"I've never done a striptease before!" Jessica wasn't sure she could even pull it off, but that hadn't kept her from discussing the silly idea with Veronica. Ronnie was her best friend, and Jessica could count on her to be perfectly honest. She didn't have to wait long.
"My suggestion is to just go for it, what man wouldn't die to have someone do a striptease for him?" Veronica was polishing her nails a vivid red. The color looked great against her pale skin. "He'll probably pass out from shock, I had a guy do that once when I showed up in my dominatrix get up."
"Was it Gary? Never mind, I don't care." Jessica stared at the polish bottle, wishing she could be daring enough to wear such a bold color. "Yes I agree that most guys would love to be the recipient, the problem is that Casey isn't like most guys. He thinks of me as his little sister. I'm not sure stripping for him is the best way to let him know that I've been crazy about him for five years." She picked at a cuticle and frowned. "I should probably just forget about it, if he was interested in me he would have said something before now."
"Hey, how do you know Casey isn't thinking the same thing right now?" Veronica asked. "Neither of you are the type to make the first move, and if one of you doesn't , you are both going to end up unmarried and grouchy at fifty!"
"No way, no man as gorgeous as Casey would be alone that long. I'm surprised he's not taken already."
"Look, this has been a fantasy of yours for well, forever, right?" Jessica nodded. "This would be the perfect time, Jessica. You just finished that dance class, and you're in better shape than ever, and since his birthday is this week, tada! Talk about a birthday to remember!"
"But what if he's just shocked, and tells me he has no interest in being more than friends?" Jessica asked while flipping through the lingerie catalog that had given her the idea.
"That's why this is the perfect time to do this, you can just say that I dared you to do it for his birthday. He knows that we are always pulling crazy stunts, and I'll even mention it to him afterwards. He'll believe it, just because it sounds like something I would do." "Alright, I'll do it. You've got to help me plan it out though. I want to look like a real stripper. You'll have to come with me and help me pick out a costume."
"Okay, when do you want to go?" "I'll meet you at the lingerie store at three. I have to stop by the shop and bring my brother his lunch." "Oh, really? Your just going to see your brother, sure. Are you bringing Casey anything?" "No I'm not. I won't deny that I'll enjoy the chance to see him, but Brad really did forget his lunch today. Casey will probably be busy anyway. He's taken over most of the finances."
"Is your brother glad he made Casey a full partner?" "Brad says it was one of the best decisions he's ever made. My brother is great with engines and people, but he was losing a lot of money do to accounting errors. Casey never finished college, but he has a head for numbers. Their profit has nearly doubled over the past few months. "
"Promise me you'll go through with this. Your face absolutely glows when you talk about him. I care about you too much to watch you let him get away." Veronica's voice had softened as she talked.
"I agree. I don't want to wonder if I made the biggest mistake of my life ten years down the line. This way I'll know for sure." "Oh, Jessica, I wish I could be there just so I could see the look on his face!" *** Jessica prayed for the umpteenth time that no one she knew would see her in here. Veronica had promised to meet her at the lingerie store, but so far she hadn't shown up. She finally gave up pretending to be looking for a bra, and moved to the back of the store where a large sign proclaimed, "Fashions for the Adventurous Woman". Her eyes widened when the first item she saw was a black leather corset with spikes and chains.
"I own that particular piece myself," Veronica said loudly.
"Don't sneak up on me like that, and be quiet. I don't want anyone coming over to ask if we need help." Jessica fingered a bright red flapper dress that was slightly better than most of the other stuff she'd seen. . "What type of thing does a stripper wear?" she asked.
"Just about anything," Veronica answered. "You have many options, the Catholic school girl, the policewoman, the cat woman, or the harem girl. It just has to be a sexy costume that can be taken off slowly."
"Maybe I should dress like a clown, that's how I'm going to feel." Just then a gleam of material caught her eye. "What's this?" She pulled out a shining piece of white leather, and a pair of wings.
"Oh my gosh, that's perfect. A wicked angel, it's so you. He's going to cream in his pants the minute you walk in." Veronica said as she held the costume up for inspection.
"It's very nice," Jessica admitted. The costume consisted of a white leather halter-top that laced up the front, a matching g-string trimmed in marabou, satin gloves, and of course marabou wings. "I have a hard enough time putting on lingerie, how would I ever get out of it?"
"That's why you have me for a best friend," Veronica said. "It's never easy to get out of these, and it takes time, but I can show you how to look sexy while you slip it off. We'll buy a pair of white thigh high stockings, some matching high heels, and you'll look fantastic. Trust me, with your dark hair and blue eyes, he is going to have a pile of drool under his chin." They both looked at the costume in silence for a minute.
"Hmmm, if you are sure that you can teach me how to get out of this thing gracefully, I'll buy it." She grinned at Veronica, "I'm actually starting to look forward to this. I've always had this secret exhibitionist streak in me, but I never thought I'd actually find the nerve to do this for real!" She swept the costume up into her arms and walked boldly towards the cashier. "Now let's start planning how I'll seduce Casey into giving me a night I can remember."