by Lauren Wood
“How did you even get your old lady to agree to let you go?”
“To go out? Carol doesn’t care. Besides, she thinks that we are going to dinner and a movie. Told me that it was good I was getting out with the boys.”
I had to laugh like Cliff. Ron was the good one out of us, but even he was as apt to lie as the rest of us. It was hard to get a little freedom sometimes and that was one of the reasons that I didn’t even consider getting together with another woman for any long period of time. After the divorce, there was no way that I was going down that road again.
We finally got up to the man and got in. I could have gotten us in quicker, a bill would have done that, but I didn’t like to draw attention to myself. There was no telling who was around and one bad pic would be a PR nightmare. Some clients might not like the idea of me going to an establishment like this. I had a lot of female clients and even though I had a checkered past, I was doing my best to keep it under wraps. One of the many reasons that I had discouraged Ashlea from making a scene, even though she had in a way.
“Okay, no wives and no work talk. How are you guys doing?”
Ron didn’t have much to answer and I noticed right off that he was no longer paying attention to me and Cliff. His eyes were on a dark-haired woman that was half-dressed, walking around with a tray of drinks and shots.
“I think I need a drink.”
He moved to follow her and me and Cliff laughed amongst ourselves. He really was like a lost puppy and it just cemented the idea that I was never going to get married again. I didn’t want to be like him, not ever again.
Cliff found a couple of seats at the bar and we ordered some beers and shots. The stage was empty at the moment and though I could have cared less either way, the night out was certainly getting the job done. I had forgotten all about the good girl that I wanted to turn bad.
Then the lights went lower and a soft music started to play. The woman on stage just appeared and I wasn’t the only one that thought that way. She was just there, half-clad in shiny material that covered most of her up. Cliff made a comment about the joint going to the birds.
“I thought this was a titty-bar?”
I just shook my head, unable to take my eyes off of the moving body that rolled and danced slowly to the beat. She was not at all like anyone else I had seen before, she was serene and I hadn’t even seen the front of her yet. As her hips rolled and she looked over her shoulder, I had to rub my eyes, sure that I was seeing things. It looked just like Claire.
The cover that the woman was wearing over her legs was quickly gone and now she was showing, long slim legs that went on for days. She was facing away from us again, but I wanted her to turn back around, needed her to.
“That one has a real nice ass.”
I looked to the mentioned body part and I would have admitted along with him that the woman in front of me was beautiful. Her backside was tight and pert, the string doing nothing to hide a bit of her.
While we were talking, the cover of her top came off and now she was only wearing the black string bikini bottoms and stilettos. Her back arched as she moved and I started to breathe a little heavier. Her blonde hair moved and swayed with her hips. The woman was nothing short of hypnotic and I wasn’t the only one in the place that felt the same way. It was as if no one could take their eyes off of her, even if they tried. She was that beautiful and there was an aura in the room since she got on the stage. I had a feeling that people were here because of her and no one else.
When she finally turned around, Cliff was making comments about the perky breasts that were hard to deny, but I was looking at the woman’s face. It was Claire. Or well it looked just like her. I kept looking to see the differences, but I just didn’t see them. This couldn’t be Claire, my Claire. While the guys were jeering and cheering her on, I wanted to rush up there and cover her up. She was mine and I didn’t want anyone to see her like this, only me.
How could I have been so wrong about her? I had been way off, thinking she was innocent. There was nothing innocent about the woman dancing and gyrating against a stranger in front of me now. I had entered some kind of twilight zone and I didn’t like it.
“Hey Rick, are you okay?”
“I think I know her.”
“You lucky bastard.”
He thought that I was saying I had nailed her, but he was so wrong. I didn’t want to say who I thought it was, but I knew they would never forget her face. Even Ron was beside me now and he was slack-jawed looking at her too.
“Damn, I wish I knew a woman like that.”
I didn’t correct either one of them, but I felt an agitation in my body. I couldn’t believe that she worked here. Why would she when she made so much more money with me. Was it more money? Did I pay her so little that she had to resort to this?
The woman on the stage may have looked like Claire, but she didn’t act like her. This woman had a confidence that beamed out of her and it was easy to tell that she rather enjoyed toying with men. I remembered the comments Claire had made at the sushi place. Maybe this was her.
The stage went black and I was like most others, commenting that the show was too short. The announcer gave the name of another stripper as she appeared on the now lit stage. It wasn’t who I wanted and I didn’t even try to pay attention. I needed to find out who that was and if it was Claire. I was still holding out that the lighting was off and it didn’t even look like her. Or that my mind was too worried about thinking about her and I didn’t have the ability to turn it off.
“Where are you going Rick?”
“I am going back here for a minute. I will be back out. You are missing that sweet muff on the stage.”
The woman that I was referring too was dark-skinned and she was upside down, her legs wide open. Cliff smiled and grinned, not even paying attention. He waved me off and the two men scoped out the woman’s pussy like they had never seen one before. I was on a mission. I had to find Claire and find out what the hell was going on.
***
“Some guy is here to see you Amber.”
I heard the bartender telling the girl that I was there, but I didn’t recognize the name. My heart started to alleviate the pounding and I was able to breathe. This wasn’t Claire and when I met her, I would see that she looked nothing like her.
But damn if she didn’t. The woman could have been Claire and I said her name as a question.
“Who?’
“Claire?”
“No, sorry. My name isn’t Claire.”
“You look just like someone that I know.”
“Oh, well she must be pretty.” The blonde smiled and tossed her hair back. She was wearing something so thin, I could see everything that she was showing on the stage, every delicious inch of her. There was no part of her that was hidden and I couldn’t stop looking.
“So you like this Claire? Maybe you should tell her.”
I shook my head and apologized for bothering her. There was a moment that I wanted to take her home with me. If I couldn’t have Claire, I could have her look alike. I don’t know how two people could be so close in appearance, but this wasn’t Claire. No one else was going to do, not Ashlea certainly, but not even a woman that could be her twin was going to do. I just wanted Claire.
The thought was disturbing and so were the subsequent feelings that flooded over me. Why was I not able to get her out of my mind? We hadn’t done anything, yet I thought about her like her very touch would justify my existence. It was confusing and I had a couple of shots before I got back to the bar.
A few women came over and invited us to the VIP area, a place where I would routinely go, but not tonight. I waved my two friends on and watched them go up the stairs to the top. There would be lap dances, anything more that they wanted.
My eyes scanned the room and all of the bare flesh. I had one thing on my mind and when I saw the woman that was called Amber again. She was looking at me from across the room. She had a queer look on her face that I wondered about
, but after I paid for a drink and looked back up, she was gone.
Perhaps it was time for me to get back home. My mind was not working right and my plans were shot. I would see Claire in the morning, though I could never ask her about it. I didn’t want her to ever know that I was here. I still had it in my mind that with her, I wanted things to be different.
I did think about Amber though, or Claire rather. They looked so much alike, I was sure that the two women were the same one. That meant that I had seen Claire naked and it was one hell of a sight. It was something that I would never be able to get out of my head. It was burned into my memory forever.
Chapter 9
Claire
“The top saver of the quarter is about to be announced. I think you might want to get in here Claire.”
I looked up at Caroline and shrugged. “I have only been here a month. I don’t think I am in the running.”
“You are, besides it will give you motivation for next quarter.”
She made it seem like it mattered. It was one of many awards that would be handed out today. It was a way for Rick to keep everyone doing their best and I had heard the prizes were actually pretty good.
So I got up and followed her out to the large open area where a lot of the assistants and support workers were. The open space was where Rick would rally the people and today was no different.
He was giving out a speech of how well they were doing and how happy he was to see the expansion. I could tell that he was right at home in front of everyone, with all eyes on him. I had to imagine that this was no different than what he was used to. The man drew everyone in and I wasn’t the only one looking at him with a bit more than a professional courtesy in my eyes. It was hard not to see Rick as the man, instead of as the boss.
Our eyes met for a minute and he faltered in his speech. Stopping, he looked down and then continued. He didn’t look at me again and I was sure that I was just seeing something that wasn’t there. I wanted it to be there, I wanted him to really see me, but things had changed since that lunch at the sushi place. I took it as I had gone too far with a couple of my comments and he was distancing himself. It wasn’t what I wanted, but I was trying to take his lead on it and keep my distance.
“I would like to welcome all of our newcomers. We had a lot this quarter and I have to say that I am very happy with who we hired in. You guys are already like family.”
He finally looked at me and for a moment his smile looked like it was just for me. I wanted it to be for me, but then it was gone and his attention was elsewhere.
“So to everyone that is waiting, I would like to congratulate our top saver for the quarter. It was a good one and the prize is going to be a good one as well.”
There was a murmur from the people that were in front of me and I didn’t know what the fuss was about. It couldn’t be that good of a prize, not from what I was thinking.
“Without further ado, I want to announce that Claire Adams won the title of top saver this quarter. While she has only been with us at Future Plans for a little over a month, she has really done some amazing things. Everyone congratulate her with me for doing such a great job. I know that I will see good things out of you Claire.”
I smiled at him and I could feel my face getting red. I didn’t like all of the attention, but it could have been for so many other things. Now all I could wonder was what was the prize?
“So you must be wondering what you get?”
I kind of shrugged, realizing that everyone in the office was staring at me. I wanted this over, but I couldn’t very well tell him to get on with it, no matter how much I wanted to.
“Yes Sir, I am wondering what the prize is.”
“We have a conference in Europe that you are cordially invited to. It is this weekend, so I hope you have a clear schedule because you are going to Prague!”
Everyone in there was more excited than I was. I had a real fear of flying and this last trip to move here was the most I had traveled in a long time. I went places when I was young, but that was so long ago that I didn’t even remember it. Amber was the adventurer, not me.
“Oh wow.”
He said I looked shocked and I was shocked, so it made sense. I didn’t know what to say, but I plastered a smile on my face that I know was expected to be there. What the hell was I going to do in Prague? Do they even speak English there?
Rick pulled me to the side and asked if everything is okay.
“Yes, everything is fine. I just am surprised, that’s all. It wasn’t what I expected when I came into work today.”
“Well you deserve it Claire. You have done an awesome job since you started here and I am really glad you are here.”
I thanked him, but I was starting to feel a tingling throughout my body. I didn’t want him to see me like this, but I don’t think there was anything that I could do about it. He was so close and the proximity was weighing on my senses. Rick even smelled heavenly and I had to stop the urge to lean in and let it overtake me. What the hell was wrong with me? Maybe Rick was right to keep his distance. I wasn’t myself when I was around him.
“So I wanted to talk to you about something of a delicate matter.”
Oh no. Here is comes. I was waiting for this. He was going to bring up the inappropriate things that I had said to him at the restaurant. I was already shrinking inside because I didn’t want to present for the conversation.
“It is about the way you dress.”
I looked down at the suit and skirt. I was certainly not showing more than I should have. There was nothing wrong with my clothes whatsoever and when I told him that he kind of chuckled.
“No, of course not. It is very professional. I am just saying that this weekend you are going to be around a lot of people and this will not be work. You can loosen up your dress code if you would like.”
I wasn’t sure where he was going with this and I had to ask for clarification, no matter how much I didn’t want to.
“I didn’t think this was going to be so hard. I am not saying what you wear is bad, just add some color. You will thank me when you get there.”
“Have you been there before?”
“Many times. It is a beautiful country and I know you will enjoy it as much as I did when I went there the first time. There are some of the most breathtaking views you have ever seen.”
The way he talked about it made me want to go. I could tell that he genuinely loved the place and I liked that he was going to share it with me. I just had to remember that I was only going with because of my savings profile, nothing more. There was nothing more to this between us. Better yet, there was no us at all.
***
“So what are you going to be doing?”
Amber was pulling a few things out of her closet as she talked. She wanted to shop her closet first and I knew that there most likely wasn’t anything in there that I could wear out. We definitely had different tastes.
“I don’t know. It is some kind of efficiency conference.”
“That sounds like fun.” She made a face to the opposite and I tried to keep a straight face.
“It won’t be fun, but I will learn something, that is always good.”
She just kind of nodded, but I knew that she was just never going to get it. We both had different hobbies. That was just the way it was.
“Let’s go down to the mall. It won’t take long to find a couple of things.” I picked up a see-through top that would leave nothing to the imagination. “I don’t think we are going to find anything in here.”
“It’s not all fun stuff. I have some boring things that will fit you just fine. My boring will be a step up for you. It will be fine, you’ll see.”
I wasn’t sure I would see, but Amber was hard headed so I wasn’t going to argue. There was no point when she had something in her mind. So I took a sip of wine she had poured for me and just waited.
“Oh, I was going to tell you about this guy that walked up to me the other day. Said h
is name was Carl and he was trying to get a hold of you. Asked me if I had your number.”
“You didn’t tell him, did you?”
“No, I didn’t rat you out like you did me to Jack.”
She looked away guiltily and tried not to show her face. “You know that I think you two were perfect for each other.”
“Not hardly, but I got his number if you want it.”
Amber shook her head and said that she didn’t. “Not a chance. One date was enough with that guy. Sorry you keep getting mistaken for me.”
“Guys like him are okay. It’s just the Tonys of the world that I want to stay away from. I wish you would find something else to do.”
“I am good at it. What can I say?”
There was no telling her that she could have been good at anything. I had tried that argument before and she would just tell me that there was no way for me to have known.
“Besides you are not the only one that gets mistaken. I was at work and I had a real handsome man ask me if my name was Claire.”
“What did you say?”
“I asked if he liked her and he turned a little red. I think he was talking about you. He kept looking at me.”
“Yeah, I bet he did.”
“No, not like that. I don’t know. It was weird. I can’t believe I forgot to tell you about it.”
“Well it doesn’t matter. I don’t know who it would have been.”
“He was really cute. Dark hair, dark eyes. Really tall.”
“I don’t know. Kind of sounds like my boss, but I couldn’t imagine him in a place like that.”
She looked away and realized that I had offended her. Sometimes I didn’t think.
“Sorry Amber, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Well I don’t know who it was, but they were certainly keen for me to be you. If I had a boss like that, I don’t think I would be able to stop from trying something. Rich and hot like that never happens.”
I waved her off and tried to get the focus back to something to wear. Everything was going to be closing soon and I wanted to make sure that I was able to get something for the weekend. My excitement was getting higher and it wasn’t long before I was ready to go.