Page 9 of Dance for Me

She paused briefly. “Then you're just as disgusting as those men inside. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She dashed out from around him and started to walk to where her Uber was parked. Yep, same one.

“The reason I don’t find it degrading is because a woman’s body is beautiful, sacred, and sexy.” She stopped walking but didn’t turn around.

“These girls are never forced to do anything they don’t want to do. Hell, the guests aren’t even allowed to touch them, I make sure of that. So, they are perfectly safe here. Most of my girls are single mothers who need to pay their bills because their dead-beat boyfriends walked out on them. I’m giving them a chance for their kid’s sake and at a damn job. So, yes, I am sorry if you don’t see it that way.”

Keeping her focus to the front of her, she wanted to understand and maybe she did, just a little, but it wasn’t enough. “I’m sorry Jack, but you’re right, I don’t see it that way.” Vanessa got into the car and it drove away. Leaving Jack and his club behind her.

When she got home, she tossed her pumps and sent them flying across her kitchen, a little further than she intended.

Walking barefoot over to the fridge, she took out a water but not right before getting a great view of her bills that she had hung there, front and center. It was almost as if they had little cartoon faces on them, laughing and pointing at her.

Even if with everything he said making a little bit of sense, it wasn’t something she could ever consider doing for herself. Sure, it paid the bills and she gave mad respect for those women who had the courage to do that for themselves. But it just wasn’t for her.

Vanessa had to wonder what this guy was really about. Did he have some kind of red room and secretly called himself Mr. Grey? She should be ashamed at getting turned on by the thought of that but the way he called a woman’s body sacred, sounded way too seductive.

Since when did a man get her this worked up? Not even Doug could do that.

Taking in the summer night air on her balcony, she inhaled. Getting a breath of NYC. She would say fresh, but it wasn’t really a breath of fresh air.

Still, she admired the city lights, loved how such a city could make her feel at home. More than she ever felt back in Ohio.

Today Vanessa would mark this as not one of her finest moments, but a little embarrassing.

“What a joke,” she whispered to herself. “And what a pompous asshole.” Sprinkles looked up at her from the balcony ground as Vanessa laid her head back. Closing her eyes, she thought about just how was she going to figure her way out of this one? Should she just start packing her bags now? She could see it, her mom welcoming her with open arms as she pulled up to her childhood home. “Ha. Another joke.”

She heard her cellphone buzz. She clicked on the message folder and it was from Michelle.

Michelle: Dinner?

Vanessa: I’m unemployed remember?

She watched the typing bubbles across her screen.

Michelle: My treat and I refuse to accept no as an answer.

Vanessa: I’m rolling my eyes at you right now.

What the hell, she was already dressed. Maybe she could salvage this night with some good food and her best friend.

Michelle: I know but you know you’re going to say yes anyway.

Vanessa: You know me too well.

Michelle: Perfect! Be at ur place in twenty.

* * *

Vanessa watched as Michelle flirted with the waiter. “Thank you handsome.” She winked and he smiled at her, leaving the wine bottle at their table.

“You're shameful, you know that?”

Michelle twirled her pasta on her fork. “Girl, it’s called flirting. I know you can’t remember what that is, but it’s fun and you should try it.”

Vanessa gave her best friend a glare. “I also vowed to not have wine tonight, but guess that obviously didn’t last long.”

She was going to tell Michelle about her little mishap tonight with Jack, but decided against it. She already told her not to go there and she didn’t want to give Michelle any bragging rights. She would never work there or see Jack again, so what was the point really? Admitting that she couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed at the latter part.

“Yeah, stupid rule… you could also use a distraction. Take those guys for instance.” Michelle pointed with her fork to the two men that were sitting at the bar. “Now they look like a distraction.”

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