After a lengthy break, I present part three of the story I started about a month ago.
Part one:
Part one:
SPOILERS! (Click to view)
Three months straight. For three months straight, Sean buried himself in his work. Not a difficult task for an IT specialist for a major corporation. All he really needed to do was to make himself available for the copious amounts of overtime that was always offered. Ordinarily he couldn't be bothered, but now work was his accomplice. It helped him forget about the fact that he was alone again. Steph was gone, and she wasn't coming back. She tried to ease the blow by saying that it was for the best, and they had just grown apart, but it didn't matter. Nothing she said could make his heart or apartment feel any less empty
From 8:00 am till 7:30 pm every weeknight since the break-up, Sean kept his head buried in his work. Troubleshooting wireless connections, maintaining network servers, and helping people who forgot their passwords for eleven and a half hours a day kept him occupied. It was boring, but kept his mind clear in a Zen-like way. The worst times were when he got back to his empty apartment at night. He could swear that her perfume was still lingering in the air. And if the wind blew just right, a curtain would flutter and float into his periphery, fooling his mind into thinking that Steph was still there. His back would ache when he lay down to sleep; the phantom pain of the body missing from his bed.
Sean was never one to rock the boat to begin with, but the fact that he was deeply depressed wore down his defenses even further. That can be the only explanation for why he accompanied the rest of the IT department out to Club Ragnarock one Friday night. Sean was never a fan of the concept of a strip club, or at least what he thought the concept was, since he had never been to one before. He made the mistake of sitting at the bar and thinking he could just buy a lager or two and sink into his thoughts for a little while. Unfortunately, the bar was where all the action was. The patrons crowded the area to get a look at the girls dancing on the stage, and the girls who weren't dancing worked the men sitting at the bar for tips and offers of lap dances.
As the performers flashed breasts of all sizes to coax tips out of the men in the bar, Sean simply handed them singles and ignored them. The longer he sat at the bar, the more immune he became to the charms of the women that passed. None of the women were ugly by any stretch of the imagination, and there all seemed genuinely friendly. But Sean felt as though he always had a more unique taste in women, and none of the dancers that tried to talk to him were his type. Nonetheless, he knew that the club was first and foremost a business enterprise and he tipped them anyway. His co-workers good-naturedly brought dancers over to him to help him loosen up. He always played the game well. He would make a big show of being embarrassed and telling his co-workers that he was having a good time but just wanted to have a few drinks. Eventually they got the message.
After his third lager, Sean felt a slight tingling going up his back. At first, he thought that it was another psychosomatic symptom of missing Steph. He sighed as the tingling continued up his back, but as the sensation continued upwards and reached his neck, he knew he wasn't imagining it. The thin fingers caressing the back of his neck were very real. Startled, Sean quickly turned to see who it was. He locked eyes with a honey-blonde woman with the innocent face of an angel. She offered a bright, effortless smile and continued to caress Sean's neck with one hand while holding his hand with the other.
"Hi sweetheart, you want some company?" Her voice was as beautiful, light and innocent as her face.
Sean didn't remember answering, but he must have, because she moved in closer to him. Her citrus scent reminded him of the summer afternoons of his childhood, but he didn't know why. She looked into his eyes and his gaze was transfixed.
Three months straight. For three months straight, Sean buried himself in his work. Not a difficult task for an IT specialist for a major corporation. All he really needed to do was to make himself available for the copious amounts of overtime that was always offered. Ordinarily he couldn't be bothered, but now work was his accomplice. It helped him forget about the fact that he was alone again. Steph was gone, and she wasn't coming back. She tried to ease the blow by saying that it was for the best, and they had just grown apart, but it didn't matter. Nothing she said could make his heart or apartment feel any less empty
From 8:00 am till 7:30 pm every weeknight since the break-up, Sean kept his head buried in his work. Troubleshooting wireless connections, maintaining network servers, and helping people who forgot their passwords for eleven and a half hours a day kept him occupied. It was boring, but kept his mind clear in a Zen-like way. The worst times were when he got back to his empty apartment at night. He could swear that her perfume was still lingering in the air. And if the wind blew just right, a curtain would flutter and float into his periphery, fooling his mind into thinking that Steph was still there. His back would ache when he lay down to sleep; the phantom pain of the body missing from his bed.
Sean was never one to rock the boat to begin with, but the fact that he was deeply depressed wore down his defenses even further. That can be the only explanation for why he accompanied the rest of the IT department out to Club Ragnarock one Friday night. Sean was never a fan of the concept of a strip club, or at least what he thought the concept was, since he had never been to one before. He made the mistake of sitting at the bar and thinking he could just buy a lager or two and sink into his thoughts for a little while. Unfortunately, the bar was where all the action was. The patrons crowded the area to get a look at the girls dancing on the stage, and the girls who weren't dancing worked the men sitting at the bar for tips and offers of lap dances.
As the performers flashed breasts of all sizes to coax tips out of the men in the bar, Sean simply handed them singles and ignored them. The longer he sat at the bar, the more immune he became to the charms of the women that passed. None of the women were ugly by any stretch of the imagination, and there all seemed genuinely friendly. But Sean felt as though he always had a more unique taste in women, and none of the dancers that tried to talk to him were his type. Nonetheless, he knew that the club was first and foremost a business enterprise and he tipped them anyway. His co-workers good-naturedly brought dancers over to him to help him loosen up. He always played the game well. He would make a big show of being embarrassed and telling his co-workers that he was having a good time but just wanted to have a few drinks. Eventually they got the message.
After his third lager, Sean felt a slight tingling going up his back. At first, he thought that it was another psychosomatic symptom of missing Steph. He sighed as the tingling continued up his back, but as the sensation continued upwards and reached his neck, he knew he wasn't imagining it. The thin fingers caressing the back of his neck were very real. Startled, Sean quickly turned to see who it was. He locked eyes with a honey-blonde woman with the innocent face of an angel. She offered a bright, effortless smile and continued to caress Sean's neck with one hand while holding his hand with the other.
"Hi sweetheart, you want some company?" Her voice was as beautiful, light and innocent as her face.
Sean didn't remember answering, but he must have, because she moved in closer to him. Her citrus scent reminded him of the summer afternoons of his childhood, but he didn't know why. She looked into his eyes and his gaze was transfixed.
Part two:
SPOILERS! (Click to view)
"I'm Penny, what's your name?"
"Sean."
Penny smiled brightly back at Sean. As she spoke again, Sean thought he detected a slight Southern twang to her voice.
"Well Sean, you look mighty lonely sitting over here by yourself. You look, to me, like a man in need of some companionship. Am I right?"
Sean knew that she was right, he was lonely and miserable. But he didn't think that this total stranger would be able to help him, no matter how entrancing she was.
"Thanks Penny, I appreciate the offer but I think I'd just rather be alone right now."
Penny smiled and laughed playfully, "You sure picked a hell of a place to be alone, Sean."
"Yeah, I guess I did," Sean couldn't help but return her smile. Her easy-going nature and good humor was wearing down Sean's defenses even more than the revealing dress she was almost wearing.
"So, am I gonna stand and talk with you all night, or are you gonna be a gentleman and offer me a seat and a drink?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sean immediately stood up and pulled out the barstool next to him. Once Penny sat in the chair, he gently slid it back up to the bar and returned to his seat. He thought to himself about how scandalized his puritanical mother would be if she knew that he was using the gentlemanly manners that she drilled into his head on an exotic dancer.
Once Sean sat back down, Penny smiled at him again.
"Thank you, sweetie."
"You're welcome," was all Sean could mention before he was caught in her eyes. That's when he knew he was in trouble. He never noticed a woman's eyes unless he was seriously infatuated with her, and her hazel gaze trapped him and held him fast. He caught himself staring and returned to the business at hand.
"What are you drinking, Penny?"
"I'll have a rum and coke, light on the rum."
Sean ordered Penny's drink and got anther beer for himself. They sat in silence for a little bit, enjoing their drinks, before Penny began the conversation again.
"Let's see here. You're a good looking guy, hanging at the bar in a strip club and you're concentrating more on the bottles than the boobs. You're either nursing a broken heart, or you're a card carrying alcoholic. Did I nail it, or did I nail it?"
Sean finished up his beer and returned the smile, "You got me. I escaped from my A.A. meeting and came here."
"Ah, he does have a sense of humor."
"I hide it well."
Penny held Sean's hands in hers and stared at him with her hazel eyes, "Say, would you like a dance?"
"Sean."
Penny smiled brightly back at Sean. As she spoke again, Sean thought he detected a slight Southern twang to her voice.
"Well Sean, you look mighty lonely sitting over here by yourself. You look, to me, like a man in need of some companionship. Am I right?"
Sean knew that she was right, he was lonely and miserable. But he didn't think that this total stranger would be able to help him, no matter how entrancing she was.
"Thanks Penny, I appreciate the offer but I think I'd just rather be alone right now."
Penny smiled and laughed playfully, "You sure picked a hell of a place to be alone, Sean."
"Yeah, I guess I did," Sean couldn't help but return her smile. Her easy-going nature and good humor was wearing down Sean's defenses even more than the revealing dress she was almost wearing.
"So, am I gonna stand and talk with you all night, or are you gonna be a gentleman and offer me a seat and a drink?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sean immediately stood up and pulled out the barstool next to him. Once Penny sat in the chair, he gently slid it back up to the bar and returned to his seat. He thought to himself about how scandalized his puritanical mother would be if she knew that he was using the gentlemanly manners that she drilled into his head on an exotic dancer.
Once Sean sat back down, Penny smiled at him again.
"Thank you, sweetie."
"You're welcome," was all Sean could mention before he was caught in her eyes. That's when he knew he was in trouble. He never noticed a woman's eyes unless he was seriously infatuated with her, and her hazel gaze trapped him and held him fast. He caught himself staring and returned to the business at hand.
"What are you drinking, Penny?"
"I'll have a rum and coke, light on the rum."
Sean ordered Penny's drink and got anther beer for himself. They sat in silence for a little bit, enjoing their drinks, before Penny began the conversation again.
"Let's see here. You're a good looking guy, hanging at the bar in a strip club and you're concentrating more on the bottles than the boobs. You're either nursing a broken heart, or you're a card carrying alcoholic. Did I nail it, or did I nail it?"
Sean finished up his beer and returned the smile, "You got me. I escaped from my A.A. meeting and came here."
"Ah, he does have a sense of humor."
"I hide it well."
Penny held Sean's hands in hers and stared at him with her hazel eyes, "Say, would you like a dance?"
Part three:
SPOILERS! (Click to view)
Sean couldn't speak. He flashed back to when he was 15 and was standing on Julie Sanderson's front steps after a Saturday matinee of Clueless. He knew that he wanted to kiss her and that she wanted him to kiss her, but he was still frozen in place. Just like now in the club, he couldn't talk and couldn't move.
Penny flashed her seductive smile again.
"I know I'm hot, but I don't think I ever had quite this effect on a guy before."
Sean continued to stare at Penny, dumbfounded at the question he was just asked.
"Tell you what sweetie, I actually need to hit the stage for a little bit. Why don't you hang out for about ten or so and think about it?"
Sean found part of his lost voice and mumbled something that almost sounded like "okay".
Penny stood up from the stool and gave Sean a play scowl and finger wag, he just about melted on the spot.
"Now you stay right here, mister! Don't move from this spot. I'll be back in two shakes."
Penny leaned in and kissed Sean on the cheek leaving her ruby red mark on him. She turned and headed for the first of three satellite stages that she would dance on before she rotated to the main two stages. Sean sat in awe at what just transpired. However, once he was out of Penny's immediate sphere of influence, Sean started feeling rabbity again. He looked at the door and thought about leaving. He had an early morning ahead of him the next day, and would really benefit from a full night's sleep. One of the other IT guys stumbled up to Sean to ask if he needed to hitch a ride with the designated driver. Sean made his decision.
"No, I'm gonna stay. I have to go see about a girl."
The stumbling IT straggler turned and walked towards the exit of the club calling back to Sean over his shoulder.
"Fucking Good Will Hunting watching motherfucker."
About ten minutes later, Sean heard the DJ's voice booming out over the PA system.
"Coming up next on the main stage is Penny!"
Hers was the only dance that Sean paid attention to that night, but even with relatively little to compare her to, he knew she was good. Her hips swayed to the bassline of the song as she walked the stage. It seemed to Sean as though Penny was the only other person in the room. Wherever she moved on the stage or pole, it felt like that was the only place in the room that light fell. She was the center of his universe while she danced. In the middle of her routine she locked eyes with Sean, smiled and winked at him. He was totally sprung.
When her songs finished, Penny came down from the stage and worked the bar for tips. As she walked around the bar appreciative men placed tips into her cleavage. Sean tried not to look at the way the patrons were caressing her naked breasts in order to add their tips. When Penny made her way to Sean, he offered a tip as well. Penny leaned into him and whispered into his ear.
"I didn't forget about you sweetie. So, did you make a decision yet?"
Sean whispered back to Penny, "Yes I did. I would love a dance from you."
Penny smiled at Sean and pulled back a little bit.
"Glad to hear it hon. Just let me run to the back, and I'll be right out."
Sean kept a goofy smile on his face the entire time that Penny was in the back changing into another slinky dress and it was still plastered on his face when she came out. If she was a knockout before, there were no superlatives to describe how stunning she looked in her blue, clingy dress. She leaned into Sean closely and ran her fingers through his hair.
"So, you ready Sean?"
Penny flashed her seductive smile again.
"I know I'm hot, but I don't think I ever had quite this effect on a guy before."
Sean continued to stare at Penny, dumbfounded at the question he was just asked.
"Tell you what sweetie, I actually need to hit the stage for a little bit. Why don't you hang out for about ten or so and think about it?"
Sean found part of his lost voice and mumbled something that almost sounded like "okay".
Penny stood up from the stool and gave Sean a play scowl and finger wag, he just about melted on the spot.
"Now you stay right here, mister! Don't move from this spot. I'll be back in two shakes."
Penny leaned in and kissed Sean on the cheek leaving her ruby red mark on him. She turned and headed for the first of three satellite stages that she would dance on before she rotated to the main two stages. Sean sat in awe at what just transpired. However, once he was out of Penny's immediate sphere of influence, Sean started feeling rabbity again. He looked at the door and thought about leaving. He had an early morning ahead of him the next day, and would really benefit from a full night's sleep. One of the other IT guys stumbled up to Sean to ask if he needed to hitch a ride with the designated driver. Sean made his decision.
"No, I'm gonna stay. I have to go see about a girl."
The stumbling IT straggler turned and walked towards the exit of the club calling back to Sean over his shoulder.
"Fucking Good Will Hunting watching motherfucker."
About ten minutes later, Sean heard the DJ's voice booming out over the PA system.
"Coming up next on the main stage is Penny!"
Hers was the only dance that Sean paid attention to that night, but even with relatively little to compare her to, he knew she was good. Her hips swayed to the bassline of the song as she walked the stage. It seemed to Sean as though Penny was the only other person in the room. Wherever she moved on the stage or pole, it felt like that was the only place in the room that light fell. She was the center of his universe while she danced. In the middle of her routine she locked eyes with Sean, smiled and winked at him. He was totally sprung.
When her songs finished, Penny came down from the stage and worked the bar for tips. As she walked around the bar appreciative men placed tips into her cleavage. Sean tried not to look at the way the patrons were caressing her naked breasts in order to add their tips. When Penny made her way to Sean, he offered a tip as well. Penny leaned into him and whispered into his ear.
"I didn't forget about you sweetie. So, did you make a decision yet?"
Sean whispered back to Penny, "Yes I did. I would love a dance from you."
Penny smiled at Sean and pulled back a little bit.
"Glad to hear it hon. Just let me run to the back, and I'll be right out."
Sean kept a goofy smile on his face the entire time that Penny was in the back changing into another slinky dress and it was still plastered on his face when she came out. If she was a knockout before, there were no superlatives to describe how stunning she looked in her blue, clingy dress. She leaned into Sean closely and ran her fingers through his hair.
"So, you ready Sean?"
VIEW 12 of 12 COMMENTS
CHECK 2.Good story, I wish I could meet a Penny.
CHECK 3.I am lovin' the new profile pic!