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He taps the side of his nose.“People talk.Stop by my office before you leave tonight.I’ve got one set aside for you.”
The electric groove of my opening number fills the room, and a thrill races up my spine when I hear an excited murmur sweep the crowd.Some of them know me, know my song, and are excited to see me.If this is my final performance, it’s not a bad way to go out.
I prowl out onto the stage to the slow beat, each step deliberate.The trick to this, to keeping it sexy instead of campy, is to focus in, not out.I’m moving for me and for the woman I’m picturing instead of playing to the full crowd like Santa does.
I slowly pull out the knot on my tie and slide it out from under my collar, letting it slide through my fingers in a caress before it slithers between my fingers to the floor.My feet are bare, and I walk to the plain metal chair set in the center of the stage, wrapping my heel around one of the legs and spinning it so it’s at an angle.I sprawl on it, stretching out my legs, tensing my thigh muscles so they strain against the fabric of my pants.And then I go for the money shot—the cuff roll.
Undo the button at my wrist.Take my time cuffing the sleeve until my forearm comes into view.Move the whole time, just little shifts of my shoulders, my neck, my chin.An outward turn of my wrist as I start on the other sleeve.A quick bite of my lower lip, like the slide of the material over my skin is a turn-on.All of it slow, steady, a deliberate tease.
I make it clear that I’m undressing for a specific person, and I make sure everybody in the crowd wishes they were in my bedroom, watching me undress, or in my office after hours, ready to violate some company policies.Whatever the fantasy, I’m giving it, sweeping my tongue across my lower lip as I pop the top button of my shirt free in time to the heavy thump of the music.
I stand, my hips moving.My pelvis.Another button flies open, and I let my eyes fall shut like I’m picturing what I’ll do to my partner once I’m naked.As the song’s tempo picks up, I start to move faster, letting my body flow like water across the stage, adding a spin that drops me to the floor on my knees as I tug my now fully unbuttoned shirt free of my waistband.I take my time pulling it off, leaning back so my body’s at a sharp forty-five-degree angle from the floor, letting my head fall back like I’m fully giving in to the need.As I do, I hear the shrieks from the crowd, but I don’t let it penetrate the intimacy of the performance I’m giving.
I leap to my feet and move faster now, letting the music pull me along as I undo the snap on my pants and start to lower the zipper before flipping face down on the stage with a kick, catching myself on my hands at the last second.As I surge across the floor in a way that I know damn well reads as in-and-out thrusting that drives the crowd crazy, I let the pants slide lower and lower until the top of my thong’s visible.The trick is to kick back up to my feet without tripping over the extra material at the ankles, and thank fuck I manage it.Then I tear them all the way off, and the bubble of my isolated mood is no match for the screams that ensue.
The music switches to my second song, and the faster tempo lets me jump into actual dancing.Without the Santa disguise, I can use my eyes, my mouth, my entire body to dance forher.For Liv, even though she’s not here to see it.If Luke’s her fantasy, then getting to be myself like this for her would be mine.
I’m breathing hard and covered in sweat by the end of my set, which only sells my performance more, and I’m racing with endorphins when I head backstage to towel off and reset for the final set with the volunteer audience members.
Ben’s bouncing on his toes when I get backstage.“Being Santa fucking sucks,” he says in a disgusted voice.
I barely hold back a laugh.“The beard life isn’t for everyone.”
He follows at my heels as I head upstairs.“Switch with me?Please?Nick wants Santa in the final song tonight, but I can’t wear this hat for a second longer.”He yanks it off his head and throws it to the ground like it’s personally offended him.
God, this kid.“Let me see if my stuff’s still in my bag.”Pawing through my backpack, I find my red booty shorts, hat, and beard.“Good enough for me.”
“Thanks, dude!”He bounds away to change into some kind of non-Santa outfit, and he, Deke, and I quickly add a fresh layer of oil to our chest and abs.The three of us and Tony, a dancer who’s up for the night from St.Louis, are doing the final number with four women pulled from the audience to join us onstage.
I meet Deke’s eyes in the mirror and hold up my hand for a knuckle bump.“One last time,” I say, and he knocks his fist into mine, repeating, “One last time.”
When we head onstage, the four volunteers are sitting back-to-back in chairs set in a tight circle in the center of the stage.Tony and Ben walk directly to the woman they want to dance for.Since it doesn’t matter to me, I take the blonde in the tight black dress who’s vibrating in excitement to be onstage, leaving Deke with the leggy redhead since that’s generally his type.
Eugenio comes out to stand in front of the curtain at the back of the stage and shouts into the mic, “The moment you’ve been waiting for is here!Please welcome our special guests to the stage—and try not to be too jealous as they get the undivided attention of four of our hottest dancers.”
The women in the circle scream in excitement.Well, all but one.The woman Ben’s chosen is in jeans and a T-shirt, her red bra clearly visible through the thin white fabric.Her face is tipped down, and her hair’s tucked away under a ball cap.She’s dressed down compared to most of the other crowd and doesn’t seem all that enthused to be here.
“Allow me to introduce you to our volunteers!”Eugenio booms.“Ladies, give a little wave as you’re introduced.Tonight we’re joined by Amariah!”Tony’s chosen woman screams and shimmies forward, her breasts dangerously close to flopping out of her low-cut shirt.
“The redhead to my right is Reagan!”Emilio says, and Deke steps forward to pick her up, chair and all, and swings her in a circle, making her hair whip around them both.I’d bet money that they’ll see each other again after tonight based on the way my friend’s grinning at her.
“Next, we have Amy.She’s a birthday girl, and she’s getting a dance from Luke Lawless in his final outing at the Crimson Lounge!”
I saunter forward all cocky and chuck her under the chin, murmuring, “Happy birthday, gorgeous.”
“And finally,” Eugenio says, “we’re joined onstage by the lovely Liv!”
I’ve been smiling down at Amy, but my head whips up as Ben steps forward to claim his partner, the stripper Spidey sense I’ve developed over the years clanging.
I know.I know exactly what I’m going to see when she lifts her head.And sure enough, the ground beneath my feet falls away as the prettiest pair of brown eyes I’ve ever seen skip right over Ben to lock on me.
“Well, hey there, Liv,” Ben croons as he approaches her.“I’m gonna show you a real good time tonight.”
I’m in motion before he can touch her.“The fuck you are,” I growl, shoving him aside, then dragging him in front of the confused Amy.
“What the hell, dude?”he hisses at me, but my answering snarl has him backing off immediately.“Okay, man,” he mutters before spinning to Amy, his stage smile back in place.“Good news,” he tells her.“I’m the birthday specialist.Let me help you celebrate.”
I’m barely aware of Amy’s excited scream as I turn in slow motion to face her.Liv.Onstage.Staring me down with fury in her eyes.She’s a Roman candle, a thousand pounds of dynamite ready to explode, but her voice is steady when she speaks.
