"Are you kidding me!?" Laura asked in a panic, her eyes darting around the 'bar' Danny had insisted they check out together. "This is a strip club!"
"Duh." The taller girl laughed, "I told you it was called Teasers... what'd you expect?"
"What if someone from work sees us!?"
"That's ridiculous, no one from work would be caught dead in a place like this."
"Exactly!" Laura hissed from under her breath as Danny led them through the dark, sleazy establishment.
They weren't breaking any laws by being there, but that did little to ease Laura's worries. She was the department's best detective, and it had taken years for her to garner the respect she deserved. The last thing she wanted was to throw that all away by getting spotted in a place like this.
"I'm leaving." Laura huffed with a shake of her head, turning towards the exit.
"Hey." Danny whined, grabbing a hold of her friend's elbow, "Just give it a try." She pleaded, her cool blue irises softening and her full bottom lip jutting out in a pout.
Laura rolled her eyes and tried to pull away, but Danny's grip only tightened. This was ridiculous, Danny should have known better than to bring them to some sleazy strip club in downtown Seattle. There were so many great clubs and bars, why the hell were they wasting their time in a place like this?
"You need to let go and have some fun." Danny insisted, dragging Laura over to a secluded corner where they could speak more privately. She released Laura's elbow and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to put on a stern look.
"We have fun at regular clubs all the time." Laura complained, her eyes wandering over Danny's shoulder and landing on one of the topless dancers. Her stomach clenched and she swallowed. Oh god. She cleared her throat, shifting her gaze back on Danny in attempt to ignore the telltale signs of desire.
"I don't mean that kind of fun," Danny raised an eyebrow and made a scissoring motion with her fingers. "I mean like..."
"Stop that!" Laura scolded, slapping away her friend's inappropriate gesture.
Danny giggled and rubbed the back of her hand, "I'm trying to help you out here... It's been what, like six months since you broke up with Carson? It's time to get back out there; you've been celibate for long enough."
"Not everything is about sex."
"It is when you find someone who can actually make you orgasm."
"Shh." Laura stretched up on her tip toes and covered Danny's mouth with her palm before looking around to make sure nobody was listening. "Not so loud." She chided, retracting her hand with an adorable blush.
Danny tried to hold her tongue, she really did, but in the end she just couldn't help herself.
"What kind of lesbian can't make a girl cum." The tall redhead mumbled with a smirk, "Talk about useless." She added a little louder, dodging a playful slap to the arm.
Laura shook her head in amusement, unable to hold back a smile. "Why am I even friends with you?"
"Because..." Danny threw her arm over Laura's shoulders, "I know what you need, even when you don't think you need it. Now come on there's a ton of sexy strippers waiting for you."
Laura sighed in defeat. As stupid as this idea was, she knew better than to argue. They wouldn't be leaving until Danny was convinced she'd at least tried to have a good time. Plus, if Laura were being honest with herself, there was a part of her that really wanted to let go and have 'fun'. It had been ages since she'd thrown caution to the wind and had a good time. She was constantly trying to prove herself as responsible and capable at work and the pressure of practicing control was starting to seep into her personal life. Over the last few years, she had become so focused on her detective work, she'd managed to completely abandon all aspects of life that didn't involve the homicide division of Seattle's Police Department. It wasn't the healthiest way to live and she knew that. Sooner or later she would have to give into her physical needs, and it looked as though tonight would be the night.
Trailing after Danny, Laura had no idea where to fix her gaze. Something about watching the naked women dance felt wildly inappropriate. She did her best to keep her eyes in neutral territory, but there were half-dressed strippers everywhere. Some grinded against poles, while others danced sensually on the laps of excited strangers. The situation was equally arousing and bizarre. Laura didn't know whether to feel turned on or grossed out. Then again she'd never been all that adventurous in the bedroom. Not that she was against spicing things up, it just so happened that all of her past partners had been strictly vanilla. Laura was more than willing to try new things... As long as she didn't have to be the one who initiated the conversation.
The two girls came to a halt near one of the smaller, less populated stages and Danny gestured for Laura to sit. Exhaling dramatically, the brunette plopped down onto the empty, red couch and looked around. Across from her, on a black couch, a man and a woman looked on as a dancer grinded seductively against a pole.
"I'll be right back." Danny said, waving over one of the waitresses.
"What!? You can't leave me here by myself!"
"Relax, it will only be a few minutes."
Laura opened her mouth to protest further, but the waitress had arrived. Danny ordered each of them a drink, then turned back to her friend. She handed Laura a few dollar bills and winked. "Have fun."
And just like that she was all alone.
"How much for a private dance?" Danny shouted over the loud music pulsing through the club's speakers.
"It's usually $30 per song, but for you I'd be flexible." The gorgeous dancer smiled, running her eyes over the other girl's tall, toned body.
Danny blushed, "Oh... it's not for me, it's for my friend." She looked over her shoulder and found Laura sitting wide-eyed and timid right where she'd left her only moments ago.
Poor thing stuck out like a sore thumb.
Back at work, Laura had a reputation for being the department's resident stickler, always following the rules and being stern. To her credit, the uptight persona had done its job. People respected Laura… even if they did think she was a boring purist. Off the clock Laura was shy and quiet, but the second she was solving a case she completely transformed into a determined, brave, protector. The contrasting personalities seemed to balance Laura out wonderfully, but it did take some getting used to. Take tonight for example, Laura was an absolute nervous wreck. If Danny didn't already know better, she'd never believe that Laura was the most formidable homicide detective in Seattle.
"That's her," Danny gestured, watching as the dancer's eyes landed where she was pointing
"She's gorgeous... but are you sure she's up for a private dance?" The stripper asked with a soft laugh, "Doesn't look like she's enjoying the place much."
"I'm sure." Danny nodded confidently, "She'll warm up, I promise. It just takes a minute or two."
"Alright, whatever you say."
Danny beamed, hopeful that this could be the stress relief her friend needed. "Awesome, I'll go tell her."
Sitting alone on the red couch, Laura had never felt more awkward in her entire life. At first, she had refused to objectify the women by throwing out money as they danced, but then she didn't want to come across rude. So, to avoid looking like a cheap asshole, she tried to place a few dollars in one of the girl's g-strings. Her nervous hands had fumbled awkwardly and in the end the dancer had just grabbed the money and tucked it away herself. As if that wasn't humiliating enough, the drunken man next to her had proceeded to laugh his face off, before asking if it was Laura's first time seeing a topless woman.
The whole situation was a mess, stripclubs were clearly not her cup of tea.
"Hey," Danny appeared out of nowhere, making Laura jump.
"Jesus, you scared me."
"Sorry." The redhead laughed, taking a seat next to Laura on the couch. "Guess what?"
"You've changed your mind and we're leaving?" Laura asked hopefully, knowing full well that was not the case.
"No silly... I just hooked you up with a private dance."
"Do I have to?" Laura whined, dropping her head into her hands. "I really appreciate the kind gesture but-"
"At least let me show you the girl first. If you still want to leave, then we can go. Deal?"
"Fine." Laura sighed lifting her head. She looked over to where her friend was pointing and swallowed.
"See, what did I tell ya," Danny grinned triumphantly "She's a babe."
"Wow...are you sure she's a dancer here?"
"Absolutely. Plus she totally thinks you're hot."
Laura bit her lip, weighing the pros and cons. She couldn't even remember the last time she did something like this (probably because she never had).
Another moment passed in contemplation before she exhaled in defeat. Perhaps it was time to let go and have some fun for a change. "Alright, I'll do it. But just one dance."
Danny did a little happy dance before patting her friend excitedly on the back. "Yay! Go have some fun!"
Laura let out a quiet whine of protest but stood up on shaky legs anyway. Taking in a deep breath she willed herself to relax.
Please don't let me regret this afterwards.
"How was it!?" Danny pried as Laura joined her at the bar looking rather flushed.
"Worst mistake of my life." Laura groaned before ordering herself a shot. The wetness pooling between her thighs was uncomfortably slick, and the ache accompanying the arousal was downright torturous. Never in her life had she been more sexually frustrated. "What's the point of strip clubs anyway? All they do is drive you mad and leave you insanely turned on." She complained, throwing back the hard liquor as it arrived, then wincing as it burned her throat. She'd never been much of a drinker.
"That good, huh?" Danny smiled, twisting around on her stool so she could scan the club. Her eyes landed on the dancer she'd propositioned for Laura and she sighed, "I don't blame you for being all hot and bothered, that dancer is seriously so sexy."
Laura glanced over her shoulder and laughed, "Nobody's stopping you from getting a private dance yourself."
"You think?"
"Ya, I mean you're obviously head over heals in love with the girl."
"Am not," Danny huffed with a playful glare, "I just think she's super cute."
"Go on." Laura let out a warm laugh, "I'll be here trying to drink away my sexual frustrations."
"You know what, you're right." Danny winked before downing the rest of her cocktail and sauntering off in the dancer's direction. "Shoot me a text if you need anything."
"Yep." Laura nodded, and just like that she was alone again. At least now she didn't feel as awkward or nervous. The alcohol running through her veins was doing a good job of loosening her up. If it wasn't for the throbbing between her legs, she might actually be enjoying herself.
"Another shot please," Laura called out to the bartender, smiling as she thought about Danny's eager departure.
"First time at a strip club?" A raspy voice asked from the seat next to her.
Laura glanced over and met the stare of a gorgeous brunette. "How did you know?"
"It's a gift." The girl shrugged, wrapping a set of full lips around her glass and taking a slow sip. The act should not have been as sexual as Laura perceived it to be, but it was. Her already stimulated core clenched and she shifted lightly in her seat, searching for some kind of relief.
Then, aware that she was staring, Laura cleared her throat and tore her eyes away from the stranger's mouth. In attempt to regain some composure, she took a quick drink from her own glass. This time when she met the girl's stare, she had her body back under control - for the most part. Raising a questioning eyebrow, Laura silently encouraged the stranger to elaborate on how she'd guessed it was her first time at a strip club.
"Fine, if you really must know, my friend is one of the dancers." The attractive brunette grinned slyly, "She doesn't have a car so I get stuck picking her up from work all the time. I know all the regulars by name, and I am certain that I've never seen you in here before... I would have remembered someone so ravishing", she added as a seductive after thought, tilting her head slightly to one side.
Laura's cheeks lit up in a hot blush at the woman's choice of words. She opened her mouth to respond but her mind seemed hazy, almost as if the stranger's gravelly voice had slipped her into some sort of trance. A knowing smirk tugged at the stranger's lips and Laura felt her heart pound a little harder against the walls of her chest.
With a shake of the head, Laura finally recovered and asked, "What's your name?"
The woman's chocolaty irises watched her in amusement, the dark orbs sparkling despite the dimly lit club. Laura found the sensation to be both mesmerizing and unsettling... something about the stranger seemed to scream trouble.
"Carmilla," The stranger answered with a flirty smile, her husky voice doing wicked things to Laura's state of arousal, "and you are?"
"Laura." The shorter of the two brunettes replied, grasping the stranger's outstretched palm in greeting. As her fingers enveloped Carmilla's slightly larger hand, she couldn't help but notice the soft strength of the digits. Without meaning to, Laura's mind drifted into dangerous territory as images of those hands doing dirty things played through her head like an erotic movie.
Woah there. Laura had absolutely no idea where the wildly inappropriate fantasy had come from, they'd only just met for crying out loud. What the hell was wrong with her?
Hurrying to extinguished the improper visions, Laura ran a frazzled hand through the hair at her scalp. The unbridled sexual frustration was clearly starting to get to her head.
Get a hold of yourself.
As if sensing the direction of Laura's thoughts, the stranger broke out into a heart stopping smile. Thankfully she didn't comment on the awkwardly long hand shake, or the embarrassed blush that filled Laura's cheeks. Instead Carmilla chose to dismiss the uncomfortable moment with a question.
"So tell me, what's an uptight girl like you doing at a strip club?"
"What makes you think I'm uptight?" Laura frowned, her eyebrows drawing together in defense.
"You're wearing slacks. It's a dead give away."
"Since when?"
"You're kidding, right? They basically scream 'I'm boring and have no social life'."
Laura's jaw dropped at the girl's blunt nature, but she was happily amused nonetheless. Nobody had ever been so brutally honest with her; in a twisted way, it was sort of refreshing.
"That's a rude thing to say." Laura glared playfully, trying her best to look offended. A smile threatened to give her away and she bit down on her lip to mask it.
"It's true though, isn't it?"
Laura considered the girl for a moment, loving every moment of their banter. "I'm here because my friend thought it would be a good idea." She finally answered, running her fingertip around the edge of her glass.
"And was it?"
"I'm not sure."
"Why not?" Carmilla questioned, a little distracted by the other girl's playful fidgeting.
"Well," Laura dragged out, her amber eyes shifting to hold Carmilla's gaze. The alcohol was providing her with an unusual amount of confidence, especially considering how beautiful the stranger before her was, "At first, I was having an awful time, but then I got my very first lap dance, which was very... well, interesting. Now I'm talking to you, and I haven't decided how I feel about that yet." She teased with a casual shrug.
"Hmmm, I see." Carmilla ran her tongue over her lips to wet them before suggesting, "How about this, I'll buy your drinks for the rest of the night if you let me ask 10 questions of my choosing."
"And why would I want to do that?"
"So we can get to know each other. Besides, you're uptight remember? You could use some loosening up."
"Don't push it." Laura warned, giving a lighthearted glare. "Plus, that's totally unfair. You'll know all my secrets, and I won't know anything about you."
"Fine," Carmilla rolled her eyes in jest, "I'll let you ask me questions too."
"Wow, how generous of you." Laura exhaled dreamily, the sarcasm in her tone thick and cheeky.
Carmilla let out a throaty laugh that flowed through the air like warm honey, and for an instant Laura was lost in the sound. As the moment passed, their eyes locked and something more than words was exchanged. The atmosphere surrounding them grew tense, but in a pleasant and exciting way. Laura found herself taking in a deep breath to combat the light-headedness she suddenly felt.
"Alright, first question." Carmilla spoke softly, shifting in her stool so that she was closer to Laura. "What would be your weapon of choice in a zombie apocalypse?"
"You're joking right?" Laura burst out in laughter.
"I never joke about zombie apocalypses." Carmilla's right hand fell to her chest in mock offense. "It is a serious matter, and your answer will determine whether or not I want to entertain this acquaintance."
Carmilla took another slow slip of alcohol as she waited for Laura to answer. Talk about unfair, nobody should be allowed to make such a casual act look so sexual.
"I'm gonna have to go with a brain machine." Laura finally replied, pleased with her creative response. "If they had a food source, they wouldn't need to bother anyone."
"Amazing." Carmilla beamed, her eyes dropping to Laura's mouth before bouncing back up to meet her gaze. "Your turn."
"Alright, let's see here." Laura nibbled on her lower lip, trying to think of a good question. "What's one the worst things you've ever done?"
"Well, besides being wanted for murder..." Carmilla appeared to be teasing, but her dry sense of humor was difficult for Laura to read –she decided to laugh off the comment anyway.
"Let's see here, I once terrified a roommate in college by filling up a milk carton with fake blood as a prank. Poor girl nearly had a heart attack."
"Oh my god," Laura shook her head with a smile, "that is just pure evil."
"In my defence, the girl was a crazy, " Carmilla remarked, a smirk tugging at her full lips. "She had it stuck in her head I was a vampire or something."
"That's even worse." The shorter brunette laughed with a little unease. A distant warning alarm sounded deep in her gut but the magnetic attraction she had with the stranger was a much stronger force, and in the end she chose to ignore the faint nagging sensation. Instead she allowed the stranger to pull her in with each fleeting moment.
"What can I say, I'm a twisted individual." Carmilla breathed with a sly grin before asking the next question, "Tell me Laura, do you believe in the supernatural?"
"Um..." Laura trailed off, distracted by the sound of her name falling from such heavenly lips.
"Cat got your tongue?" Carmilla hummed and it was all Laura could do to hold back a rogue moan.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?
Blinking away the desire, Laura shook herself out of it. "Stop." she slapped Carmilla's arm playfully, trying to hold back a smile. "I'm not sure. I prefer to investigate stuff like that before taking a stance either way. " She concluded with a cute shrug.
"Oh?"
"Ya, I guess I'm a bit of a dork that way."
There was a brief silence that consisted of Carmilla relentlessly staring into her eyes. Laura had wanted to look away, but an invisible force prevented her from moving. Then, with a cheshire grin, Carmilla broke the trance. "I think I might be starting to like you."
"At least that makes one of us." Laura teased after a moment, finally allowing herself to loosen up.
"You say that now," Carmilla smirked, "But by the end of the night, you won't be able to get enough of me."
"Pretty full of yourself, don't ya think?." Laura chided with a smile, her gaze fixed on the girl's chocolatey irises.
"I'd rather be full of you, but I'll take what I can get." Carmilla responded, her voice raspy and dripping in sexual innuendo. A sinister grin tugged at her lips as she watched Laura shift and clear her throat. Leaning forward, she let her lips hover just over the shell of Laura's ear, "How about another drink." She whispered, grinning devilishly when the brunette took in a sharp breath and nodded.
*2 HOURS LATER*
"Can you believe that?" Laura asked, gesturing towards the exit.
"Actually, I can." Carmilla shook her head in amusement, "Danny is totally Victoria's type."
Talk about a coincidence. Apparently Danny really hit it off with the dancer that had given Laura the lap dance... little did they know, that dancer also happened to be Carmilla's best friend.
"I guess that means you're stuck with me." Laura teased with a sly grin.
Danny had driven her to the strip club, and now that she was leaving with Victoria, that meant Laura would have to get a ride home from Carmilla.
"I can't believe you got a lap dance from my best friend." The taller brunette chuckled.
Laura buried her head in her hands, an embarrassed blush heating her cheeks. "It wasn't my idea, okay?"
"Sure... whatever you say, Buttercup."
"Jealous?" Laura teased, bumping her thigh against Carmilla's.
"Not really." The girl shrugged, making them both laugh.
They had only known each other for a few hours, but Laura already felt more comfortable with Carmilla than she did most of the people she'd known for years. It was hard to explain, but something about the brunette's presence was oddly familiar. Conversation between them flowed easily without any awkward pauses or forced small talk. In fact, Laura had been so invested in what Carmilla had to say, that she'd hardly even touched her drink. It had been two hours and Carmilla was just now ordering them a second round.
"Here you go." The bartender smiled, reaching out to hand Laura her drink.
The next moment seemed to pass in slow motion as a drunken man stumbled into Laura's back, knocking the drink from her grasp. She watched in horror as the glass shattered on the bar, the liquid splashing out all over her shirt. Beside her, Carmilla gasped in surprise, jumping back to avoid getting wet. It had all happened so fast, by the time Laura turned to yell at the guy responsible, there was nobody there. She forced herself to take a few steadying breaths, it had been an accident after all... it just sucked that she was the only one suffering the consequences.
The women behind the counter began to apologize profusely, but Laura waved it away. If anyone should be sorry, it'd be the drunken idiot who had plowed into her side. Not only was her shirt ruined, but now there were little pieces of glass everywhere.
Sighing in frustration, Laura moved to help clean up some of the broken shards. "Dammit." She hissed, drawing back her hand in surprise as a particularly sharp piece pierced the skin of her pointer finger.
"Are you okay?" Carmilla worried, her voice somehow sounding even raspier than normal.
"Ya, it's just a little cut."
"You're bleeding." The taller brunette shuttered, taking in an uneasy breath.
"Don't tell me a little blood makes you queasy." Laura laughed, grabbing a napkin and pressing it to the small dot of blood leaking from her finger.
"No, uh… no, I'm fine." Carmilla closed her eyes and lightly shook away her discomfort. "We should go to the bathroom and get you cleaned up though."
"We?" Laura raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Come on." Carmilla offered a small smile, taking Laura's elbow and leading them in the direction of the bathroom. "Make sure you keep pressure on that." She instructed as they rounded the corner. "It'd be best to get that bleeding stopped as soon as possible."
"You act like I have a gaping wound," Laura teased as Carmilla ushered her into the ladies room, "It's just a tiny cut."
"Just keep pressing down with the napkin while I go get you a new shirt from Victoria's locker."
As Carmilla turned to leave, Laura took a moment to inspect herself in the mirror. Luckily she'd chosen to wear a black blouse this evening, so her top wasn't completely see-through. If it wasn't for the fact that the material was pasted to her like a second skin, then you wouldn't even be able to tell she was soaking wet. Shaking her head, Laura released a frustrated breath. She'd always had the worse luck. Things that would never happen in a million years to most people, seemed to happen to Laura on a daily basis... unless of course it was something good, then it never worked out.
As the seconds turned to minutes, Laura became impatient. The material was incredibly uncomfortable and she couldn't wait to take it off. Eventually, she decided to go ahead and disregarded Carmilla's orders. Throwing away the napkin pressed against her cut, she began to unbutton her shirt. In the end, she'd only got halfway done before Carmilla came barging back through the door.
"All I could find was this–" The brunette stopped mid sentence when she saw Laura fumbling to open the buttons of her shirt, "Hey, I thought I told you to wait." She scowled, a low growl rumbling in the back of her throat.
"You have no idea how uncomfortable this is." Laura huffed gesturing to her wet shirt, not bothering to look up. An irritated sigh slipped from her lips as the fourth button refused to pop open.
"Here, let me help." Carmilla exhaled in exasperation, crossing the room in three large steps. She tore a piece of paper towel from the dispenser then stilled the girl's movements by placing her hands over Laura's. Their eyes met, "Press this on the cut." Carmilla insisted, handing over the white towel.
Laura rolled her eyes with a huff. "I can take care of myself."
"That's not the point."
"No? Then what is?"
Carmilla couldn't help but smile at Laura's sassy side, "The point is that I'm here, and I want to help. Does that bother you?" She asked curiously.
"No"
Carmilla adopted a smug grin. Tilting her head to the side, she took a moment to study the girl's tense features. "Unless you have something against me undressing you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, not at all." Laura breathed out almost too quickly, her pulse quickening at the thought.
The atmosphere buzzed with underlying sexual tension as Carmilla shifted closer. "Interesting" She dragged out, her hands slowly making their way down the buttons of Laura's shirt. Her fingertips brushed against the skin of the shorter brunette's chest as she popped open one button at a time. When she got to the last one a mischievous grin appeared.
A quick slide of Carmilla's fingers and Laura's shirt fell open, revealing the tan, creamy skin of her abdomen. Biting her lip, Carmilla ran her eyes over the tight muscles of Laura's stomach. As her gaze lifted to the swell of Laura's breasts under her black, lacy bra she raised an appreciative eyebrow. Meanwhile, Laura's heart hammered excitedly against the walls of her chest. She watched in anticipation as Carmilla inspected her exposed torso. The brunette's eyes turned almost black with lust, like a panther who had locked in on its prey. Laura couldn't help but shiver as the taller brunette ran her fingertips along the sensitive skin just above her hip bone. Then lifting her hand, Carmilla moved to trace the length of Laura's collar bone, before gently pushing the shirt off her shoulders. The fabric fell to the floor with a quiet thud and Laura sucked in a breath.
Waiting to see what Carmilla would do next was torturous. Laura felt restless yet paralyzed; never in her life had she been so painfully aroused. As Carmilla leaned forward, pressing their chests together Laura struggled to remain standing. Her legs felt like jello, the wetness between her thighs returning in force.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The stranger whispered against the shell of Laura's ear. The heat from the girl's exposed torso was leaking through the thin fabric of Carmilla dress, and she too felt unsteady with need. The palms of her hands found the naked skin of Laura's back and she pulled their bodies closer together.
"My place or yours?" Laura asked breathlessly, melting into Carmilla's embrace.
"Neither... there's a hotel down the street." Carmilla took a step back reluctantly so that she could help Laura put on Victoria's shirt. Then interlacing their fingers, she gave a sexy smile, "Let's go."