Little White Lies

catcalls and whistles followed. Bass vibrated the floorboards as men surged to open edges, sat upright in their seats and other dancers slid to the floor.

One silver stiletto peeked through the curtain to a wild swell of cheers. Those with table views lost sight of the stage’s edge as it filled with bodies and the color of the local currency.

Wyatt couldn’t stifle the laugh that built within him. “Candie has apparently gotten popular since last I was here.”

“I’ll say,” Cael said.

With the music’s crescendo, Charley extended her leg through the curtain, followed by one arm. She grabbed the edges and pulled open the curtain, showing off her height.

“Lots o’ guys.” She pointed her toe in the direction of the crowd.

Cael snickered. “Lookin’ good, Charley.”

She moved to the center of the stage, leapt to her toes, grabbed the silver shaft and spun. If the crowd could have gotten closer, they would have. She pulled one leg around and slid up again before she fell with grace back to the floor.

“She’s got the crowd pretty wired,” Wyatt said.

“She’s really good.” Cael tilted back his beer and nodded at Wyatt. “Two o’clock, stage left.”

In their Italian suits, they pushed away drink offers from two servers and sauntered to an empty table, their backs to Wyatt.

“Ten o’clock, Charley.”

She turned her body toward the table. “Got it.”

With half-closed eyes and hair falling around her shoulders, Charley slid back and forth from the edge to the pole. She hit every beat of the music. Excited patrons slipped ones and fives into her G-string.

Chants of “Lose it! Lose it!” ran through the crowd like a wave at a football game.

“You’re not really going to do it?” Cael asked.

“Why not?” Charley spun again. “Three of the waitresses are topless.”

“It’s not her body.” James began to chant as well. A slap and a quick ‘ow!’ resonated through the earpiece.

Not her body?

Charley leaned into the pole, legs spread, heels dug into the floor, and slid down while she played with the straps of her top. She unhooked the two strings from around her neck, swung them whip-like while keeping her nipples hidden.

Wyatt stole a glance at the two men again. A third stood at the table. One pulled cash from a wallet, slipped it in the direction of the third, pointed at Charley, and got a nod in return.

“They just booked Charley privately,” Wyatt said. “Cael, you see?”

“Yes.”

The ripple and uproar brought Wyatt back to Charley. “You did it?” He stared up at her and held her eyes with his. I will not look down.

“Just do it already,” Charley said.

Cael’s laugh broke through.

Wyatt held her gaze a second more and dropped it.

“There ya go.” Another five slipped against her hip. She shook her breasts between her hands and tempted everyone around her, though touch they could not.

Wyatt couldn’t help the smile he let free.

“Get your fill?” Cael asked.

“Like you’re not lookin’.” Charley spun around the pole again.

“The guys are leaving,” Cael said.

“Keep us posted,” Wyatt said.

Charley rocked cowboy style, her breasts bouncing to the beat in time with hair that flew in a circle. As the song came to a close, the crowd’s groan of disappointment rumbled. She dawdled as she stepped back toward the curtain.

“See you soon, boys.” A wink back at the crowd elicited another round of groans before she disappeared.

“Follow her?” Cael asked.

“Not yet, let’s just listen.” Wyatt sipped from his glass of water again.

***

“Candie!” Boris’s bellow, when she stepped from the stage, came with his guffaw.

Charley handed him the bills she’d pulled, hoped they’d make it to the actual Candie. She deserved it if for no other reason than Charley didn’t need it.

“You got company in bay three,” he said.

“Thanks, B.” Charley used the name she’d heard repeated by the girls. “Hey!” She turned back to him before she started. “What’d I clear?”

“Eighty-five! You showed it all, didn’t ya?”

Charley winked and moved to her dressing table to change into more suitable attire for a private engagement.

“You get invited back?” Kate asked. “That was quick.”

“Yup.” Charley stripped, no concern for privacy as none of the rest had. She switched her costume from the red to a silver-blue-Lily’s second-favorite selection.

Boris yelled to Candie to get a move on.

Charley headed straight through double doors she’d only seen on a screen, hopping on one foot to finish the tie behind her ankle. Once through the first set, she turned to details. “Hallways are colorfully decorated. There’s some beautiful artwork here.”

“I can see it,” James said. “Second door should be the entrance to the stage and the third bar.”

Charley began her trek down the private hall. “Going through door number two.” She took a quick peek into one of the open doors. “Office.” She waved at a man behind a desk and continued on. Muffled moans and groans penetrated the walls. “I believe they are gettin’ it on in that one.” She pointed to a door marked ‘One’ from which the sounds emanated. That can only be Lola.

A door swung open behind her. “Door three, then.” She’d have to skip any additional eavesdropping as the hallway became less private.

“I’m going to order up my dance now,” Cael said.

“Ask for Kate. She’s sweet.”

Lily’s groan came through with perfect clarity. Charley smiled at her exasperation. One of these days.

The flat paneled door, labeled with gold vinyl, didn’t fit the rest of the club’s interior of color and bright art. “Here we go.” She pushed the unlatched door open. Anticipation warred with duty. She knew she had to play the part, so as the door creaked, she slithered up the frame, one hand extended beyond the top.

“Hello.” Her moan escaped as the guy stared back at her from the corner of the room.

“That isn’t one of the guys Candie described,” James said.

The room, decorated from top to bottom in red, reminded Charley of the inside of a mouth. A wide bed draped in satin of the same red took center stage, flanked by two couches on either side, with little to no leg room. Someone has bad design skills.

“Am I in the right room?” She added a deliberate purr to her voice.

The man before her nodded; his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down once, hard. He waved her toward the bed. “They… uh… they’ll be here in a moment.” He clenched his hands together and licked his lips.

Charley ambled to the bed, sat in its center. She crossed one leg over the other, leaned back on her hands and turned to give James and Lily a complete picture.

“The red might have been a better choice,” Lily said.

Voices grew louder outside the room.

“That them?” She leaned forward to adjust what little she could and raised her hands to fluff her curls.