Alright everyone, here it is. Again, I originally wrote what is currently posted as Chapter 05 and this chapter together as one entire chapter. I have to give props and another big thanks yet again to Tccrusher, my editor, who agreed with my suspicions that the story would need to be split, and for his advice and care about where that split needed to take place. He has been a godsend, and I couldn't do this without him. You will run across two songs that I mention in the story, which seemed too perfect to leave them out of the story. The first is Aerosmith's Rag Doll, and the other is Rachel Platten's Fight Song. Just mentioning it so that you can listen to them before or while reading. Either works. Finally, another big thank you to all of my readers. You are the reason I do what I do.
*****
Sometimes in life you make a decision in the heat of the moment that makes perfect sense when you make it. Putting a purchase on a new credit card because there will be zero payments for a year, taking that one extra class during a semester because it might help you to graduate a little bit sooner, and even going back for that one last plate of food during Thanksgiving. It would not be a surprise to anyone who knows me if they were told that, at one point or another in my life, I had made all of those decisions, eventually to my regret. Some of them more than once.
Agreeing to be the girl for Paul's last lap dance at his bachelor party would probably rank in the top three of decisions that I have regretted making. It wasn't even the idea of taking my clothes off in front of strangers, and some people that probably knew who I was. Kass had assured me that the boys would behave, and would never mention it outside of the evening when it happened, and I trusted her judgement completely. What had me rethinking my choice was the fact that I had never been involved in any sort of dance, or cheerleading type activities before, and I had no idea where I was going to learn to dance like a stripper.
"Dear goddess, Myka," Kelli said as I paced around our bedroom, nearly pulling my hair out. "Will you tell me what is wrong? You've been on edge for the last couple of days."
She was right about that. It had been two days since we had had Paul and Kass over, and had agreed to have a double wedding, and I had finally committed to dancing for Paul at her request. I had also had two days to stew in my thoughts and to let reality sink in.
"I know I told Kass that I would dance for Paul," I answered with a sheepish look. "But I have never learned to actually dance, much less move like a damned stripper. How the hell am I even going to do this? Where do I even go to figure it out?"
"Is that what this is about, sweetie? I really don't think you have anything to be worried about."
"Really," I shot back, with more sarcasm than Kelli deserved. "Then why don't you dance for Paul, and I will just watch. If you think it's going to be that easy."
"I didn't say it would be easy," she countered, and I could hear the irritation in her tone. "But you have a series of advantages that most don't."
"Really? Like what?"
"First, you have the grace and nimbleness of a Neko, sweetie," Kelli said, ticking off the points on her fingers. "You have a black belt in Kenpo, which means you have balance and coordination earned from a lot of training. Your abilities also enhance those skills as well, along with your talent of learning how to move in certain ways just by watching others."
"Yeah, that's great," I scoffed. "But how does that help me?"
"Are you being serious," Kelli asked in surprise, and then shook her head at me when I motioned for her to continue. "Just get some videos of strippers dancing their routines and watch them over and over. I'm sure that there is a lot of that sort of thing you could find with a simple search on the web. Plus, wasn't one of your students on the drill team in high school? Ask her to give you some basic dance and posing lessons."
My mouth was hanging open as Kelli kissed me on the cheek and then slid between the covers for the night, and I had no words to say as I also crawled into bed next to her. She was right again, as she often is, and I took her advice the next morning. As any horny male will attest, I found an endless sea of stripping clips and videos online, and I had to be really careful about what I set aside to study later. I also asked Shelly, the student that had been on the dance team, if she wouldn't mind giving me an hour or two of her time so that I could learn some of her standard training moves. She had no problem with it and I was able to set aside some time on the following Wednesday to get together with her. Honestly, however, I was not sure when I would fit all of my commitments in.
Later in the week everyone was back at the house for another round of digging and placing stones, and making sure that the area was prepared properly for the purpose that our clearing would now serve. Kelli and I also had a lot of explaining to do when we told our moms about the plan to have a joint wedding in just over six weeks. It sent the two of them into overdrive to make sure that we would have dresses, and that there would be food here at the house for everyone. They were both concerned that we were not inviting everyone we should, but once we gave them just enough detail of Kass' story our moms understood the reasons to keep it small.
Kelli also asked Ali to relay a message to Millicent that we needed to discuss something with her well before Halloween. I really did not relish that conversation, because the two of us were going to ask her for something that went against everything that she and others had done to protect the secret of witches and the Circle for decades. We were not going to ask for any sort of magical ceremony, but inviting those not directly involved with the Circle or my family to the clearing after we had established the locus of power was certainly going to be a risk. Plus, it was not clear how she would react when Kelli asked her to officiate the ceremony.
Neither of us heard back from Millicent for the entire next week, and we were starting to worry that we would not be able to get things approved with her before serious plans would need to be finalized. I occupied myself with studying the video clips that I had set aside, and my quick lesson with Shelly and a couple hours of practice also took my mind off of things. But, I was beginning to worry that Millicent already knew what we were going to ask, and had chosen to just ignore Kelli and me until it did not matter. I shouldn't have been concerned, however, and I felt a little guilty for thinking that she might treat us that way when I was pulled into the dream world a couple of days later.
Like always, I entered the realm ruled by sleep only in my skin, and I was very near our clearing when I realized where I was. Just like every time I had seen her here, Millicent was sitting near the pond and tending a small fire over which she had a pot of tea on to boil.
"Come and sit child," she called out to me as I moved in from the tree line. "Have some tea and tell me what it is that you and your dear Kelli have to discuss with me."
"Thank you nana," I replied as I gave her a hug before I sat at her feet.
