What's Really Good

Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

I stood frozen in place; a wild crowd stood out in front of me waiting for me to make my first move. The music was blaring through the speakers, and I could hear people talking loudly to each other, trying to hold conversations against the hardcore rap song being mixed by the DJ from the other side of the large room. This wasn't the song I pictured making my debut with, shit I hadn't even practiced dancing to anything that remotely sounded like this. Dancing, that wasn't exactly what I had been practicing now was it? No, and like the lump in my throat and butterflies in my stomach that I was fighting to suppress, I needed to get the fuck over it. Fight of flight, this was my moment. There was just a lot to take in, the bright stage lights, so many eyes on me as all I wore were tight underwear and an open buttoned shirt I was soon supposed to remove. My breathing was all over the place as struggled to remember if I was supposed to take deep long breaths or quick short ones to calm the fuck down. Suddenly, as the crowd began to become straight up impatient and unruly, a booming voice could be heard and I knew whose voice it was all too well.

"Princess, if you don't get your ass on stage, we ain't got all day, damn!" Darnell fumed embarrassing the fuck out of me. And just like that my fear transitioned to rage and I was ready to fight him, besides it was partly his fault that I was in this predicament. As my head shot over towards where I heard his voice, ready to just say fuck it, and storm off, I saw Jamel standing beside him. He looked at me with a confident nod, and gestured that I could look at him in the eyes. And through his eyes I remembered our conversation my practice the night before.

(Flash back)

The choreographer had just packed up his belongings affirming that he took me the best he could at this point and the rest was going to be up to me. To be honest, the moves weren't hard and I hadn't been nervous to strip down to my draws and dance when it was just the two of us. We actually had a lot of fun working on my routine and using the strip pole.

As he left, I continued to use the mirrors to work on my form and dance seductively on the pole, making sure I didn't hurt myself climbing up it and spinning around. This shit required all of my core and upper body strength and was a killer workout.

As I turned to put my towel in my gym bag, I saw Jamel leaning on the wall watching me. "Where did you come from?" I found myself wondering how long he had been standing there.

"You do know I work here, too right?" He sarcastically replied.

I rolled my eyes at him, putting the towel over my arms suddenly feeling naked in front of him, "Boy how can I forget, you and Darnell remind me every chance I get that y'all manage this place."

"Someone sounds like a hater. I was doing some stuff in the office and I hadn't realized how late it was, then I could hear the music and figured yall was in here."

"Yeah it's my last practice, tomorrow night I go out there." I said trying not to sound nervous in the least as I gestured towards the general direction of the front of the club where the stage was.

He rubbed his chin as he replied, "No, tonight you go out there."

"Huh? The club is closed tonight Mel, what the hell are you talking about?" I asked in confusion.

He walked over to me and grabbed my hand as he led me out the room, "I know that fool, but you should do a final rehearsal on the actual stage don't you think? Now come on."

He made it seem like I had been rehearsing for play or some shit, but at the same time he wasn't wrong here. He led me through the corridor that connected directly to the entrance of the catwalk to the stage.

"Be right back going to change the lights so the vibe is right and put on some music for you."

The stage was a lot bigger from this vantage point and I can't believe I didn't think to at least practice here before my actual first performance. As I waited for Jamel, I walked around the stage idly getting better acquainted with the pole and dimensions.

The house lights turned off and then one lone spotlight turned on illuminating the center of the stage. The effect was captivating and of course it made my own eyes drawn towards it, just as R&B music came on filling the room with a rhymical beat I began to get into. Jamel returned from whatever backstage area he went to grab a chair and sat down directly below center stage.

"It's your time kid," He said smiling up at me. "Now show me what you learned."

I laughed as I responded, "Your creepy ass looks like you are enjoying this way too much!"

"Come on, I ain't got all day Mar. Show and prove." He gestured with his hands towards center stage.

I took a moment to swallow and draw in my focus as my body began to move deliberately, confidentiality, and sensually to the music. I locked eyes with my lone audience member, deciding I would show off a little bit to Jamel. He wanted to see what I could do and the familiar face he held didn't cast any judgement towards me. This was just Jamel, my friend for many years and he was always the chill one, the one who generally had good advice, and looked out for me.

So, I danced, showing him all of the dirty moves I had learned. How I could now climb up the pole and maneuver around on it, gyrating my body, spinning around it, and making love to the ground in front of it, all the while keeping my eyes on his own. That was the magic of the seduction of this dance, to hold your audience, draw them in, and get them to want to fuck you. No, get them to imagine they were in fact fucking you, and seeing just how bendy you were. See all the positions they could have you in, how flexible and fuckable you were. I knew I had a very sizable dick and ass, and that's what I had to tease 'them' with when I was up here. Leaving little to imagination but simultaneously making them imagine so much more.

It was all in how I moved my body, full of confidence and controlled pose. Twerking my ass just at the right moments in sync with the beat, gyrating my hips and air-fucking the area in front of me and then the floor. The whole time my eyes were on Jamel and he seemed transfixed. No longer was he smiling and chuckling like I first started my routine, now he looked at me almost was it hungrily? No, we were boys and I was just using him as a prop. Wasn't I?

As the song turned off and I climbed down the stage, Jamel licked his lips wondering what I was going to do next. But when all I did was stand there and look at him expectantly he shook his head and rubbed his face exiting just whatever fantasy he was dreaming up about me.

"So, ahh," I was suddenly nervous and uncomfortable again standing in front of my boy mostly naked. "What do you think?"

He chuckled as he sat up trying to adjust what I could make out was a raging erection. "Come on Jay, you know you killed that shit? Fuck, you asking me for?"

I chuckled awkwardly as I responded, "Well thanks, I mean the whole reason I just did that was for your feedback. Glad to see all these hard ass practices paid off, I'm just trying to make sure I don't fall on my face."

Jamel stood up in front of me and he said, "You are about to make us a whole lot of money. And if it takes you looking at me to get you to do exactly what you just did up there, don't just fucking look for me in the crowd. You hear me?"

***(End of flashback) ***

I nodded at him and walked out, starting to catch the beat as I made my way to the center of the stage never ceasing the lock eyes with Jamel. It was just him and I again, and I could do that. The crowd disappeared from my view as I just looked at Jamel and moved to the beat.

I knew this fucking routine like the back of my hand, I could do this. Just like I did it the other night with Jamel, for Jamel. He was my prey, my audience, my muse, my friend.

As the nerve fell away, my dance moves became bolder and daring. I was  shaking my ass and twirling around the pole alternatively. And the dollars started to pour, flying from all sides of the stage. Then hands were trying to touch me, to slide dollars inside of my underwear bands. I have to admit, I really didn't like all the hands of strangers on me. And I really started to lose my cool when I could no longer see Jamel, the crowd in front of the stage blocking his view. I continued to hump the air as I moved flirtatiously in front of the crowd, knowing it's how to bring in the real cash. To allow them to touch me and fulfill part of their sexual fantasies. But ugh, why are folks so touchy. I felt the hands of men and women, rough, soft, probing, and groping hands on my chest, legs, ass, and dick. I tried to mask my face as I began to move and contort my body that would make it hard for the crowd to touch me, but easy for me to show them just how freaky of a dancer I was. It was like I was showing them how I could stroke them and throw it back on them all at once.

I had to zone out to complete my dance and I think I managed to get a decent job, as I counted the bands I made exiting the stage.

            As soon as I made it to the back, Darnell grabbed me and pulled me into a hug.

"Yo, Jahmar that sexy as fuck. I ain't gon lie you I thought I was going to have to come up there and pull your ass on stage, but I see you found your courage and did the damn thang." Darnell commented.

"Boy, if you don't chill out," I said as he hugged me tightly, but it was a rare occasion for Darnell to not only give my props but also touch me affectionately. He would usually only put his hands on me to rough me up. "Your hulk us is suffocating me."

He let go and mushed me in my head, "Shut up, punk. Now go back out there and see if anyone wants a lap dance."
I gave him an irritated look, "Nigga what?" I thought my debut strip dance had been enough for one night.

"You know what, I'll give you a pass tonight. But don't act like you don't know that it's part of the job! You are not about to get away with not doing what everyone else here does."

"Darnell, listen, you got me fucked up if-" I started to go off but got interrupted as Jamel reemerged from the back office.

"Come on you two, let's take it easy we got a business to run." He intermediated. "Darnell, Chuckles said he needs to see you when you got a second at the front door."

"Chuckles always fucking something up. What the fuck he do now!?" Darnell fumed as he quickly spun around and headed to the front entrance leaving Jamel and I alone.

"You did good up there." He said trying to keep his focus on my eyes and not my body.

"Thanks," I said smiling at him. "And thanks for looking out. I kinda lost you there after a while, it was crazy."

For a moment Jamel looked guilty but he quickly became stoic again. "Yeah, umm I got a phone call and had to step away. My bad."

"Nah, no need for apologies. I was able to get through it and I'm sure it won't be as hard the next time." I said but as I ended my sentence Jamel was already turning his head his attention on something or someone else.

"Yeah, for sure, I gotta take care of something" He responded before quickly walking away without another word or look in my direction.

I stood there in confusion until the cold air hitting my body had me ready to shower, get dressed and get the fuck out of there. I don't know what was going in with Jamel and why he was acting so weird. But I was over it and ready to take my ass to bed.