She could hear music. She could hear a few drunks hooting like their more primitive cousins. She could hear the pounding bass of the music pouring out of the speakers. She felt the heat of the lights and beads of sweat trickling down her spine, leaving tracks of moisture and a tingling sensation on her naked flesh. For most of her first song, Hilde couldn't bring herself to open her eyes again for more than a split second to make sure she wasn't going to fall off the stage. She wasn't exactly ashamed of her body, but she still couldn't find the courage to see the situation she was in again, let alone continue in her new profession, however temporary it might be. The fact that HE was here didn't help.
No, I'm here and so is he, I have to stay in character. I have to get close to him, so I have to get his attention she thought, suddenly filled with determination. She remembered one of the moves Alison had shown her, and went for broke. Grabbing the pole in front of her, partly because it made the move easier, and partly because she was genuinely concerned her knees might buckle, she leaned forward and pivoted her hips. At last she hazarded a glance at the man in black and was more than a little surprised to see him clapping appreciatively. Wow, she thought as she continued to gyrate, Are all men really this easy to manipulate? A rousing chorus of Howler Monkey cries from the crowd was fairly damning evidence. She moved fluidly around the pole a few times and then rested her back against it, took in a deep breath and an even deeper gulp to dislodge the lump in her throat, then she slid down into a crouch. A hum of caught breath and rustling of men sitting forward in their seats raised her confidence slightly, and she grasped her knees.
And then, she opened her eyes again.
Nearly everyone in the room was focused entirely on her. All those men. And a few Women. Learing.
Staring.
Wanting.
Her. And in that moment, no-one else.
All but Two.
Alison and the Man in Black. They stared at one another. Both their faces twisted. His in mirth. Hers in Rage, of all things. As though sensing her confusion and hesitation, Alison's face softened as it turned toward her. He ruby lips parted and moved as tho she was blowing a kiss, but Hilde heard works.
In her head.
"You're doing fine, my lovely girl" the words said, and her mind reeled, melted, and all became clear. Her inhibitions gone, her hands pushed her knees apart, then moved to the collar of her shirt. Her eyes locked onto Alison's, and found herself licking her lips. Her body boiled, Alison smiled.
"Do It" The voice in her head said.
She smiled, and pulled with all her strength. The School uniform shirt and the bra beneath it tore in two and the crowd erupted. She lept to her feet and pulled at the skirt around her waist, and it tore away as well. With only her knee high socks and the tiny thong Alison had picked for "her butt", Hilde spun around the pole, leaving her feet and swinging wildly, and heard the crowd roaring wildly as well.
Suddenly, she felt her grip on the pole loosen. A pang of fear. Hers or someone elses? Her hand slipped and she felt gravity take her, heard a gasp from the crowd, a cough from the direction she was no longer certain the Man in black was in.
The world tumbled.
A flash of movement, and then, she was in someone's arms. They felt warm, and safe.
When her eyes eventually opened, she saw Alison's, felt her warmth, her flesh against hers. Before she knew what she was doing, she pulled herself up and slammed her lips against her rescuers. She was surprised to feel another tongue in her mouth, and her hands on the other woman's curvacious posterior.
The crowd erupted, a noise so loud she nearly didn't hear the crash of the man in black falling off his chair.
