I’m still not very interested in much of the show here at Club Red, but I am very, very interested in four of the men who perform. Until they come out, I enjoy my drink and watch some of the people in the audience. I’m sure a lot of these women are frequent customers, and some of them probably lust after my four men, but I don’t mind. Leo, Troy, Darian, and Dante never give me any reason to think they’re interested in anyone but me.
“Look at these four,” Brittany says, nudging my arm and pointing toward the stage. “These are the jerks I’ll be traveling with next week.”
I watch the men dance. They’re wearing basketball jerseys, and all of them are holding balls over their heads, rotating their hips in coordination with the others. Two of them look like they’d get carded at any bar, any night of the week.
“How old are they?” I ask, leaning close to my sister so I can be heard over the screaming audience.
“Not old enough for any bit of common sense or decency. They’re the worst.”
I give her a sympathetic smile and wonder why she dislikes these four so much, but it’s too loud in here to have much of a conversation. If they’ve gotten on my sister’s bad side, I pity them.
They’re down to just their shorts now, and after more dancing around, dribbling, and bouncing their balls across the stage to each other, they finally exit.
A familiar melody starts, and a shiver of excitement runs through me. It’s the twins’ big number, and I’m looking forward to it, even though I’ll have to watch them fake-romance another woman. In my heart, I’ll know they’re thinking of me, so it’s okay. This is how I first laid eyes on them, so I can’t feel anything except positive about it.
As before, the two identical men come toward the stage from each side of the audience. All around me, women are bouncing on their toes, waving their arms, desperately wanting to be the chosen one. Brittany’s watching me, probably wondering if I’ll be jealous, but I just give her a smile and take another sip of my drink.
When I look back toward center stage to try to see who they’ve chosen, my vision is filled with two very familiar broad bodies in gorgeous black tuxes. They’re headed right for me.
I meet Darian’s eyes and shake my head. I don’t want to go up on stage. But he arches a questioning brow and gives me a beautiful smile; it’s a look that can convince me to do nearly anything.
“Are you okay with it?” he asks when they reach me.
“We don’t want to take anyone up there but you,” Dante says, and I’m surprised I can hear him with Donna shrieking right next to us.
“Go!” Brittany says, shifting into bossy older sister mode.
I nod at the men, and they hold out their arms for me. I expect to be nervous as they lead me through the crowd and up onto the stage, but with my arms entwined with theirs, I feel nothing but calm excitement.
I’ve already lived this fantasy with them, several times over in fact, and nothing feels more right than being in their arms.
After the bit where we pretend to toast and drink champagne, and after they present me with flowers, they start to twirl me around the stage in a dance. I’m not the smoothest or most graceful dancer, but with them leading me, I’m steady on my feet, despite being vaguely aware that hundreds of jealous women are watching me.
I almost stumble when Dante spins me out though, because Troy is suddenly there, ready to take me in his arms. Then Leo appears, and all four men take turns dancing with me.
The rest of the performance is a blur, as I’m passed from one man to another, pampered and cared for, wrapped in a robe, massaged, and kissed. The audience is going wild, but it’s all white noise, because all I can focus on are these four wonderful men who make me feel like I’m the only woman in the world, just as they’ve done every day that I’ve been with them.
Gradually, they strip down to red boxers, just as they did when I first saw this performance, and I admire their bodies, but it’s also their hearts, minds, and souls that have me completely hooked now.
“We’ll be retiring this act after tonight,” Dante says as he carries me offstage, surrounded by Darian, Troy, and Leo.
“Not true,” Darian says. “It will be on demand for private performances only, and only for you.”
I slide my hands over Dante’s shoulders, marveling at the muscles there, even though I’ve mapped them countless times. “Speaking of private performances, be sure to save some energy for later tonight at my house.”