Stilettos is the premier strip club in downtown Jepson. Unlike that male whorehouse Owen used to work at, no offense, an honest living is an honest living—this little vestige of revelry is located in the heart of a business oasis, thus accounting for the bevy of suits in the audience. And I do believe the location is crucial in parallel to my sister’s hefty income. I guess in that respect, this little outing with the girls doubles as research for my future business ventures. Location, timing, and fair market pricing are the three golden rules we’ve covered so far in Basic Principles of Marketing. My entire body swoons a moment just thinking of Cade James and the prowess he wields both in and out of the classroom.
“Hello?” Piper waves a hand over my face as the club materializes around me once again. Swear to all that lies above, that boy makes me go out of my mind twice daily and at least a dozen blissful, sinful times on Sunday. “Where do you want us to sit? And what’s the big surprise?” She wrinkles her nose at the girls swinging their hips on stage. “No offense, but I’m pretty sure none of us are dying to see them take it off.”
I give a little wink over to Scarlett who at the moment is the only one in on my little lookalike secret I’m about to expose to both Piper and Daisy. Stilettos is a good size club, dark, smoky with the heavy scent of pricey cologne swimming through the air like testosterone. The waitresses are bare chested—balancing out the estrogen on the floor. In fact, the only things these girls do wear are aprons and a G-string. I can’t imagine being handed an apron as a uniform. Heck, I can’t imagine taking my clothes off on stage, but apparently, my other half doesn’t mind. My sister thrives in this morally deprived economy. Caila doesn’t hit the stage until nine on the button, and then she has a repeat performance at eleven.
“Oh c’mon, girls. There’s no place like the front!” I give a little whoop and knock my hip into Daisy’s. Daisy Pembrooke is as polished as a diamond, as chic as a supermodel, and nervous as a hen with a fox eyeing her neck. “Relax, girl!” I thread my arm through hers as we make our way to the very front row as threatened. “I promise, none of these girls bite, not even if you ask them real nice.” Unlike Cade who bites with such zest and zeal you’d think he were put on this Earth to decorate my body with the imprint of his perfectly straight teeth. Of course, he’s just following orders like a good little soldier—not that there’s anything little about that boy. My face heats just thinking of Cade and his super-sized man parts. That line about asking real nice for a bite was the first thing Cade said to me in class, and just the thought of how he’s made good on that promise lights a carnal fire in me. There’s no doubt I’ll be stopping by for a quick bite myself this evening.
“Shit, Cass. We’re so close, we’re going to see their cock sockets!” Piper flops in her seat and covers her eyes like the adorably whiny brat she is.
“Would you stop acting like a three-year-old?” Secretly, that’s my favorite part about Pouty Piper. What’s not to love when your bestie is an overgrown baby who would do anything in the world to protect you? I’ll never forget as long as I live what she did that night those bitches from Alpha Chi decided they needed the spackle removed from my face. Piper was the one who had my back then, and I plan on having this girl’s back for the rest of our lives. My stomach nosedives for a moment, because if Piper is going to be in my life until death do us part, where does that leave Cade and me?
“Believe me, sweetie”—I hop onto the stool between her and Scarlett— “nobody in this establishment is after sneaking you a peak of their honey pot, unless, of course, you come at them with lots of this.” I reach into my purse and pull out a fistful of bills and wave them at the stage with unabashed glee. An entire herd of girls sashays over, ready to have those skimpy strings slung over their bottoms stuffed with lots and lots of government-issued greens.
“Have fun, ladies.” I quickly divide the loot among the three of them before leaning toward Scarlett. “Make sure these frightened * cats don’t stray. It’s five minutes to show time. I’ll be watching the real show from the corner and come back to surprise them before Piper tries to yank my sister offstage and ruin her budding career.”
“You are fifty shades of fucked up.” Scarlett laughs. Scarlett hardly ever lets an expletive fly, so it’s hard not to laugh along with her.
I turn back to Piper and Daisy who both look sickly pale and just a tiny bit afraid as the girls shake what their mommas gave them at the lot of us.
“I’m taking off to the little girls’ room. Be back in a flash!” Normally, one of them, both of them would have volunteered to go with me, but they’re too green to move at the moment. A waitress comes at me holding a tray full of liquid courage, and I gladly take a tiny blue shot from her. Everyone at the club assumes they know me, and for the life of me, I have no idea if Caila gets charged for all the freebies I manage to procure while I’m here. I settle myself at the bar, sipping my little blue something or other that tastes like nail polish remover over ice. The clock strikes nine, and the lights dim down before swirling into a dizzying inferno of color.
The emcee, a rather handsome, buff man with muscles that do their best imitation of rippling chocolate, takes the mic. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, I have the pleasure to introduce the lovely, the luscious, curvy-swervey, the fabulous Caila Jace!”