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ChapterTwo
BERNIE
“Alright,ladies. I’m so glad you’re here today to celebrate Morgan. It’s very important for new wives to bring a new skill to the bedroom, and while most don’t have a pole in their house, some of the moves you learn today will translate well into a sexy strip tease for your man.” Liz, the instructor at Pink Leather Fitness, claps her hands together and walks over to a sound system.
I turn to Gia, my face reddening with the thought of performing a strip tease. “Is this real life?”
Gia snorts. “I know, right? I never would have thought I’d find myself learning how to pole dance.”
“Spread out, ladies,” Liz chirps. “Pick your pole for the evening. Don’t be shy.”
I shuffle toward the pole in the back. I’m not the most coordinated gal around. While my hand-eye coordination is stellar, when I add in body movement—meh, better not.
The room is dark, and a full wall of mirrors wraps around two of the three walls, so there’s no escaping not seeing myself for the next ninety minutes. The room has several spotlights, and I’m wondering if they’re all strategically pointed toward each pole. The place is oddly set up as if it were a club, each pole on a stage of its own.Great.
I survey the room and see that Morgan and Ruby are up front, Gia a little off to the side near Morgan, and two women that work with Morgan and Gia are chatting excitedly to my right. I’ve commandeered the back corner, hoping to hide. Just as music starts to fill the room, Morgan looks back at the small group here with her, and she’s all smiles.
When Ruby told me that she booked a pole dancing class for Morgan’s bachelorette party, I couldn’t stop my jaw from hitting the ground. Morgan is your typical girl next door. She’s beautiful and innocent and so stinking sweet. The last thing I saw her wanting to do was learn how to dance around a pole. When I asked her about it later, she just shrugged her shoulders and said it was something new and exciting, and who better to experience it with than her best friends? That comment softened my heart, but it didn’t get me excited for the experience.
When her gaze lands on me, her eyes and smile widen, her shoulders scrunching, and she mouths, “I’m so nervous.”
I smile back and nod my head. “Me too,” Though I know she probably can’t hear me.
Liz moves to the pole in the middle of the room. “So, to start, I’m going to show you all some basic moves. We’ll spend some time learning those moves, and then we’ll get the chairs out and I’ll teach you all a simple, yet sexy dance that you can take back home to your lovers to show off what you learned.”
What? How is that going to work?
I didn’t think we’d be learning how to dance on a chair too. I shudder at the thought of all of us taking our friendships to the next level when Liz starts twisting and twirling around the center pole. Utterly fascinated at the sheer strength she has in her thighs, I watch with rapt attention as she finishes her routine.
We all clap, amazed at how stunning it was. Then Liz starts showing us how to maneuver around the pole. At first, it’s intimidating; even though Liz makes it look so easy. I glance around the room, and most of the others seem to be catching on, while I put maybe half my energy into it. After giving us directions, Liz walks around the room, providing more one-on-one guidance. When she gets to me and my lightly worked pole, she looks at me kindly, and I worry she’s about to take pity on me.
“I think if you put in a little more effort, you’d find you’re a natural on the pole.”
I snort and then cover my mouth quickly with my hand. “I’m sorry. That was rude,” I say loud enough for her to hear me over the music.
She chuckles. “Do you know how many women are dragged in here by their friends, scoff at the idea of pole dancing, and then leave feeling rejuvenated and powerful?”
I shake my head. Liz continues. “So many women. I know pole dancing gets a bad rap because it’s a stripper’s dance, but what a lot of people don’t realize is that it’s an amazing form of exercise. It builds core strength, mental stamina, and enough self-confidence to set a football field on fire. I can tell by the way you move you’re a mix between embarrassment and unsure of what your body is capable of. I can also tell that if you put in a little more of yourself, you’ll probably fall in love with the pole.”
I stare at her, blinking slowly, and resist the urge to check over my shoulder to make sure there isn’t some more athletic woman hiding behind me that she could be talking to. There’s no way she’s talking about me. It’s just not possible.
She places a hand on my arm. “Why don’t you give it try?” And with that, she moves on to chat with Gia.
Chewing on my bottom lip, I replay her words in my mind.
I’m an easygoing girl. I’m happy. I’m kind. I have great friends, and I kick ass at my job. I’m attractive and fun, even if I’m lacking in love, but that’s mostly due to not trying. Maybe if I become one with the pole I can find some untapped confidence.
Nodding to no one but myself, I wrap a hand around the pole, drag my eyes up the length and back down, and make the decision to give it all I’ve got.
* * *
The class comes to an end all too quickly, and I wish I wouldn’t have wasted time half-assing the lesson. I learned two things over the past ninety minutes. One, that learning a sexy dance using an empty chair is not my forte, and two, that pole dancing is in fact empowering as hell, and I want to come back and learn more.
The girls are all gathered near where we dropped our bags and shoes as I take a second to thank Liz. She’s standing at the sound system again, tapping out something on her phone.
“Liz, thank you so much for today, and for your kick in the pants earlier.” I smile sheepishly.
She looks up from her phone and grins. “Girl, it’s not the first or last kick in the pants I’ll perform. But you’re welcome.”
