Chapter 6:
Penny sipped on her martini at the bar contemplating her night thus far. The bartender at Chaser's, the bar they had run into, had suggested it. 'Been awhile since I had to pay for a drink' she thought as she surveyed the room. Neon lights lit up the dance floor, where men of all kinds were bumping and grinding. Penny had, up until a few minutes ago, been in the middle of it. Lee was carted away to the back to get ready for the strip night which left Penny standing gaping after him. She went to sit down before someone had grabbed her arm. She turned and saw a very handsome man smiling at her.
"Hey! Who was that cowboy you came in with?" The blonde looking Adonis asked her. Penny giggled at the cowboy comment. Sheldon tried to hard to not be associated with redneck family and here he was being described as a cowboy.
"He's just a friend of mine."
"So he's free! Sweet! Is he going to be part of the strip night cause I want to stick a few singles in his waistband" he waggled his eyebrow suggestively.
Laughing at his frankness, Penny continued on talking with Adonis (turned out to be his actual name.) before he pulled her on the dance floor to pass the time. They had danced for thirty minutes before Penny had to bow out. She could hardly keep up and she didn't want to miss any minute of Shel…Lee stripping. She was thinking of why she would want to see him stripping. 'It's still Sheldon! I mean Lee is a part of him that is great. But she wanted to help Sheldon! Not jump his bones! Right?' Penny was jolted out of her thoughts by the DJ booming over the speakers.
"Who wants to see some skin!" He yelled, which was followed by a chorus of yells, catcalls, whistles, and clapping. Penny moved to the front of the stage and was ready. 'I don't want to miss an inch of him!' came unbidden to her thoughts. Blushing at they thought she watched the first guys hump a pole. They were getting a good reception but the crowd was clearly not pleased. It wasn't until six men later that the room would explode. After number six, the host came back on stage for the next intro.
"Thank you James for that …lovely display. Didn't know you had gotten THAT pierced. Moving On! Our last contestant, but certainly not the least, is our very own cowboy. He hails from Houston, Texas and is always ready for a good time. He was part of junior rodeo so he knows how to ride gentlemen. Without further ado! The stud from Houston: LEE COOPER!"
The host jumped out of the way as the lights went off on the stage. Soon music started up and the men went crazy! Lee swaggered on the stage with just a cowboy hat, boots, and his jeans on. Someone must have given him some oil cause his abs glistened in strobe lights. The catcalls got louder the closer to the pole he got. He lifted his eyes to Penny and winked right before the lyrics started.
Well, I walk into the room
Passing out hundred dollar bills
And it kills and it thrills like the horns on my Silverado grill
And I buy the bar a double round of crown
And everybody's getting down
An' this town ain't never gonna be the same.
Lee had been handed a chair and was circling it slowing, mouthing the words to the song. He dropped into it, leaned back and spread his legs. The crowd went wild. Penny was getting shoved around, until she found herself in the back. Men were vying for some of Lee's attention. Grinning, Penny pulled out her camera and took a shot of a particularly eager man that was shoving a twenty into Lee's pants. Grinning, Lee pushed the man back off the stage before getting up to saunter about some more. Not without unzipping his jeans first that is. Penny's face felt like it was on fire. Penny had never felt so warm at a display of a man stripping. And he wasn't even close to done.
Cause I saddle up my horse
And I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
On my old stud Leroy
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy
Well I don't give a dang about nothing
I'm singing and Bling- Blanging
While the girls are drinking
Long necks down!
And I wouldn't trade ol' Leroy
Or my Chevrolet for your Escalade
Or your freak parade
I'm the only John Wayne left in this town
His boots had been kicked off back stage and Lee was slowly letting more and more skin show from his jeans. Multiple men had already stormed the stage, stuffing money and phone numbers into his pants and pockets. Lee just smiled, hip checked the men, and sent them back on their way.
And I saddle up my horse
And I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
On my old stud Leroy
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy
Lee was leaning against the pole, slid down, and when he came back up his pants didn't. Penny gasped but took another picture. She wanted to make sure this night was not just a dream. A wonderful, delightfully, dirty dream. Kicking the pants off, Lee smirked at the audience. He raised an eyebrow at Penny and licked his lips. It took all her self control not to throw herself at him. She kept stating in her head 'It is Sheldon. It is Sheldon. It is… holy crap on a cracker!' Penny leaned forward to get a better picture of Lee grinding with the floor.
I'm a thourough-bred
That's what she said
In the back of my truck bed
As I was gettin' buzzed on suds
Out on some back country road.
We where flying high
Fine as wine, having ourselves a big and rich time
And I was going, just about as far as she'd let me go.
But her evaluation
Of my cowboy reputation
Had me begging for salvation
All night long
So I took her out giggin frogs
Introduced her to my old bird dog
And sang her every Wilie Nelson song I could think of
Lee was swaying to the music and singing along as long as he could. The men below him were just eating it up. Penny had never known that Sheldon had such an exhibitionist streak. That or such cut abs. The lights made them gleam and see the definition clearly. She fanned herself before noticing the Lee had caught her doing it. He tipped his hat in her direction and grinned. Another photo was taken.
And we made love
And I saddle up my horse
And I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
On my old stud Leroy
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy
Lee threw his hat into the crowd which led to a small fight for it. He smiled lasciviously at the crowd before hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers. Penny was already nodding in appreciation at this.
What? What?
Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy
Everybody says
Save a Horse Ride a cowboy.
Just as he was sliding them down to reveal some tantalizing hipbones, the music stopped. The crowd cried out at the injustice, and Lee shrugged in empathy with pout on his face. He bowed low before strolled off the stage to the loudest round of applause all night. Right before he rounded the corner to the backstage, he winked at Penny. The crowd, not knowing it was to her, went ape. They were yelling for an encore and making some propositions that Penny didn't know were possible. The host came back on stage and shushed the crowd.
"According the rules, the winner is the man who received the most cheers. It is more than apparent to anyone here who won tonight! LEE COOPER!" The crowd's din was almost deafening. She was laughing and trying to cheer at the same time. Wolf whistles rose up from the crowd when Lee, with his pants back on, came back to get his cash. He made a show out of his thanks to his crowd, acting like a Miss America Pageant winner with his over the top waves and mock sobs. This just made Penny laugh harder and cheer louder.
Penny knew that she was going to have a hard time hearing later that night and talking tomorrow was not going to happen. She didn't care though. Leonard was right. When you went out with Lee, you never knew what you're getting into.
