Chapter 17
MARIETTA
Iswear I walk on moon shoes the whole week after Wednesday night with Merrick. I almost write my brother about it to remind him of how we would jump around the neighborhood on the tall plastic shoes with rubber bands that made you bounce in the air.
But I don’t think anyone in my family would be too thrilled with my new life, so I don’t.
Symphony and Jenna, however, are more than thrilled for me. They agree that things are definitely looking up.
On Saturday morning, I get ready to go to pole class, both to learn some transitions with Terra and to dance for Merrick through the glass wall.
I feel wet thinking about it, and I’m bent over, making sure nothing is showing in the crotch of my leggings, when Betz comes in.
“What the hell are you doing, Mouse?” She stands in the doorway, her hip cocked. Her hair is wrapped in a black bandanna. She looks like a total badass in her property cut and black leather pants.
I straighten up. “I thought there was a hole in them. Couldn’t go to dance like that!”
Betz rolls her eyes. “The prospect is out front waiting for you. Don’t make him wait, even if he is only a prospect.”
“Yes. Of course. Thank you.” I throw on a sweatshirt so I won’t be cold on the ride and hurry toward the door.
She doesn’t move out of my way. “You’ve been acting like a lovesick dove,” she says. “Is something going on between you and Merrick? Because Iron Jack won’t take too kindly if you’re going behind his back. He’s got a new prospect coming to church tomorrow that he’s thinking might be good for you.”
That stops me in my tracks. “He does?”
“Yeah. Cute thing. Maybe a bit naive. But not a brute like these others.”
I swallow hard. “If Iron Jack wants me with him, can he … make me?”
Betz shrugs. “Not if you’re a mouse. But he’ll probably have the two of you hang out together, see if you hit it off.”
“I didn’t know Iron Jack played matchmaker. Doesn’t seem like him.”
Betz laughs. “Nah. He wants your cherry off the table. Done. You’re a liability, and since you don’t seem in a hurry to shack up, he figures he’ll bring a better prospect. You don’t have to marry him.”
I’m about to ask her if I’d have to leave the clubhouse if I changed my cherry status when Low Joe comes up behind her and grabs her hips, dragging them against him. “Tell the mouse to get the fuck out of there so I can have you to myself.”
Betz laughs. “You’ll get your dick wet when I’m good and ready.” She turns to me. “Go on, then.”
I should talk to Carol about this anyway. She’s easier.
Low Joe pulls Betz out of the way, and I scoot through the doorway. I fly through the kitchen to the living room and out the front door.
Another prospect! This complicates things. Should I tell Merrick? Does he already know?
He sits on his bike, holding the extra helmet.
I’m so happy to see him that I erase any thought of the Wild Hair. “Hey,” I say, reaching for the helmet.
He lifts it out of my reach with a mischievous grin. “I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?”
“You got that red number you told me about?”
I nod.
“Go get it. There’s a pole set up at the Leaky Skull. I’d like to see you dance in my bar in that thing.”
Heat pools inside me. “You got it.”
I hurry back inside the clubhouse. There’s no sign of anybody. I fling myself into the bunkhouse and snatch up one of my suitcases. I haven’t unpacked anything.
The red spangly outfit is tiny. I can stuff it into the wide front pocket of my sweatshirt. My whole body zips with anticipation. I’m going to be alone with Merrick at the bar again. Wearing this!
My knees feel weak, imagining another O like the last one.
I want it.
I hustle back through the clubhouse. This time when I reach Merrick, he hands me the helmet. “You got it?” he asks.
I pull the red sparkle fabric out to show him.
He nods. “Nice.”
The helmet is heavy on my head as I snap the strap. I fling a leg over the back of the bike and hang on.
I want to feel everything as we ride. The crisp air on my face. Merrick’s strong body in my arms. I squeeze my arms together, and he releases the handlebars with one hand to squeeze my forearm.
That’s affection! We’re responding to each other!
Everything soars within me. I’ve been wanting this for so long that I can’t remember when I didn’t spend all my time thinking about Merrick. Technically, I met him the same night Symphony met Diesel, and those two are practically living together at this point.
I’m always a thousand miles behind.
But maybe not after today.
The ride is too short. I want to keep hanging onto him until my arms fall off. But we motor up to the studio, the parking lot quieter than last week since we’re early.
When we enter, only one class is going. A dozen women in jazz shoes kick up their heels as a male instructor shouts instructions. They’re concentrating hard and don’t notice us walking past the glass.
When I arrive at the back studio, Terra’s inside, climbing one of the poles. The colored lights spin and flash. She has the space in dance mode.
Merrick and I pause to watch. Terra’s been pole dancing for almost a decade. She wears all white today and spins down the pole in a blur.
“I’ll never be that good,” I say.
“I think you’re pretty great,” Merrick says.
I turn to him. His gaze rests on my face. I can’t tell his emotion by his expression. Matter of fact? Pride? Buttering me up? Or is he smitten, maybe?
I can’t tell.
Terra spots us and slides down the pole. She motions me inside. I pull off my sweatshirt and hand it to Merrick.
He sits on the bench with it in his lap. When I enter the room, Terra heads to the sound system to lower the volume of the music. “I’m so glad you could come early,” she says. “Have you figured out a pole where you can practice?”
“Yeah. Merrick set one up for me. I haven’t seen it yet. We’re going to look at it after class.”
She glances his way. “Nice. Let’s make sure you have some sweet moves for him.”
I kick off my sneakers and follow her to the center pole.
“You should know the pirouette,” she says. “We do it a lot.” She demonstrates it, holding the pole up high and turning in a circle before grasping the pole with the other hand.
I nod. “Yes, I can do that.” I move to the pole closest to her and do the spin.
“Great. This is a move you can put between most of your standing moves or prior to doing a climb. So, this time, pirouette to climb.”
She does the two moves herself, then slides down the pole.
I try another pirouette, but when it’s time to climb, my legs are in the wrong place. I awkwardly straddle the pole to go up.
“Close. Check your foot placement. Start with the pole climb position. Then, move to the pirouette position and imagine yourself ending where the climb begins. That will help you know where to start and end.”
Right. I face the pole with both hands high as if I’m about to climb. Then I step in front of the pole, grasp it with one hand, pirouette, and make sure my feet end on either side of the pole. Then, I easily wrap my ankles around it to climb.
“Good! Do it a few more times.” Terra walks to the sound system to turn up the music.
I’ve done five or six versions of the move before I even think about Merrick again. I glance over.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Terra says. “He’s watching you like nothing else exists in the world.”
It’s true. He’s sitting on the bench, knees wide, his elbows braced on top of my sweatshirt in his lap. He gives me a nod.
I wave.
“Let’s try a transition out of a climb so you can connect floor work to aerial and back down again,” Terra says. “Once you can do those two things, you can do a fairly long routine with minimum repetition.”
Terra pirouettes into a climb, goes up, does a quick Flying V, then twirls down the pole. As she nears the bottom, her knees pop out into a diamond shape. “That’s called the Diamond,” she says. “It’s a prettier way of coming down than sliding and having your feet hit the floor.”
“Got it.”
“Let’s do it together.” She climbs the pole.
I rush to catch up.
“Okay, Flying V,” Terra says. “Now, two turns down and then open into the Diamond.”
I feel my legs all over the place, and my ankles lose their position. I drop to the ground. “Not pretty at all,” I say with a laugh.
“Let’s do it again.” She stands at the base of my pole as I climb again.
I do better the second time and even better by the third.
“Let’s put it all together,” she says. “Pirouette to climb to Flying V to a double turn to Diamond.”
Whew. Okay. I’m used to going in and out of single moves. This might be taxing on my arms and legs.
But I face away from the pole, grasping high, catching a wink from Merrick before I begin the moves.
I’m a little off on the positioning for the climb, but I get there, then do the Flying V, and I more or less make the Diamond to the ground.
“Good,” Terra says. “Now, keep going. The moment you Diamond to the ground, go right back in. Make an endless loop.”
I start again, running the sequence.
“Excellent,” Terra says. “This time, do something other than a Flying V into the Diamond.”
I choose a Hello, Boys, and climb into it, knee crossed over the poll and arm out, then spin down into the Diamond.
Terra claps her hands. “That was a great round. Keep doing it until the others arrive. You have about five minutes.”
I’m already sweating and tired, and class hasn’t even started. But as I turn back to Merrick watching me, I feel energy surge in me.
I’ll do this all day if he’s there, his hot gaze on my body.
The other girls arrive, taking their fill of Merrick as they enter.
“I see the hot one’s here,” one of them says.
“It would be fun, dancing for him,” says another. “But he can’t stop looking at his woman.” She nudges me.
It’s hard to know how to feel in these moments. Some pride, maybe, that they are jealous of Merrick’s interest in me. But it’s so complicated with the club and the rules, and any of those girls can have him more easily than I will.
Maybe I shouldn’t have become a house mouse.