We start dancing, and I actually lose myself in the music. I’m so lost that I don’t feel the weight of eyes on me until the song nearly ends.
It may be crazy to think someone could watch me in a crowd like this but the intensity of the gaze is so strong that I turn around and find myself looking up at a man on the first-floor balcony who’s definitely watching me.
He’s wearing a black mask that covers half his face and a black button-down shirt. I can just make out a pair of black slacks too. The balcony covers the rest of him.
He has longish hair with the sides tapered and although he’s definitely a good thirty feet away from me, I can see the sharp structure of his exposed cheekbone and a light of interest in his eyes that makes heat wash over me.
Aware that I’m just staring I turn away, back to Rachel, who’s noticed I was looking at him.
Again she leans in. “Confident, sexy and daring. Remember?” She giggles reminding me of my mantra of affirmation and twirls around.
I laugh when a guy slips his arm around her and the two start dancing. To my left is Jia, and she too has also found a guy.
None of this surprises me because this is the thing that always happens whenever we go out. No matter where it is. These two are the female versions of playboys. They like to play hard and believe life is for living it up.
I continue dancing but soon I become lost; I don’t even get to be the fifth wheel. Things seem to happen faster here.
The sensation of being watched comes to me again when a guy with a gold mask starts dancing with me. He seems handsome enough for what I can see outside of his mask, but I lose him when I look over my shoulder back to where I was previously staring. My mystery guy
isn’t where he was before. I can’t see him anywhere, but I can feel him watching me.
It’s so strange, or maybe it’s me.
The music changes again to something sensual and slow. Since I’m not paired up with anyone I head to the bar. It’s just ahead of me, set between two podiums with topless exotic dancers.
I make my way there and a cute bartender with blonde dreadlocks gives me a smile when I approach.
“Hi,” I say.
“Wow,” he replies, scanning over my face. I guess I should be happy he’s looking at my face and not my breasts, which I’m showing more of than usual. “What can I get you?”
“Just some water, please.” I know that’s not sexy, confident, or daring, but I’m a lightweight and the last thing I want to do is get drunk at a place like this and be completely out of my element.
“Water?” He raises his brows. “Can’t I at least get you some fruit punch. If I mix the fruit, it will make me look more creative. I’ll feel like I’m doing something.”
I chuckle. “Okay, I’ll have fruit punch.”
He tips his head and sets off to make my drink.
I watch him make the drink like he would a cocktail. He places it in a glass with fruit on the side, sugar syrup drizzled around the edge and a little umbrella.
“That’s on the house,” he says as he places it before me.
“Thanks so much.”
“Holler if you need anything else.”
“I will.”
He winks at me and moves to the next customer.
I sip on my drink and look to my left just in time to see a naked couple step into a glass box on the stage ahead of me. My eyes widen as I realize it’s an exhibitionist box and the couple look so excited.
Down on the dance floor I couldn’t see the stage. As they close the door on the box, it lifts into the air for everyone to see. The guy stands behind the woman and instantly starts to fuck her. I watch as their moves turn faster and faster until he has her pressed right against the glass. The look on her face is so… well, it’s what I would call rapturous. It’s not just happy, excited or thrilled. It’s more than elated.
The cheers of the crowd below that’s gathered seem to edge them on and that’s when I get it.
It’s all for show. All of it. It’s all a show to bring forward the fantasy. The people doing it do it and the people watching can be intrigued too.