Please note: this story will make much more sense if you read the earlier chapters!
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Kate was more nervous and more excited than she had ever been in her whole life. Only a few days earlier she had been a shy conservative housewife on a boring cruise with her nice but boring husband.
Well, that was how she tried to think of him as she headed towards the party. She loved Ed and she did not want to hurt him, be unfaithful to him or break up their marriage. He was at home, a long way away and what he didn't know wouldn't hurt. Hopefully.
So here she was walking along the deck of the cruise ship, about to entertain a group of directors by stripping. How had she got herself into this?
She knew it was all to do with control. The power over men she had discovered. The power of her sex. The power it gave a woman over a man. It was addictive. That's what stopped her from turning round, going back to the cabin and locking the door. That plus the almost unbelievable one thousand dollars she had been given upfront. Geoff, the guy who had asked her to perform, had delivered it that afternoon. He had given her a CD with the music that would play during her act - mostly sexually explicit r-n-b - along with instruction on where to go for the event, and strict instructions that she had to get completely naked but make a show of it - take her time, in other words - and make it sexy as hell.
It was someone's fiftieth birthday party so Kate had asked that the guy was easily identifiable so she could make a fuss of him. She had some ideas and she had brought along a bag of props, but although she knew broadly what she planned to do, she also intended to go with the flow and respond to how this group of men reacted. As long as she was in control it would be safe - and hopefully lots of fun.
She arrived at the venue at exactly 10.50 as arranged. She was due on at 11pm and Geoff - the guy who had arranged this - met her at the door. Earlier he had worn a suit and although he no longer wore the jacket he still looked formal in his shirt and tie.
He took her down a short corridor into a small room and looked her up and down. She was wearing a large baggy t-shirt and baggy jeans. The only sexy thing about her seemed to be her long hair and very high heels.
"Er... if you want to get changed here...." he began.
"Actually I'm ready. This is what I plan to wear."
He looked disappointed. "We paid a thousand dollars...."
She reached out and stroked his chin. "Please don't worry. I won't disappoint you. You won't be asking for your money back." Inside she hoped that would be true.
Geoff shrugged. "Okay. But it's me they will get mad with if you aren't what they hoped for."
"Trust me." She could hear music and laugher from the room next door. "Are they all here?"
"Ah... I need to let you know about that. I said there would be fifteen of us but there's more like thirty or thirty five. Some of the guys invited some of the crew.
"I should charge more..."
"You already stung me for double what I offered."
Kate laughed. "I know. But I will be safe, won't I?"
"Oh, yeah, there's never been a problem. The guys are told that there's no touching and there is a bouncer working behind the bar."
"Okay. Well let's get on with it."
"I will go on and announce you."
Kate felt her stomach lurch. She wanted to stop now. But she desperately wanted to do this too.
She left the changing room and followed Geoff to the door into the venue. He went ahead and she held the door slightly ajar so she could see where she would perform.
Geoff had gone onto a small stage - maybe no more than a foot high. The venue was a smallish bar, low lit but she could make out a small crowd of men, mostly in suits, holding glasses of beer or wine. They seemed reasonably sober from this distance, but they seemed to fill the small bar and that felt a little threatening. Music was playing and there was occasional laughter. She could make out a man in the crowd who was wearing a large badge with the number fifty on it. Well, that solved that question.
Geoff put his hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from the bright stage lights.
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen.... sorry ... just gentlemen. I want to introduce you to a beautiful lady. A sexy lady. You've seen her perform her magic with Nick Brown, but she's her alone tonight. And she's going to be magical. Please welcome..... Kate!"
The music changed so something sexier and slightly louder. The audience applauded - only politely but expectantly. They looked towards the door.
Kate made them wait a moment. She pulled a stick of chewing gum from her pocket, unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth, She thought it gave her an air of sluttishness.
She opened the door and walked confidently onto the stage. She knew they would be initially disappointed like Geoff had been a few moments earlier. A girl in t-shirt and jeans? But she gave a wiggle of her hips as she stepped into the spotlight, and one guy did whistle.
She had brought a handbag with her and she turned her back to the audience, bending at the waist to put it down. She wriggled her bottom and got another whistle.