. The woman’s eyebrow went up.
Ava silently congratulated herself for provoking a response out of the woman, and she sat back on her haunches before moving to sit on her ass. Ava turned so her back was towards the other woman, then she laid down on the floor of the runway before lifting her back slowly off of it. Ava hoped that the woman was enjoying the wonderful view that she was giving her.
Seconds later she was rewarded for her efforts. The woman reached into the inside of her leather jacket then pulled out a crisp twenty dollar bill. Ava bit her bottom lip as she watched the woman fold the money. The mysterious woman leaned forward and tucked the twenty into the right cup of her red lace bra, her fingertips grazing across Ava’s skin as she pulled back her hand.
The brief caress caused Ava’s eyes to flutter close for a split second as an electrifying sensation went through her. She opened them and met the woman’s fixed gaze. They locked eyes for a couple of seconds, but in that brief moment Ava swore that the woman knew how bad she wanted her.
The music changed over to the second song of her set, and as the thumping bass began, Ava rolled onto her stomach then sat on her knees for a moment before she stood up to finish her routine on the pole that was near the end of the stage. Ava continued to move as though she were only dancing for the woman that was in front of her, but her erotic dance moves had caught the attention of the rest of the crowd as well. As the male vocalist breathed the lyrics of the song, Ava spun around on the pole, landing in a split at the bottom of it. She stood up, and was able to do a few other moves before the second song came to an end. Through the rest of her routine, the woman’s eyes never wavered and the burning gaze that was directed towards her inspired Ava to make the final minutes of her routine even more tantalizing than usual.
When the song ended the crowd exploded into loud whistles and raucous hollers, but Ava gave the ovation little thought. All she cared about was the response that came from one particular person. She rushed to get her money off the stage, and by the time she had finished collecting it the dark haired woman had vacated her seat. She did a quick scan of the crowd, but wasn’t able to find her. Thinking that she had imagined the woman, Ava headed to the backstage area. When she walked into the dressing room, Rachel rushed over to her. “What the hell was that? That was the hottest thing I have ever seen!” She laughed. “Where the hell have you been keeping those moves at?”
Ava dropped the pile of money that she was holding onto the vanity. “What are you talking about?”
Rachel scoffed in mild disbelief. “The acrobatics that I have never seen you do before.”
Ava pulled out the twenty that was in the cup of her bra and smirked at it. “I think I was inspired by the music.”
“If that’s the case, we’ll have Chris keep those tunes on repeat if it means we get see those moves again!” Rachel fanned herself. “Damn, they were hot!” Ava couldn’t help but to laugh at the woman’s response and Rachel laughed with her. As they caught their breath, Rachel asked, “Will your inspiration be showing up for your last set?”
Ava’s mind instantly brought forth an image of the dark haired woman and she murmured to herself, “I hope so.”
∞
The mysterious woman had plagued Ava’s thoughts while she waited to go on stage for her third and final set. She had tried to focus on her medical journal, but that didn’t help, and even trying to read updates on her research project was a bust. Ava still wasn’t sure why she was so fascinated by this woman or why she had been so aroused by her, but she had told herself that it was just a coincidence and she tried not to waste anymore time thinking about the stranger that had fascinated her.
Anxious to see the woman again, Ava paced by the stairs that led up to the stage as she waited for the woman that was currently performing to finish. The mysterious woman that had been sitting at the end of the stage had unleashed an untapped desire in Ava and it added some extra excitement to a job that she already found thrilling. It only added to the high that she got from it.
A woman with blond hair came walking down the steps of the stage just as the DJ was announcing her name again, and as she walked by Ava she told her to have a good set. As long as the dark haired woman was watching her, then it would be a great set, no matter what. The DJ announced Ava to the club and she made her way onto the stage.
The opening guitar riff came through the speakers as Ava took long strides down the runway. This time, her presence on stage was commanding, and there was an authoritative air around her. Ava began her routine and she focused on the spot that was at the end of the runway. The woman wasn’t there. Instead, a middle-aged man occupied the seat and he was all too happy to see her. Ava scanned the crowd and around the stage for the mysterious woman as she did her routine, but the bright lights made it hard to see. When she wasn’t able to find her, Ava drew in a deep breath and finished off the rest of her set, even though her heart wasn’t quite in it.
As soon as her set was finished and Ava had collected her money, she made a beeline for the backstage area. She went to her spot at the vanity and changed out of her performance attire, then swiftly packed up her belongings. After she had said goodnight to the other girls, Ava left the club. As she walked out the main entrance Frank asked, “You need an escort to your car?”
Ava grinned at the offer but shook her head. “No thanks, Frank, but thank you though.”
Frank nodded, reminding her to be careful and to have a good night. Ava wasn’t parked too far from the main entrance, but where she was parked wasn’t the most well lit area of the parking lot. She reached her car, and as she pulled out her keys someone said a low voice, “You should have let the bouncer walk you to your car. You don’t know what creeps could be out here.”
The voice had startled Ava, and she moved into a defensive position, ready to protect herself if she had to. Turning, Ava readied herself to confront the individual that dared to approach her in an almost empty parking lot. Under the orange glow that was coming from the lamppost a few feet away, Ava recognized who the voice belonged to and she began to chuckle in disbelief. It was the mysterious woman that had skipped out on her last set.
Ava crossed her arms over her chest then leaned back against her car. “I thought you left. You disappearing like that could give a girl a complex.” The woman chuckled and Ava smirked. “I’m serious. Was that twenty just a pity tip?”
The woman rubbed the back of her neck and kicked the ground with the toe of her boot. “I actually had to come out to get some fresh air.” She grinned at Ava. “You put on one hell of a performance.”
Ava brushed off the compliment and shrugged. “Yeah, well, it’s nothing spectacular.”
The woman reached in the right pocket of her jacket then pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “That’s bullshit and you know it.” Ava’s right eyebrow arched, and she watched as the woman took her time pulling a cigarette out of the pack. The woman smirked. “I should have given you more.”
Ava continued to watch as she place
d the cigarette into her mouth and lit it, removing it seconds later to slowly exhale a stream of smoke. Ava thought smoking was beyond disgusting, but watching the way the cigarette had rested between the woman’s full lips and the way they slightly pursed together as she blew out the smoke had Ava wanting to be both the cigarette and its repulsive smoke. “Why didn’t you?”
Holding the cigarette up to her lips the dark haired woman grinned at her and replied, “You didn’t give me a private dance.”
Despite herself, Ava laughed. A nice, deep laugh that she felt in her soul. As she caught her breath Ava said, “Are you kidding me?” The other woman just smiled as she took another drag of her cigarette. Ava rolled her eyes and scoffed. “See, that’s bullshit.” She shook her head. “I don’t normally dance like that on stage.”
“I know,” the woman said, after she blew out another stream of smoke.
Ava tilted her head a little and looked at the woman. She was hoping that she had seen her in the club before. The light from the lamppost didn’t offer much in regard to good lighting, but Ava was able to see her well enough. The woman’s intense gaze was something that Ava would have remembered right away if she had seen her before. Those eyes were ones that would be burned into her memory forever. They were intense and held a sense of foreboding in them that probably scared off others, but not Ava. They only piqued her curiosity about the other woman
She had a sharp jawline, and Ava could see the muscles tighten and relax underneath the skin. It was probably an unconscious thing she did whenever she was uncomfortable, Ava noted. Another thing that she would have remembered had she seen the woman before was her height and the way that she carried herself. She was a few inches taller than Ava and stood with perfect posture that was slightly tense, as if she was readying herself for something or waiting for someone to attack her. A demeanor Ava recognized from those that had military training.