Taking Chances (Learning to Love) (7 page)

Usually, I didn't wear much makeup, but I felt adventurous. I didn't know what it was. Maybe the dress, or the aftermath of my humiliation, but I was in the mood to let go, be someone else for the night.

I went across the hall to Kat's room and peeked my head in. "Wanna do my makeup?"

"Of course I do!" Kat clapped her hands together in delight.

"Don't look so excited."

"You'd think since I do this for a living that you'd ask a little more often."

"You know I think you're awesome." I shot her the pouty look she used on me all the time.

She rolled her eyes and motioned for me to follow her into the bathroom. She sat me down at her vanity and went to work, only speaking to give the appropriate 'uh huh's' and to occasionally tell me to close my eyes or not to move.

It used to be her dream to move to the city and work on movie sets or television, doing makeup for actors. She undoubtedly had the talent for it. She worked at the local news station, doing touch ups and making white haired old men look younger and more sophisticated. I had seen some of those guys before Kat worked her magic and it was not a pretty sight. In her spare time, she did freelance photography. Sometimes, she combined the two and did glamour shot type photos.

When she finished, we stood in front of the mirror for inspection. When Kat did my makeup it usually left me in awe, wondering who the beautiful, sexy woman looking back at me was. This time was no different. Even standing next to my gorgeous best friend, I was beautiful. My eyelashes looked twice their usual length. The eyeliner and shadow on my lids made my eyes look a shocking shade of blue. I don't even know how she got my lips to look like I could lip double for Angelina Jolie.

"Wow," was all I could manage to say.

Kat beamed with pride over her work.

"'Wow' is right. You look incredible. Not that you weren't absolutely stunning to begin with, but with a little tweaking, you are one hot bitch. You look so sexy, that I would totally do you," she teased, rubbing her face up and down against my arm like a cat, making a purring sound.

I wasn't going to argue. I did look hot.

"Okay, whatever. I'm going to get ready." I pushed her off my arm and went back to my room.

I reached into the back of my closet for the trademark pink bag from Blush, thankful that Kat hadn't caught a glimpse of it when she poked around earlier. I never shopped in over-priced boutiques like Blush. Once Kat found out, I'd never hear the end of it, but I knew they'd have just the right thing for the club. And I was right.

The dress was baby-doll style, with a skater line skirt made of a sheer black fabric that flowed softly over my thighs. The top was red sequined with a sweetheart neckline that showed off all the right things for a night at a strip club. I slipped the dress over my head and reached around back to tug the zipper up as best as I could, then stood back to take a look.

A wave of panic washed over me as I glanced over my sexed up reflection. In the dressing room without my hair and makeup done, the neckline didn't look so deep, and the hem didn't look so short. I reached back to tug at the zipper, sure Kat would have something better for me to wear.

Kat walked into my room at that moment and huffed as she pried my hand from the zipper. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I don't know what I was thinking, I--"

"You look amazing. Stop trying to take that dress off." She held me by the shoulders and pointed me toward the mirror. "Look at yourself."

"I am. That's the problem. It's just too much. I look like a call girl." My heart thumped hard in my chest.

"No, babe, you do not. Really look. See how gorgeous you are. It's okay to look sexy. You're going to a strip club, you know?"

We both stood there staring at me in the mirror. I took a deep breath. The dress reminded me of something Kat wore in high school for her ballet recital that made her look beautiful and sophisticated.

"Lexi, I know you have a hard time seeing how beautiful you are because of your mom, but hon, she was messed up. You are beautiful. You're the only one who can't see that," she said and pulled me against her for a hug.

"My mother doesn't have anything to do with this. She was a sloppy drunk who liked to take her anger about how her life turned out on me. No biggie."

Kat sat on the edge of the bed. "How many times did she tell you your father wouldn't have left you if you were pretty? She blamed his cheating, and their divorce, on her looks."

I joined her on the bed and sighed. "She never felt good enough."

"And she always made sure you knew how much she hated her looks and that you looked just like her."

I shook my head and stood back up. "I'm not a kid anymore, Kat. I know she was fucked up and I know I'm not as hideous as she made me feel as a child."

She walked over and put her hand on my arm. "Do you?"

I walked across the room from her. "Yes. I get it. I'm not ugly." I was a decent enough looking girl. One thing I wasn't though, was beautiful. Kat was beautiful. I knew that I was nothing like her.

Kat pulled the zipper of my dress the rest of the way up and smiled. "I have just the right shoes for this," she sang, and ran from the room.

I smoothed down my dress as I watched my reflection, sure that after a few drinks I would feel better about the choice. After the drama at the rehearsal, I wasn't sure that drinking again was the best decision, but I had a feeling I was going to need it. Kat returned a minute later with some crazy expensive heels that some guy she dated gave her as a 'please don't break up with me' gift.

"Kat, no. I can't wear those. Not only are they worth more than my entire wardrobe combined, they cost more than our rent. Besides, they look impossible to walk in."

"I am not taking no for an answer. You don't even own shoes that will go with that dress, do you?" she asked, hand on her hip.

She had a point. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought to buy shoes. I owned exactly one pair of heels, and they were silver which would look terrible. Even I knew that.

"I'm sure you have something else I can borrow," I protested, not wanting to give in.

"Sure I do, but I'm not going to lend you any. Now put them on and let's get out of here." Kat tossed the shoes on the chair and walked out of the room.

I stole one more glance into the mirror at my dress and took a deep breath. The night was either going to be completely awesome, or a total disaster. I could feel it. I slipped the torture devices onto my feet and tried not to trip as I walked out of the door.

***

I could hear the thumping of the music before even getting out of the car outside Club Verde. Kat and I were led inside to the other girls already in the main club room. We walked under the pink and green lights to the side of the stage where a table was set up for our party. Jamie already sat with the other bridesmaids, Sandra, Christine, and Becca, and a few other girls from Jamie's family and friends, in the cushioned booth. The view of the stage was good and it provided a little more privacy. We also had several tables reserved right in front of the stage for those who wanted to be up close and personal.

A super hot, mostly naked guy, walked up with a grin. "Hello, ladies. How are you doing this evening? My name is Antonio and I will be taking
very
good care of you tonight."

Antonio, our personal host for the night, was a tanned God, with longish curly black hair, rock hard abs, and a Spanish accent that could make all the girls drool. My eyes lingered for a moment on his tiny, black leather shorts that he filled out in the best way. Becca's mouth hung open, and I snickered, pretty sure she was ready to drop her panties right there for him.

Antonio made his way around the group and gathered drink orders, taking every opportunity to flirt or rub himself on the girls, eating up the attention. Something about Antonio told me it wasn't just about the tips. He really seemed to enjoy what he was doing.

"This place is something, huh?" Kat yelled above the music.

I looked over at Christine who was already porn star dancing all over some blonde hottie wearing the same black leather barely-there shorts as Antonio. Sandra was sitting in our VIP section with another employee in her lap grinding to the music.

"Sure is," I mouthed, taking a drink from Antonio and downing it.

"Take it easy with those," Kat warned. "We don't need a repeat of last night, babe."

The last thing I needed was more humiliation. There was always tomorrow for that.

One of the hosts, Stefan, offered me a lap dance and whispered a number of things he would like to do with me in my ear. His rock hard body in my lap was tempting, but he did this for a living. I was just part of the job to him. Kat pulled me aside to ask me what my problem was as expected.

"He's so totally hot and clearly into you. Why not just have a little fun?"

"Right here, in the middle of the club? Seriously, Kat."

"I'm sure they have places for that sort of thing, and besides, you were about to fuck that little troll in the men's room last night." She stuck her finger down her throat and made gagging sounds.

She had a point. There was a part of me that wanted to let go and take a chance, just for one night, say 'screw it' and do what feels good.

"Look, Kat, I'm trying. I just don't know if I have it in me."

Her face softened and she put her arm around my waist. "Of course you do. You're just thinking too much. Get out of your head and have a good time."

She pushed a shot glass toward me and picked one up for herself.

I picked the glass up and held it in the air. "To getting out of my head."

"Screw that." Kat giggled. "To getting head." We tapped glasses and downed the shots.

After a while of dancing and mingling with so many hot guys they should need a special license to be able to have all in one room, we gathered at the tables in front of the stage for the show to begin.

The first act was a group of five sinfully hot men dressed in street clothes, dancing hip hop style to a song I never heard before. The one in the middle of the group had blonde hair, buzzed short, and an ass that I just wanted to take a bite out of. My eyes slid down his abs taking note of each ripple and bead of sweat. His moves were smooth, fluid, controlled. I couldn't take my eyes off him. The other girls screamed and giggled like school girls as they reached over the stage trying to grab a handful of stripper flesh. The men were all too happy to oblige, shaking their asses close to the ladies' waiting hands.

The one in the middle focused in on me, making eye contact and not breaking it for the remainder of the song. His hips bucked with the rhythm of the music and he did a flip off the stage Magic Mike style. He climbed into my lap, grinding himself into me. I was grateful for the pink lights flashing around the room, because I was sure it was masking the hot flush of crimson that must have flooded my face.

He stuck his face down into the neckline of my dress, his warm breath blew on my skin, and my heart thumped so hard against my chest I was sure he could hear it above the music. I figured that would be the worst of it, but he looked up at me, then down into my cleavage and back up to my eyes, with a small smile curving up the corners of his mouth. Then he dipped his head back down and licked from the 'v' of my dress up my neck, over my chin, and took my bottom lip into his mouth, sucking briefly before releasing it.

My mind raced with thoughts, but I did my best to ignore them. Shocking even myself, I brought my hand up and ran it over his hard chest. That wasn't the only part of him I wanted to feel. His eyes moved up to mine once again, with an 'oh the things I could do to you' smile on his mouth before he flipped himself around and slithered off my lap.

The song ended, and a new round of dancers walked on stage. I took it as my opportunity to get some air. The last thing I needed was another naked man grinding and rubbing himself all over me.

Or maybe that was exactly what I needed.

I made my way out of the main room over to the secondary bar. Luckily, everyone was dressed out there. I looked down at my dress, realizing I was the most naked person in the room, and by the looks I got from the walking penises I passed, the fact had not gone unnoticed. I took a seat and waited for the bartender to come over.

"What can I get for you, sweetheart?" the bartender asked, smiling at my tits briefly before finding my eyes.

I only planned on having a beer, not really prepared for a repeat performance of the rehearsal dinner from hell, but as I stood there, surrounded by gawkers, I reconsidered.

"A shot of tequila would be wonderful," I said, trying to sound confident in the choice.

"Sure thing, babe." He took one more peek at my boobs and winked, before turning to grab the bottle.

"Make that two," a voice from behind me said. The body it belonged to slid a hand onto my shoulder and sat down next to me.

He wore baggy pants that slid low on his hips and a white hoodie that was up, but unzipped. He had sunglasses on, like he was trying to conceal his identity.

I was confused for a moment by the stranger who was not only sitting much too close, but still had his hand on my shoulder. He lowered the sunglasses briefly, showing me his eyes. It was the stripper who had been in my lap less than ten minutes before.