Laura exchanged looks with Jenny. They knew their friends too well. "Just to be on the safe side, stay near us."
Crystal was not surprised to find Carmen holding the door open for them. While it still felt awkward, she was quickly coming to terms with the lustful gazes and attention directed her way. Yup, guess I won't be buying any of my drinks tonight. "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure, Sweetie," Carmen said with a flourishing wave of her hand. "Shall we go inside where you can quench your thirst?" Laura had to reach out quickly to catch the door as the Cuban woman followed Crystal inside.
"You know," Laura said while holding the door for Jenny. "Carmen is incorrigible."
"It's not her fault Crystal has the words 'fresh meat' tattooed across her forehead." She stepped up on her tiptoes to look for the woman in question. "Ah, there she is."
Crystal was at the far end of the bar, flanked by Carmen and Alex. "Should we go rescue her?" Laura asked.
"Didn't she tell you that she could handle herself?" Jenny said, guiding the writer toward the pool tables.
"But she's" Laura's protest was stopped by her ex-lover's fingers on her lips.
"No doubt had lots of experience fending off horny men's advances. What makes you think she's incapable of handling the same situation with a woman?" She gestured at the small table in front of them. "Have a seat. I'll get us some drinks."
"It's filthy."
Sighing, Jenny smiled and patted Laura's shoulder. "I'll bring back some napkins. You want club soda or do you feel adventurous tonight?" "Club soda is fine. Add a twist of lime to that please." Laura picked up a nearby napkin and began brushing the spilled ashes off the table. "Don't forget to put our names on the board or you'll never get a table," Jenny said before making her way through the crowd. At the other end of the bar, Crystal pulled out a cigarette only to have Alex hop up and pull out a lighter. "Allow me," she offered. "Since you let this barbarian buy your first drink," Carmen said, earning a snort from the shortstop, "Will you dance with me, Sweetie?"
"Ah, no thanks." The scotch and soda was smooth and went down quickly. Crystal found a certain amount of comfort in the woman's bar, the guard she normally kept up to protect herself from men not needed here. She was certain a simple no would keep the would-be Romeos at bay.
"Yeah, I don't dance much either," Alex said, scooting her chair closer. "So what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a d" Crystal stopped herself, realizing her normal answer of dancer wasn't a goodi.e.after turning the woman next to her down. "uh" She looked at the bar full of rowdy lesbians. I don't think telling the truth is a good i.e.either. There had been enough comments and catcalls at the ball park without them knowing she was a stripper. Shit, think quickly. The bartender arrived at that moment with Carmen's drink. "A bartender," she blurted. "Downtown."
"Oh, that's interesting," Alex said, letting her hand rest on the bar only centimeters from Crystal's. "The Falcon is downtown. That's the bar I hang out at. I think Esther is looking for someone to help out on the weekends. You should go by there tonight and check it out."
"I'm working tonight," she said, thinking only of giving an excuse not to go to the lesbian bar.
"Oh yeah? Maybe I could stop by and say hi. Where?"
"Uh" Fuck, fuck, fuck. Trapped in her own web of lies, Crystal panicked and took the first escape offered. "You know Carmen, I think I will take you up on your offer." I can do this, I can dance with a woman, she told herself as the now happy Carmen stood up and took her hand. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said to Alex, feeling a twinge of guilt over the crestfallen expression on the shortstop's face. As she was led through the crowd to the dance floor, Crystal began to have second thoughts. Multi-colored lights bounced off the disco ball and the dance floor was divided into different colored panels that lit up in time with the music. The dance area was raised higher than the rest of the bar, allowing it to double as a stage from time to time. Ameilia's bar had been built in the late seventies and apparently the owner saw no reason to update it. At least the disc jockey knew what decade it was and kept the women entertained with the latest dance hits.
When Carmen led them to a spot near the front of the stage, Crystal lost her nerve and started to walk away. "No no no, Sweetie. Where are you going?" Carmen asked, reached out and stopping her with a tanned hand on her arm.
"I can't do this."
"Of course you can, Sweetie." The Cuban woman took Crystal's hands in hers and began swaying to the music, moving their arms to the same rhythm. It was a song the blonde woman was familiar with and she reluctantly admitted that Carmen was a good dancer. Of their own volition, Crystal's hips and legs joined in. "You see, my dear? I knew you could do this," the pitcher said, releasing her hands. They danced through two more songs before Crystal finally managed to beg off and leave the multi-colored floor.
The pool tables were between the dance floor and bar, making it easy for Crystal to solve the problem of Alex by sitting down at Laura's table. "Hi." "Hi yourself," the writer said, setting a coaster down in front of Crystal. "You want a drink?"
"Yeah, scotch and soda, strong."
"Four bucks." Crystal reached into her pocket and pulled out her small wad of bills. She had enough to buy herself one more drink. Better nurse it, she thought to herself. She handed a five dollar bill over and watched Jenny approach, cue stick in hand.
"Oh, so you decided to come down from the dance floor after all? I thought you were going to dance with the girls all night long," the brown haired woman teased.
"I don't know why I did that. I've never danced with a woman before."
"Well, you looked like you were having a good time up there. I didn't see Carmen twisting your arm to keep you there." Jenny sat in the adjacent chair and picked up her beer. "Laura's driving," she offered before taking a pull from the longneck bottle. "So was she?"
"Was she what?"
"Twisting your arm to keep you up on the dance floor?"
"No. I just"
"You dance good for a straight girl."
"Thanks a lot, Doc," Crystal said sarcastically. "You know some of these women are as bad as guys? I get more attention here than in a real bar." "This is a real bar," Jenny corrected.
"You know what I mean. It's weird, that's all." She looked toward the dance floor, spotting Carmen dancing with two other women. "Did you have fun?"
"Well, it" Crystal unbuttoned her shirt sleeved shirt. "Damn, it's hot in here."
"I'm glad you didn't do that on the dance floor," Jenny said. "You caused enough damage at the ball game. If Alex had been playing pool she probably would have knocked the ball through a window." They both laughed at the image. "So answer the question. Did you have fun dancing?"
"Yes. It was different."
"Different from what? Dancing with men?" At Crystal's nod, she continued. "How?"
"I don't know, it just was."
"That's a copout. Try looking at your feelings. What is it about dancing with a woman that's different from a man?"
"I don't know," Crystal began, fidgeting in her seat. "I didn't have to worry about anything but dancing with her." She shook her head, certain that her words didn't make any sense.
"You worry a lot, don't you?" Jenny prodded gently.
"Sometimes," the stripper admitted without looking up. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking comfort in the familiar. "You wouldn't understand." She shook her head. "No one does."
"You'd be surprised at what I understand," Jenny said. "I understand what it's like to spend today worrying about yesterday and being afraid of tomorrow. I understand that a wounded child can't heal if she's never given love."
At Jenny's words Crystal's expression changed. The relaxed posture was gone, replaced by the gruff exterior that showed the day Jenny gave her a ride to the liquor store. "Too late for that, Doc." Laura arrived at that moment, giving Crystal what she so desperately needed at that moment. She drained half the glass before putting it down on the table. This conversation is over, she thought to herself, agitated at how easily Jenny seemed to read her. "Hey Laura, wanna play pool?"