Chapter 5
Ria
“Lily?” Jade questions, her eyes wild as she takes in the scene in front of her.
“Yes, Jade?” Lily bounces next to her.
“This is a strip club?”
“No, it’s not.” Opening her arms wide, she says, “This is a pole dancing club.” She sashays over to the woman who is wearing barely anything and has muscle definition that I’m incredibly envious of. I mean, she looks insane.
We took a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon this morning and had a beautiful lunch with cocktails looking out over the national park.
It was stunning, but also Lily and Trixie were definitely trying to keep Jade off the scent that they had planned some activities that would be out of her comfort zone.
“Trixie?” Jade is still staring at the women swinging on the poles and twisting in ridiculous positions.
“Hmm?”
“Did you know about this?”
“Of course I did. It was my idea.” She winks.
“I’m pole dancing?”
“We’re all pole dancing.” She drags us toward the woman Lily went to speak to, and then we’re directed to the changing rooms where we’re given outfits to wear.
I’m impressed they are all in our size and all decent, thank God.
I see my mom and Olivia visibly relax when the woman hands them their slightly more modest outfits, but they burst out laughing when they’re presented with the huge platform shoes to go with the outfit.
“You okay with this, ladies?” I shout across the changing room.
“Surprisingly, yes.” Olivia smiles at me. “It’s going to be quite liberating.”
“Yes, Mama Wilde.” Lily thrusts her fist in the air.
“I’m definitely glad we’ve had those cocktails now.” Mom nervously giggles as she takes her outfit into the stall to get changed.
“The mama bears are in, so Jade, babe, scoot. Go get changed.” Lily pushes her toward her stall. Lily Chambers is a woman you do not mess with. “Maybe this is something you can show Hunter on your wedding night.”
“I’m seriously regretting my choice of best friends right now.” She grins as she closes the stall door.
“But you’re doing it. I think we’re grand.” Lily bounces away to get herself changed.
Taking in my appearance in the full-length mirror in the stall, I actually feel sexy for the first time in a long time.
The whole outfit is black. Right down to the huge platform shoes on my feet that make my legs look slender and so long.
The tiny shorts must have some weird technology in them because they are staying where they’re meant to be and not riding up my ass.
I’ve done the squat test to check. And the top is tight, decorated with tiny rhinestones that sparkle under the bright lights of the dressing room, and it leaves a sliver of skin of my stomach showing.
Walking out, I look at everyone's outfits, and we all look incredible. “Ria, you look…” Trixie trails off as she walks toward me. “You look stunning. God, Kenya would love to photograph you.” Her smile is genuine, and I take her delicate hand in mine. Kenya is the photographer Trixie introduced Jade and Hunter to. She works with Trixie on her shoots and is a creative genius who is photographing their wedding. Trixie’s outfit is similar to mine, but hers is scarlet-red, and against her slightly bronzed skin, it makes her look every bit the model she is.
“Thanks, Trixie,” I say shyly because even though I stand up in front of people daily and lead meetings without worrying about all eyes on me, in this scenario I feel very understandably exposed.
“Please say you’ll have a chat with Kenya. She’s getting together a portfolio of boudoir shoots and you’d be perfect.”
“Really?”
“Yes!” she exclaims. “Please say yes. I promise you it’s liberating. You’ll walk out of there on such a high. It’s very empowering.”
“Okay, we can schedule something when we get back.” I squeeze her hand, giving her a genuine smile, before following the instructor to the dance studio.
It could be fun to let loose and step out of my comfort zone.
It’s been a while since I’ve felt sexy. Ezra would call me sexy at the beginning of our relationship, but looking back, he stopped giving me those types of compliments.
In fact, he stopped complimenting me altogether on my achievements or how I looked.
God, I was so blind when the signs were all there.
We all take our positions behind a pole. The studio has a bank of them all lined up in front of the mirror-covered walls where we can see ourselves at all angles. Seeing yourself in three-sixty vision with barely any clothes on is quite something.
The instructor takes us through some standard moves, and we’re not bad except for Grace who gives up and throws herself down on the plush pink couch to the side, stating she’s not built to spin around a pole.
She’s built to watch people dance for her.
Preferably men with oiled-up abs she could break a tooth on when she bites into their perfect skin.
And an ass she could dig her nails into as they pick her up and throw her around the room like she weighs nothing.
“You all look amazing, ladies.” She grins. “Keep going.” She lifts the champagne bottle chilling next to her and pours herself a generous glass.
“You keep working hard there, Grace,” I quip from my position. I’m hanging upside down, my legs wrapped intricately around the pole, my arms positioned in a pose above my head keeping me steady.
“Babe, it’s hard work watching you ladies.” She takes a bite of the snacks that were brought over with the champagne. “Ria, how have you twisted yourself up like that?” Hearing her put her glass down, I catch her eye, and she brings her phone up and snaps a few photos of me. “You look fucking hot.”
Spinning, I flip off the pole and lean seductively against it. “You think I’m hot, Grace?”
“Not new information, Ria.” She stalks toward me, seduction laced in her movements.
“Okay, girls, if I didn’t know that Grace loves her vitamin D, I’d be rooting for you two,” Lily shouts from across the room, and Jade wolf whistles.
“Right, girls, show me what you’ve got. Last chance before we go out on that stage,” our instructor calls as she claps her hands. All our heads spin to look at her.
“I thought it was a private lesson we signed up for?” Lily stutters and actually looks scared as she throws the instructor a desperate glance.
“Ha, I love doing that every time.” She barks out a laugh.
“No, ladies, you’re dancing for yourselves tonight.
Don’t panic. But you…” She points at me and I jump.
“I’d love to spend more time with you. You have the flexibility and strength that is needed for this. You sure you haven’t done it before?”
“Nope, never, but I do yoga every day.” I shrug.
“Well, you should add this to your routine.” She winks and I actually think I might.
“Teacher’s pet,” Grace whispers before she sways back to her champagne.