Rick collected the writers and made his way to the Gentlemen's Club, having been provided transportation by Mr. Haverson. The club wasn't far so they had only time for a single drink in the limo before arriving.
"Good evening," Rick offered to the doorman, "I'm Richard Castle and these gentlemen are my guests. I think you were left instruction by Mr. Haverson to have us escorted to the theater. By the way, you have a very nice club here."
"Thank you for your kind words about our establishment; it is the most discreet club in the area. I welcome you to our institution. Yes, I had been informed of your eminent arrival and all arrangements are in order. If you would follow Brooke, our hostess, she will show you to your table." He motioned to a very attractive well-dressed lady of about 25 years of age to escort Rick and his writers to the table. She led them through large double doors covered with deep red velvet drapes. Very luxurious and reminiscent of the theaters of old Europe. The theater took on the appearance of the elegant opera houses of the genteel societies of the 16th and 17th centuries of Austria. Very elegant, indeed. Mr. Haverson was to be congratulated and Rick would be sure to do so.
They were seated at the most preferred table in the theater and they immediately notice the brandy snifters and the two bottles of aged brandy on the table. Thanking Brooke, they seated themselves and made comfortable for the entertainment to start. Rick was not sure exactly what was to be expected for the evening's revelry. He had, of course, frequented his share of strip clubs in the past and had several wild, drunken evenings amongst the other revelers. Many of these he would rather forget had ever happened. However, he was sure he had never been in an establishment as refined and fashionable as Mr. Haverson's club. His interest had definitely been piqued and he was getting excited to finally see the act the owner had taken delight in describing earlier.
About this time, the already dim lights lowered even more and a hush fell over the audience. The strains of a haunting ethereal melody engulfed the room and low lighting dawned over the stage. Mist filled the stage and a disembodied voice said, "Gentlemen, for your delight and pleasure, the incomparable, Emerald". Then as if materializing from the ethers, an angelic apparition appeared in the vapor at the rear of the stage. Rick held his breath, never having seen anything like this, never an opening for an act that could rival what he was viewing. The apparition glided into the low lighting and Rick was entranced. Dressed in a remarkable full length emerald sequined gown, the vision on stage was more breathtaking than any supermodel he had ever seen. She was at once angelic and at the same time, possessed a hint of forbidden lust. She was absolutely bewitching. Emerald was the most regal being he had ever been fortunate enough to behold. She was a painting by the Masters, a Rembrandt, a de Vinci, an illusion in all her glory. She was absolutely breathtaking.
Emerald glided over the floor as if not in contact with it, moving with the grace and elegance she had during the audition, but with something more tonight. She danced with an earthy passion and grandeur that had not been seen on the stage in years. Rick was unconditionally mesmerized. He comprehended nothing other than the vision that was Emerald. She controlled his breathing with her moves to the soulful notes as they were offered up by the flute and clarinet from the ensemble. She dominated his thoughts, his desires, his very being. He had never experienced anything like this in his life. She was everyone man's dream, a mystery no one would ever solve, a forbidden unreachable desire.
Emerald danced mimicking her earlier performance, her costume slowly disappearing as if made inexplicably transparent without outside interference. Rick and his writers were hypnotized with the enigma floating on the stage. Emerald was without a doubt, the most beguiling creature they had ever seen. She was the Siren of old, the image of The Birth of Venus, the femme fatale of all the novels ever written. Rick was enraptured with her lure.
Emerald continued her performance, more alluring and elusive than earlier. She was now completely nude, moving with an abandon and release she had never thought possible. She was free and unconstrained, the consummate tease. She commanded the stage, the house and the audience.
This was the power and the abandon she had sought. She had attained her Nirvana. She had captivated her audience as no other had ever approached before tonight. She danced with a sensual domination, entrapping all who were in her realm, in the maelstrom of her sorcery.
She danced for the guests at the owners table, paying special attention to Rick, tantalizing and bewitching them mercilessly. She moved effortlessly on the stage directly over their table, gifting them with the best view in the house. Looking down on them, she was the penultimate of desire, setting the audience and Rick alike ablaze. With her stage presence and the eye contact she had with the audience, coupled with the Siren Song call of her music, every man felt she was dancing for him alone, especially Rick. He thought her name of Emerald was fitting since her eyes were the deepest emerald he had ever seen, absolutely beguiling in their depth and beauty.
But in her command of the moment, she had made eye contact with Rick and felt him look into her soul. She had never experienced a connection like this before, unmistakable, undeniable, unforgettable, an eternity of longing found in that one brief instant. His piercing, blue eyes seemed to capture her very existence, breathing into her the essence of desire the men in the audience were realizing from her dance. She was entranced with him, but also somewhat fearful. How could she reconcile this instantaneous connection with a stranger; a connection that might have the capacity to transform her forever? Such was the power she felt in that momentary glimpse into a universe she had never visited.
Her body was tingling with the passion of her dance; enhanced by the sheer audacity of swaying fully nude so closely to Rick, feeling this unexplainable connection to a man she'd never met. Her nipples pebbled with the excitement of her arousal, her desire causing moisture to pool low in her being. She literally quivered inside with this new emotion she was confronting. What was going on and what did it all mean?
Emerald took her leave of the stage to thunderous applause and acclaim. Mr. Haverson would give her anything for which she would ask to remain at his club. He knew Emerald was the best there was now, maybe in the last century, at her current chosen trade. The path was hers to define. She was, after all, 'Emerald'.
After finally allowing himself to breathe, Rick called the table attendant over to ask, "Is it prohibited to ask to meet Emerald? She is absolutely breathtaking and we wish to offer our congratulation and compliments on her performance. It was spellbinding."
"Of course you can meet her, assuming her acceptance", the lady replied. "I will let her know you wish to meet with her. She will, of course, have to agree".
Rick hopes she agrees since she is intriguing beyond comprehension. It is imperative he gets to speak with her and tries to understand her allure if that is even possible. .
Rick looks up and Emerald is slowly strolling his way, gliding as if on a runway in Paris. She has acquiesced to the meeting with the honored guests, thinking it only courteous that she meets her audience. The club is not so crass as to allow lap dances or any other such lowly actions so she has no qualms about the meeting. This adherence to high standards is one reason she decided to actually consider dancing at this club.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Emerald was inexplicably drawn to Rick. The pull of her dance on him had been felt by her in return. She could not explain it, but there was an almost unstoppable attractive force between them, liked binary stars, circling each other in a never ending downward spiral. Emerald had never experienced an attraction like this before. It was even more thrilling than it normally would have been since Emerald had been achingly aware of being entirely nude when dancing for Rick. She was cognizant of an almost sexual excitement during her dance for Rick. This made her awareness of the pull of Rick even more acute.
As Emerald approaches, Rick and the other writers stand and welcome her to an open seat at the table. She graciously accepts and Rick slides her chair in as she sits beside him. She understands he is the guest of honor this evening, which is not what she needs just now, considering the attraction she is feeling.
However, she still maintains her aloof, untouchable, 'You-can't-afford-me' demeanor. She is wearing the emerald gown she started her routine with and she glows under the low lighting, the reflection off the tiny sequins giving her an ethereal aura. Her green smoky eyes glisten with the glow of the success of her dance and the ensuing gratitude of the audience and just maybe some unexplainable attraction to Rick.
Rick offers, "Hello, I'm Rick and these are my friends. If you are allowed, may I buy you a drink as a tribute to your performance? It was breathtaking."
Emerald responds with a curt, "Yes, I may have a drink and 'Yes', white wine, please". Rick immediately calls the attendant and requests Emerald's drink. Emerald graciously accepts her drink with a nod of her head. She is at once entranced with the brief contact with Rick's fingers when he hands her the wine glass. 'What is it about this guy', she ponders.
Rick continues, "Emerald you're the most fascinating woman I've met in a long time. Your dance was extraordinary and I believe you're an mystery I could never hope to solve."
Emerald simply nods in reply, not offering any conversation other than to answer simple questions. She is still Emerald and continues to cultivate the distant elegance of her stage persona. She does not break character. This makes her even more seductive to all whom she encounters in the club and specifically those at the table of honor. Given the magnitude of the lifestyle and the enthusiasm with which he lives it, Rick is more enraptured than most. He simply has to have more of her.
"Do you dance every evening?" Rick asks.
"I set my own schedule," Emerald replies. "I'm not sure when I will be here again." Kate is not sure yet how much time her modeling schedule will allow. She truly does not know, but Emerald is in control of the conversation and she divulges only what she wishes. It's her persona to be unreadable and unattainable and she embraces it with passion and zeal.
Rick asks if she will be performing again tonight and she informs him that she dances only once each evening she is in the club. (This will be one stipulation in her agreement with Mr. Haverson).
To further the Emerald persona, she thanks her guests for their generosity (Rick had given her a $100 tip for her performance) and abruptly takes her leave of the table and returns backstage to her dressing room.
Rick says softly under his breath, "My God, she is beautiful, truly extraordinary." Emerald hears him anyway and smiles internally at the compliment and the effect she has had on Rick. She can't explain yet how it is she feels the same desire.
She is overjoyed with her success tonight and wonders how far she could go in the business if she simply allowed herself to let go. She still intends to attend Stanford in the fall, but Emerald is having a lot of fun. She delights in the mastery of her audience her accomplished dance skills give her. She likes the control and dominance she has when on the stage. Perhaps Kate will let Emerald continue to play in her life for a while, maybe even after she moves on to Stanford. There is a companion club in San Francisco that she is sure she could transfer to and will still be close to her studies. Kate is living a fantasy in the guise of the assumed nom de guerre of Emerald.
However, she is yet to explain the mystifying attraction she feels toward this 'Rick' individual. It is something she has never experienced before and is somewhat puzzled and possibly even frightened by the powerful emotion. Is this only an artifact of him being the guest of honor? Is it a ramification of her excitement over being the featured dancer or is it simply that she was naked in front of this attractive man? Is it a case of the money and power associated with the individuals that are members of this prestigious exclusive club? Or is there really something there, a destiny as yet to be defined, a clarity yet to be discovered?
She wishes she knew . . .
Rick is somewhat taken aback by Emerald's sudden departure. He is not at all ready for the evening with her to be at an end. His writer's imagination is taking over and he can envision all sorts of adventures that Emerald could star in. She could be a spy in disguise, an operative with CIA or work for some other agency investigating all kinds of potential dark and mysterious happenings in the clubs in which she dances. Is there a human trafficking ring involved, what about money laundering through the elite clubs with the wealthy clientele? He needs more time with Emerald, but he might already be too late for his quest.
Will he ever see Emerald and if so, what might that encounter entail?
His duties to his publisher will keep him in the city for only two more days and then he will have to leave. He wants to get home to see Alexis, but he 'needs' to see Emerald again. He will return to the Gentlemen's Club tomorrow evening if he is able to extend his invitation.
Rick and his friends stand to leave for their hotel and Mr. Haverson moves to join them as they head for the theater door.
He asks, "Mr. Castle, what was your impression of Emerald? She is my star performer and I would like your personal assessment of her performance".
"Absolutely breathtaking," Rick replies. "She is the most fascinating young woman I have ever had the opportunity to come in contact with. She is without equal as an exotic performer. She will attract a lot of attention to your club if you allow it. I know you have an exclusive membership, but she is a force not be denied. You had better give her anything she wants, or someone will commandeer her from you. By the way, will she be dancing tomorrow?"
The owner replies, "I'm not sure since Emerald sets her own schedule and I am not aware of her plans. Her performances are hers alone and I am grateful for any time she spends at my club."
Rick adds, "You have a magnificent club and truly appreciated the effort of your staff and the hospitality you have offered us this evening. Emerald is majestic and I am happy for you she has chosen your club in which to perform. Might it be possible that I return tomorrow evening to speak with Emerald again if she returns?"
Rick gets his invitation for tomorrow evening. Will he meet Emerald again, or has he missed his chance to better know this vixen of desire and mystery? He's not sure, but tomorrow evening he will commence his pilgrimage to find his Holy Grail known only to him as Emerald.