Page 9 of Allured (Love and Burlesque #1)
CHAPTER NINE
EZEKIEL
All these feathers seem unsanitary.
A catchy pop beat spills out from inside the Garden of Eden as we move up the long line to enter the burlesque club. People are dressed in all sorts of outfits and makeup looks. I couldn’t name half of the styles but there’s a warm feeling in my chest seeing so many people from different walks of life out celebrating tonight. A bit of the heaviness of the past week is lifted off my shoulders immediately around all their animated faces.
When we first arrived, we encountered a few others in our bachelorette group as they came out of their rideshare. Anna quickly introduced the two lively, and probably already a little intoxicated, women as Olive and Tatiana, friends of hers from college.
“I cannot wait to see the show! Tati. How did you get tickets for this? I heard their bachelorette parties are always booked up!” Olive shouts over the music, so excited she doesn’t realize the vice grip she’s got on my forearm.
“Girl, you know I got my connections and we only want the best send—off for our bride to be!” A devious smirk plays on her face as she purposely doesn’t elaborate. Her arm is looped around mine, the one not currently being squeezed to a pulp. I’ve somehow become a support beam for the two while Anna walks ahead and arranges our entry with the bouncers.
“I’m sure this isn’t shocking to hear, but I’ve never been to a burlesque show before,” I comment as we inch closer to the front doors of the club.
“Ah— a virgin?!” Olive screams the question with enthusiasm, releasing her grip to deliver spirited little slaps to my arm instead.
“What— no, what does my status on relations have to do?—”
“They mean you’re a virgin to the show,” Anna laughs, turning her head over her shoulder to look back at us before one of the bouncers motions a hand to welcome us in.
“Let’s go!” Tati and Olive scream simultaneously and all but drag me to the double doors. As we walk past the entrance checkpoint, the bouncer that motioned us in, a tall woman with short silver hair and lipstick black as night, blows me a kiss before whooping out.
“Have a good time, virgin!”
It looks like a species of pink bird was driven to extinction here .
I can admit to myself this is an odd first thought to have when coming into the club, but there are feathers everywhere . There must be a dozen other bachelorette parties at the Garden of Eden tonight and so, so many people are wearing fluffy pink boas and cowboy hats; hence, all of the feathers on the floor.
Before I know it, the girls drag me near the stage to a round table and booth upholstered in a luxurious maroon leather, where we meet the rest of our bachelorette party. Along with the bachelorette and the two I already met, other friends of the bride, Kate, Laura, and Rhi, sit along the cushions. I perch myself at the end of the u—shaped seat nearest to the stage.
I’m here to make sure they all get home safe tonight. My immediate thought is to mark the girls with a sharpie so that I don’t accidentally mix them up. But I find myself thinking it’s an odd first thought in reaction to meeting new people.
I’ll have to be on high alert, not that I’m not already with how my eyes are constantly pulled to every bit of decor. The club is gorgeous; deep reds, dark woods, and high end finishes give the place an inviting yet exclusive feel. It’s simply astounding and I cannot stop myself from taking in every detail of the space.
The group of women are chatting and catching up with one another as my gaze drifts from the audience area to the stage directly ahead of us. It’s quite large and there is a runway that connects to another small stage near the center of the room. I wonder what type of show we’ll be seeing tonight. I have the sense Anna purposely gave me little detail in an attempt to surprise me.
“Ezekiel?” Tati has no problem being heard over the playful song blasting through the club.
“Yes, Tati?” I ask her with a bit of concern in my tone. I want these ladies to have a great time, and I often hear from my female colleagues how awry a night out can go.
“Do you wanna come get some drinks with me?” The smile and her easy nod toward the bar tells me there’s no need for worry and I’m probably overthinking things.
“Of course.”
I’m out of my seat and walking over to the bar with her when she turns toward me and looks me over.
“You don’t usually party it up like this, do you?” she inquires.
“How can you tell?” My smile is a little self—deprecating. As much as I enjoy my solitude, the loneliness of the last few months has gotten to me.
“Anna told me a little bit about your situat—” Suddenly, Tati isn’t staring back at me. Instead, bright pink feathers now crowd my face.
“Oh shoot, ‘m sorry!” A woman in a cowboy hat, glittery bikini top, and not much else removes her feather boa from Tati’s face and begins plucking away loose feathers caught in my charge’s hair.
This is a very messy, but still very welcome distraction. I didn’t want to damper the night with talk of my circumstances.
“My, my. Well, this has got to be the most gorgeous audience I have ever seen!” An enthralling voice suddenly booms out of the speakers. A soundbooth off to the left of the stage is lit up as a man in a sparkling blue dinner coat and matching ascot speaks.
“Fifteen minutes and the dancers will be all yours! Just let them finish getting those muscles nice and shiny for you!”
The screams and cheers from the audience are almost deafening and I cannot contain the smile on my face. Being around this type of energy is not usual for me but the energy is winning me over in being open to these kinds of experiences.
“Okay, now that I’m not looking like a fabulous chicken, let’s go get those drinks real quick!” Tati continues the energy, talking eagerly about how she saw another burlesque show on a trip not too long ago.
Thankfully, the bartenders are both friendly and efficient as they fulfill our order of many drinks. And right as we begin to traverse our way through the audience, the lights above us start to dim in warning. The show will be beginning any second.
“One and all, welcome to the Garden of Eden, the original sin.”