STRIPPED
Couple Confessions #1
Katie Cramer
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2012 Katie Cramer
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This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to any situations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This ebook contains explicit material, strong language and sexual references intended for mature audiences only. All sexual acts portrayed or suggested are between consensual adults over the age of 18.
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PROLOGUE
Celine's body spun around the pole, the cold metal causing little moments of pleasure to dance on her skin as she glided effortlessly to the music pounding through the club. She was a pro now. The moves were second nature, from the carousel to the basic cradle to the ballerina to the side spin. She knew them all but felt the music so much more. Her nipples were hard, cutting through the air as she spun and dangled upside down. Life in vertical. Life in a blur.
Kings of Leon's "Sex on Fire" screamed through the club as she neared the end of her routine. The lyrics resonated perfectly. "I know they're watching. They're watching." She gave so much more than some of the other dancers. Her body was drenched in sweat, her long dark hair flicking and gliding like an Amazonian goddess in flight. The men below stared and desired her, marveling at her physique, her endurance, her strength on the pole. What would she be like in bed? She smiled to herself as fully-clothed men were the ones disarmed. They all wanted to fuck her. They wouldn't stand a chance.
She flipped her body upwards as Caleb Followill sang out.
"You...your sex is on fire..."
Damn right it was. She hung upside-down on the pole, her muscles fully taxed to the limit as she spread her body out below. With the skill of a gymnast she slid down, placed her hands on the dance floor and flipped her body over, slamming her high heels down onto the wooden surface before flicking her head up triumphantly in time to the final drum beat.
The crowd went nuts, throwing even more money to add to the amounts already littered across the stage as she smiled sweetly, picking up her earnings. Jackie, the club's manager, picked up the microphone from the bar."Give it up for sexy Celine, people! Show your appreciation...and be generous!"
They were. She had made almost $500 already this evening and it wasn't even 11pm. She blew the crowd a kiss before heading back to the dressing room, beaming from ear to ear. Her body ached and she needed a quick shower before emerging again into the club. Then the real money would start rolling in. Private dances. Rich businessmen. Cristal champagne. Look, but don't touch - gifts were fine and drinks were always welcome. The money would flow tonight. Her body was in peak condition, her ass tight and her breasts pert. She would feel wet with every dance, the eyes burning into her a mere three feet away causing her nipples to go as erect as the bulging cocks in front of her each night. No wonder she was the club's star attraction. Where would tonight end? $1000? $2000? More?
Her boyfriend was right to stay away tonight.
ONE
"Man, I'm exhausted."
Celine stuffed the last of her belongings into her gym bag and counted her loose change. "Shit..."
"What's the matter?" Her best friend, Amy, tied her hair back into a ponytail and looked across the changing room quizzically.
"Hell...I thought I had enough change left to pay the instructor. Damn it. Um...do you know if there's an ATM near here?"
Amy smiled. "Don't be silly. How short are you?"
"A dollar."
"Jeez, a dollar? A whole US dollar? Don't worry, kid, I'll sort you out."
Celine smiled. "Thanks, Amy. God, it's so embarrassing."
Amy picked up her bag and walked over to her friend. "Why? It's only a dollar. Here." She handed the cash to Celine and switched her cell phone back on. "Don't leave the country, okay? If you do I'll hunt you down like an animal for that buck."
Celine's eyes began to fill up with tears and she exhaled deeply, trying to maintain her composure. Amy placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Hey, what's wrong?" She hugged her friend and kissed her cheek. "What's the matter? It's okay, it's only money."
"It's just so hard at the minute," Celine sobbed. "Matt still hasn't found anything and it's getting really tight. Really tight. We could get our electric cut off if we don't pay the bill by next week. I wasn't even going to come tonight but what difference would it make? We just don't have enough money to live on."
Matt and Celine had been together for almost five years now - they were classic high school sweethearts - but this had been their first major challenge as a couple. Matt had been working in advertising sales since leaving school and earning damn good money. Celine, on the other hand, was just about to graduate her final year of studying Contemporary Dance and Movement and, between paying for their tiny one-bed apartment and Matt's sudden redundancy, the money had run out. Completely.
Both girls sat on a changing-room bench and Amy rubbed Celine's back as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "Can you not get someone to lend you the money? I mean, I can lend you the money."
Celine shook her head. "No, Amy. No way. I've never owed money to anyone and I'm not starting now. I'd rather we got disconnected." Amy rolled her eyes. "I know you think it's my stupid pride, but no. No way."
"Has Matt got anything lined up? Any interviews?"
"Nope," Celine replied. "Nothing. He's so down. You can only pick someone back up so often, you know? He's starting to look at other stuff but the money's all awful. He was making good cash until recently, then - boom - recession. What businesses are buying advertising now? Most of them are just trying to stay afloat, like us."
Amy smiled. "What about you? You graduate soon. Anything on the horizon?"
"I've got some interviews lined up for after I leave. A couple of theatre groups and dance companies. But they're months away still. I need something now. I'll stack shelves, wait tables, anything. Do you know anyone looking for staff?"
Amy thought for a second. "You're desperate, right?"
Celine laughed nervously. "Yeah."
"So you're not going to judge, correct?"
Celine's eyes narrowed. "Where's this going?"
"Don't worry," Amy smiled. "Just bear with me. There may be a bar job where I work. One of the part-time guys is an unreliable ass. He never shows up for his shifts and my boss keeps saying she's going to fire him. So...I could ask her tonight if you like. I'll give you a glowing report."
"Amy, that would be awesome. Please, yes, I...tell her I'll be super-reliable. I'll be there whenever she wants, anytime she needs..."
"Whoa, slow down. It's not guaranteed. But I should be able to sway her. There's just one problem. I've never told you where I work, have I?"