“Because I think it’s sexy. It could be fun. I want to let my hair down and pretend nothing is wrong in my life…. And I’d like to shock the hell out of my husband.”
Aaliyah’s smile was wide as she typed. “All of those are good reasons.”
“Do you have any reservations about pole dancing? Any at all?”
Avery pursed her lips in thought. “How bad will it feel if I hit the floor?”
Laughter burst from Aaliyah. “That is a great question! It will likely feel how any fall would. But if you decide to go through with classes, I’ll work with you to make sure you are comfortable with what you’re doing before climbing the pole. Baby steps.” She chuckled. “Let me have your name.”
“Avery Michele-Valentine.”
Aaliyah stopped typing and looked at Avery. “Valentine is a popular name here in the city. I’m sure people wonder if you’re a part of the Valentine family whenever you give your name out.”
“I am. But let’s keep that between us since I’d rather not have a crowd standing outside your building hoping to get pictures. I’d also like not to make the morning news—even at my own station.”
Aaliyah’s eyes widen. “Oh my goodness—you’re the owner of WTZB! It’s wonderful to have you here. I can’t believe we have a celebrity in the building.”
Avery twisted her lips. “I’m hardly a celebrity.”
“You can say that all you like, but if you weren’t—making the news, or having paparazzi stalk you, wouldn’t be a thing.”
Avery thought about it. “I see your point.”
Aaliyah chuckled softly. “Some key pointers. Here at Aaliyah’s dance studio, I have full classes of twenty-five women each that are seventy dollars an hour, and we dance for three hours. Private lessons are one-hundred-fifty dollars an hour with a minimum of two hours. I can show you around the studio. There is a student and instructor currently in a session. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if we peeped in so you can see what you would be doing if you’re still interested.”
“I’d love that.” Avery’s phone buzzed, and she removed it and opened the notification.
I was wrong. Forgive me.
Avery smirked. She’d ignored DeAndre’s calls and text messages all day—unable to get over how frustrating his lack of enthusiasm was for her new desire to pole dance.
Hmmm.
That was all she sent back.
“I’m ready when you are,” she told Aaliyah.
They walked over polyurethane-sprung floors and down a long hallway to a closed door on the right.
Aaliyah knocked twice, then opened it and stuck her head inside.
“I’ve got a customer with me. We want to watch you guys for about five minutes if that’s okay with you?” Aaliyah nodded. “Okay, great.”
They eased inside the room. The first thing Avery noticed was the floor-to-ceiling mirrors on the wall. Poles were positioned in different areas, with enough space between them for customers to dance without touching one another.
The woman on the pole was sliding down in a carousel swing, legs outstretched. She wore daisy duke shorts and a black sports bra, sporting an afro. On her feet, the stiletto heels looked as tall as the ones strippers wore. Avery’s eyes widened as she watched the instructor guide the woman and cheer when she completed her moves.
“Wow. She’s excellent.”
Aaliyah nodded. “She’s been taking classes for four weeks, and when she came in, she was a beginner like you.” Aaliyah smiled over at Avery and winked.
“So you’re saying I could look like her in just four weeks?”
“Well. That will depend on your stamina, how well you take instructions and critique—also if you decide to take a full class or private lessons. This customer chose private lessons, so the instructor is able to focus on her solely and catch any hiccups immediately.”
Avery nodded. “I’d definitely want private lessons. The last thing I need is anyone watching me fall on my ass.” She laughed nervously.
“Oh no. Don’t imagine you’ll fall, or you'll freeze up every time you see that pole. Imagine yourself dancing and swinging around that bad boy with grace. I believe you can do it. And another thing, we start with baby steps, remember? I’d give you some non-pole dances to practice first, and once you get a grip on those, we’ll move into basic twirls with the pole. Lastly, our flooring is sprung flooring. It reduces stress on the body in case your muscles or joints come in contact with the floor. We take every precaution here at Aaliyah’s dance studio, so believe me when I tell you, we’ve got your back.”