Chateau de Allette

The exquisitely carved white marble facade of le Chateau de Allette screamed luxe and beauty. The restored fountain in the front yard and the well kept garden were a tribute to elegance and nobility. It stood in stark contrast to the dark grey skyscrapers with sleek floor to ceiling windows that littered the rest of the city. It marked a very distinct time when gentleman and discretion were two sides of the same coin.

No, the outside of le Chateau de Allette gave no indication of the hedonism that lay within its walls.

Noelle was the last of the group to step out of the limousine and noted that even though she was the only female, not one of the men helped her out of the vehicle. It was not something she was unused to but it still annoyed her. She stared up at Chateau, as it was affectionately called, and was once again blown away by the beauty of her surroundings. Though she had been here many times before she was still awed by the estate.

At which point she would recall what transpires in the club and immediately become tense her backbone. She would remind herself that this was not for leisure. This was business. She was not the type to seek out these environments but when she realized that this is how you play to win then she learned to include some of her own rules. It's what you had to do when you worked in her world, a world run by boys clubs, fraternity brothers, and frequent nepotism. To get in you had to learn the language. To stay in you had to adopt the attitude in which you act and talk like them or risk getting kicked out.

Noelle led the group of men to front door and was met by Louis and Ferdinand, two of the guards for the premises. She nodded to both of them and gestured to her entourage. They looked to each other then unhooked the ropes. She was not surprised. She had a lot of influence here, being one of only three platinum members. This gave her access to many perks, her most valued one being a private secluded box, away from prying eyes and the lust-filled atmosphere of the rest of the club.

When they got inside, Noelle paused in the foyer to greet the hostess holding a box of cigars. A few of the men grabbed one as well before turning to watch the debauchery unfold around them. It was quite a site to behold from the panoramic view. Through the pillars on either side of her were the dancers dressed in all types of lingerie of equally variant colours. Some stood on the circular platforms centred at three different locations. They were the main stage shows. Others danced in doublets or triplets against the outer walls inside different scenes. One of Noelle's personal favourites was the scene in the clawfoot tub. It always amazed her how they managed to never spill any water.

Noelle observed the awed looks on each of her future client's faces and smirked. This had been the right choice for tonight. For her this was a game, like playing chess. Always staying one move ahead. They told her they needed time to think before they gave took on their firm. She knew what that meant. She knew they didn't trust her. A female didn't belong in corporate law. Too emotional, couldn't handle tough decisions. She knew with these particular men Chateau was an inevitable end to her night.

Noelle took a look around once more. She guessed she could see the appeal for a first time visitor. It was almost like stepping back in history. A history that blended French aristocracy with the vibrant life in the Caribbean. French surrealist paintings sat above bouquets of purple orchids and Jamaican irises. A few feet in front of her stood the bar, a wide marble circle surrounding a column aquarium filled with colourful tropical fish.

It was there she spotted Allette, the owner of the establishment. She was speaking to the bartender and pointing to some documents in her hand. At 6'2", she was a beautiful but intimidating woman. She had a shrewd air about her as if she was always assessing someone's worth. She glanced up and smiled when she saw Noelle. Though Noelle was never quite comfortable around her, she was always civil. She headed in her direction.

Noelle nodded hello and greeted her.

"Allette, how are you?" Noelle asked as she gave a brief air kiss against both cheeks.

"Good evening Miss Jenkins, I am doing well. Who are you handsome friends?" Allette automatically threw on her charm whenever she saw wealthy men.

Noelle did brief introductions

"Gentlemen. Welcome to my chateau. If you need anything, let me know and I will do everything in my power to accommodate you. I hope you will enjoy yourselves. Monique here will show you to your private box." Allette gestured to the young woman on her left.

Beside the bar, on either sides of the room were two staircases, one leading to each wing in the club. As Monique walked towards the west wing stairs, all the men's eyes gravitated towards her taut ass cheeks that were framed inside bright pink lace panties.

Noelle watched them go then turned to Allette.

"I was not expecting you tonight. You don't usually come on a Wednesday."

"Well this is a very important account for the firm."

"Hmm. Will you be having entertainment tonight or are you content to watch the show from your box?

That was another one of the reasons she liked Chateau. The architecture. It was built to look like an old opera house with velvet curtains along the open balconies to observe the show from afar. For those who could afford it, they offered the best of both worlds. That meant she didn't have to be on the floor in a room deep in testosterone and machismo banter about female body parts.

"I will be requiring one of your best dancers. As soon as possible."

"Of course."

**********************

"I know Sweetheart, I am going to see you tomorrow afternoon. You can tell me all about it... Honey, you need to get your rest cause I have a big day planned for us tomorrrow...I know...I love you too, Goodnight."

Anya hung up the phone and placed her head in her hands. She hated those phone calls with her son, especially when she was at work. He was having nightmares again and liked to hear the sound of her voice before he went to bed. It soothed him in a way no one else could.

Anya thought back to the time when he was an infant and couldn't stand to be away from her for even a second. Whenever, she was more than ten feet away from his he would fuss and cry. It got to the point where she had to purchase another baby carrier because the first one got so worn out. Today, he had gotten quite used to being away from her now that she only had him for half the week but even that was in jeopardy.

Her eyes started to tear up thinking about her situation. Her ex, Jeremy, didn't have a problem with her job before he met his new fiance. Now he was using it to question her parenting skills.

She heard a knock and turned around to face the door. Allette walked in a gave her a cool once over, noting the tears in her eyes.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"No."

The answer was immediate. That was the only answer you gave to Allette when she asked that question. She wasn't interested in hearing anything else.

"Good. Look, One of the platinum clients id requesting a private dancer. I know you don't like doing large groups but Rochelle and Genevieve are busy so I'm gonna need you to step in. That alright?"

Though she phrased it as a question, they both knew it was an order.

"Of course," she said as she planted a smile on her face.

"Perfect. They are in the Red Room. And don't dawdle." She turned and exited the room.

Anya looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. Her eyes looked tired. She had just finished up one of the main-stage shows and was not too thrilled to be performing for a group of horny men. But when Allette made a request for a platinum client, there was no refusing.

She grabbed some tissues to pat her face, touched up her make-up and headed upstairs.

*************************

Standing in the corner of the room at the self-serve bar, Noelle's presence went pretty much unnoticed as soon as the dancer entered the room. This was fine with her because it allowed her to observe everything freely. So she saw when the dancer slowly walked onto the small circular stage in the middle of the room. She continued to watch when she arched her back against the pole with her gaze cast downward.

Noelle didn't catch her name when she introduced herself. She never does any more. She did know it was French though. They were always French. They had to be. It was part of the allure.

When the music began, she straightened her back against the pole and ran her hands up her bare torso. She raised them above her head until she could grab the pole behind her. In a move that required incredible upper-body strength, she flew into the air and completed a 360 degree turn around the pole before coming to wrap her legs around it. One hand held onto the pole as she leaned back and straightened her legs, creating the letter V with her whole body. Her breasts bounced freely beneath her shimmery red bikini top as she rotated her chest to the beat.

Suddenly she pulled herself up and spread her legs wide. Her legs ran parallel to the floor pushing the pole right against the seat of her panties. She lowered her legs to the stage and walked off. She approached the man closest to her and straddled him in his chair. She placed her hands behind her on his knees and began to roll her hips up and forward then down and back slowly to the rhythm. When she leaned her head back and locked eyes with Noelle, Noelle straightened from her relaxed position against the wall.

It was her eyes that captured Noelle. It wasn't the controlled circular motion of her hips as they hovered over the clients crotch. Or the way she made her torso vibrate while every other body part stayed still. Provocative as they were, those movements did not captivate her the way her hazel eyes, replete with sadness and resignation, did. Eyes that said she would rather be anywhere else but here gyrating on middle aged men. It was in that brief moment of vulnerability that Noelle felt a connection with the dancer.

And brief it was for when Noelle looked back at her, her eyes widened and the look quickly disappeared as if she suddenly remembered where she was. She stood and went back to tiny stage in the middle of the room.

With her eyes now firmly glued to the movements on stage, Noelle slowly made her way over to group of men and sat down.

****************************

Anya was exhausted. Her back ached, her thigh muscles were trembling, and her skin was sticky with sweat. She was probably going to have to soak in a warm bath when she got home.

She really didn't know what had gotten into her. She hadn't put this much effort into her routine since she was in her early twenties. She stopped when she realized no one cared whether she was mentally present or not. As long as her body could work, then her mind was free to be wherever she wanted it to be. She had learned to detach herself from her body a long time ago with out the use of drugs. It was something only the most seasoned veterans learned how to do.

But there was something about the way the statuesque woman in the corner was staring at her, looking into her eyes and not ogling her body like everyone else, that snapped her back to reality. The way she seemed to see right through her and in fact, commiserated with her. It unnerved her.

It made her feel exposed when she was supposed to be in control. So she threw herself back into her work and did almost every trick she had ever learned in her 7 years dancing at the club. She did the splits while in a handstand and shook her ass back and forth to the beat. She then climbed up the pole and contorted her body to do various poses in the air. She ended her pose with a backflip into a sideways split.

When she finished, she looked to the only other woman in the room. The woman smiled slightly as she tipped her drink to her lips. Anya gave a bow to the applauding men and left the room.

********************************

Noelle was extremely agitated by the encounter. After a few minutes of small talk, she excused herself from the room and went downstairs. She looked up and saw Allette standing near the front exit but she did not want to get into a lengthy discussion about why she wasn't upstairs with the boys. She headed to the backdoor and started fishing in her bag for her cigarettes.

Smoking wasn't a habit that she normally indulged in but it was one of the only vices she allowed herself. She had picked it up during her rebellious days in high school and it gradually became another source of comfort for her, especially when she was worked up.

She lit up and took a deep drag as soon as she made it outside. She leaned against the wall and she took another drag. She stood there for a moment enjoying the silence and the nicotine rush.

After a few moments, she heard muffled sounds coming from behind one of the trees in the garden. She walked over slowly to investigate and was surprised to see it was the dancer from earlier. She was sitting on one of the benches in the garden with her head in her hands, weeping. At first, Noelle felt uncomfortable standing there, like she was intruding. This was not something she should be seeing. She was about to walk away when the dancer spoke.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?"

Noelle was startled and chuckled away her cough.

"No. I was actually about to leave. I, uh didn't realize you had heard me."

"Well, if you want to remain incognito you should wear quieter shoes." she stated.

Noelle looked down at her stilettos and snorted. "Sound advice."

"May I have one?" she said, pointing to the cigarette pack that Noelle still held in her hand.

Noelle reached forward and offered her one. They remained in silence for a while, smoking there respective cigarettes until the dancer broke the silence.

"I'm Anya, by the way."

"Noelle." They each took another drag. "Anya. That name doesn't sound French."

Anya gave her a small smile. "It's not. My stage name is Mystique."

"Mystique. Did you pick that name for yourself?"

"The owner has a master-list from which we can chose. It was the only one that appealed to me at the time."

"And what time was that?"

"A time when I thought the name mattered."

Noelle nodded took one last drag from her cigarette and ground it in the ash tray by the tree.

They were silent again.

Anya turned to look at her companion. "So Noelle, aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?"

Noelle smiled. "I didn't want to pry."

"It's fine. I don't mind. It's just custody stuff anyway. My son's father seems to think that dancing half naked in front of strangers makes me a bad mother so he is now suing me for full custody of my son."

Noelle shook her head. "I wouldn't worry. If the child has been in your primary care for most of his life-"

"That's just it. He hasn't been."

Anya put out her cigarette. Noelle found herself affected by Anya's story, by the way her face changed when she talked about her son. By the way she smiled with her whole face and not just her mouth.

"Oh. Well, then what you need is a very good lawyer."

"Very good usually comes at a heavy price," Anya said beneath her breath. "I have been trying to find one but even the good ones seem reluctant to take on my case. Maybe that's a sign."

Anya tilted her head as she smiled and looked up at Noelle. "You wouldn't happen to know any lawyers to recommend, would you?"

"Well, I am a lawyer but I specialize in corporate law. I have very little exposure to family law." As someone who had grown up with very little concept of what a family was, she had steered clear of that type of law in school.

She watched as Anya's face fell. She didn't know what made her say this but, nevertheless, the words came tumbling out.

"Why don't you drop by my office next Thursday. I am sure I could find someone to take a look at your case."

"Oh, I wasn't fishing for you to offer your services. You don't have to do that."

"I know but if I can help, I would like to help."

Noelle was silent as she glanced down at the card. She smiled as she looked up again.

"Okay. What time should I drop by?"

"Probably in the afternoon that is when I am the most free."

"Here." She gave her a business card. "The address and phone number are on there. Our law office is right down town."

"Great. Thanks. Um, I should get back to work."

"Yeah, me too." Noelle turned to go back inside with Anya right behind her.