The noise and bustle of the restaurant kitchen. A young woman in an olive-colored shirt dress and sport sandals, her brown hair in a messy bun, looks about as if she has followed something she has now lost. Her eyes flash when she sees the door marked "Service." She opens it and disappears into the room beyond without even getting a second look from the kitchen staff.
She enters a new realm. A foyer with leather padded walls, red carpet, dim red light. A thumping of electronica. A beautiful, tall young woman in a corset, black thigh highs, stiletto heels immediately takes Judith by the arm.
"Welcome," she says, speaking with a Slavic accent and leaning close to Judith to be heard above the music. "I'm Marla."
Judith is suddenly aware exactly how NOT appropriately dressed she is for this. She's come in with a sheen of sweat from the humidity outside. The dress clings to her. She feels shabby standing next to this girl. Maybe she should go.
"It takes a moment, yes? To get used to the light?" says Marla.
Judith nods and in that second also allows herself to be led. Marla takes her down a beautifully bannistered staircase. They pass an exquisite young woman in a Claudert de Moen mini and white blouse pressing a handsome young man against the wall, kissing. He has a hand on her breasts.
Marla squeezes Judith's arm. "Mmmm," she says. "It is your first time?"
"Yes," says Judith, her senses awhirl with the light, sound and interesting activity. "I almost didn't."
Marla pats Judith's hand. "But we're glad you did!" she says.
Judith tells herself that in this place of all places no one will judge her. She doesn't have to do anything but watch. And not even that if she decides it is too much.
On the lower floor is a bar and lounge with crimson, velvet wallpaper and tufted ottomans and leather couches, low tables with banker's lights. There is all manner of young and old people gathered here, all well-dressed, an intermingling of conversation and music. Topless, twenty-something waitresses in tiny skirts balance drinks on silver trays. A petite, dark-haired woman in her early thirties sits under the pink neon lounge sign: "What Do You Dare?" She looks up with some concern at the new arrivals, then fusses with her phone. Perhaps she is waiting for her date.
Marla leads Judith to a short corridor with a single door at the end. "And here we are," she says.
An elegant, small theater. A platform around extends out among the seats. Velvet. Lots of red velvet. Marla guides Judith to the aisle seat in the third row. "Your seat number is your performance number. If you are called, it is your choice what happens next. I'll come to fetch you after," she says. "And if you need anything--condoms, toys, towelettes, anything--just press this button here."
The audience comes in from the lounge and the theater fills. The lights dim into darkness. A spotlight. On the stage, the emcee. An attractive young brunette in a silver gown and high heels. The usual cautions to silence one's mobile. No photography. The spotlight widens to show a large fishbowl on a wooden stand. In the fishbowl are balls with numbers. The woman reaches in. "Shall we begin?"
She calls number twenty-three.
The petite dark-haired woman from the lounge stands in the audience, makes her way to the aisle and goes onto the stage where she stands bathed in red light. White blouse, black ankle-length skirt, heels. She brushes hair from her face, swallows, with a look that is courage in the face of panic.
"Um, hi," she says in an at-first quavering voice, "I'm twenty-three. Number twenty-three. And...oh god!"
Judith leans forward to see her closer.
Twenty-three hides her face in her hands, shakes her head, resolves to go on, lowers her hands. "I guess I should have had that drink."
Smatterings of generous laughter.
"I've never done this before..."
Nervous but standing her ground, thinks Judith. Awkwardly charming.
Twenty-three arrives at the point: "I want... um... a um .... cum bath."
The theater is silent. A woman coughs. Anticipation of the first act.
Number twenty-three gives a cute, little, desperate shrug, her hands clasping and unclasping in front of her. "Anyone?" she says.
The room dark red, but Twenty-three in the stage spotlight. Approach avoid thinks Judith.
"Strip," comes a female voice over the theater sound system. Judith wets her lips.
Number Twenty-three's hands up to her blouse buttons, hands lowered again, hands at the buttons unbuttoning. Unbuttoned, blouse off, turning away from the audience to unhitch her bra, turning back bare-breasted, long sloping breasts with big aureoles and thick nipples.