Title: Show Girls
Summary: Every man had their favorites at the speakeasy, but truth be told the men came for the show girls instead of the ale. That's why he came to watch her every night.
Author: Bibliophile Nincompoop
I see my body as an instrument, rather than an ornament.
~Alanis Morissette
He didn't intend to walk into the speakeasy that night, in fact, he'd rather be anywhere but there. If his mother found out that he was in such a sleazy place, he could already imagine the pain in his ears. But he was on his way home from his job at the town library, when the call of nature hit him. He was a gentleman, after all, so finding a bush off the side of the road, would not be acceptable, not to mention the embarrassment if he were caught. But when he went on his search for the closest restroom, he quickly realized that the tavern was the only place open in town. So he begrudgingly made his journey into the building of booze and fornication.
Since their town was relatively small, Shikamaru knew practically every man in the pub. There were the usual drunkards, some unhappily married men, and the men who tried to drown their sorrows and sins. Women tended to stray from the tavern, whether they thought it to promiscuous or they rather not know what their husbands were doing, he'd never know. The only women in this joint were the dancers and singers, they were mainly lost souls trapped in tight dresses and spiky heels.
Shikamaru bolted toward the seedy bathroom before anyone could recognize him, not that they would remember him in the morning anyways. After he had washed his hands at least twice, Shikamaru made his way stealthily towards the side door when a group of men from the bar started to charge toward the stage, carrying Shikamaru in tow. His rump had somehow been planted on a leather topped stool, wedged between two hefty men who were cheering and practically salivating at the mouth. Shikamaru gulped, knowing what was in store for his virgin eyes, the show girls.
As soon as those tattered red cinema curtains opened he was blinded my a flurry of layered skirts, he had never seen the can-can before, he'd never seen under a woman's skirt before either. Blondes, brunettes, red heads, you name it they were there, shapely legs and all.
Shikamaru loosened his dingy green tied, feeling the perspiration collecting around his throat, his matching coat and slacks insulated the heat more so. But he'd never admit it was because he was seeing the knickers of five girls, he would just blame it on the tight quarters he was currently stuck in. The song died down and the girls disappeared, and Shikamaru finally released his long held in breath.
"Their amazing huh?" The big boned man next to him smiled, and offered out a hand. "The name's Chouji, I'm the local butcher's son."
"My dad knows your dad," Shikamaru inwardly groaned, he hadn't made it out without being caught. "I'm Shikamaru."
"If my dad knew I was here, he'd probably blow a fuse." Chouji continued, scratching awkwardly at the back of his head. "Do you think we could keep this a secret between buds? I don't come here because I'm some kind of pervert or anything, it's just... I'm sorta carrying a torch for one of those dames, but she'll never see me as anything more than Mr. Five Dollars."
Shikamaru was astonished, that was a lot of money for it being 1922. That was enough to buy food for the next two weeks, well for Chouji maybe a week. Shikamaru gave a lopsided smile, at his new 'bud'. "Sure thing, the last thing I want my mom to know is that I'm hanging around in this joint, especially with all that prohibition mumbo jumbo."
"Silly thing," Chouji chuckled, pointing over at a blue clad man in the corner. "That there is the sheriff, I don't think anyone is this town is going to stop us from drinking the giggle water."
"Shut your kissers." Hissed the man on the other side of Shikamaru, "One of the dolls are coming back on."
And so they watched on transfixed on the half-naked women, like any man would. The fist dame was a brunette throwing daggers at some guy, the next was a faded out redhead who challenge a man to a lifting competition and she surprising won, for being such a scrawny gal. The following flapper was Chouji's girl, the platinum blonde did some seductive dance, that earned loose change to be thrown in her collection pale other than Chouji's five crisp bills.
All she simply did was lean towards him, giving him a nice shot of her cleavage, whispering. "Thanks Mr. Five Dollars."
She seemed like she'd be a complete pill to Shikamaru, but who was he to criticize another man's heart. After her was a timid pale girl who did an interpretive dance while water fell on her. Poor girl thought that the men were clapping for her skill, when in all actuality it was the fact they could see through her tiny shirt.
"What's eating you?" Chouji looked over at Shikamaru.
"Whattya mean?" The obsidian haired man wiggled on the uncomfortable stool, concluding that their was a loose spring in his cheek.
"Well, at this speakeasy, there is a little rule we got here." The large man smiled. "You have to at least tip one of your favorite dames, and you sir haven't coughed up any of the dead presidents."
"Well none of these Shebas have tickled my fancy yet." Shikamaru sighed, taking a gander at the grandfather clock by the bartender, he'd been there over two hours, his mom was going to ring his neck like a plump chicken.
"Well the next girl is a feisty one, a hotblooded city girl." Chouji waggled his eyebrows at him, causing Shikamaru to chuckle a little.
"She sounds troublesome-"
The lights cut out and a single spot light lit a path to a luscious red heeled leg, that was peeking out of the curtains.
"You had plenty of money in 1922." Came the husky yet lovely voice, as she revealed herself to the crowd.
"You let other women make a fool of you. Why don't you do right, like some other men do?" She had golden hair, which was pulled back into four pig-tails. Sparkling diamonds surrounded her long throat, and her wrists, her strapless crimson gown shimmered just as brightly as her riches. Her body was god's finest creation.
She stepped down from the stage, making her rounds to the men, who practically threw change and dollars into the small pouch on the side of her thigh. But when someone got a little grabby, she shoved them off their stools. "Get out of here, get me some money too. You're sittin' down and wonderin' what it's all about. If you ain't got no money, they will put you out. Why don't you do right, like some other men do?"
"Get out of here, get me some money too." She got closer to where they were sitting and Shikamaru could practically hear the blood rushing throughout his body.
"Now if you had prepared 20 years ago, you wouldn't be a wanderin' now from door to door. Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here, get me some money too." She pulled off Shikamaru's fedora and placed it gingerly on the top of her head, resting her hands on each of legs, so close he can smell the peppermint on her breath.
"Why don't you do right, like some other men..." Feeling brave Shikamaru fished out his wallet, sticking a dollar between her chest. This earned him a seductive wink, and he practically turned to mush as he watched her return to the stage. "do?"
The next night he returned, and the night after that, and the night after that. He had gone to the speakeasy every single night for the past four months, just to see her. She was liquor that he had to have every last drop. They never once shared a single word, but her eyes told the world in their depths. And her songs, never the same melody, never the same emotion, but all the lyrics seemed to be for him. At first the night would end with her stealing his hat, and it would manage to make it to his doorstep each morning. Then moved on to her kissing his cheek, leaving red lipstick for him to scrub off before he went home. And now she sat on his lap, caressing his chest with her sinuous bare fingers. He now knew how Chouji's small affection from his flame felt, to have her touch or smile, just for him, felt like heaven on earth.
Until the government got a whiff of what was happening, and closed the speakeasy down permanently.
He was walking to work when it happened. Men in suits threw sleeping drunkards out on the gravel road, they took sledge hammers to the walls and counters, and finally they carted up the show girls in the middle of the streets. All five of them paraded in the public view, barefoot and in their night gowns. Most of the girls huddled together, trying to keep what little desency they had concealed, except for one. Shikamaru watched as his blonde marched up to the police officer.
"You listen here bub." She glared, jabbing her finger into the cop's blue vest. "Just because you got orders from the big cheese up in Washington, doesn't give you the right to act like some third world caveman. Grabbin' us gals and throwin' us out into the cold wearing just our knickers! Did your mamma raise you in a barn? I bet she just threw you in the pig pen, ya' big oaf."
A loud smack made its way through the crowd, and shocked gasps came from the women. The other show girls yelled for the blonde, "Temari!"
"My mamma' ain't so keen on tramps." The rotund man glared, "Now if your so hard up for cash, the whore houses are still up and running in the South. Or maybe you'll just find yourself some empty headed moneybag to marry ya'."
Temari chuckled, her head still raised, and glaring into the bull's eyes. "Ya' hit like a girl, at least do me the common courtesy of a closed fist."
Shikamaru dashed in front of her, catching the man's fist. "Now my mamma' raised me right, show girl or not, you never hit a woman. Now do what you are supposed to be doing, if not well we can handle this like men."
The two were quiet for a while until the cop snorted, "Whatever you say shrimp."
Shikamaru turned to 'Temari', the first time he'd ever heard her name. "You alright ma'am?"
"I can handle myself, I don't need some boy coming to my rescue, I ain't no dumb Dora." She growled, but Shikamaru could see that in her eyes she was thankful, in some menial way. "This is none of your beeswax, so beat it."
"You sure are a troublesome one, I think I like you better when your kisser is singin'." He gave a lopsidded smile, "Well this little shindig has made me late, I'll see you around."
She didn't say anything in response, from the few times that he looked back, he knew she was just staring at him as he walked to the library. Work seemed to drag on even longer that day, he wanted to see her, no, needed to see her, at least once before she disappeared. As soon as he finished locking up, he ran straight for the speakeasy, charging through the rubble and muck, being driven by the source of a single spot light. And there she was sitting backwards on an old chair, wearing that red dress.
"I got dolled up, just for ya'." She smiled at him gingerly, resting her chin on the back of the chair. "Have my hair down and curled too."
"You look beautiful, just like every night." He offered, his heart beating in his throat. "I didn't know if you'd be here, I hoped that the whole yellin' at me thing was just a gimmick."
"I'm leavin' as soon as you go home." Temari stood up from the chair and walked over to Shikamaru, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And don't tell me you're fixin' to take me home with ya', I've already met your mom, and I don't think I could handle that bearcat everyday."
"Well then," Shikamaru smiled, lacing his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. "where are we going? Mom kicked me out as soon as she found out I was goofy for some show girl."
A/N: Okay, I'm sorry for all the 20s slang, but I had to! I love the 20s and their quirky words. By the way goofy means in love, just so ya' know. The song is by Peggy Lee, but I was thinking of the version where Jessica Rabbit sings it (Same dress, but more red) Ok hoped you enjoyed.