As Fridah turned around to face the crowd again, she noticed that Cora and her man were engaged in an intense discussion. For a moment, Fridah thought she might have gone too far with Paolo but Cora wasn’t the one who looked upset. Fridah turned away from them, sending good wishes their way as she sashayed back to the stage for one last spin on the pole.
She swung herself up one last time and leaning back as far as she possibly could, only supported by her thighs this time, before the song ended.
The noise hit an impossible peak as Fridah left the stage.
“Misty Galore, gentlemen.” Leroy spoke into the speaker again. “And our next…”
Fridah entered the corridor, as someone spoke to her.
“You were amazing.”
*****
“Why did you take me there?” Paolo demanded as soon as they left the strip club.
Cora shrugged, “I thought you’d enjoy it. It wasn’t that bad, was it?”
“Your roommate was grinding herself all over me!” Paolo protested.
“Yeah okay…but you didn’t enjoy it? It wasn’t fun?”
“No it wasn’t fun. You were sitting right there staring at us.”
“So it was the awkwardness that got to you?”
“It was the ‘what the fuck am I doing here?’ that got to me.”
“Well, Fridah seemed to think it would help us loosen up with each other,” Cora said sheepishly.
“You told her?”
“Okay. Newsflash Paolo; girls tell each other about sex.”
“Good to know,” Paolo replied grumpily.
“Hey. You wanna try again tonight? I’m game if you’re game.”
“You sound like we’re going to the dentist.” Paolo said grumpily.
Cora leaned in threading her arm through his, “Please?” she wheedled.
“Never. Beg me for sex,” Paolo replied.
“Is that a yes?” Cora asked with a grin.
“Of course it’s a yes,” Paolo replied.
*****
Paolo was out of his element. This wasn’t how his relationships usually went. His one other serious relationship had been with a girl named Gina; a friend of the family. She’d been around them growing up, a convenient addendum to his life. for a long time, he’d thought she would end up being his wife. That was until he’d discovered her in bed with Manuel his gardener.
And then there was Cora. First of all, he’d managed to fuck sex up. That was just…wrong. He didn’t do that. He was a maestro between the sheets if he did say so himself. And then Cora had pulled a fast one and taken him to a strip club. It was like these days he hardly knew if he was coming or going. She was supposed to be putty in his hands but he was beginning to feel like it was the other way around. Still, whatever he was feeling, she seemed to be feeling it too so maybe not all was lost. He would let himself bask in it for now. Let himself get pulled into this…thing…that they were doing. And then when the time was right, he would strike.