73 Things To Do Ch. 01

"Um..." I said, as they grabbed my hands and pulled me up. In another supremely graceful move, in that I didn't quite realize what was happening until it had happened, I was sitting on the duvan, facing Ms. A, with two very beautiful and quite lesbian strippers pressed tight on either side of me.

"Um..." I said, again.

"Relax." Trish said in my ear.

"The customer has a request." Danni breathed, licking the lobe of my ear as she said it. I jumped at the sensation. I looked up at Amy, who was looking at me with maybe the hungriest expression I'd ever seen on another person in my life.

"Big girl money, darling." Trish whispered. "Big girls don't turn down big girl money." Her hand slipped over my stomach, making me jump.

Danni's magnificent breasts brushed my arm and Trish licked my neck. Involuntarily, my eyes closed-. Right there, that's my trigger. Stuff starts to get slippery. I felt two sets of hands cup my breasts through my 'tress outfit; for a moment I was absurdly embarrassed that they'd be able to tell that my nipples were as hard as fucking rocks.

"Um..." I said again, but my eyes were still closed and expert hands were travelling all over my body. I felt a hand tighten around my neck (another trigger) and boom: I was WET. Embarrassingly wet. But then the hand turned my head and I felt a long tongue part my lips and slide into my mouth at the same time a different set of expert hands pushed my legs apart and dragged fingernails up into my cunt.

I gasped into Trish's mouth; her lips were soft but her tongue was hard and insistent. My dizziness overwhelmed me. Vaguely I felt them undo my dress, then my bra. My nipples felt other nipples press on them and drag across my skin, shocking in it's softness; traded Trish's hot darting tongue for Danni's soft mouth. She sucked my tongue into it powerfully, almost so much it hurt; I felt fingers touch me, remove clothing, touch me some more. It was maybe the most erotic thing I'd ever experienced. I can admit that, I'm a big girl. Even a coward can admit something like that to herself, can't she? I started to reach the point where I thought I might come, then reached the point where I didn't care if I did, then reached the point where I thought I'd go mad if I didn't. The need to experience that release grew and grew until everything else in the world seemed arbitrary and unimportant.

I broke off the make-out with Danni and opened my eyes. I was mostly naked now, with just my underwear and stockings on, a tangle of arms and breast and leg and mouth and tongue. Amy was watching me, her eyes somehow dark and bright at the same time. She bit her bottom lip slightly; the first physical concession to arousal she'd shown, and that simple little gesture went through me like a cleaver through flesh.

Suddenly, with no transition, I knew that I wanted to fuck this woman across from me, I wanted to fuck her more than I'd ever wanted to do anything in my life; I wanted to do shit to her I'd never even imagined. I felt like I'd do anything in the world to do it, and I felt like I might die if I didn't get to. It came from nowhere and slammed into me and broke me and made me anew; in an instant my whole life seemed paltry and dull in the face of this new, searing, overwhelming, lust.

I broke free of the other girls, leaned forward, climbed across the gap like a cat, placed my weight on my hands that touched either side of her thighs and seemed to burn my skin, and kissed her.

The world just kind of... went away, for a little while. And then strong fingers wrapped around my neck and Amy pushed me back, breaking the kiss with a soft sucking sound. I whimpered a little. She looked at me with hooded eyes for a second, then licked her lips.

"Thank you, ladies." She said, in that thrilling low voice. The other two girls pulled me back; they could tell the show was over. She stood, tucking a fat roll of bills into the fold of the couch. She gave us a smile, adjusted her skirt, and left the room. There was silence for a moment.

"Well that was fun." Trish said. Danni had already gotten over to the couch and was riffling the bills. She looked up at us, wide-eyed.

"What?" Trish said. I was too battered and lost to even think about it.

"There's three grand here." She said.

"The fuck..." Trish said. She bounced over and counted it. I sat back on the duvan, feeling muzzy and stupid. That was... it? That was all there was? And now she was gone? I was as wet and hard and horny and frustrated as I'd ever been in my life, and now we just... went back to work?

Trish bounced back with a bunch of large-denomination bills in her hand. She tucked the wad into the top of my panties.

"Big girl money." She said, impishly. Danni was already putting on her skimpy dress, and Trish started to do the same. She looked at me, concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I said. I started hunting around in the dimness for my bra.

"You were amazing." Danni said. "Join us anytime, darlin."

She gave me a wink and Trish gave me a rather more salacious wink. Then they ducked out of the room and were gone.

I sat in there for several long minutes, and then finally started putting my clothes back on.

My heart was in my teeth as I walked around the stage and looked to see if Amy had left- for a desperate, terrible moment I saw an empty table but then I realized I was looking at 4, not 6. Ms. Anderson was sitting, legs crossed, as classy as anything, in number 6. I sighed a huge sigh of relief and looked around for my next item of business. I saw it and walked over.

"Excuse me." I said to the balding guy that Trish was talking to. "I'll get her right back to you, honey."

I grabbed Trish's hand and half-dragged her to one of the changing rooms, locked the door, and mauled her.

She had no apparent problem with this; in five minutes she had me back on the couch with my skirt down around my knees, having one of the best orgasms of my life into her strong little mouth. When it was over I shuddered and jittered a little in that way that always embarrasses me but seems to turn other people on quite a bit.

"Mmmm." Trish said, climbing up me and kissing me on the mouth. Her mouth was wet with my come, and it tasted strange and wonderful on her lips. She broke the kiss after a moment, before it could get too heated.

"Your turn?" I asked, half fearful, half hopeful. Trish laughed and patted my cheek.

"Not unless you want me following you around like a puppy dog." She grinned. "And that wouldn't be no fun for anybody."

She paused for a moment at the door, wiping the corner of her mouth with one finger.

"Just so you know," She said, "You're a bit of a squirter."

I froze. The look on my face must have been enough.

"Oh, it's no problem." She said, with a wicked little grin. "Quite the opposite. Just thought it's information a girl should have. Weapons at the disposal, and all that." She winked and closed the door behind her. I looked down and saw a significant wet spot on the couch, and blushed about as hard as I ever had.

I had certainly never done that before. It made me feel strange, and strangely... Like anything might be possible, tonight.

Or maybe I was just really drunk. Either way, Cat the Coward was going to go sit on Amy Anderson's lap and do whatever it took to get her in bed. I had that much courage, I thought. I had just that much.

She was gone, of course.

For a few minutes I just sat there where she'd been sitting, feeling like I was going to cry. I felt strangely bereft; as if I'd lost something precious just as I'd found it. I felt a hand on my back.

"Hey, honey, you ok?" It was Mary, concern on her cute little round face. I felt absurdly grateful. She sat down next to me and patted my hand. "You look like, sad as shit, darlin'."

"I'm okay." I said, hoping I looked okay. "Long night."

She nodded sympathetically, then remembered something with a little moue of surprise. She reached into her apron and pulled out a sheaf of bills, folded in half. She handed it to me.

"I dunno what you did with this one," She said, "But she was happy. That's all yours."

I really did feel like I was going to cry now. I clutched the stupid money.

"I'm fine." I said. "Really."

"Okay, hon." Mary said. "Listen, why don't you get yourself cut? We have too many girls on the floor already, and it looks like you made some bank tonight. Go home and get a backrub from that fine man-meat of yours."

I sighed. I squeezed her hand, forced a smile.

"Yeah." I said. "I think I might. Thanks."

She smiled and bounced off. Good old Mary.

I laid back on the cushions, looking at the black-painted ceiling. The bass thrum of the music seemed watery, distant. I thought maybe I would take the rest of the night off. All the alcohol and sex were draining into something sterile, dry, shameful.

I wanted to take a shower and sleep for a week. I remembered Derek was in my bed and wanted to cry again. Feeling like I weighed a thousand pounds, I dragged myself up off the couch, slipped the wad of money into my apron, and headed off to find Rog.

It was cool outside, cool enough to make my nipples prickle and remind me of how fucking hard they'd been only a little while ago. It was already starting to feel like a hundred years ago, like a dream someone else had told me once. I walked through the parking lot, ignoring the car of drunk assholes who yelled unintelligible come-on's at me. I fumbled in my purse for my keys, feeling thick and slow.

I stopped with the key halfway in the lock. Pulled it out and turned, looking up at the stars.

God, I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to go home to my shoddy apartment and my unfinished degree and my dying plants. I had been on the cusp of... something. I wanted something more, but I felt it slipping away. I wondered if I would remember that overwhelming feeling I'd felt in that private room, looking at Amy. Already it felt unreal. How long until I convinced myself it had just been the alcohol?

The stars had no answers for me. I wished I still felt that heat, wished I had the desire and fortitude to go home with Trish, even just to sleep on her couch. But no, I'd go home to my own bed. And know thyself, right? Just to have some comfort I'd probably let Derek sleep in it. And the inevitable wheel of history would grind on.

And tomorrow I'd wake up and get ready for another shift as Catherine the Cocktail Waitress. Cat the timid, Cat the fake.

Cat the Coward. Always.

"HEY!" I jerked and looked up. I saw Mary running comically in her heels across the parking lot. I frowned; had she given me too much money? Had they got a late rush in there? She tottered up, breathing heavily. She wore an outlandishly sorrowful expression.

"Darlin'," She said, "I swear to god I'm the stupidest idiot you ever met."

"What's wrong?" I caught her arm to keep her from falling over. She expelled a huge sigh and handed a slip of paper over.

"Completely forgot that lady left this for you." She said. "It was with the money but must have fallen off. I just found it in my bag."

I looked at the paper.

I have a proposition. Then there was a telephone number written next to it in that same neat, precise hand.

I looked up at Mary, eyes wide. She blinked.

"Is that good?" She said. I hugged her.

"I love you." I said. I reached into my bag, got the wad of bills, grabbed a bunch of them and shoved them in Mary's hand. Now it was her turn to do the wide eyes thing.

"Cat," She said, "This is..."

"Shut up and get your fine ass out of here." I said. "I gotta make a phone call."

She looked at me, at whatever she saw on my face.

"Ho boy." She said, sighing. "That bad, huh?"

I grinned, helplessly. I nodded. She kissed me on the cheek.

"Then good luck, darlin'." She tottered away, but I didn't watch her go. I was too busy digging for my phone.

"Hello?" It was her voice. That thick, creamy, delicious voice. I felt like I'd been waiting my entire life to hear it.

"Hi." I said. "This is Cat."

"Catherine." She said. "I was worried you wouldn't call."

I bit my lip and leaned against my car. My whole body felt like a plucked string, vibrating to some new harmonic.

"I called." I said, rolling my eyes at my inability to use the English language in any coherent way.

"I have a proposition for you." Amy said. My heart thumped.

"Okay." I said.

"I'd like to hire you to find someone for me." She said.

"Find someone?" I said. What the fuck?

"I'm looking for someone to... spend a few weeks with." Amy said. "I'm going on something of a road trip, and I'd like some company. But this needs to be... well, a special kind of person. Frankly I wasn't going to ask, but..."

"I can help." I said, strange weird chills and hot flashes chasing themselves around my body.

"I'm looking for someone who's good at procuring things." Amy said. "At making things happen."

"An assistant." I said. I could hear Amy smile, somehow.

"An assistant." She said. "But an assistant who would be willing to... engage in a variety of recreational activities. A wide variety."

I closed my eyes. There was a small pause.

"Do I need to be clearer, Cat?" She said. She was still smiling, I could tell.

"Oh, no." I said. "That's perfectly clear."

"I am, of course, willing to compensate this person for their time." She said. "If it's the right person."

"Of course." I said, stupidly.

"The terms," She went on, as if I'd not said anything, "Will be fifty thousand up front, to take the trip. And if, when we get to California and go our separate ways, I am completely satisfied... there will be an additional fifty thousand. Including all travel costs and incidentals."

"That seems reasonable." I said, as if from far, far away and underwater.

"Do you think you could find someone like that for me, Catherine?" She said.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm pretty sure I know the perfect girl."

"Oh?" She said, sounding surprised.

"Yeah." I said, my voice somehow calm. "Me."

Now there was a silence on her end.

"Hmm." Was all she said. I just waited, feeling like my heart was going to jump up out of my chest. I felt like I had just leaped off a cliff without thinking about it or looking at what lay below, and now I was hanging there, curious, waiting for gravity to grab me.

"I'm not sure that you would be... up... for some of the things I have in mind." She said, finally. "I was thinking of someone who was perhaps a little less beautiful and a little more... experienced."

My eyes were still closed.

"I learn quickly." I said, hoarsely. There was another silence. When she broke it she sounded brisk, businesslike.

"Okay, Catherine. How about this. I propose an audition; If you pass the audition, then we'll enter into this deal on a provisional basis. Do you understand what that means?"

"I think so." I croaked.

"It means I will give you ten thousand up front, providing you ace your audition." She said. "And then further payment depending upon how happy I am with your services. If at any time I am displeased, I will put you on a plane back home. If you make it all the way to California, the balance of the hundred thousand will be yours."

I couldn't think of a thing to say.

"Still interested, Cat?" She said. God, I wanted to fuck her voice. I wanted to fuck it raw.

"I'm interested." I said. "On one condition."

Hesitation. "Go on." She said.

"That you tell me your real name." I held my breath. I could hear her smile again.

"It's Rebecca." She said. I sighed, feeling weak.

"That's a lovely name."

"Thank you, Catherine." She said. "Now, about your audition."

I hung up the phone and looked at it.

"Fuck." I said, softly. I looked up at the stars for a while. And then, before this burst of madness could abate, I moved.

I slipped Jenna a hundred dollar bill and gave Trish my phone, showing her how to work it. Jenna asked me if I was sure; we both knew I'd probably get fired if I did this.

I said I was.

I was not.

From backstage, I saw Trish get the video on my camera running and point it. I took a deep breath. A song started, something wild and rough from the eighties.

I pushed through the curtain and out onto the stage, into the lights and in front of hundreds of hungry staring eyes.

The first part was actually fine; I mean I work in a strip club and wear fuck-me clothes professionally. I know how to put the smile on and put the sway into the hips. I even know how to twirl around the pole a little. If it had just been that, there would be no problems, but this was of course not that. Amy had known, somehow. Known what the hardest thing would be.

The dancers lined up around the stage, eyes wide; Mike was leaning on the bar, Trish was staring at me, fascinated. Everyone seemed to know something special was happening. One of the cocktail waitresses was on the big pole. I started to hear catcalls, many of them from the girls I work with.

Cat the Coward. It wasn't too late; I could walk off the stage and apologize and probably keep both my dignity and my job. Go home to my boyfriend. Water my plants. Get ready for tomorrow's shift.

I looked down into the eye of the camera, where Rebecca was watching from her hotel room.

I smiled at her, and started taking off my clothes.