Baby Pole Dancer

Lilly’s slightly panicked breathing evened the moment the slow beat of the music reached her ears and she started to count.

One, two, three, four. Five, six, seven, eight…

She opened her eyes, swiftly sweeping the crowd with her gaze. She stopped on Iris for just a fraction of second, repressing a smile. She didn’t catch how she had dolled herself up, putting her orange hair up in a tight bun, carefully letting a few locks sticking out. Her dressed matched the colour of her eyes; shiny green.

Five, six, seven, eight. And one…

Lilly lifted her right hand, her gaze following her movement, then put it back down, closing her eyes, as the singer’s voice quieted down, and when it rose again, her left hand went up… And down. The singer’s voice rang once again, more energetically, and Lilly’s eyes snapped open, a soft and controlled smile finally spread across her face. She rolled her body up, unfurling like a cat and she grabbed the pole in front of her.

Ooh, sexy… A voice in Lilly’s head whispered. She repressed a smile as she recognised Iris’ voice.

Don’t distract me, hun… Seven, and eight… she answered, barely interrupting her count of the beats.

On her chair, Iris smiled. Oh, she was determined to distract her. She wanted to see Lilly win the competition, but she wanted it to be a challenge.

Lilly executed a quick pirouette and shook her head, her hair flying, hallowing her face as if she was the Goddess of Sun. She extended one hand and grabbed the pole high above her head, then, every movement slow and controlled, she put the other at shoulder’s hight, and there she went.

A brush of her foot on the ground and the pole spun. She arched her back and her feet left the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest, rolling herself like a ball, and extended her lower hand out, as if waving at the crowd. Her knees and ankles squeezing the pole, she pushed on her legs and climbed up.

Lil’ I know now is not the time but… Iris started again.

It sure isn’t, hun. Can’t we talk later? Lilly’s voice was distant in Iris’ mind, her focus entirely on the music and her choreography instead of her telepathy. Although she had cut the connexion in time, Iris could have almost heard Lilly keeping her count.

We could, Iris chuckled in her head, but I want to tell you now.

Had she been more into the conversation, Lilly would have sighed, but instead, she pulled on her arms, already three metres high, and put one leg in each side of the pole. She squeezed it hard between her side, kicking her hips to the side to allow her skin to grip more. Then, she crossed one leg on top of the other, keeping the second straight.

A pause in the music, Iris held her breath. She loved this part of the choreography. The singer let out a strident almost like a scream, yet much more elegant, and Lilly grabbed her hair and let herself fall down. Her thighs gripping the pole hard, her legs were now above her head, her back arched and her hands were slowly following the curves of her body.

I went to the hospital again, today, Iris continued, eyes twinkling as she watched Lilly proudly, the tests came out positive, I’m finally pregnant!

Huh?! Was all that came, at first. Lilly continued to dance, her hands grabbed the pole behind her, and she let go of the squeeze in her thighs. Her body slid down, and she bent one leg, keeping the other behind the pole so her foot could support her weight. Her full body was tensed, arched. She paused as people in the crowed gasped and clapped. She looked like a bow with an arrow ready to be shot.

Wait, you went to the hospital without me?! Without even telling me?!—Oh, did I have my feet pointed there? Lilly snapped in her head, bits of her thoughts slipping despite her focus. Then, realisation finally made its way to her brain, and she continued before Iris could say anything. WAIT! We’re finally having a baby?! The fecundation actually worked?! How?

Yes, your feet were pointed. Lilly declared.

She wanted to laugh at her silly answer, but most importantly, she wanted to look at her, she wanted to run to her, to hug her, to kiss her, but she couldn’t. All she could do was scanning the crowd with her eyes again, without ever stopping to dance, without slowing the spin of her pole, without obviously cracking her neck towards her.

Lilly caught a flash of green and smiled. There!

Iris! That’s…! But! Why now! I focus! Lilly barely contained her excitement, and she could certainly not restrain the smile that was spreading across her face.

Iris watched her in awe. She’d have expected one small slip, a tiny mistake in her movement, but there were none. The only noticeable change in Lilly’s dance was her grinning face, but only her knew her happiness was genuine and not put up for the show.

So, how are we going to name it? Iris continued, I thought of ‘Forget-me-Not’ if it’s a boy, and ‘Lys’ if it’s a girl, what do you think?

As Lilly griped the pole again, lifting herself once more, she hooked the pole with her left knee, side way, and, hugging the pole with her elbow, she then grabbed her other leg in her hand, keeping it straight, and waved at the crowd. It almost looked like she was comfortably seated and posing for a picture.

I don’t like Lys, Lilly finally replied, abandoning the idea of keeping her partner out of her head, but I do like Forget-me-Not. Maybe Daisy?

Iris paused to think as her lover straightened her legs again and slid them down, grabbing the pole in her second hand, which was the only grip she had beside her elbow. Now she looked like a weirdly sexy pencil.

Hmm… Not sure… How about Hibiscus?

Yeah, not bad! Lilly shifted her balance and threw her legs upward, gripping the pole again with a knee. She let the rest of her body fall down in an arch and her knee strongly hooked the pole. Oh, I know! She yelled in her head, startling Iris, what about Poppy? Reminds me of how red you turn when you’re embarrassed.

Iris laughed—out loud, which got her glares from other spectators—but was pleased.

Yeah! I love it!

Iris perked up in her seat, she knew this part of the show, the music slowed, and Lilly touched ground. She stared at her audience; everyone was holding their breath. Then the three last beats came.

One, left hand shoot through the air and stopped horizontally. Two, right hand followed. Three, Lilly bent her left knee and slid her right leg behind her left, keeping it straight, and bowed deeply.

The music stopped abruptly, and the light shut down.

The room burst into screams and applause, Iris the loudest amongst them.

Don’t think, however, Lilly’s voice came through the cacophony, that you distracting me in my show, even for such an important reason, will go unpunished.



Iris nodded but her smile did not leave her face. A week of daily exercising, or even a month did not scare her anymore. She had been ‘punished’ so many times, now, that she had almost become as much of a sport addict as Lilly.