STRIPTEASE

STRIPTEASE

‘Are you coming tonight?’ my new-found friend and work colleague, Andrea, had insisted I attend the local Ball with her.

‘I won’t know anyone.’

‘So! Best way to meet someone!’ as she grabbed my hand and led me into my bedroom.

‘Which dress are you going to wear?’

I hesitantly pulled the new evening gown my mother had created for me, out of the cupboard. Instantly my mother’s advice returned to me when she was moving me here to start work.

‘Be careful love, until you get to know people. I’m very worried about leaving you here on your own at sixteen but your father says you are quite capable of looking after yourself.’

‘That dress is beautiful! You must wear it. Meet me out the front and we can walk to the hall together.’ Andrea’s parting comment brought me back to the present, as she closed the door behind her.

Decisions are not my forte! I had hoped to be going to university after finishing school but while waiting to be accepted I received a job offer.

‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bushes. Take the job,’ was my father’s advice. ‘You can always go to uni. later.’

Oh well, decision made as I dressed in my evening dress and walked out into the cool night air.

‘Hurry up. We don’t want to miss the first dance!’ My stomach squirmed at the thought of dancing!

Andrea chattered to the ticket sellers at the door as we entered a large hall filled with bright lights and excitement. People were moving around the tables in all directions, while the Band were setting up.

As we moved to a table on the other side of the hall, I recognised a few faces from work.

‘Can I get you a drink?’ as the deep voice moved in close to me. ‘I’m getting a beer; do you want one?’ I recognised David from work.

‘Wilting violet’ replied ‘No thanks. I’m okay.’

As I spoke, an announcement came from the stage,

‘Our door prize of a magnum of champagne and a carton of beer goes to ticket number 26!’

I glanced at the ticket in my hand and realised I had won the door prize!

Immediately, I had more friends than I could imagine joining our table!

‘So, you don’t drink beer? We can help you with that! ‘Various male voices contributed.

‘Let’s open the champagne’ from Andrea, as we both sat at the end of the table.

‘I won’t have any thanks.’

‘Oh, you have to try it!’ as she poured it into the glass in front of me.

I choked on the acid taste but each time I turned around the glass was full.

‘Select your partner for the Barn Dance’ and the Band began playing just as I was asked to dance. I had only been to school dances, where I’d been the wallflower sitting on the seats at the side of the dance floor.

‘You’ll get the hang of it after a while’ was the advice I received from my dance partner.

I began enjoying the dancing and every time I returned to the table, I had a new dance partner, and my glass was full.

I was thoroughly enjoying the glow and excitement of new friends and obviously, the champagne!

When all too soon Andrea was packing up the table and discussing with David where we would head next.

‘Come round to my Unit’ he said as we all walked out into the cool night air. ‘

‘I’ll be right thanks. I’ll just walk home.’

‘I think you better come with us. You won’t be able to find your way.’ Andrea held my arm as everything swayed in front of me!

Around at David’s flat Andrea and some of their friends continued playing music and talking in the background as I sat on the lounge in my new-found glow.

‘Come on!’ Andrea’s voice echoed around in my head. ‘We’re going home in the taxi, and we’ll get him to drop you off.’

As I got into the taxi I wondered where the bright light was coming from

‘That’s the sun coming up.’

Oh no! Had I been out all night?

At work on Monday morning, I was still feeling a little seedy but very pleased with myself at my inauguration into the adult world.

Until David’s remark stunned me.

‘You were the centre of attention on Saturday night. We loved the way you danced as you stripped off. You didn’t tell us you were a striptease dancer!’

Shocked to the core I had no answer. Andrea added her recall of events,

‘You are a sly one. Making out you had no experience!’

I kept my head low and tried to concentrate on my job as they all added their various observations of my ‘moves’!

I spent the week dodging for cover from people and wishing the ground would swallow me up.

At the end of the week, I tried to sneak out the door after work when Andrea and David caught up with me.

‘Any plans for the weekend?’

‘No. Never doing that again!’

‘Oh no. You can't give up now. You were brilliant! You had them all spellbound with your dancing to the music as you stripped. We just want to look after you! Why don't you come around to my place and we'll catch up.'

Decisions again; as I said before, not my forte! I was about to make the biggest decision of my life but I was totally unaware of the consequences.

I tapped on Andrea's door next morning and walked into the rest of my life.

'Don't miss the best opportunity of a lifetime. David and I have the right contacts and as your 'Managers', just imagine the money you could earn with our help. We can all get out of this small town stuff and earn decent money!'

Looking back after many decades, I often think of the lessons I learned while striptease dancing for the drunken masses. The least of which is making my own decisions!