Gemini Stenson parked her 2013 Nissan Maxima in a spot on the parking lot and got out. The 27 year old looked up the block at the big sign that said NUDE DANCERS in big block letters. Anyone passing by would know what went on in the nondescript building on the corner. It was the home of Club Scandalous, the local gentlemen's club in this quiet urban neighborhood outside of Raleigh North Carolina.
Gem, as she liked her friends to call her, had been working at the club for the past couple of years. However, she had taken off the past six months after having a baby and getting herself back into dancing shape. She didn't have to work hard. She didn't put on a lot of weight during the pregnancy and exercised throughout it. It made delivering the baby relatively easy and recovery even easier. Gem liked the way her workouts toned up her body after the baby. To her statuesque, 5'10 inch frame, she developed lean, sinewy shoulders and upper back. She toned up her legs and added a cut-up lean midsection. She was an excellent dancer and did well on the pole. Her dancing skills made her a lot of money.
Truth be told though, Gem didn't really want to come back to Scandalous. She'd rather be teaching dance and pole skills in her own studio. But she knew her trifling baby's daddy wasn't going to be much help to her, judging by his behavior after the pregnancy. She had no one else to depend on but her mother, who lived a few miles away. Her mother knew what Gem did for a living and while she didn't agree with it, she understood her daughter wanting to depend on no man to take care of her child. So she helped out as much as possible.
Today was going to be Gem's first day back and she tried to get her mind right to get with it. She was one of the more popular dancers at the club and she knew that once the regulars saw her she would be deluged with dance requests. She thought to herself that would be a good thing but she'd rather spend her time on the pole. She sighed; oh well, she thought. The caramel-skinned Amazon grabbed her gym bag and headed for the club entrance.
As she approached the club entrance, she observed a man standing on the curb. He had a folding walking cane but he was just holding it. Gem came up on the man and she studied him. He was obviously blind. He was an older gentleman but in great physical condition. He wore a black Classic Adidas sweatsuit with a white t-shirt. He had wavy, neatly cut, salt-and-pepper hair. He was of medium height and complexion and wore dark glasses. He seemed to sense Gem next to him because a huge, shit-eating grin came over his face.
Gem smiled. "Hello. Are you okay?" she asked.
"I am now." the man said in a rich, old-school Billy Dee Williams voice. "Who do I have the pleasure of conversing with?"
Gem laughed. She instantly liked him. "My name is Gem and it is very nice to meet you." she said holding out her hand.
The man seemed to sense her hand and took it. He bent down and raised her hand to his lips and lightly kissed it. "Gem. A fitting name. A precious stone. And I'm sure, quite beautiful." he said with a smile. "My name is Walter."
Oooh, he got dope lyrics, Gem though. "So charming." she said. She wondered if he was headed into the club. "Do you need help getting in?"
Walter smiled and shook his head. "No my dear. I've been inside before. I look forward to meeting you inside." he said confidently. Gem wondered how he would know who she was inside but Walter read her mind. He breathed in a big, elegant whiff of her scent and smiled. "Trust me, I will know when you are near me."
Gem grinned. "Okay, well I will see you inside then." she said, waving at him.
She made her way inside and walked past several girls whom she worked with before. She said hi to several of them and got a lot offwelcome backs. One girl whom she was close to, Candy, gave her a big hug. She gave Gem a serious look. "Okay, you know I need to see her." Candy said. Gem smiled and pulled out her phone. She pulled up pics of her daughter. "Awwww, she is so precious." Candy squealed.
"Yeah girl and she's growing like a weed, too." Gem said. The door to the floor area opened and Walter came in with his walking cane before him. Gem and Candy watched him make his way to a seat along the wall. He had a big smile on his face and waited patiently. Gem took on an inquisitive look. "Candy, wassup with the blind guy?" she asked.
Candy laughed. "Oh him. He's harmless. I'm not even sure why he comes in here. It's not like he can see us or anything." she said.
Gem frowned. "Have you ever danced for him?" she asked.
Candy shook her head. "Naw. He just sits there with this grin on his face for about three hours then leaves." she said.
"Hmmm..." Gem said. She looked over on the floor and saw no one on the pole. "Well girl, I need to get ready so I can get on that pole while it's open. You know that's my thang." she said with a grin.
"Yeah baby, we missed you on that pole. Nobody freaks that thing like you." Candy cackled. Gem gave her another hug then disappeared into the dressing room.
Meanwhile 47 year old Walter Johnson sat patiently in his seat with a smile on his face. He was glad that his therapist told him about the club when Walter told him where he was moving to after his medical discharge and disability kicked in. He liked coming her, he liked it a lot. It pretty much was his only social interaction in his neighborhood.
He had only been living in the neighborhood around a year. The former US Army Ranger lost his vision when he was on deployment in Afghanistan. His unit was out on a mission when a roadside bomb exploded under his vehicle. The explosion almost killed him. Besides losing his sight, he had very bad injuries to his back and legs. It was a long road to recovery but the Ranger in him would not let his injuries beat him and he never gave up or quit. Rangers lead the way Walter told himself. He recovered and got stronger. He adapted his abilities and enhanced his other senses outside of his sight. He was a very able man. Walter's sister lived in the city working for the Veteran's Administration and she hooked him up with his apartment. She was his only support; there were no other brothers or sisters and their mother had long since passed. She came by and checked on him frequently but often found that Walter was doing pretty well on his own.
Walter adapted to his new environment and had no problems getting around. His apartment was on the first floor of the building so that helped a lot. His sister helped him set things up in the apartment so that he knew where everything was and how to manage using things. His touch was really refined and ultra-sensitive. He loved going on walks and letting his senses work for him. His hearing the children playing around and the traffic going by along with the different scents in the air made life grand for him.
So now he sat quietly in his seat, taking in the different scents of the female forms going to and fro soliciting patrons for lap dances. He had yet to come across a dancer who tickled his fancy. Not until now. His mind was on the very nice young lady he had talked to outside earlier and he knew she would come around sooner or later.
