Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Huh?”
He rolled his eyes. “Do it from the start.” I complied, but when I got to the step where I pointed my left food out, he said, “Freeze.” He knelt down, and for the first time ever, I could see the top of his head. “Give me your leg.”
I swung it around and he grasped it with both hands. He bent my leg at the knee, folding it in until my heel was touching the pole, just like he’d said. “Good. And that’s it, that’s the position. Now you hold on tight, push off with your right leg, and spin around the pole. You’ll go around a couple of times as you sink down to the ground. You land gracefully, let all the horny men stuff dollar bills in your garter belt, and let the next girl take the stage.”
Great, now I had an alternate career if I flunked out of school. But I had to admit that his words had made my pulse speed up. He stood up and stepped back. He motioned for me to go ahead, and for some reason, I obeyed. When I got to the point where I was basically supposed to fly around the pole, I took a deep breath and pushed off with my back foot. “Keep your knees bent but your legs stiff,” Grant said as I lifted my legs off the ground.
Which caused me to drop like a stone. Grant caught my arm before I crashed all the way onto the carpet. “Let’s try that again.”
Why, I wanted to ask. What did this matter? I had carpets to clean, and later, papers to write. But I said none of that. I just got my feet under me and stepped back into the starting position. My arm tingles where his large hand had gripped me tightly.
Three steps. Point toe. Swing leg around. Hook the pole with my ankle. Glide round and round like a graceful swan until I landed gently on the floor. Yeah—that last step was the hard part.
But Grant was patient—a word I never thought I’d use to describe him. Once I was back in the starting position, he said, “Close your eyes.” That order made my eyes widen, but then after careful consideration, I closed them.
It felt different with my eyes closed. The cavernous room faded away. The vacuum, a sign of my ever-growing to-do list, also disappeared. But I could sense the man next to me. He circled me and then I felt him directly behind me, causing me to almost let go of the pole. Somehow, I held my pose—even when he leaned in close, and his warm breath inches from my ear.
“They’re watching you, Hailey.” His voice was low and intimate, and I shivered in spite of myself. “All of them. All those men. They’re all watching you, and every single one of them wants you.” His hands descended on my shoulders, adjusting my position slightly. Then he whispered in my ear again. “You are the sexiest woman they’ve ever seen. They want to fuck you. They wished their girlfriends looked like you. They’re all leaning forward, desperate to see your hot little body spin around that pole. These men would do anything for you. They’d die for the chance to fall down at your feet and worship you. To them, you are a goddess, and you’re going to spin for them. Show them your grace. Your sexuality. Your power. Do it now.”
I felt a small push on my back, but it didn’t break the power of his spell. With my eyes still closed, I started. Three graceful steps. Toes pointed. I could feel their eyes on me—the men who thought I was gorgeous.
My left hand crossed in front of me, grasping the pole and I swung my leg around, my toe pointed. They were all staring at me. Their eyes glued to my leg as I bent it and hooked my foot around the pole. And then I pushed off, gliding around the pole, my legs bent, my hands gripping tightly.
One time. Two times—I was losing altitude, sliding toward the floor. And then three times. My knee touched the thick carpet, and I slid to a stop.
There was complete silence, but in my mind, I was imagining what Grant said. Men staring at me, mesmerized. Cheering for me. Wanting me. It wasn’t a very feminist fantasy, but it was a pretty intriguing one.
I opened my eyes and blinked at the bright light. Then Grant stepped in front of me, blocking everything else with his huge body. “Good job.”
He offered a hand and I took it, letting him pull me effortlessly to my feet. He held on until he was sure I was steady and then stepped back. “A very good job.” Almost reluctantly, he reached out and stroked my hair once. Then he stepped back. “Now finish sweeping the floor.” With a wink, he turned on his heel and strode out of the room, leaving me to wonder what the hell had just happened. How had I started out cleaning and ended up doing that?