Recap: Ranger and Stephanie attempt to capture a guy, but he isn't home. Stephanie uses logic to figure out which club nearby he is likely to be at, which happens to be a strip club.
Stephanie
I've only ever been in a strip club once. It was for my best friend Mary Lou's bachelorette party, and the strippers were all guys. This was….a little different.
This wasn't a classy place. There were a few scattered tables around a raised platform that looked like it was made of plywood and covered with oilcloth. The chairs were all of the metal folding variety. An ATM near the entrance had a $10 surcharge. The dim lighting emphasized the general grodiness of the place. Loud music blared from all directions, something with a hard, thumping beat. I tried to hold back a shudder.
Ranger leaned over to my ear, but had to almost shout to be heard. "You see that room in the corner?" I nodded. There were two men built like Mac trucks standing in front of a door that was painted the same color as the wall. "There's something going on there. The bouncers are guarding whatever is going on there, far more than they are looking at the dancers. Could be an illicit card game, could be drugs or guns."
I glanced in that direction again. Clarence Sampson sat only two tables away from the bouncers, his eyes locked on the woman gyrating around the pole. "There he is," I whisper shouted into Ranger's ear. "But he's really close to those bouncers."
Ranger
I hate places like this. Flashing light and loud music make it hard to adjust your senses to pick up threats. At least there wasn't a disco ball. Trying to avoid attracting attention, I led Stephanie to a table in one corner. It didn't have my back to the wall the way I prefered, but it was as close as we could get and still be able to see our target.
Stephanie looked around. "I'm the only woman here who isn't a stripper. Won't I stick out?"
"Sometimes couples come to these places. So it's not unheard of."
She nodded and scootched her chair closer to mine. She leaned her head on my shoulder and rubbed my bicep. Internally I froze. I could feel every inch or where she had touched me, like her hands were made of fire. She leaned over to my ear. "So, If I do this, we won't stick out as much?" I nodded. I wasn't really sure what else I could do. "If we try to grab Sampson where he is, will the bouncers stop us?"
I nodded. "They probably don't take too kindly to any kind of law enforcement here. Even with the proper paperwork."
"If we get him away from the bouncers, closer to the entrance, what about then?"
I looked at the layout. The bar was close to the entrance, and it was a straight shot out of the building and onto the street. Since the building was on a corner, we could get back around to my truck while out of sight.
"Could work. What are you thinking, wait until he comes to the bar for a refill?"
She shook her head. "I saw someone bring him a drink. He's not moving."
"Was it one of the dancers? They usually get the drinks at a discount. If they bring them to a customer who pays full price, they get to keep the difference."
She got an interesting look on her face. It reminded me of when she had been figuring out where Sampson was, like she was checking with some kind of internal sense. Her eyes traveled to something above my head. I turned to look. "Wednesday Amature Night!" the poster declared.
This was not how I had expected lessons to go. I figured we'd knock on a door, I'd growl a bit, and we'd get the guy into my truck, hopefully with dry pants. Sometimes they wet themselves and it was hell on the upholstery. Instead I was waiting outside the bathroom while Stephanie changed. She had assured me that what she was wearing underneath the jeans was suitable, and the DJ had agreed to let her have a go. So I waited, wondering when my life had gotten so off track.
Stephanie
I looked in the mirror with a critical eye, checking for any blemishes or rolls of fat. Looks like not having any money for food was an effective diet, I was flat as a pancake. Or my bank account. The DJ had given me the length of two songs to prepare, and I thanked God I had picked the good underwear for today. I wasn't sure exactly why I had gone with the fancy stuff, but when I had gotten dressed in the morning it had felt right.
The music changed. I had one song left, probably about 3 minutes. I took a deep breath. I couldn't believe I was doing this. "Relax," I told myself. "This is Stark Street, there is no one here that knows your mother." Adding one final layer of mascara for courage, I stepped out of the bathroom.
Ranger
I've spent my entire adult life learning to hide my emotions. But when Stephanie stepped out of that bathroom I think my jaw actually dropped open. She was wearing a matching red bra and pantie set, with lace ruffles all around the edges. It wasn't particularly revealing, nothing like the g-strings up on stage, but on her it was absolutely stunning.
"Babe…." was all I could get out, and even that was a breathy whisper.
She suddenly looked nervous and shy. "Is it OK? I don't have the right shoes. Maybe this is a bad idea…"
"You look perfect." I assured her. And she did. Absolutely stunning. I was glad for the looseness of my cargo pants, as I was starting to get a bit of an embarrassing situation in the Southern Hemisphere.
Her eyes held fear, but her face was determined. "Any tips to keep me from embarrassing myself?"
I could use some myself. "Don't try any acrobatics like you've seen on TV. Pole Dancing is a skill that takes time to get good at, just like any other. The guys aren't allowed to touch you, except to tuck money into your...clothes. If you get worried, blink at me three times in a row. But wink if you are doing OK. Understand?"
She nodded and handed me her bag, bulging with her clothes. "Wish me luck." she said as she turned towards the stage.
"Buena suerte" I whispered as a thumping, growling piano tune came over the loudspeaker. Internally I smiled. Stephanie had a sense of humor. Fiona Apple's Criminal was playing. The low, pulsing rhythm gave her a good beat to dance too, nothing super fast like most modern music. With each step she thrust out a hip, emphasizing her shape. I couldn't help but notice that she was slightly bony, she definitely wasn't eating enough. Maybe I would take her out to dinner tonight once we finished this capture, it wasn't that late.
As Stephanie reached the pole on the stage, she wrapped a hand high around it, turned her back to the metal, and slid down seductively. I tried to keep my eyes on the crowd, assessing threats, but I kept being drawn to her. She moved with the grace of someone who had studied dance as a child. Maybe ballet, or tap. Her hips moved constantly as she circled the pole, her hair whipping around. For a couple minutes the audience was enraptured with her. But then she reached down and grabbed one ankle, lifting it sideways up above her head. The crowd exploded in whoops and cheers as the bridge of the song crested. I changed my position, trying to move closer in case some idiot got any ideas. She glanced at me, winking to let me know she was OK.
I was rapt with attention at the grace of her, but also felt a pull of jealousy in my stomach. Guys were surrounding her, tucking bills into her bra and panties. And they had gotten a way better view than I had from my angle watching her. As the song ended she shimmied a bit, then sat down next to Clarence.
Stephanie
My adrenaline was pumping as I sat down in the folding chair, wiping the sweat away from my brow. I felt exhilarated, but more than that. I felt alive. I'd been scrimping and saving and trying to make it work for so long, that letting loose had been a welcome relief. And from the looks of it, I had about $30 stuffed into various straps, which would go a long way at the grocery store.
"Hey there, handsome." I said in my best sex kitten voice. Clarence looked around. "Who, me?" he said sloshilly. It was barely 7:45 and he was already three sheets to the wind.
"Yeah, you want to buy a girl a drink?" I asked, hoping to get him back near the bar.
"Well sure, pretty lady." He started to stand, but stumbled a bit. I moved under his arm to help guide him up. As I looked up I saw Ranger, ready to jump in if needed. I gave him a wink and half hoisted Clarence to the bar.
Ranger
She was doing remarkably well. I never would have guessed that a girl from the Burg would be so wanton onstage. When she hauled Clarence across the room to the bar I pulled the folder of paperwork carefully from her bag. I was ready to grab him if needed, but I wanted to see how she would handle herself. I could always step in if she ran into a problem. She made eye contact with me and then glanced at the door. I moved closer to it as she whispered into his ear. His eyes lit up, and he straightened a little. And then the two of them walked right out the exit, me following a few seconds later.
