" During the course of the rest of the evening, Linda had pondered John's "offer" but he hadn't pressed her for an answer and she hadn't volunteered one, either." During the course of the rest of the evening, Linda had pondered John's "offer" but he hadn't pressed her for an answer and she hadn't volunteered one, either. 2:00 AM rolled around pretty fast and the other two dancers started to pack it up to leave. Linda had parked herself in the back booth, again --- still --- and was now finishing her third or fourth J&B on the rocks. She made no move to get up and go get dressed, but just sat there and drank and stared down at the table. Finally, at about 2:45AM when John had chased all the patrons out of the lounge and locked the door and Jo Ellen had rung out and was restocking the beer coolers behind the bar, John walked over and sat down in the booth across from her. "It's no big deal, Linda --- really it isn't," he said softly. "I presume, since you're still here, we've got ourselves a `deal', babe?" She looked up at him from between her hand outlined face, propped on her elbows over her J.B --- a little glassy eyed and fairly well resigned --- and blurted --- "I'm still here, aren't I? What the hell do YOU think, John?" "Hey! --- Don't get pissed at me, sweetie! --- I'm not FORCING you to do anything --- nothing at all! --- CORRECT?" He was right --- it was her problem and her decision --- he hadn't pressed her about it the whole night. Just waited. Frankly, she appreciated THAT more than she was willing to tell him --- but she had a sneaking suspicion he already knew it and had simply been letting her work it out within herself until she had come to a rational decision --- "RATIONAL DECISION, MY ASS," she thought. "Stripping nude, dancing nude and very obscenely in front of a bunch of Italiano types and then fucking and sucking them to their big black little hearts' content was NOT A RATIONAL DECISION --- NO FUCKING WAY WAS IT `RATIONAL' or even REASONABLE, for that matter!" She stared across the table at him and said --- "I'm sorry, John. It's just been a while since I consented to this sort of shit. Really, it has --- but, it's OK --- I'll do it." "OK, Linda --- just stay put --- have another drink or two --- and RELAX --- just put your feet up and take it easy! Jo Ellen!!! Get Linda another double J&B on the rocks, will ya?" He got up from the booth and walked back through the hallway past the rest rooms to the back door. |