Author's Note:
RL has been very trying lately. I needed some distraction from it all. Thank you, Wend, for the plot bunny.
Just as she'd ordered drinks, Catherine's eyes fell on one particular woman of the group. There was something familiar about the cowboy...
"There ya go, Cath," the bartender said as she placed three beers in front of her. "On the house."
Catherine turned her attention back to the woman behind the bar. "Thanks Stacey. When are you done tonight?"
"Not until closing time," she replied.
"Too bad. We would've loved to catch up with you," Catherine said as she grabbed the beers.
"Next time, Kitty Kat," Stacey said. "Say hi to Jenn and Simone," she added, then continued helping other customers.
Catherine headed over to the back of the club, where her friends had found a place to sit. On her way over she couldn't stop herself from checking the club to see where the women of the hen party were. As she reached the table where Jenn and Simone were sitting, she suddenly spotted the cowboy again.
It almost seemed as if the woman sensed someone was looking at her, because she turned around and locked eyes with Catherine, eyebrows raised in a questioning look.
Even though the woman was several feet away, Catherine realized she knew those eyes...Those eyes belonged to the woman she'd been pining after for a long time.
"See something you like, Kitty Kat?" Jenn asked as she reached for one of the beers Catherine was still holding.
"Yeah...Seems like the cowboy's got your attention tonight," Simone added as she followed the strawberry blonde's line of sight.
"Nah," Catherine quickly said as she turned round to face her friends. "I'm here to catch up with the two of you. It's been way too long." She took a big gulp of her beer, trying to rehydrate her dry throat.
"Stace going to join us later?" Jenn asked.
Catherine looked at her petite, blonde friend, shaking her head. "She has to work all night."
Jenn sighed. "That's a shame."
"You still haven't asked her out?" the strawberry blonde asked as she saw the look in her friend's eyes.
"She's still gathering courage," Simone chimed in. "Just like she has been doing for the last twenty years."
Catherine knew her blonde friend had had an eye for Stacey even back when the four of them were still dancing in the strip club. When Catherine quit her dancing, Simone had also quit. Jenn and Stacey had continued dancing a few years longer. In those years the two of them had grown really close, but when they also stopped dancing they did not stay in touch.
...Until Catherine has looked all of them up again last year.
Since then, the four of them met up regularly, their friendship still as strong as all those years ago. Of the four of them, Simone was the only one in a relationship at the moment. The year after she quit dancing she met the man of her dreams, and the year after that they got married. Her husband was a garden designer and she did the company's paperwork. Business was getting to the point where they needed to hire more employees to get all the work done.
Stacey had quit dancing because her then-girlfriend didn't want her to continue. She had started as bartender in the same club they were now visiting. Her relationship, however, didn't survive the jealousy of her partner, and so, once that had ended, Stacey had focused on work and work alone. And now, ten years later, she was co-owner of the Rainbow Club.
Jenn had traveled to the other side of the country when she realizes she could no longer hide her feelings for Stacey. Not wanting to come in between Stacey and her girlfriend, Jenn moved to Boston, where she spent all her time at culinary school. After spending several years on the east coast, Jenn returned back home. She thought she'd been successful in forgetting about Stacey, but very first time they met up again, she knew she had been wrong.
And Catherine...After her marriage with Eddie had ended she finally came to terms with the fact that she had been lying to herself for all those years. She had had some dates throughout the years, but nothing serious. Recently, though, there was someone who piqued her interest.
"Hey, where did you go to?" Simone asked as she placed her hand on Catherine's arm, pulling her out of her reverie.
"Sorry," Catherine started, shaking her head as if to clear her mind. "I was just thinking about the four of us."
"You know, that cowboy's been staring at you for a while now," Simone said, a smirk forming on her lips.
Catherine looked over her shoulder, and immediately found the cowboy's eyes again. This time the group of women in costumes had moved closer to where they were seated. She looked closely at the cowboy, trying to figure out what was so familiar about this woman. Despite most of the woman's face being covered by a bandana and the Stetson she was wearing, Catherine recognized the eyes.
No, that can't be...Can it?
Jenn elbowed Simone as she spoke up, "I think we should pick up where we left off last time. Catherine, truth or dare?"
Simone winked at Jenn, following the blonde's plan. "May I suggest you take dare," she quipped, a smirk firmly settled on her lips.
"All right," Catherine said, always one to take up a challenge. "I'll bite. Dare."
"I dare you to seduce that cowboy you've been gaping at all night," Jenn replied.
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Whose brilliant idea was it to play this game last time?"
"Yours," Jenn and Simone quipped simultaneously.
"Next time I am in an inebriated state, please stop me when I suggest playing 'truth or dare', thank you." Catherine grabbed her beer and took a couple more sips of the cold drink. She could feel that the eyes of a certain brunette were still trained on her, and no matter how many sips she took, her throat was still dry.
As she cleared her throat, she head Simone whisper to Jenn, "Uh oh, chat-up Charlie is on her way over."
Catherine looked over her shoulder again and saw the woman who was known as chat-up Charlie walk over to the hen party. "Okay, I'll do it, but only if you finally ask Stacey out on a date."
"Oh, no no no," Jenn said, shaking her head violently. "That is not the way this game works."
"Come on, Josie," Catherine said, using the blonde's former stage name. "You know you want to! Besides, what have you got to lose?"
"How about we turn this into a bet," Simone chimed in, also interested in getting Jenn to finally do something about this crush of hers. "If Catherine manages to score a date with this mysterious cowboy of hers, you go ask Stacey out on a date, too."
"That is so unfair," Jenn whined. "They're already drooling over one another. Of course she'll be able to score a date."
"Okay, fine. What do you suggest the bet should be then?" Simone asked. "And think of something quickly, because the cowboy is being harassed."
Catherine couldn't stop herself from turning in her seat again. She was surprised by the fact that the sight in front of her triggered jealousy inside. Chat-up Charlie had found her victim for the night. She was definitely trying to get the cowboy's attention. But, by the looks of it, besides a few monosyllabic answers she didn't get much out of the woman.
Jenn tried to think of something she was almost sure Catherine wouldn't do. "All right. If you let that cowboy feel you up while you give her a lap dance on the stage..." she started, then let out a big sigh before she continued, "I'll ask Stacey."
"Deal," Catherine said immediately. She definitely was interested in the cowboy. She only hoped she was right about who she thought those eyes belonged to. She gulped down the last of her beer, needing a bit more Dutch courage. "You better make your way over to the bar, Jenn," the strawberry blonde threw back at her friend as she headed for the dance floor.
Catherine walked up behind Chat-up Charlie, a small smile settling on her lips as she noticed the 'help me' look in the dark brown eyes of the tall woman dressed in cowboy garb. The other women of the hen party were all dancing with the bride-to-be, not noticing the arduous situation their friend was in.
Just as Chat-up Charlie was about to get too close to the tall cowboy, Catherine interrupted by stepping in between the two women and wrapping her arms round the taller woman's neck. "Hey cowboy, long time no see." She winked at Sara, then motioned with her eyes to Chat-up Charlie, in the hopes that Sara would understand just to play along.
Sara had pulled down the bandana. "Miss Willows." She nodded in reply as her hands settled on Catherine's hips.
Chat-up Charlie wasn't rebuffed that easily and tapped the strawberry blonde on her shoulder. "Excuse me, but we were talking."
"Were you now?" Catherine asked as she looked from Sara to the other woman. "I thought you two were done, and we were going to dance, right?" she added, the question directed at Sara.
"Yeps," the brunette replied with a slight nod of the head as they started to sway to the music.
Chat-up Charlie huffed, muttered something unintelligible, then headed off to the other side of the dance floor, already looking for her next 'victim'.
"I hope you don't mind dancing with me," Catherine said.
"Not at all. Thank you for saving me," Sara said as she locked eyes with Catherine. "She just wouldn't go away."
"They don't call her Chat-up Charlie for no reason." Catherine smirked as Sara rolled her eyes. "So, what are you doing here. I must say I am kind of surprised to see you here."
"A friend of mine, Beth," she started as she pointed to the woman dressed as a chicken. "She is getting married in two days," Sara started.
"Hence the nice outfit," Catherine interrupted.
"Ah, yeah, not my idea." Sara blushed.
"Well, you look good in it," Catherine said in earnest.
"Thank you," the brunette replied. Hadn't it been for the closeness of their bodies because of their dancing, Catherine wouldn't have heard what Sara said next. "I've dreamed of this."
"What? Chat-up Charlie harassing you?" Catherine joked.
"No," Sara replied seriously. "You and me...Dancing."
"Really?" Catherine raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected Sara to have similar feelings for her. Sure, there had been tension between the two of them, but Catherine had thought that was because the brunette had just recently joined the team and was still settling in.
Catherine started to play with the hairs at the nape of Sara's neck. Sara groaned. "Y...Yes, really."
The strawberry blonde smiled. She untangled her arms from around Sara's neck and took her hand, pulling her to the side of the dance floor. "Sara, would you like to go out on a date next week?"
Sara was surprised by Catherine's question. "Are you sure? I mean, I know you just came over to save me fro-" But before she could finish her sentence, Catherine leaned up and kissed her softly, her hand caressing the brunette's cheek. "Yes," she said as she locked eyes with the brunette. "I am absolutely sure."
The two women smiled at one another. "What are your plans for Friday evening?"
"Probably going to spend it on the couch, with a good book."
"Have you still got that blue dress you wore to the Christmas party?"
"Yes, why?"
"Would you like to join me at Beth's wedding?" Sara asked.
"I'd love to," Catherine said, a smile fixed on her lips. Then, from the corner of her eyes, she saw her two friends looking at them. Remembering the bet, she asked, "Could you help me with something?"
*-*-*-*-*
After she had explained the bet to Sara, and the brunette had said she'd play along, Catherine walked over to the bar. "Hey Stace, can I use the stage for a few minutes? And can you play some good music to dance on?"
Stacey snickered. "Another round of bets going on?"
As Catherine nodded, the bartender flipped a switch, and the curtains on the stage opened. "All yours, Kitty Kat." She winked at the strawberry blonde.
Stacey stopped the music that played and grabbed a mic. "Good evening ladies. Tonight we've got a special performance. Can I get a round of applause for Miss Kitty Kat!" Stacey said before she switched on the stage lights and started Portishead's Glory Box.
In the center of the stage, Sara was sitting on a chair, and as the first sounds of the song filled the club, Catherine started her lap dance. Her swaying hips were so enticing that Sara was completely mesmerized by the sight before her. The melody guided her body and by the look on Sara's face she was enjoying the show. Even though Catherine didn't take off any of her clothing, the flustered look on Sara's face gave it all away. In a few seconds both women were completely unaware of the crowd that was now totally focused on the performance.
*-*-*-*-*
As the two women got off stage, the crowd gave them a big applause. Even though Catherine hadn't danced in quite a few years, she was still very satisfied she was able to get someone worked up merely by the movements of her body.
Catherine took Sara's hand in hers and together they walked over to where the strawberry blonde's friends were sitting. "Sara, this is Simone," Catherine started. "And...Hey, where's Jenn?"
"Bar," Simone replied with a big smirk on her lips, pointing her thumb over her shoulder.
The three women looked at the other side of the club. They were just in time to see Jenn lean across the bar and give Stacey a quick kiss.
"Mission accomplished," Catherine stated.
THE END