A Winter Awakening (10 page)

Sarina worked her way into the fishnet stockings she would be wearing for the burlesque show, and reviewed her plans for the evening. One of the numbers in the show required audience participation. Each dancer would select a man, bring him up to stage and seat him in one of the chairs on stage. Once the men were seated, facing the rest of the audience, the music would begin and the women would each perform a lap dance for the man she had seated.

Sarina, of course, intended to select Jacob. How could she pass up the opportunity to turn him on in such a bold way? The next part of the evening would be more challenging. She had a plan that would render Ellie unavailable for the rest of the night. This would free up Jacob, and Sarina intended to talk him into an after party at her place. Last night, he was there to comfort her. Tonight, she intended to turn up the heat on her relationship with him.

She took a breath as she analyzed her makeup in the mirror.  There were a few variables in how the night might unfold; a few factors out of her control. She was having a hard time calming her nerves. 

But, she was satisfied with her makeup, and that helped. Tonight, Jacob would desire her. He would see her as more than a damsel in distress.

With one last satisfied look in the mirror, she joined the other dancers. She looked the part and she knew it. 

Show time was in ten minutes.

Traffic through town was heavier than normal, even with the influx of tourists during the summer. Clearly, most residents of the county would be in attendance for tonight's show. This surprised Jacob as he eased his F-350 Ford Pickup into a parking place. 

The industrial brick government building was an unlikely choice for the burlesque show. Jacob tried to picture the intermingling of seduction with city council debates about water rights and tax levies.

A burlesque show is quite "risqué" for Logan residents. Just fifteen short years ago, the members of the chamber of commerce rallied to prevent the opening of a liquor store. Now, everyone seemed to be turning out to watch women dressed as ladies of the night? Jacob didn't understand it. It isn't that he was against this type of show. Though he was Catholic, he did understand the sexual side of human nature. Yes, of course intimacy belonged in the bedroom of married couples, but why not prime things a little with a show like this?

And, Jacob had to admit, he was proud of Ellie for stepping out of her shell a bit, to participate in the organization of a show like this. He wouldn't like to see her participate as a dancer in something as risqué as this, but the only reason for this is because he wouldn't want any other man to enjoy her curves. Those were reserved for him and him alone.

Though surprised, Jacob was pleased to see such a great turn out. Ellie had worked hard to make tonight a success, and so had Sarina. This fundraiser was bound to make more than it did last year.

Jacob entered city hall, and tried to keep a low profile by finding a small table near the back. He knew Ellie's flight was late, and she likely wouldn't arrive until the end of the evening. His only intention was to be there as support for her, swoop her up as soon as she walked in, and take her home. He missed his wife, he felt badly about the way he had treated her, and he wanted to talk with her about possibilities for the future. Perhaps they could adopt or look into other options for pregnancy.

The lights dimmed, signaling the beginning of the show. Jacob turned his thoughts away from his family and troubles with Ellie, and tried to focus on what was happening on stage. He was surprised to see Sarina take center stage. He wasn't aware that she would be a performer in the show.

Let's be honest. It is hard on a man, sitting here watching a show like this, when his wife has been gone for a week. Jacob's desire was already lying just under the surface, and he needed his wife. Watching women embrace their sexual nature was almost more than he could take. As the show progressed, he found himself checking his watch, time and time again, calculating how many more minutes... how many more seconds until Ellie would arrive. 

There was an intermission in the show, and Jacob ordered another drink. He needed something to help him pass the time.  After mingling for a few minutes, he returned to his seat and waited for the arrival of his wife. 

The lights dimmed once again, and the ladies of the night started the next number by leaving the stage and circulating through the audience. Some were swinging feather boas, others were swinging their hips with exaggeration.  With alarm, Jacob noticed that one by one, the performers were some of them wer
e
reaching out and grabbing the hands of some of the men in the crowd. Jacob had no idea what to expect, but he knew it could lead to trouble, so he tried to sink down into the seat and make himself invisible. It didn't work. 

Sarina walked the room, seeming to be choosy about the man she selected. Finally, she made her way back into his corner, and locking her eyes onto his, she reached her hand out to him.  Jacob tried to give her a subtle shake of her head, willing her to move on to someone else, but this only drew her in closer to him. 

He shook his head again, more vigorously this time, but Sarina become more determined. Obviously, she had made her selection. Jacob glanced up at the stage. There were five chairs in a row, and only one was still vacant. He knew this chair belonged to Sarina, and he knew that Sarina had selected him.

Crap,
he mumbled under his breath. There was no way out.

Jacob looked into Sarina's eyes, pleading her to move on.  It did no good. She reached out and placed her hand over his. 

"Shit," he mumbled under his breath. Jacob didn't swear, but the current circumstances seemed to warrant the strong language.

Sarina led him up the steps, onto the stage, and into the vacant chair.

For the next five minutes, Jacob was acutely aware that all the eyes of the audience were on his face, along with the faces of the other four sorry chaps that had also been suckered into this compromising situation. 

Sarina was tempting, in her sultry outfit, but Jacob couldn't risk paying much attention to her, especially with so many onlookers. At one point, she stood directly in front of him, facing the audience. She danced to the music, swaying her hips and giving him a close and personal look at her backside.  She was close enough to him that the audience would not be able to see his face. He allowed himself a brief moment of indulgence, taking in her beautiful curves.

Sarina turned now, continuing to sway and dance for him, but now her back was to the audience. Ellie had once pointed out that Sarina's breasts were fake, wondering if Jacob enjoyed the artificial curves. At the time, he had no comment, but as she stood just inches away from him, revealing these curves right in front of him, he had to admit that curves were curves, no matter how they came to a woman. 

But, Jacob didn't let his eyes linger for long. He was acutely aware of the public nature of his situation, and his family standing. He came from a long line of Logan ranchers, and wasn't about to embarrass his family name tonight. Jacob turned his thoughts to Ellie, and prayed for this dance to end soon.

Thankfully for him, it finally did, and Sarina led him to his seat when the number was over. Once safely in the dark corner again, he checked his watch. 

Ellie should be here momentarily,
he thought.
I have got to take my wife home.

When Ellie arrived at the building, she sent up a quick prayer for a successful fundraiser as she rushed to the bathroom, hoping no one would notice her before she had a chance to change.

Once safely in the restroom, she locked herself in the bathroom, so that she would have a chance to prepare. This would be a night like no other.

The FIRST NIGHT of the rest of your passionate life with Jacob, g
rowled Inner Diva.

Ellie took a breath, double checking the locked door, then slipped out of her clothes. She looked at her naked form in the mirror for a moment. Her platinum hair was miraculously still in place after the flight. The carefully architected curls cascaded down her back, with a few shorter locks framing her face.

You still have it,
Inner Diva purred to her. She found the luxurious body butter she had discovered in Phoenix and carefully covered her body, inch by inch with this heavenly, silky substance. When she knew she must move on, she finally dug into her bag for the sexy accessories that had been placed there.

Her two fashionista friends had insisted on these items as a part of her Burlesque wardrobe, once they figured out the state of her, shall we say, sexual frustrations. Once they knew Ellie was a ticking sex bomb, they quickly pulled some strings and had these specialty items delivered directly to the penthouse. Ellie had not had time to inspect her new treasures before boarding the plane. She only knew her friends had given her something special.

The first was her "secret garden" waistband. This was essentially a very skimpy thong, with embellishments.

As Ellie pulled this out of her bag, she gasped at what she saw. She had never worn a g-string, and now the fashionistas and Inner Diva wanted her to wear this?

It was a leather thong with jeweled embellishments.  In the front was a platinum piece of jewelry, shaped like a dragonfly, each wing attached to the leather strap going around the waist. As Ellie slid the thong up her thighs she realized that the tail of the dragon fly dipped all the way down to the opening of her lips. As she adjusted the piece she realized there was yet one more feature. A small emerald rock dangled from the tail of the dragonfly, and was free to swing as she walked. As she took a few steps, she realized with a fire between her legs that with each step, this jewel would pound into her most sensitive area.

Oh Shit.
The words of her Phoenix fashionistas came back to her in a rush.

'You won't need underwear with these,'
they had said with a smirk. Now Ellie understood. With every step she took, this small jewel would hammer into her, sending her deeper into her desire for a good, hard fuck.

We might as well see what other goodies are in there,
purred Inner Diva.

Ellie grabbed the next accessory out of her bag. This one was matching nipple jewelry. The small leather rings were designed to cinch in tight around her nipple. Once in place, a small jeweled dragonfly, matching the style of what was now firmly affixed to her labia, would hang from her nipple.

What are you thinking,
screamed her more reasonable, adult self in her head.
The clit banger is enough.

Oh, but you might as well go all out,
retorted the now fully awake Inner Diva.

With a sigh, Ellie shoved the nipple jewelry into her purse.

"Those can wait for another day," she said out loud.

Next, she pulled her Gala dress out of her bag. This had been chosen for many factors, the least of which was the fact that it accentuated her ample curves perfectly. The added bonus was that this was a wrinkle free material. The fashionistas thought of everything.

Ellie fingered the soft, silk fabric as she pulled it out of her bag. The bright teal would bring out the color of her eyes perfectly. She had been instructed to wear this dress with no bra. Ellie inspected the architecture of the garment to try and ascertain the level of its built in support.

"Fuck it." She sighed, glancing at the accessory now wrapped around her waist. She pulled the dress over her hair, being careful not to mess with the amazing style, and worked it into place over her torso. She looked back at her reflection in the mirror and gasped at the sight. She didn't recognize herself, and she felt sexy as hell.

The dress was very low cut, with the v-neck line falling just below the bottom of her breast. To her surprise, the dress gave her large cups remarkable support, considering the no bra thing. She could now see why she wouldn't be able to wear one. The lines of this dress would not allow it. The entire inside portion of each curve of her breast was open for the world to see. With just another half an inch, her nipple would also be exposed.

The dress was fitted closely at the waist and flared out again at the hips, flowing down to the floor.

Ellie took a step back and took in her reflection. For a moment, she was unsure about making an appearance in this get up. This look was quite risqué for the people of Logan. But then again, she was the organizer of the event, and this was a Burlesque after all. 

I hope Jacob will approve,
she thought. 

Ellie had not spoken with Jacob since she left for Phoenix.  Their schedules never seemed to match up. They had only been able to communicate through text and voice mail. She had never been away from him for more than a night.  She ached for him.  W
ill Jacob appreciate this? Will this ease his pain about my decision to go on the trip against his wishes?
she wondered.

Are you fucking kidding me?
Retorted her empowered Inner Goddess, now quite annoyed. J
ust go out there and own this event, then go own your husband.

Closing her eyes, a flash of Nick Bennett's eyes burning with desire flooded her senses. Her nipples hardened at the memory of his touch. Ellie opened her eyes again feeling alive and sexy. She raised one hand to her breast and easily pulled the fabric to the side, exposing a nipple.

She gave it a little pinch and with a smug satisfaction, put the dress back into place. She let one hand slip between her legs. Her middle finger located the dangling jewel, and for just a moment she pushed the hard cold object into her throbbing body, grinding it in circles.

With renewed courage, she grabbed her bag and headed for the door. It was time to find Jacob, and some much needed sexual satisfaction.

Go get em' tiger,
purred her Inner Diva.

Ellie emerged from the bathroom and paused for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light of the dance hall. She lingered at the wall near her as she took in the scene.

Sarina has done as exquisite job,
thought Ellie as she scanned the room. 

There were several attendees. The decorations were wonderful. The food and champagne seemed to be flowing. It appeared as if the dancing portion of the show had already concluded. The dancers, dressed in lace, silk, and feather boas were mingling around the room, continuing their seductive act. On all accounts, she could see that the attendees were having a marvelous time. Ellie relaxed. Without the logistics of the show to worry about, she turned her attention to finding Jacob.

She scanned the room once again, this time looking for her handsome husband. She finally spotted him across the room, engaged in conversation. Instead of going directly to him, she took a few moments to admire his features. 

He really is handsome
, she mused to herself.
I am so lucky.
She did a quick wardrobe check; no reason to give the entire room a full view of an exposed nipple - that was reserved just for Jacob. Satisfied everything was in place, Ellie started across the room. 

By this time, Jacob had shifted and his back was to her.  Just as she was about to reach out and slide her arms around his waist, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her off toward the wall.

"Ellie, may I have a moment?" Sarina stood there, dressed in fish net stockings and a silk bustier. Her voice quivered as she spoke.

Ellie blinked hard and looked at Sarina. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to register this sudden change of events. She had been so focused on Jacob. 

"Sarina. I've just arrived from the airport and would like to have a few moments with Jacob. Can this wait?"

Sarina's eyes began to glisten with moisture. At this, Ellie softened her response. 

"Oh Sarina. I'm sorry. What is it? Should we go find a private place to talk?"

Sarina couldn't seem to speak, but with a little sniffle, she gave a nod of assent, and the two women locked arms and headed for the door. As they went, Ellie looked over her shoulder at Jacob with a sigh. 

I guess my reunion plans will have to wait a few more minutes,
she thought.

Once in the long foyer, they headed to a secluded end and found a bench. Ellie placed one hand on Sarina's knee and gave her some motherly pats. "Sarina, what is it?"

"It's the boys. Their father is threatening to sue for full time custody." Sarina tried to hold back a sob. "I don't know what I am going to do. I can't lose them." 

Ellie did her best to focus on Sarina and her custody problem, but she couldn't keep her mind off Jacob. She hated the way they left things.

Stop worrying Ellie,
she told herself.
You are just being dramatic. I'm sure everything is fine.
Sarina continued to cry about her troubles, and talk about the minutia related to her battle with her ex-husband. Ellie sprinkled in some "uh-huh's" here and there, to let Sarina know she was still there.

The buzzing of her cell phone interrupted Ellie's thoughts.  She gave Sarina another reassuring pat, and tried to discretely pull her phone out of her purse. 

It was a text from Jacob, "Where are you?"

As Ellie read her message, Sarina said, "Oh I am so sorry.  I've kept you long enough. Is that urgent?" 

Ellie wasn't sure, but she thought she saw Sarina straining a bit to read her text.

Ellie shifted just a bit, so that her conversation with her husband could be private. 

"I'm sorry Sarina, how rude of me. This is Jacob checking in on me. He knows my flight has arrived. He must be starting to worry about me." 

Ellie typed her reply,

"Jacob love. I am at the show. I've just been tied up with something. I will come and find you soon. I'm looking forward to the rest of our evening together." 

She finished typing, and slid her phone back into her bag.  She turned her attention back to Sarina, hoping to find a tactful way to end the conversation so she could go find Jacob.

"Oh Ellie. You are so lucky to have Jacob. He really is an amazing husband. He takes such good care of you." Sarina started searching her bag for some tissue. Her tears seemed to have dried up.

Poor thing. Divorce must be unimaginably painful, and here she is fairly new to town and with no support network.

Sarina wasn't able to locate a tissue, and Ellie didn't have one either. They decided a prompt trip to the ladies room would be in order. Once again linked arm in arm, they found their way around the edge of the room. Just as they were at the door of the women's restroom, Richard, the chairman of the board of directors for Logan Community Foundation came rushing toward them.

"Thank God I found you two." He was clearly panicked.

"The box with all our ticket sales is gone. Every last penny we made on this show. It is over twenty thousand dollars!"

Ellie gasped. "Richard, are you sure? It must just be tucked under a table or something." 

"I'm sure. We have been searching," his voice cracked with despair. 

Ellie turned to Sarina and gave her a squeeze on the arm.  "Will you be okay? Perhaps you can freshen up, then join us in the search." Ellie glanced at Richard, then back to Sarina.

"Yes, of course," replied Sarina. "We both worked so hard on this show. Of course you need to go. I will see you soon."  With that, Sarina turned and slipped into the bathroom.

Ellie and Richard rushed off in the direction of the office, where they had stored the cash box. 

What a nightmare. Sarina and I worked so hard on this event,
thought Ellie.

"Richard, where have you looked? Are there areas that still need to be searched?" Ellie and Richard turned the corner and came face to face with the Chief of Police.

"I just heard the news. I've called in for backup," said the chief.

He was dressed in a suit. He must have been a guest at the show. 

"We will send everyone home, and search them on the way out. I'll make the announcement." 

Ellie watched him return to the dance floor, and she suddenly felt dizzy. She sank into a nearby chair and leaned forward, but noticed that her breasts were toppling out of her dress in this position. She glanced back up at Richard, and sat up straight again. He had noticed it too. He was trying to disguise his response, but he had clearly enjoyed the view.