Chapter 45

Plan Execution Part Two

Ana POV

Rhi is sitting between me and Kate and I can feel the tension radiating from her like steam from a radiator. I wish we could put her out of her misery and just tell her the plan but it would ruin the surprise we set up for both of them. If she weren't sitting between us I'm positive she would have bolted out the door by now. Somehow she found the will to stay, but I'm not exactly sure what that is.

I admit, in the beginning, I questioned how truthful Alex was about Rhi and to be honest I still have my reservations. I'm pretty sure Kate and I will always be protective of Rhi and anyone who even expresses an interest in her. We will always question their motives. Of course there will always be that natural uncertainty but after what Rhi's been through the intensity will always be one-hundred times more. However, based on what we've seen, it seems like he cares for her and wants to make her happy. It's also quite obvious he's uncomfortable with the whole show thing and dancing with other women. I can't imagine what she's thinking or how she's feeling because she's perfected a poker face. I'm hoping she talks to Kate and I about it soon.

The whole thing about him wanting her and only her makes me want to protect her even more. We can't afford for her to get hurt again. I know where she's been and where she is presently. She's a mess and I don't think Alex truly understands how far from normal she is. If 'normal' really exists. Rhi always says that normal is overrated and I'm beginning to believe it more every day. I can guarantee one thing, if he wants to pursue a real relationship with Rhi, he has his work cut out for him. I only hope he has the strength and patience to support her while she navigates through the bullshit. It's not going to be easy, that's for sure.

I will say this, to see how they just interacted before he went up behind the curtain, I started to have a little hope that Alex will be a good thing for her. It was really sweet to see how he made sure to focus on her before he went backstage. I couldn't hear exactly what he said to her but it's obvious he's just as uncomfortable about this as she is. They're definitely in for a surprise and I can't wait to see the results.

I can honestly say that Alex is more intense than Christian, in some aspects. Christian is more of a force to be reckoned with, considering he makes sure he gets what he wants. Alex is more intense in the romance area. He leaves no question of how he feels about Rhi. Christian, on the other hand, hides his true feelings from everyone; even himself. When we were talking about love at first sight existing we weren't lying. I fell in love with Christian the first time I met him. The way he stalked me then, not to mention the way he's stalking me now, is a huge indication of his feelings but to this day he denies that love exists. He reminds me a little, OK a LOT, of Rhi.

Speaking of Rhi, she's so antsy that we had to do something so we could make sure she didn't freak out and get up and bolt. Luckily, alcohol seems to help her in almost any situation. She really does drink a lot, and no we don't like it, but it's hard to tell if she's drunk or not because she doesn't act it. Maybe if Kate and I went out with her more often we would know more but we try to keep her hidden. Not because we're ashamed of her but because she likes anonymity. She lets only the people she wants inside her bubble and we do what we can to honor her wishes.

I can guarantee, as of yesterday, when we return home she'll fade into the background like she usually does. We'll definitely keep Christian and the guys away from her after all the bullshit they have done in the two days we've been here. We'll have to be more diligent in doing so even with all the resources he has at the tips of his fingers. Having Taylor and the guys stalking us has crossed the line and I don't know what will happen if and when they meet. I say when because I can guarantee the knowledge, or lack thereof, about Rhi will eat him alive and it will drive him to the edge.

Elliot is a different story. Rhi's accepted him and considers him family. They are WAY too much alike and they feed off each other. They're like little kids and have the same sense of humor, along with the same devious thoughts. The two of them together create the perfect combination for the perfect entertainment experience. It's a good thing Elliot isn't here with us because if he was, the two if them would turn Vegas upside down and inside out was Vegas would never be the same again. Who knows, maybe it would be a better place.

I can see Rhi eying the bottle of Patron but she says nothing. I'm glad they let us keep the bottle at the table and from the look on her face she needs it. I'm surprised how well she holds her alcohol. She doesn't act drunk at all. She's had about six shots already and is still drinking her rum and coke. If I didn't keep the Patron away from her she'd probably drink right out of the bottle. I can't stop myself and laugh out loud at the vision that pops into my mind.

Kate and Rhi look at me. "What's so funny?" They both ask in unison.

"I was just thinking it's a good thing I have the bottle of Patron and we're doing one shot at a time. You look like you would drink straight out of the bottle."

Rhi laughs, "Trust me, I've been tempted to snatch it from your control many times already."

I laugh and look at Rhi, "Well, Alex did say to let you have shots, so…" I pour another round and say loudly, "Bottoms up!"

We really need to be careful. Kate and I have eaten, not much more than Rhi, but I'm pretty sure Rhi hasn't had anything since this morning. She knows better than drinking on an empty stomach. In fact, she's the one that taught us to eat and drink water to prevent hangovers and getting super sick. She also said that, depending on the alcohol, it's better to not eat. Unfortunately, I can't remember what alcohol that is. Either way, it's a good thing we're going to dinner after the show. She needs to eat more than a muffin and two Bloody Mary's.

Jack starts off the show getting the crowd of excited women hyped up and tells them they're welcome to take pictures and videos, as long as they tag the Thunder From Down Under in the any posts. The show seems to be going OK, so far, with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Women are throwing themselves at the guys, acting all crazy and horny. Though I don't blame them; They are all pretty hot. If I didn't have Christian I'd be one of them myself, especially with the way the guys are grinding and stripping and everything. I know for a fact that women are more vulgar than men.

Kate and I have observed Rhi throughout the show. I don't know what reaction we're expecting to see, she's not a jealous or possessive woman, but she's been quite tense. I'm not sure if it's just Alex's presence or the fact that the last dance is with him but I'm pretty sure the alcohol is intensifying it. All she's done is watch the show quietly and whenever Alex is on stage, she follows his every move with her eyes, watching him intently, hardly blinking or turning away. In fact, the only time she looks away is when she's reaching for her drink or a shot. I'm waiting for her to just grab the bottle and take a swig but I wouldn't put it past her to down the whole thing. Who knows, maybe she's thinking about having sex with him earlier. I smile to myself. We didn't ask but it was quite obvious they did. At least, it was obvious to Kate and I.

Throughout the show, Alex has looked at her quite a bit, but even from our point of view he looks nervous. I don't blame him. The last dance is coming up. Jack is the emceed again and he's hilarious. He's super sexy and such a nice guy, especially making these arrangements for Alex and Rhi. I mean, how many guys would do that for their friend, especially in this setting?

Jack looks at Kate and me and winks with a huge smile before he announces, "Ok ladies! This is it! The last dance of the night. It's been a fun time. We've had fun. Have you all had fun?"

There are screams from women throughout the showroom of "Yes!" and "We want more!."

Jack looks out into the audience and says, "So, we've decided to try something new this evening." He goes on to explain, "We've put numbers on the bottom of all the chairs. When I call out a number, whoever is sitting in the chair that matches the number will get a personal dance with Alex. What do you think of that?" He asks the crowd.

Women scream and the sound is deafening and we can barely hear Jack when he says, "Woah! Ladies! I'm getting the feeling that you all are excited to see who the lucky lady will be. Am I right?" He chuckles and gives a brilliant smile. This leads to more screams, the excitement causing the noise to increase a few more decibels.

Fuck my ears are going to be ringing all night from this.

By this time I have no idea if Alex has a clue about what's going on. I can't quite tell by his expression but I know Rhi doesn't. The tension between them is thick and heavy. She hasn't taken her eyes off him throughout all the 'instructions' Jack is giving the crowd.

Finally she turns her head toward me. She looks nervous and asks for another shot. "Ana, please? I need all the help I can to get through this." Her hand is shaking as she pushes her shot glass out to me and I fill it up for her, giving her a nod and small smile.

Relief is evident on her face almost instantly when she says, "Thank you. I owe you for this." Kate and I watch as she raises her glass to me and downs the shot.

There's no indication of any burn, not even a grimace. Maybe it's because she really hasn't touched her rum and coke. Just as I think that she picks up her drink and downs it too. Oops, I spoke too soon. Fuck, she's really having a hard time with this. I feel terrible for her.

I look at Kate and nod toward Rhi. She raises her eyebrows and frowns. We never expected things to be this hard on the two of them. We just wanted to make them happy. God I hope this doesn't backfire.

I decide to pour Rhi another shot and she gives me a grateful smile, "Thank you Ana." She downs that shot just as fast as the other ones, if not faster. I swear it's like she's drinking water.

Kate and I turn our heads to look at Jack and see him glance down at us. Kate nods her head toward Rhi subtly and thank god Jack gets the hint. I hope this surprise has the desired effect. She's been miserable this whole night, and Alex looks just as uncomfortable.

Jack speaks up again, trying to hurry through this part so Alex and Rhi can relax, "Ok ladies everyone take a look at the bottom of your chair and find the piece of paper on it. The lucky number for the last dance is…." He pauses for effect, "Three! Everyone look and see who has the lucky number!"

Chaos ensues as women jump up and start looking on the bottom of their chairs in excitement. Kate and I stand up, excitement and trepidation flowing through our veins, and look at our chairs. We know damn well who has the lucky chair but we have to play the part. We watch as one by one women look disappointed and sit back down. All this time, Rhi hasn't moved an inch.

"Rhi, what number is on your chair?" Kate asks her, trying to get Rhi to look. She doesn't even acknowledge Kate said anything.

Jack looks around the room and stops at our table. He doesn't say a word. He just nods his head, indicating for us to look at her chair.

"OK Rhi, let's look at your chair." Kate says to her as I kneel down and look at the bottom of her chair. Finding the paper, I look up at Jack and hold up three fingers, confirming the number on her chair.

He nods and smiles. "The lucky number is three! Come on ladies, don't be shy! Who has this chair?" He asks.

Everyone is looking around wondering who has the chair. Among the chaos, Alex has left the stage to get ready for the dance. I watch, not really surprised, as Rhi grabs the bottle of Patron and takes a huge drink straight from the bottle. Tapping Kate on her shoulder without Rhi seeing, we both look at Jack.

Jack notices that Rhi hasn't moved and his eyes widen from surprise seeing her drink from the bottle. Kate nods to him, kicking him into gear so we can end this torture of Rhi and Alex. "OK guys, it looks like we need some help in finding the winner. Why don't you check the chairs and see where the winner is?"

The other guys come out from behind the curtain and onto the floor. As the guys weave in and out through the tables and chairs on the floor, the crowd goes crazy when they get close to their chairs. Jumping off the stage, Jack starts checking the chairs in front of the stage. He checks Kate's first, then mine and checks Rhi's last.

He winks at Kate and me and excitedly announces to the crowd, "Uh oh! It looks like we have our lucky lady right here!" Women are looking around the room to see who it is as Jack says, "Come on guys, let's get her up here on stage."

Rhi has no idea what's going on. Probably because she never moved from her seat to check. Hell, I don't even think she was paying attention at this point; she looks lost in her thoughts.

Two different guys approach Rhi and hold out their hands. She flinches slightly, her thought interrupted as they both bend down, whispering something in her ear. Slowly she stands up, turning her head to look at us, confusion marring her face. We just shrug our shoulders and smile as the guys tug her hands so she walks with them away from the table. Kate and I watch as they lead her up the stage stairs and walk her to the center of the stage. Letting go of her hands, they leave her standing there, confused.

Jack walks over to her and whispers something and she gives him a slight nod. Then, with a wink and a smile on his face, he asks, "Are you ready?" She doesn't respond unless you count just blinking at him a response. He starts to walk away from Rhi and looks out at the crowd and shouts, "Let's get this dance started!"

Suddenly, the lights go out and the crowd goes silent. A few moments later a spotlight comes up and illuminates Rhi. She looks stunning.

Kate scoots into the chair that Rhi vacated and whispers, "I'm so glad we chose the satin shorts and white top. They really show off her figure. Not to mention her tan."

I nod in agreement. "She looks amazing. Finally we can put an end to her misery. This was rough watching. I didn't think it would be like this and I feel kind of bad."

Kate sighs, "I think she'll forgive us after this. If not we can always bribe her with more tequila." We laugh quietly and stop when the soft chords of a slow melody starts to play.

Alex slowly stalks out of the shadows behind Rhi, like a lion stalking its prey. He's dressed in a black tuxedo with a top hat, the jacket has tails and his chest and feet are bare. He stops behind her and reaches out, gently grabbing her shoulders and turns her around to face him. It's almost comical, the two of them standing together, there's a huge height difference. He lifts her chin with his fingers, tipping her face up to look at him and she looks like she's in shock. He's breathing heavy as he looks down at her, the intensity radiating from him.

The soft chords continue to play and when the deep voice of Solomon Burke starts singing "Cry to Me" he reaches down, pulls her arms around his neck and they start to move. It's slow and sensual and definitely not the kind of music you would think that would be in a strip show.

As they sway and move, their bodies are in sync with each other and you would think they had practiced this before the show. He's an amazing dancer and it's evident that she's better than she leads everyone to believe. He slips his hand underneath her thigh, placing her leg around his hip and leans her back in a low dip while grinding into her. When she tries to wrap her hands around his forearms I see her wince a little and glance at Kate. We watch as she ignores the pain and acts like nothing is wrong, continuing to dance.

"She's still hurting." Kate whispers to me.

I nod but say nothing. There isn't anything to say. It is what it is.

Wrapping her hands around his forearms, she leans back into the dip and drops her head back so her hair flows down and sways with every movement they make. They make something that should be difficult, because of height differences, look so easy and natural. When Alex pulls her back up he holds her so she's flush with his body before he steps back and removes his top hat and jacket so he's left in only his pants.

God damn. No wonder she's attracted to him. He's sexy. I'm going to need to have Christian do this. I wave my hand in front of my face, fanning myself and look at Kate to see her smirking.

"What? Admit it. It's hot." I say, giggling.

She smiles and chuckles, "I bet Elliot and Grey would look just as hot."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. I can't wait to get home to try this." I snicker and give her a wink.

We focus back on the show and watch Rhi and Alex captivate the audience. They haven't taken their eyes off each other and their bodies move in sync with each other, following the unspoken language that was written only for them. As the song and dance continue I can't help but think of the movie Dirty Dancing. That's exactly what they are doing, dirty dancing. I can only imagine the thoughts weaving around inside their heads; probably wishing they could be alone instead of in front of dozens of interlopers.

Glancing around the room I'm surprised. The crowd is watching in awe, silently watching the two of them dance like they are in a trance. There are dozens of phones pointed in the direction of the stage, most likely recording videos. I can just make out shadows of the other guys watching from the edges of the stage quietly. It's like time has stopped and everyone is caught up in the moment just watching the show. A very special, sexy and erotic show between two people who could be falling in love.

Kate and I look at each other and smile. "This was the best surprise we could have done. For both of them." I whisper.

Kate nods, "They look so happy."

I look over at Jack and see him watching them, a huge smile on his face and his phone in his hand. I'm not sure if he's live streaming the performance or just recording it but I have a feeling that Rhi and Alex are about to trend again. I sigh. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

The song slowly ends and, as the music fades, he dips her trailing his lips up her neck as he pulls her upright. He holds her close to his chest and wraps his arms around her and they stop moving, looking intensely at each other once again.

There's a brief silence before the crowd erupts with clapping, cheers and screams. Alex and Rhi are brought out of their private bubble like they are waking from a dream. They turn and bow to the audience, a beaming smile on Alex's face and a shy smile on Rhi's.

Jack's voice travels above the crowd as he speaks into the microphone once again. "Whew! Is it hot in here or is it just them? Wow!" He walks up to Alex and Rhi smiling. "That was intense and absolutely mesmerizing to watch." Looking at Rhi he laughs and asks, "Are you sure you aren't a professional dancer young lady?" She just shakes her head and gives a shy smile again.

He smiles and winks at her as Alex takes her hand and leads her off the stage. Turning to the audience he announces, "Ok ladies! I hope you all enjoyed the show and we hope you have a good night! Thank you for coming!" The house lights come up and once again, the show ends.

Alex POV

I have Rhi's small hand in mine as I'm leading her to the side of the stage. Holy shit, what just happened? Was that real or a dream?

Leaning down, I kiss Rhi quickly, "Wait here. I'll be right back." I release her hand and walk over to Jack. Stopping in front of Jack giving him a questioning look.

"What just happened?" I ask. I'm confused and elated.

He smiles and shrugs his shoulders. My heart feels a little tug at his next words. "Surprise brother. It's obvious how you feel about her and, from what I've seen, she just might feel the same way about you. You helped with your own surprise and you didn't even know it." He laughs, "Kate and Ana got ready while you were napping with Rhi. When you came down with Rhi to wait for Kate and Ana, they took her to get changed and then 'poof!' here she was at the show. Your whole afternoon was planned by the girls and I."

I'm in shock with his revelation, on top of the shock from what happened with Rhi today. I can't wrap my head around this whole thing.

Jack continues, "You both looked so uncomfortable throughout the show and when the last dance was coming up it was obvious you were going to have a hard time with this. It was definitely worth it to see you dance. You two are amazing together. Seeing your faces when you saw each other was priceless. Totally worth it." He gives me a huge smile and chuckles.

I can't help myself and reach for his hand, pulling him into a manly hug. "Wow. Just wow. I don't know what to say. Thank you brother, really, it meant the world to me. I have no words that express how appreciative I am. Seriously. Thank you Jack."

He nods, "Anytime brother. I just want you happy. Go talk to her and come help us clean up." He pats me on the back, giving me a little push towards Rhi and turns to walk behind the curtain.

As I'm getting ready to go over to her I say, to no one in particular, "That felt amazing. I wish I could see what that looked like from someone else' perspective."

I hear Jack from behind me, "That can be arranged. I recorded it on my phone. It was so special and I figured you would want to see just how good you two are together."

Turning to look at him he shrugs. "Besides, I can guarantee there are probably millions of videos on social media already."

He laughs when my eyes pop open wide in shock. "I never thought about that. I guess we just wait and see."

I look over at Rhi and the girls have joined her. God she's beautiful.

As I approach her I ask, "You OK?" I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear causing her to shiver.

She looks at me, smiles and blushes. "That was amazing. Oh my God I loved it. I was totally unaware of what was happening. The only thing I could hear was my heart beating in my ears. Then, when I saw you come out of the shadows, I started to panic. I was terrified I'd fall and make a fool of myself."

I smile at her, "I'd never let that happen to you. We can always play off a misstep." Bending down, I give her a gentle kiss and quietly say, "Thank you for dancing with me. Thank you for everything today." I wink at her and smile when she blushes. Giving her a pat on her ass I push her toward the table. "Go sit down. We've got to clean up the showroom. We'll be out as soon as we can.