Page 12 of Dance for Me

Lace and all that Jazz

Vanessa wasn’t sure what to wear, so she showed up to the club in a short pencil skirt, a silk blouse, and laced up heels. She applied a soft nude lipstick that she didn’t even know she had, and applied a hint of eye liner. She wanted her makeup to look pretty, not like a hooker. While she definitely didn’t look like a hooker, her choice of wearing a pencil skirt did, however, make her look like a school teacher. Too late now.

Considering the club didn’t open for another two hours she wasn’t surprised the front entrance was locked. She walked around back and had another failed attempt, so she knocked. After the second knock, a small petite woman opened the door. She was cute with stunning candy apple red hair and she wore a huge contagious smile.

“Are you Vanessa?”

“Yes,” Vanessa answered. Then gave her an uncomfortable smile. Not because she made Vanessa uncomfortable, but she clearly was out of her comfort zone.

“Great! I’m Jazz. Come inside honey.”

She followed Jazz inside. The place was empty right now but a few workers hustled by carrying buckets and cleaning rags. Giving it a bit of a sprucing up before hand, she guessed. Some were adding the little decorative tea lights to the tables. The ones that gave absolutely no light. Hence the word decorative. His club was a bit less frightening, seeing it with all the lights on.

“I’m so excited to bring on another girl, our business has picked up like crazy and we could use the extra dancers.”

“Glad to be of help,” she said quietly. “But I have to tell you, I have no prior experience. I didn’t even know that this was what Jack was hiring me for.”

Jazz gave her a smile. “Honey, all the girls that we hire don’t have any prior experience. It’s not something that women have on their resumes.” Vanessa had to agree with that one. “Let me show you around.”

Jazz led Vanessa past the VIP room. She had an idea of what went on in there but she hoped that she would never have to find out.

They continued past the smaller stage and then past the main stage. The bigger of the two had a DJ station tucked away in the further back.

Jazz stopped when they reached the bar and the same man Vanessa noticed from last night was working.

“Vanessa this is Owen, he’s one of our main bartenders here.”

He organized the martini glasses and set them up in a straight row, then he smiled at her. “Pleasure to meet you.”

He was handsome and had a cute smile. But he looked almost like a Ken doll, with his sandy blond hair and blue eyes. She had a feeling there was nothing plastic on him though. He was tall like Jack, less muscle though for sure.

She felt herself blush.

“He makes the best mixed drinks around,” Jazz said in a frisky tone. “Don’t let him tell you otherwise.”

“Don’t embarrass me Jazzy,” he gave her a playful grin.

“Is Jazz short for Jasmine?” Vanessa asked because she was curious. Jazz wasn’t a name she heard often. Unless it was like a stage name or something. Didn’t strippers often have stage names? Or maybe that was only in the movies.

“No, just Jazz. But Owen sometimes likes to call me Jazzy,” she giggled. Vanessa nodded, feeling embarrassed that she actually decided to ask. “Let me show you the dressing room.” She pushed off from the bar and started walking.

She followed Jazz again to a door that was to the right of the bar. “In here are all of the outfits that get worn. Also, where we do our own makeup, hair… the basics.” She pointed, “That door there, leads right to the main stage.”

Vanessa looked back to where the clothes were hanging. They were straight up putrid. Why would anyone think that they were sexy by any means? The fabric was cheap and the colors, the colors were all wrong. The girls probably looked like a crayon box up there.

“You’ll meet Trixie and Raven tonight. They’re our main dancers for this evening.”

“Um…” Vanessa felt a hit of panic run through her. She was nervous at the thought of possibly being on stage tonight, “Am I…”

Jazz gave her a reassuring smile. “No, you won’t be dancing tonight, just observing.” Vanessa released the breath she had been holding in, finally. Feeling a bit more relaxed than she was. “You’ll go on tomorrow night.”

Oh, great, she thought.

“What if I totally suck?”

“It’s a piece of cake. Dancing is very self-expressive. Let me put it to you this way,” Jazz paused, “Have you ever danced, like for a boyfriend or whatever, in the bedroom? Same thing.” Yeah, Vanessa never did that. Doug would have told her she was doing it wrong.

“Actually no. I haven’t.”

---