Brought from her stare, Phoebe nudged Faye, grinning as she held up a glass of wine and a bourbon. “Water my arse!” She gave Faye a knowing look, pointing towards an empty area. Faye followed, keeping her head down as she strode across the floor. “Come on. I may or may not have booked us into the VIP section.”
“You mean you had this planned all along?”
“Maybe.” Phoebe shrugged as she rounded the table and dropped down onto the expensive leather couch. “You deserve this. And you definitely need it. Just let your hair down and stop feeling bad.”
“But—”
“But nothing. Do you really think I’d bring you to a place where you’d feel uncomfortable?”
“I suppose not.”
Phoebe smirked. “My best friend only deserves the best. And if you behave yourself, I may have something else planned for this evening.”
“Like what? I think it’s safe to say you’ve outdone yourself tonight.”
Phoebe lifted an eyebrow. “So youareenjoying yourself?”
Faye swallowed when a gorgeous blonde gripped the pole in front of them, her eyes taking in every inch of exposed skin. The woman dancing for them wasn’t quite Faye’s type, but she could certainly admire her from afar. Perhaps Phoebe was right. This was a welcome change from sitting at home on a Friday night.
Faye nodded. “But just so you know, dinner would have sufficed.”
“Dinner can be eaten whenever. This is so much more fun.”
Faye cocked her head, grinning as the blonde in front of her wrapped herself around a pole. “You know, I think you could be right.”
Faye focused on the dancer, conflicted feelings churning deep within her belly. She shouldn’t enjoy this…should she? But then she kicked the guilt from her mind. This club was exclusive in some ways. It didn’t appear to have sleazy clients just looking to get off. The people here seemed more interested in the show the women put on than the goods beneath what they wore. If Faye focused on that, sitting here this evening wouldn’t feel so cruel.
The dancer left the stage to the right, heading for a group of guys across the room from Faye and Phoebe. Faye wasn’t necessarily disappointed, but she had been enjoying the show.
When another blonde stepped onto the stage, Faye lost her breath. She wore intense eye makeup, killer heels, and the lingerie covering her body only added to her beauty. The previous blonde had enhanced breasts and thick, heavy makeup, but this woman? Her eyes were intense, everything about her natural andveryappealing.
Faye was taken aback for a moment. She was sure she recognised the dancer. But she’d never been in a strip club before, or met a dancer, so she batted the familiarity away.
The dancer crouched down in front of Faye, beckoning her closer with a curl of her index finger. “Hi.”
“H-hi.” Faye stumbled over her words; her mouth dry. She quickly lifted her bourbon and sipped.
“I…believe you’re all mine.”
Faye’s lips parted as she eyed Phoebe. “What’s going on?”
“She’s all yours for the next thirty minutes.”
“Excuse me?” Faye almost spat out the drink she was sipping. “Did you just… No! No way!”
“Go and have a little fun. It’sjusta dance, Faye. God, you’re so uptight lately.”
Uptight? Faye was a forty-year-old woman who had better things to do than think about the next time she’d have sex. Phoebe ought to remember that. “You’re telling me you’ve set up a private dance for me from this woman?”
“Yep. And it cost me a small fortune, so…”
“So, get a refund!” Faye gritted her teeth as she leaned in towards her best friend’s ear. It was one thing to be sitting here at all, but to accept a private dance from one of the women was another thing entirely. It was a line Faye couldn’t cross. “Phoebe, I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. This is my gift to you for your recent bestseller. I’m so proud of you. Just enjoy yourself.”
“Again,” Faye paused as her dancer guided her out of her seat, “dinner would have sufficed!”
With a deep intake of breath, Faye closed her eyes and remembered that she wasn’t the only person in the world to receive a private dance in a strip club. It hadn’t been on her bucket list, it never would be, but something different never hurt anyone.But this isn’t me.