The Book Group Ch. 05

Lily had already finished her routine when I got down to the bar. "Sorry I'm late, Eddie."

"It's all right. Michelle told me what's going on. I'll be the one pulling you up onto the stage, okay. Make lots of protests but don't fight me too hard, agreed," he grinned. "You look terrific, by the way."

"Would you do me a favour?" I asked nervously.

"Sure," he smiled.

"Would you stay in the audience? Debbie suggested that I concentrate on someone while I dance. I'd like to see a friendly face."

He wrinkled his brow in thought. "Yes, all right. We can stop serving while you dance. I'll stand somewhere at the back. Now go and attend to some tables. We're a little pushed. It'll take your mind off it, as well."

As I passed Nikki, she looked daggers at me. "Where the hell have you been?" she hissed. "I've been run off my feet down here."

"Sorry." I didn't stop to explain. She'd find out soon enough. I was trying to remember the routine in my head as well as taking orders, so I got a couple mixed up. Eddie was very understanding.

Suddenly the stage lit up again and Michelle strutted forward, to more applause. My heart beat started to race. Michelle made her short announcement to groans and jeers. As the noise died down, she turned to leave the stage but then, almost as an afterthought, she turned back and asked if they would like to see one of the bar staff dance.

"Not Eddie," someone shouted. There was a howl of laughter and then cheering as I felt Eddie's hand in the small of my back, urging me forward.

"Oh no," I protested trying to twist away. He caught my wrist and started to pull me firmly towards the stage. "No, I couldn't possibly," I pleaded.

"Course you can."

"No, please," I cried, as the clapping and whistling swelled.

At the front of the room, he let me go. For a split second I thought of running, but I realised there was no way out. I'd agreed and the expectation in the room was palpable. The music started. 'Everybody Knows' was an ominous deep throbbing melody with a gravely male voice. I took a huge breath and steeled myself. Gingerly, I took the two steps up onto the stage to be greeted with more loud cheering.

I stood in the spotlight trembling, gazing out at hungry lustful eyes as the house lights dimmed. Eddie took up his position at the back and gave an encouraging smile. I lowered my eyes to concentrate on my routine. My hands fluttered over my breasts, down my sides and round my bum. I lifted the hem of my skirt a few inches to show the tops of my stockings. Letting it drop, I brought my hands back to push up my breasts and glance over my nipples.

I swallowed and felt for the soft loop of my bow tie, slowly drawing it out until the knot collapsed. I twirled it a couple of times before tossing it to one side. My fingers loosened the cuffs and traced around the neckline of my blouse. I started at the top and slowly unbuttoned it. I pulled it from my waistband and let it hang slightly open for a moment before drawing it fully apart. I turned to face one table after another, pausing and making eye contact with a guy at each. They nudged each other while ogling my lacy lingerie. Finally, shrugging the blouse from my shoulders I let it slip to the floor.

My every movement was greeted by cheering and whistles. I was surprised at the exhilaration of having a roomful of strangers fixated on my body. I started to swing my hips a little to the rhythm while inching down the zip on my skirt. There was an intake of breath as it slid down my legs, leaving me in just my lingerie. The skirt crumpled into a heap at my feet. I stepped out and kicked it aside. Slowly pirouetting, I caught a glimpse of my seductive image in the mirrors behind the stage.

The first song ended and was replaced by the haunting strains of 'Wicked Game'. Again, it was easy to sway to the slow sexy beat. Running my hands over my body and lacy underwear, I gyrated provocatively. I bit my bottom lip and lifted the bra straps off my shoulder. Reaching behind to unhook it, I clutched the cups to my chest and chassed round the pole. Remembering to look back over my shoulder, I let it slide down my arms. I held it out between finger and thumb, before letting it to drop to the floor.

I clasped my breasts and circled back to the front of the stage. Fondling and massaging them, I played with the nipples before slowly lowering my hands. I squeezed them together with my arms to create a cleavage and then stood akimbo and shook my shoulders to jiggle them to huge acclaim. Eddie flashed his white teeth in a broad grin of approval.

I slid my hand inside my thong and pretended to finger myself. Slipping my thumbs inside the thin waistband, I eased it up and down a couple of times. "This is it," I thought, the grand expose. I swung my arse towards the tables and, bending from the waist, slowly peeled the strings round my backside and down my legs. I reached down to untangle it from my heels and then, still bent over, opened my legs to give them a full rear view. I kept the position for a few moments.

Straightening up, I covered my groin before turning to face the room. I slowly pulled my hand away to more whistles and catcalls. I was deeply aware that I was stood in the spotlight in just suspenders and stockings, the object of desire of the entire audience. Keeping eye contact with Eddie, I tried to glide around the stage and take up poses that, whilst not hiding my intimate parts, weren't too crude.

I finally grasped the pole with both hands behind my head and gradually lowered myself to my knees. I slowly spread my legs to give the voyeurs a complete frontal view of my shaved pussy. At the songs final wail of unrequited love, I arched back to point my perky little nipples at the ceiling. I felt utterly vulnerable, but also euphoric.

I held the pose until the spotlight was finally extinguished. The room erupted. Rather ungainly, I climbed back up onto my heels, gathered my clothes together and scooted off the stage, accompanied by cheers and whistles.

"You were brilliant," Michelle said, following me into the small side room. "The dream of every man in there. Did you hear them? You got a standing ovation."

I was still catching my breath and I realised I was shaking from the adrenalin.

"How do you feel?"

"Okay," I gulped.

"You did really well. Relax a bit and as soon as you're dressed, I'll order a taxi for you and Lily."

It was ten minutes before I came down from my high. I dressed again and then went looking for Lily. We chatted in the back of the taxi on the way home. She was very complimentary about my act and seemed genuinely pleased that I had done it. "It's difficult to talk about it to anyone who hasn't," she said. "It's got such a social stigma."

After that first time I occasionally stripped again and a week or so later, Nikki started dancing as well. We also gave lap dances in the side booths. We would talk about it at home but none of us told anyone else about it until now.

___

There was a complete hush around the room as the group tried to picture this single mum working as a city stripper.

"What about boyfriends?"

"I had a couple of one-night stands, but it was difficult. I didn't want to tell them what I did, but I couldn't explain why I had to disappear before ten o'clock every night."

"Did you do it for long?" Emily asked.

"A couple of years and then I decided to go to college to study psychology," she smiled mischievously. "I could tell my lecturers a thing or two about the male psyche."

A smile of understanding passed across the group's lips, but there didn't seem to be any more questions.

"Well, everyone else has told their story so I guess it's my turn next month," Rachael said. "And we've finally moved into our new house. It's about half a mile down Thornton Lane, opposite the large oak."

Everyone knew the house. It had caused quite a lot of controversy in the village, so the group were looking forward to seeing it up close up.