Chapter 3

• The music stops, everything going quiet momentarily before the song begins. Walking out onto the stage, I begin dancing. Planning in my mind which chair first and how long to dance near each. I decide to leave chair one until last. Marcello. I don't know why, but maybe so I run out of time?
• I continue dancing, walking out towards the chairs; stopping at the first one, I dance in front of the guy. My eyes glancing up towards Marcello. He isn't even watching? He is on his phone? I feel slightly annoyed as I continue to move between the chairs, dancing. The end of the song comes closer as I dance towards him.
• Standing at the chair, I dance, his eyes on his phone still as I do. I glance at him and then to Elaine – she shrugs her shoulder. So he requests that he sits here knowing I have to dance here, then pays no attention? I begin to feel annoyed, dancing more, my body against his slightly trying to get attention. As the song ends, I walk backstage, annoyed.
• "Daniella, through here first."
• Nodding, I wrap the robe around myself and follow Elaine. Sitting in her office, I look at her.
• "So what? He requests to sit where I have to dance, then ignores the whole dance and looks at his phone? Why did you accept me?" I don't understand.
• "Guess you could say I was interested in what would happen next. You work here, and you're an amazing dancer Daniella, but your fear of what others will think and fear of being open to new things holds you back. How much do you make in your day job Daniella? A week, how much?" I look at her confused.
• "Like six hundred why?" She points to the chair, and I sit down.
• "Six hundred for how many hours work?"
• "Around fifty hours - what does this have to do with you accepting me into the group?"
• She laughs, shaking her head. "Nothing, how much you earn on average here a night? Doing three dances on stage? Like two hundred a dance, right? Four hundred for dances in the private rooms. Some nights you can take home over a grand. Yet you still work as an accountant full time and here once a week?"
• "Right? And your point is? This has nothing to do with the group or Marcello. Why are we discussing my job?"
• "Because maybe it is time to quit and do this properly? Two nights working, and you will make enough for the whole week, maybe even month."
• I laugh at her words. "I get it. He asked you to do this, didn't he? Maybe he isn't a sexist pig, but he wants me here dancing every night instead, right? This was his idea."
• "No, he has no idea. How bad would it be for people to know you dance here? You lie about where you are, so why not lie about where the money comes from? Private dance lessons, there is a world of things you could say you do to earn money so you can work here every night."
• So it wasn't Marcello trying to get me here every night?
• "I will consider it, now the group?" I need to know.
• "As I said, you're too closed-minded. I thought I would accept you, and it would push you into opening up more. You speak a lot here to the girls. It isn't unnoticed that your friend isn't exactly doing it for you." I stare at her shocked.
• "Look, you have one more dance tonight. Go home and consider it, Daniella - you can lie about what you do for work. You lie about where you are every time you come here. If people find out, why is that a bad thing?"
• Nodding, I stand. Working here would be better, more enjoyable, but the thought of people finding out scares me. Stopping, I look back at her. "Marcello? What was that about? Why ask to sit there to ignore me?"
• "No idea, ask him." She throws a key at me, my eyes glancing down. "Room one, that is his room. He likely disappeared back there after the dance." Nodding, I walk out, stopping at the door. I go to knock and stop; instead, I put the key in. Unlocking the door, I walk in and shut it behind me, my eyes glancing at him.
• "Let me guess, Elaine spilled about me owning this place?"
• I nod slightly, looking at him. "What is all that about? Requesting to sit there, then ignoring the whole dance? The whole point of that is so that the woman dancing earns extra." Those guys pay a fee to sit there, so he just took money out of her pocket.
• "Don't worry, your pay will reflect someone paid for that seat."
• "I don't want your money."
• He laughs looking at me. "No, you want an answer to why I requested to sit there, then ignored you, right?" I nod slightly. "You don't like been ignored, do you, Daniella?" I feel my eyes roll slightly.
• "I don't like it when-" My words stop. I can't call him a sexist pig. He hasn't done anything to make that a reality; that is just me, wanting to find any excuse to hate him.
• "When what? You seemed to remember to use a filter there, Daniella." He laughs slightly as I nod.
• "It doesn't matter. I just want to know why?"
• "Why? I have watched from in here Daniella, plenty of guys have paid for those seats, and so many pay no attention to you when you dance. You don't demand to know why from them, so why me?"
• "Don't answer my question with a question." I hate that.
• "Okay, well, I guess the reason I asked to sit there was to see how you would react to it being me. You being nearly twenty minutes late to dance, gave me that answer. Another reason was, well, why not? I rarely leave this room. I like to keep my identity hidden from many of the dancers. Third, something told me if I didn't pay you the attention you wanted, you wouldn't like it, and I had to test that theory."
• "So you did it for a reaction?" I glance out the window, watching Faye dance.
• "No, I wondered how you would react and what you think now after all this? About last night?" He wants me to admit I am wrong?
• "So I pretty much now think you're gay, and you're just set to torment me." I shrug my shoulders. "I need to go. The next dance is mine." I can't lose this job.
• He laughs, looking at me, shocked. "Or you can sit, Elaine will fill your gap, and you still get paid."
• "Isn't that you paying me for what? Sitting here with you? Surely I should be working?"
• "If you want to see it like that, yes, sit. Oh, and I am far from gay." Nodding, I sit down. "So, now that you have realised I am not a sexist pig, drawing women in as a way to gain sex, your thoughts on what we spoke about last night?”
• I glance around me. "Sorry for how I acted, calling you a sexist pig and everything." I shouldn't have done that, especially not after I knew he owned this place.
• "It is fine. I remember you have no filter, Daniella, still you didn't answer?" He looks at me waiting.
• "Okay, so it sounded interesting. It sounded fake as well. I guess because, for me, it is never easy getting to that point. So part of me feels jealous that women all around me are possibly able to do that."
• "Your little friend, get him involved. I will tell you what is needed - he works with you. It is easier to have someone to work with."
• I laugh, looking at him. "I have no attraction to Clyde, the agreement. No, that is wrong. I agreed because it was a means to an end, plus he is not exactly someone who is open to trying new things." I can't expect Clyde to help me.
• "Then find someone new, you can do it alone, of course, you can. Having someone there though, is easier. It helps to have two pairs of hands, let's just say."
• I nod slightly. "So what? What do I do? What is needed for this to happen, as I can't see how it works."
• "Well, first you have to let go of your beliefs, really let go. You tell yourself you can only orgasm in a certain way, that you can't orgasm; often all that needs to leave. Start afresh, with the belief that you can orgasm in any way you want."
• I nod, although it seems unreal still.
• "I still don't see how this is possible."
• "Have you ever had a dream, Daniella? So intense it pushed you to the limit or over it?" I feel my cheeks flush quickly. "Clearly, you have. Where were your hands when you woke, Daniella?" I glance at him confused.
• "By my side, why?" What does where my hands have to do with it? Actually, what does the dream have to do with it?
• "Because that right there, how can you not believe it is possible when you did it purely from a dream? Your mind pushed you to orgasm from showing you a dream, yet you can't orgasm from having simple sex? But dreaming of it, you can?"
• I laugh looking at him. "Okay, you're good." My words are sarcastic.
• "You didn't deny it." He smirks at me. No, I didn't. Why didn't I? "So, you can orgasm because of a dream but then struggle in life? Ever thought it is because in your sleep you let go of those notions and beliefs you have, so you orgasm so much more easily?" A knock at the door makes us turn around.
• Marcello moves and opens it, a laugh escaping his mouth. "You're late. Sit down. I need two minutes to finish up." I watch as the man walks in. Sitting down, he glances at me, my eyes skimming across his body.
• "Daniella." Turning, I look at Marcello and follow him outside as he shuts the door. "Go home, consider everything. Get your little friend to agree to help. I am sure I will see you soon." I watch as he turns and goes back into the room. Walking back to the dressing room, I change my clothes. Everything seems crazy and stupid. Walking home, I consider Elaine's words. I lie, I already work there and lie about where I am, so why not just do it?
• Walking in, I close the door, Clyde glancing at me confused. "You're early." Great, more questions.
• "Yeah, couldn't be bothered tonight." I shrug my shoulders as I walk through to the kitchen, watching as he follows me. "So, I was thinking." Turning, I look at him. I have nothing to lose. A lie will help.
• "What?" He looks at me waiting.
• Am I really going to do this? I laugh slightly to myself. "I want to try something, test a theory, but I need your help." He nods, looking at me, waiting for me to explain it to him.
• "What I mentioned yesterday, well what I asked yesterday. I want to test the theory, see if it really is possible." I smile at him, watching as he looks at me confused. I am guessing he forgot already?
• "Wait, why? Even if it was possible, why would you want to learn how to do that?" Now he remembers.
• "I don't know, curious that is all. It got me thinking about it. Thinking about the fact, I would like to try and see if it is possible. How it works and everything." I smile at him slightly. "You don't need to do anything. Just be my guinea pig. Sex that is all, just like before." He keeps looking at me.
• I watch as his head shakes.
• "I'm not sure. I can't understand why?"
• "Curious, I just want to see if it is true or possible. Try out what people said worked so I can then say it's bullshit." That would be amazing, trying it out, nothing working, then having the pleasure of telling Marcello it's crap.
• "Okay, so what, we just have sex? How does that help?"
• "No idea. I need to find out, so give me some time." Walking through to my room, I take out my phone and send the message. I had no idea who it was. It was just a generic support page I messaged. Sitting, I wait, a reply coming through.
• Send me your number, I will call you.
• Replying with my number, I wait. A few minutes later the phone rings, and I answer, holding it against my ear.
• "So, you now realise it isn't fake and want to try it?"
• "No, I want to try it, watch it fail and call bullshit on it." I hear him laughing.
• "Well, I hope I succeed then. Okay, so there is a lot, but if you're willing to let go of the notion of the orgasm you have already, then the next step is trying it. There are a few ways. Which way you do it is your choice."
• "Which ways?" I will try them all just to further prove a point.
• "Edging is one way. It means pushing yourself to the point of orgasm and trying to stop yourself from going over the edge. If you can't, you stop, slow down slightly. Then start again, each time, stopping. In a way to push you to the point of an orgasm then stop." I laugh slightly.
• "That sounds more like torture than fun." It does, and not exactly something I am sure I can do.
• "You will love it. The other option is using a command or a touch. Whenever you're close to having an orgasm, your little friend says a command; you will then link those words to that feeling and over time be able to push yourself to orgasm on demand." I cover my mouth, I want to laugh, but I am trying not to.
• "Look, I need to go. I will send you a message with everything. Say tomorrow at eight we meet? Discuss it fully, and if you tried, how it went." I laugh nodding.
• "Sure, maybe I will wake up soon and find this was all a dream as well." I hear his slight chuckle.
• "Why would you think this was a dream?"
• "Because I am talking to a stranger, a random guy, about my sex life and getting advice about it from him. Actually, from my boss in some ways." I just realised, what the hell?
• "See you tomorrow Daniella and have fun." The line cuts out, and I roll my eyes. I lie back, eventually falling asleep. We don't have work tomorrow, so tomorrow I will talk to Clyde. I will have fun in proving to Marcello that he is wrong.