CHAPTER TWENTY
“No, no, no. You can’t wear that,” said Angela.
Julia watched Angela take a step back, tilting her head one way, then the other.
It felt like Angela was undressing her, which wouldn’t be hard—she was wearing jeans so tight she couldn’t feel her thighs and the cut-off T-shirt she wore barely covered her chest. “What’s wrong with this?
” said Julia, adjusting the shirt to cover her boobs.
Angela’s gum cracked as she chomped away. “You’re a leg and ass girl,” she said, walking over to Julia and stepping behind her.
Julia felt Angela’s hands slide under her shirt and cup her boobs.
“These are too small for you to be wearing this kind of shirt,” said Angela, squeezing them.
“That’s enough,” said Julia, pushing Angela’s hands away. “What should I wear?”
Angela smiled wide and smacked her gum. “Girl, you’re gonna look good enough to eat when I’m done with you.”
* * *
Julia looked out the window while Angela drove.
Suburban ranch houses gave way to farms and an occasional trailer until they stopped at a four-way light with a diner and a gas station on opposite corners.
Julia tugged the tight black leather skirt riding up her thighs. “This skirt is too short,” she said.
“It’s not too short. You have a big ass,” said Angela. “But Billy likes big butts, so don’t worry about it.”
“I don’t have a big butt,” said Julia, seeing Angela bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing. “I don’t,” she repeated.
Angela patted Julia’s thigh as she turned left.
A half mile down the road Angela pulled into a gravel parking lot, throwing up a cloud of dust as she skidded to a stop in front of a squat, windowless, one-story, cement-block building painted jet black.
A sign near the road read ‘Sweeties’ above a cartoon drawing of a curvy girl in a bikini sitting in a champagne glass.
Julia got out of Angela’s bumblebee-yellow Mustang.
Walking on gravel wasn’t easy in high heels.
Halfway across the parking lot, she stopped to dig a piece of gravel out of a shoe.
By the time she managed it, the front door to the club was open.
A long-haired man stepped out of the shadowed club interior, the sun glinting off a gold front tooth.
“Well, well, Angela. Bring your lady friend on in,” he said, eyes roaming over Julia.
Julia followed Angela into the club, pulling her skirt down as she walked by the man. She followed Angela to a circular bar that filled the middle of the room. Three gold poles were on a stage behind the bar. “Who’s the gold-toothed creep?” Julia whispered, pulling her skirt down.
“Billy Kelley,” Angela whispered. “His family owns this place, but he runs it.”
“Little runt, isn’t he?” said Julia, expecting her comment to pull a laugh or at least a smile from Angela. It did neither. Angela watched Billy lock the front door.
“He has a mom, three brothers, and two sisters,” Angela whispered. “Any one of them would punch you in the mouth as easy as they’d look at you.”
Billy walked over with a bow-legged cowboy stroll. Julia smiled as he looked her up and down. He twirled a finger over her head. She looked at Angela, confused.
“Show him what you got,” said Angela.
Julia turned in a slow circle.
“Not bad,” said Billy, putting a toothpick in his mouth. He looked at Angela. “Can she dance?”
Angela rolled her eyes. “Ask her.”
“You brought her. I’m asking you,” said Billy, pointing his toothpick at Angela.
Angela huffed and grabbed Julia’s hand, pulling her up on the stage.
“I don’t know how to dance,” Julia whispered.
Angela unzipped Julia’s skirt and tugged it down, letting Julia step out of it. “That’s why I’m here,” she said. “Just follow my lead and shake that big ass.”
“It’s not big,” hissed Julia.
Angela snapped her fingers at Billy. “Play some music.”
Billy’s eyes widened. “Don’t bark at me.”
Angela turned and slapped Julia’s ass.
“You want to see this move, you better put some music on. Just saying,” said Angela.
Billy grinned. He moved behind the bar and turned the music on. The tune was simple old-school rap. Strobe lights came on, blinding Julia. Angela put her arms around her and grabbed her butt, moving it one way then the other.
“Move your ass,” Angela whispered in her ear. “Now put your hands over your head and move ’em with the beat. Nice and slow. That’s it.”
“Take your hands off,” said Julia, trying to pull away.
Angela gripped her hips.
“Be cool,” Angela whispered, running her hands up between Julia’s legs to her crotch. “I’m just trying to—”
Julia whirled around, shoved Angela, and stared at her. The music played and the strobe lights blinked. The girls stood frozen, facing off. Billy’s voice broke the standoff.
“What the hell is this?” he yelled. “Ain’t no dance I ever seen.”
Julia glanced at Billy. She thought over her options. There was nowhere to go if Angela threw her out. She didn’t have a job. She’d be living in her car if this didn’t work. She grabbed Angela’s hand, smiled, and started dancing. Angela pulled her close.
“You need to chill. Let me show you how this is done,” said Angela. She stepped back, slipped out of her shirt, and then held out her hands.
Julia reached out. Angela grabbed her hands, then she grabbed her hips, then her thighs, all the while moving and rubbing up and down against her.
Julia glanced back at Billy. His eyes were black pinpoints and his mouth hung open a tiny bit as he watched.
She threw her hair back and shook her ass.
He grinned. Maybe she could do this. Angela circled behind her and slipped her hands around her stomach, one finger playing under her G-string, the other moving up under her tank top.
Julia closed her eyes. Strobe lights popped behind her eyelids while Angela rubbed her nipples.
“Slow down,” Angela whispered. “Keep it sexy.”
Julia tried to relax and move with the music. Angela kissed her neck, her shoulder, and moved down her arm. Then Angela’s mouth was on the back of her thigh. Then her inner thigh.
The song finished.
Julia didn’t move. She heard Billy hit a switch. The strobe lights stopped. Angela walked across the stage, bare chested, boobs bouncing. She picked up Julia’s skirt, came back, handed it to Julia and winked. “You got it,” she whispered.
“That was nice,” said Billy, his gold tooth twinkling. “Real nice. You dance before?”
“She’s danced,” said Angela, pulling her shirt over her head.
“I could tell,” said Billy, climbing the steps onto the stage. “Here, let me help you with that,” he said, stepping behind Julia to zip up her skirt.
Julia smiled. “Thanks.”
“Glad to help,” he said, then turned toward Angela. “You hear from Tina?”
Angela nodded. “She’s still sick.”
Julia watched Billy Kelley turn toward her. Everything about him screamed hard redneck. But he seemed sweet, almost like a little boy, as he said, “Would you like to dance tonight? It would really help me out. Whatta you say?”
“I’ll bring her with me tonight,” said Angela, taking Julia by the hand and walking her off the stage.
“That’s great. See you at nine tonight, Julia,” said Billy.
Once they were outside, Angela started talking.
“All that girl-on-girl stuff was for Billy’s benefit,” she said. “Didn’t want him judging you on your dancing, if you know what I mean.”
Julia nodded. She got in the car and grabbed Angela’s hand. “Thanks,” she said.
Angela smiled. “Told you I’d take care of you.”
The engine started with a roar.
“So did you tell him about me before we came?” Julia asked.
Angela shook her head. “Just said I was bringing a girlfriend. That was a cold audition. You hit it out of the park.”
“You didn’t tell him my name?” said Julia.
“Nope.”
Julia settled in her seat, pulling her skirt down. She tried to remember if she’d told Billy Kelley her name, or if he asked what it was. Maybe in all the excitement she’d forgotten, but she didn’t think so.
And yet, he’d said, “See you at nine tonight, Julia,” as she walked out the door.