Ready for Opening Night (Closed)

Giving a slight nod, Jack provided tacit approval to Kali's commitment to finding another dancer.

Her question caught him a bit off-guard. The club in question was actually outside of town, out in the suburbs, near one of the local, private colleges. It had always done well with the college and just-out-of-school crowd, but with new ownership and some remodeling, had started to draw the sort of crowd Jack envisioned filling his space with. There was still some security in his club standing squarely downtown, but a lot of monied young folks had been finding their way to the suburbs while the downtown area struggled to revive itself.

He thought about Kali's statement- competitive recon was not a part of her job, it wasn't what he was paying her for, and it hadn't come up at any point in their discussions about the scope of what he'd needed her for.

That said, he figured it couldn't hurt for her to check it out, and perhaps give him a chance to see a little more of her.

"Well, it's not really a full city away, more like 15 miles or so west, out in the suburbs. In an old strip mall." Jack's eyes rolled as he offered this detail. "It's the closest thing to competition in the area, I suppose. I don't know that you should go alone though-I'm wondering if a single girl, alone at a club, is the right experience? I'd be happy to tag along, if that's cool?"

Kali smiled when he mentioned going with her. "I would be happy for you to come with me.. if you want and dont have plans already... I think Aaron was just trying to find me somewhere to dance..He knows how I am in new places, I always try to check out what they have going on."

Kali thought about the idea of spending another night with him... it sounded good to her! Although she knew he was just looking out for her safety. "I mean, you did say you arent really into the club scene... but I am kinda curious what other places are doing.. plus I may go stir crazy in my hotel room." She laughed.

Jack nodded his agreement, "Great. It's about a 25 minute drive from here, so why don't I pick you up at your hotel around, say, 9:00?". They agreed on the time, exchanged some small talk, and Jack went about checking on the work being done in his office. Ascending the stairs, he looked back over his shoulder at Kali-still stretching and moving back into position to go through her paces. Jack admitted to himself that he was looking forward to seeing what Kali might wear for an outing like this, given how form fitting so many of her clothes were, and how well the clung to her fit, lithe body.

Standing on the threshold of the office, he was pleased to see that the framing was complete, and that the electricians were busy running electrical and networking lines that would give him access to the club's high speed internet and security systems. The space he'd had them frame out for the private bathroom was coming along as well, though he elected to stay outside the work space, lest he step on a nail or trip over a cord.

Satisfied, Jack made his way back to his apartment, electing to take the stairs. He'd felt a charge of energy as he anticipated his evening with Kali, and it showed in his motions. Putting on some Sinatra in the background, he set about grilling a chicken breast and some vegetables, wanting to eat lightly so he wouldn't be lethargic when they met up.

Around 7:45, he stepped into the shower, letting the water wash over his body. Evaluating himself int he mirror as he stepped out, he resolved that he needed to add a bit more strength training back into his regimen. Easily, he slipped on a pair of boxer briefs, dark grey slacks, and a green and white checked dress shirt. Accenting with a black belt, shoes and socks, he gave himself a final pass in the mirror before running a hand through his hair, mussing it just so.

Descending the elevator to the garage, he looked forward to catching up with Kali and seeing what the evening might bring.

Kali nodded in agreement and got back to work. The girls showed up and she put them thru the paces. They were all exhausted afterwards but she felt alot more confident.

She got back to the hotel and showered, taking the time and care as she got ready. She dried her hair and left it down. She put her makeup on slowly and then she stepped into the bubblegum pink strapless dress. It hugged her body like a glove. She finished it all by stepping into her black heels. She looked in the full length mirror and smiled, she looked good.

She checked the time and it was five till their agreed upon meeting time. She realized she had major butterflies but was really looking forward to going out with Jack again.

Making the short drive to Kali's hotel, Jack flipped through the radio stations, finally settling on a classic rock station, which cycled through hits from The Who, Aerosmith and The Eagles while he navigated traffic. Jack figured, correctly, that he'd get enough dance and hip-hop music at the club, and elected to enjoy the change of pace.

As he reached the u-shaped driveway in front of her hotel, Jack felt a bit of a flutter in his stomach. He was looking forward to this out. Maybe not the club so much, but the chance to see Kali in a different environment.

He politely waved of the hotel's valet, motioning to the front door that he was there to pick up, not check-in. The valet nodded, and returned to his post, waiting for the next guest to pull in. Placing the car in idle, Jack closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. He knew Kali would be there any moment.

Jack was only waiting about a minute, before looking and seeing the glow of Kali's bright pink dress emerging from the lobby doors. From the distance, Jack could swear that the dress was painted on her, the fit so precise on her slender frame. He smiled, watching her stride across the pavement before hopping out, walking behind the car, and opening the door for her.

She smiled as she spotted him. Before she knew it he had opened her door and she slid inside. She watched him,come back around and get back,behind the wheel.
She glanced over and smiled at him, "Its been a while since Ive done this.. hope I dont make you look bad."

Jack shifted the car into gear, pulling back away from the hotel into traffic. Once merged, he glanced in her direction and smiled. "A while since you've done what? Gone out? How would you think you could make me look bad? Looking at that dress, I think I'm the one who'd make you look bad."

Merging onto the highway towards the suburbs, he pressed down on the accelerator. The windows were cracked, letting some of the late summer air into the car. He felt a lump in his throat, wondering what the evening had in store for them.

The sun had descended below the horizon by the time they exited the highway and drive the final mile on surface streets to the club. There was a light, but steady stream of co-eds and mid-twenty somethings making their way through the front door as Jack pulled into a parking spot approximately 100 yards away from the entrance. Putting the car in park, he shut down the engine, turning to Kali.

"Here we are. Shall we?"

She smiled, "Yeah, I really dont go out much socially anymore.. I normally end up working and stuff... but this should be fun."

As they parked outside the club Kali looked around. It seemed to be a fairly popular place but from the outside it looked like any other nightclub. They got out of the car and walked together to the line to get inside. You could hear the base of the music as the bouncer opened and shut the doors, letting people exit, then replacing them with new people waiting in line. The line moved fairly quickly and they found themselves entering and walked into the darkly lit club. She looked around as they walked, trying to take it all in. The music had a great beat, which was always a plus. She looked over at him and smiled, bumoing him playfully, "dont worry, yours will be better." She winked at him.

Jack smirked at her words, hardly able to hear her over the din of the music. It was very warm in the club, and the floor was already very lively with folks who were a few drinks in. He noted the lack of any platforms or cages, or any of the details he'd added. There were no 'dancers'-nobody who'd been coached, trained to draw attention and lead the charge through a song. That was a good sign.

"Here, let's grab a drink and see if we can get a good vantage point." To get through the crowd, he turned slightly, placing a hand on Kali's arm as he led her to the bar. He was able to, with relative ease, flag a bartender and order two vodka tonics. Two folks to his left stepped away, and Kali was able to slide in next to him as they leaned across the bar.

Jack slid her drink into her hands "For the lady," he offered with a smirk. "Okay, now, let's see what we can see here."

She smiled and followed his lead to the bar. She took the drink from him as she squeezed in next to him. They turned and looked out on the crowd. There were definatly differences in the clubs. She sipped from the drink and then glanced over athim and smirked playfully. "They have music and get busy, I will give them that much."

As she looked around she spotted an opening away from the busy bar. "Come on.." she grabbed his free hand and led him thru the people.

Jack nodded at her comment-"Sure, they get busy, but I think that's just a function of not enough options." He cast his gaze in the direction of the DJ booth. "I think Mario's far more skilled at mixing and keeping the floor packed. He actually told me that he was offered a job here, and not that interested…."

His voice trailed off as she grabbed his hand. Caught off guard, he grasped his drink a bit more tightly. "Where are we going?" He called after her, unsure if she could hear over the din.

She smiled and agreed, "Oh Mario is someone you need to hold on to.. hes a rare find."

She led him to the side, from there they could get a full prospective, she watched as people danced and the place got even fuller. She looked over at him and smiled, "Im glad you came along."

Kaligurl222 said:

She smiled and agreed, "Oh Mario is someone you need to hold on to.. hes a rare find."

She led him to the side, from there they could get a full prospective, she watched as people danced and the place got even fuller. She looked over at him and smiled, "Im glad you came along."

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He looked back at her, returning the smile. Jack was unable to deny that she looked stunning, that she'd really dolled herself up for their night out. It struck him as a bit much for a work interaction-the were there to do research, though he was starting to question what they were really researching that night.

Taking a sip from his glass, he chuckled. "Sure, happy to do it. Funny enough, I don't love hanging out places like this. I don't dance, and I'd much rather listen to some rock and roll than dance and house music. But, if everyone else is having a good time, why not? Still, I guess if I'm keeping you from being hit on by every creep that rolls through here, that helps, right?" Jack had noticed several of the guys that had strolled past had a hard time keeping their eyes forward as they caught a glimpse of Kali.

She laughed," Youre a real night in shining armor arent you?" She teased him. She could tell that it really wasnt his type of scene but he had gone with her anyway and that had been sweet of him... even if he was looking out for his investment, but she didnt feel like that was the case. She took another drink from her cocktail and looked over at him. "Believe it or not I dont spend much time aside from work, at clubs... I end uo curled up on my couch watching netflix in my sweats more often than not."

They had both pretty much finished their drinks and she considered it a minute and then set her empty glass on the high top table next to them. "Tell ya what Boss, you give me one dance and we can get out of here... its getting crowded and then we beat everyone whose had more than their share of alcohol outta the place.... I know you said you dont dance... but listen, they slowed it down.. I have every confiddnce that you can slow dance..." she smiled at him to seal the deal.

He chuckled slightly at her remark about being a savior.

"I have a feeling that, once I get the club off the ground, I'll be in a similar boat, ready to spend a lot of time catching up on movies myself." It did occur to him that, while starting up the business was surely fulfilling, it was also exhausting him.

Kali was right-the club was filling up to capacity quickly. Even in the few minutes they'd stood to the side, they'd been bumped into and brushed past too close for Jack's taste several times. As the beat slowed to a less intense pace, he noted that some folks were making their way back to the bar, cutting off any chance he had of getting another drink.

As she'd posed the question, Jack realized, yes, he'd had more than enough of this particular scene.

"Okay, one dance. Then, we find something a bit more our taste."

Jack took the initiative again, this time leading Kali back past the bar and out to the dance floor, being careful to give them room to squeeze through the crowd as much as he could. The smell of heavy, cheap cologne hung in the air as they made their way through. They squeezed onto the dance floor, and Jack turned, resting his hands on the small of her back, his forearms grazing her hips, smiling.

"Here you go, full 8th grade dance-style."

She laughed and stepped towards him as he agreed to the dance. As they moved to the music she shook her head and laughed as he swayed back and forth, leaving such a large gap between them.

"This does take me back... You are almost as stiff as the girls you have me training were when we started." She winked at hin playfully teasing him. She stepped closer, closing the gap between them considerbly.. her arms looped loosly around his neck as the moved to the beat.

He gave a small chuckle at her taunt. "Yes, I suppose I'm not far ahead of them. To be fair, though, I'm not being paid to move more gracefully." Jack's lips curled into a smile, letting her come closer.

As she closed the distance, Jack inhaled her scent, sweet and floral. This was as close as he'd ever been to Kali, and as he felt her form brush just slightly against him, the palm of his hands went flat against her back, pulling her just slightly in. He had been aware of her beauty, her liveliness, since the day she'd showed up at the club, but the feeling he experienced as they moved close was different.

It was, without a doubt, the rush of arousal that he felt as she swayed with him, her lithe form packed tightly into the pink fabric. The voice in his head that reminded him of the professional nature of their arrangement grew louder and yet, more distant all at the same time. As the song ended, he felt, almost, a sense of relief. However, as the pace of the music picked up, he didn't immediately leg go, instead, maintaining his position and smiling at her.

"Well Kali, I'd say you got your dance, I think that's enough of this place tonight, don't you? What now? Should I take you to your hotel, or should we find someplace quieter? Your call."

"Well I am sure I could teach you a thing or two." She smiled.

She was all too aware of his masculinity as they moved together. She could feel his muscular shoulders under her arms and she inhaled his scent... she closed her eyes for a minute reminding herself that he was her boss.. but it was getting harder and harder to remember that.

The song ended and it took a few seconds longer to seperate.. when he asked her the plan she smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "I am up for anything.. I mean all I have waiting for me is an empty hotel room." She grabbed his arm lightly, "either way, lets get out of here."

As she slide slowly away, Jack felt his hands graze across her hips, lingering just a bit more than he should have allowed. Though, he noted, she seemed perfectly content to let his hands take their time there.

Responding to the touch, he started past her, placing the palm of his hand flat on the small of her back, just above the curve of her ass.

"I think that's a good idea. It's a little loud in here for my taste. Though, I've merely got an empty apartment to get home to myself." He laughed as they reached the door of the club, the air cool as it hit their flushed faces.

"Still, let's head back to the city-there are more options there. Plus, if I'm going to have anything else to drink, I'll need to be a little bit closer to home, so we can both be sure of getting home safely. I say we either go back to the lounge we went to the other night, or…my condo building has some space on the roof-it's only about 8 floors tall-where we could have a drink and enjoy some peace and quiet. There's never anyone there."

He led her to the car, opening the door for her slowly, smiling as he let her crawl into the seat. "Your call, dear lady. What'll it be?"

His hand on her back sent chills down her spine. The fresh air felt good on her heated skin but did little to cool theburning inside her. Sbe smiled as they wslked to the car. "Your condo is fine... then you wont have to go anywherebut down some stairs and it cant be far from my hotel."

She slid into the passanger seat and looked over at him and smiled as he started the car. "I can hear myself think now... I have to say my opinion is that is a good club for the young college crowd... as far as grown adults go.... jurys still out."

Ashe drove back to the city she couldnt help butthink about the fact that they were going back to his place... was it a wisething to do?

Jack nodded at her response, surprisingly unable to speak. It was a bit surprising that she was nonchalant about going back to his building, even if they were just planning to sit on the roof, and never do more than pass through his apartment.

Her comments about the club brought him back to reality for a moment.

"Yes, I know what you mean-honestly, after a look at that crowd, I don't think we're after the same folks at all. They can keep the college kids. We want the young professionals-the new money crowd."

He felt the bit of tension in the car, and hoped to break it by flipping open the moon roof, letting the breeze blow down on them. "Sorry, it was getting a bit stuffy in here," he offered with a slight smile.

They made a bit of small talk as they made their back into the city, but there was obviously a bit of trepidation between them. Pulling the car into the garage, he closed the roof, quietly shutting down the engine. He smiled to her, flipping his door open as casually as he could with a small lump in his throat. "Here, we'll take the elevator up."

Quietly, they rode the elevator to the third floor, him smiling to her as he held the door open for her and they stepped down the nearly silent hall to his apartment. Behind the door next to his, they could hear a college football game come back from halftime. Rattling his keys in the lock, he slowly pushed open the door for her, letting her enter first. The hardwood clacked beneath her heels, and he smiled as he nodded toward the bar in the corner of the open space, overlooking the floor to ceiling windows.

"Here, I'll fix us a couple of vodka tonics, and we can head up to the roof. Deal?"

The ride to his condo was a bit quiet. She was wondering if thesame thoights were crossing his mind... was it smart to go to his place?

She shook off her jitters as they got out of the car and walked insode to go up. When they made it inside his condo the first thing she noticed was the windows. As he made the drinks she walked over and looked out, he had a pretty nice view of the city, "you have a great view... reminds me of my place in california... same style, just different buildings and city scape to look at."

Jack looked up, glancing over his shoulder at the view. It was, mostly, a view of the other condos and renovated warehouses that had been turned into office and retail space. Through the alleys, you could see the lake, or rather, at this point in the evening, the moon's reflection on it.

He turned back to her "I'm sure it's just like your spot in California-you know, except a lake instead of the ocean, and World War II era brick buildings instead of new and modern." He smiled. "But, I grew up some place just like this, and so it feels like home, and, honestly, I enjoy the pace of life here so much more than I did living on the coast."

Continuing, he strode across the hardwood, his shoes echoing on the floor as he reached to hand her the drink he'd prepared, "From the roof, though, you get a much better view of the city, and the lake. Plus, I'm guessing it'll be quiet up there now, and there are little outdoor couches and that for us to lounge on."

In truth, Jack was nervous about having her there in the apartment. He was feeling the electricity between them, but wasn't sure if that might just be him. In any event, he didn't want to cross a boundary, or give Kali the impression that he was after something, even if he did want to grab her and pin her against the window in that moment.

Taking a slow, deliberate draw on the drink, he nodded his head toward the door. "What do you say, want to check it out?"

She laughed and shrugged her shoulders, "yeah I do enjoy my ocean view back home but it hardly feels like home.. I dont spend much time there." She took her drink from him, "there are definatly times that I miss country life... things are just so much slower.. its nice to slow down from time to time."

He suggested going to the roof and she nodded, following his lead. It was for the best, getting out of his condo, and the fresh air would clear her head.. she needed to rid her thoughts of her arms around his neck, and his hands on her.

They got to the roof and he was right, the view was great, she could see the lake and the moon reflecting off of it. Even for a saterday night the streets of the town were quiet. She looked around and walked over, taking a seat on one of the outdoor couches. She sipped from her drink and smiled at him

As they stepped onto the roof, Jack took in a deep breath of the cooling night air. He watched her take a seat on one of the smaller couches, the position of her legs causing her dress to slide up her thigh just slightly. For a moment, he caught himself gazing and watching her, wondering if that move had been intentional.

Behind the couch was a half wall over looking the lake. He leaned against it, standing next to where she sat. "Sorry, after the car ride, I just want to stand for a few. Besides, from here, you can see the old shipping boats coming in off the lake in the moonlight, and everyone once in a while, the light from the light houses hits them as they get closer. It's kind of neat, in a very nerdy way." He laughed as he offered this, realizing that between being a bit nervous and a bit of a dork, he was probably doing a good job of killing any attraction she might have felt towards him.

Nodding out over the lake, he said "Really, it's kind of cool-come take a look." He slid over, making room for her to stand next to him, though the space was tight between the couch and the wall.