Friends go Stripping
Since our wedding three years ago, Andy and I had been living in Nottingham on the Worthing Estate i.e. a large development of private housing located to the east of the City. And Nottingham, as you might already know, is a large town situated in the Midlands of the U.K. about 2 hours train ride from London.
Over time, we had got to know a few couples, but, our best friends were Kathy and Jack who like us were in their mid- twenties and hadn't started a family yet.. Kathy knew a lot more people than we did and it was through her that in June of last year, Andy and I were invited to a party at a couple's house a few streets away. Andy knew the guy from work, although I hardly knew his wife. There were quite a few people there that evening, as the four of us found out when we arrived together on that Saturday night.
As I said earlier, Kathy and I were both 25 and had a lot in common. We worked part-time at the same factory and shared many interests. She was probably my best friend on the Estate at that time. Like me, she had been married for 3 years and found living there a bit boring. We both liked to have fun and party etc., but, those occasions were few and far between. Little did we know that this particular event would spark off the sort of excitement and adventure that we couldn't have imagined.
It was quite an enjoyable party and there was the usual disco music and lots to drink. Several couples were using the lounge as a makeshift dance area, furniture having been pushed aside. However, we got a surprise when one lady, moving apart from her partner started to give what at first looked like an exhibition dance. Then, as she started to peel off her clothes, it suddenly dawned on everyone that she was a stripper. Straightaway, the floor cleared to give her more room, Then the men, including our husbands, crowded forward to get a better look and elbowed the ladies aside. Kathy and I stood at the back and watched in amusement as this attractive woman gradually took everything off but her sexy panties. It was quite a show and she got a round of applause when she very elegantly made her exit from the room. It had certainly livened up a fairly routine party.
Kathy and I noticed her manager/husband, as he gathered up her things and followed her out.
"Hey, I know that guy," Kathy said suddenly. "It's Tony Sheridan. He used to produce the amateur dramatics at that little theatre in Mansfield. I wonder what he's doing managing strippers?
"Why don't you ask him," I said and she did, eventually.
First thing was to find him in the kitchen having a beer and waiting for his lady to get dressed and come out of the bathroom.
As soon as he saw Kathy, he recognised her and they got on talking straightaway. He was quite an open friendly guy and there was no hesitation in giving Kathy the answers to her many questions.
She beckoned me forward, so I was included. "This is my friend Lisa, she told him, the sister I never had,"
I was aware of him scrutinising me, but that was not unusual. Kathy and I were used to being "given the eye" by men. We were quite a twosome.
We found out that the "shapely stripper" was, in fact, his wife... and they were making a bundle out of the many bookings that were coming her way. "We are out about 3 times a week to private houses, private functions that kind of thing. She's making a bundle for us." He mentioned a figure per month and we both gasped.
"What, just for doing that," Kathy said cheekily. "She was only dancing for ten minutes and even then she didn't take all her clothes off."
"Ah," said Tony, "but, the booking didn't ask for that. She does the full strip if she's paid enough and it's specifically asked for. It depends where it is of course. An all-male audience usually request the full strip and trimmings. If there's ladies present, like tonight, it usually means she keeps her panties on. It's quite simple really. And believe me, she loves doing it. She's one of these girls who loves showing off her body. And I'm around to make sure she comes to no harm."
Kathy made the observation that it seemed like easy money, particularly if you were having some fun.
"Well yes it is," he confirmed, "if you're pretty and you've got a good body; just like your good selves," he said, throwing a compliment while looking us up and down.
"Also, remember that you have to be prepared to strip and dance naked for strangers. And, believe me, not every girl has the guts to do that. It takes a bit of courage. But, on the other hand, if you can do it and it doesn't bother you, then I could fix you up with plenty of that type of work. And, as I say, the money is fantastic. As a matter of fact, I've got a really good opportunity for a couple of girls to do a gig for some retired gentleman and his friends at a country house near Grantham. You just have to do a sexy strip show from your own wardrobe.......you know swimsuits, short skirts, panties, sexy lingerie......just a 30 minute titillation for some well to do old geezers. And, you'd be talking £150 each for not much more than the evening's work. It's all quite harmless stuff really. You don't even have to take everything off, if you don't want to."
He handed us his smartly printed business card which simply said, "Tony Sheridan, Theatrical Booking Agency." Also, I noticed an address and a telephone number.
Kathy and I were silent as we looked at the card and thinking about what he had said. Not that I was remotely considering doing work of that kind.
Just then his wife, Sylvie, appeared in the doorway, all dressed up and ready to go home. She was all smiles and happy with the cash they had pocketed from her brief little sexy show. Tony introduced us briefly before ushering her out to his waiting car. Then, as she walked on, he paused and turned back briefly to speak to us again.
"I don't suppose you lovely girls would be interested at all. It's only that the pair of you would be just perfect and nobody would know you
that
faraway, especially, if you use stage names. A blonde and a brunette, they would go for that, no doubt about it.
(I was a short cropped blonde and Kathy had dark way hair down to her shoulders.) Unfortunately, Sylvie is already booked for that night and she's annoyed she can't do it herself."
"Anyway, Let me know if you want to do it" he said, as he hurried out into the night. Then Kathy turned to look at me and we both burst out laughing.
That night as we went home to our respective houses, I didn't even think about it. We were too busy talking about what had happened at the party and having a good laugh at people's reactions. I thought no more about it that night or the next morning when Andy went off to work. Then I got a surprise with an early morning visit from Kathy, who had obviously convinced herself to take Sheridan's offer seriously.
"We can do it, Lisa" she said enthusiastically, raising the subject as soon as she set foot in my house. "I know we can. It'll be a piece of cake."
"Think of the easy money," she emphasised. "Goodness knows we could do with some. We'd be able to buy some decent clothes and put a bit of luxury into our lives."
And for the next half hour, she set about convincing me to join her in the venture. The idea of having all that extra cash was incentive enough on its own, but, I think the idea of showing off our female beauty to rich admirers was also a turn on.
Kathy had even brought with her a selection of sexy clothing and lingerie that she was thinking of wearing for the strip show booking, that we were now both keen on accepting. She tried stuff on and paraded up and down my lounge as she demonstrated how to move and display the female body. She was good at that and I could see she had done something similar before. Also, like me, she had a shapely figure and a good pair of legs. In short, we both had the kind of looks and bodies that men would gladly pay to see. Better, in fact, than Sheridan's bottle blonde wife.
When I saw Kathy with her clothes off, I began to see why she was so confident we could pull it off. I was also flattered to think that she considered my figure and looks to be equally comparable with her own.
Eventually, she got me completely sold on the idea and I rushed upstairs with great excitement to find similar stuff of my own. I kept thinking that £150 plus tips was a lot of money and goodness knew we could do with some extra funds. And, if that went well? ...gosh it was mind boggling to think about the kind of money we could pull in with more bookings....
So, for the next few mornings, we experimented with our wardrobes until we were both happy with our final selections. Then, it was hour after hour of rehearsal, as we practised walking, stripping and displaying our scantily clad bodies to please an imaginary audience of old guys. Kathy had been in touch with Sheridan again and had more details of where we were to go and what was expected of us. It was a done deal now and I felt a shiver of apprehension knowing that I was committed to going through with it.
So, a few nights later, we were in Kathy's ageing Ford Cortina as we sped down the motorway to Grantham on our way to a new experience. She drove and I worked the sat-nav. Her confidence and reassurances kept me calm throughout the journey, but, when we got to our destination on the outskirts of some village, I was so nervous my hands were shaking. We parked on a large private gravelled drive next to other bigger and expensive cars.
"There's money here, alright," observed Kathy. "We'll be okay."
And strangely enough, my nerves just went away as we picked up our little suitcases and were met at the entrance by Colonel Westcliffe, our host for the evening, who immediately took control. He showed us the big room where, later in the evening, we would do our thing. It was already populated by half a dozen men who were drinking, and sitting on chairs and sofas. Then, a few yards across the hall we had been allocated a small room with an ensuite where we could change etc. I noticed they had also given us two glasses and a generous assortment of alcoholic drinks.
The Colonel looked at his watch........."shall we say a start in forty minutes from now, ladies, he chuckled."
The first thing we did was hit the drink. I could see that Kathy, in spite of her cool outward demeanour, needed a stiff drink to settle her down. I followed suit, then, and like her, had another. We needed the Dutch courage to loosen up a little to give our best when we went on stage. At least, that's what we kept telling ourselves. Then we sat down and tried to keep our nerves intact, until we heard a little tap on our door. "Five minutes, ladies," a voice said and we looked at each other in alarm. Luckily, we already had on our first outfit, which were short little green dresses. Our agreed strategy was to wear less and less on each of our appearances in the room and build up to a sort of climax. Kathy had already given the Colonel the tape of our favourite tracks, so we knew the music for each little session.
We walked into the room through a gap in the chairs and sofas that surrounded what passed for the stage. I was surprised and maybe a little pleased to see that there were only about a dozen men in attendance. With the music thumping out we did a simple synchronised dance (which we had practised until we were step perfect) and were able to relax when we were well received and applauded at the end. "See there's nothing to worry about," said Kathy happily as we walked off.
