My First Strip Club

Most of you here know that the first book in the Just One Night series begins in Vegas. And the last Sophie Katz book, Vanity, Vengeance & A Weekend In Vegas (currently a top rated audiobook, thank you!) is almost entirely set in Vegas. In both cases the trip ends up being much more adventurous than either of my protagonists imagined it would be and the men they find there are dangerous...but also rather scrumptious.

So when my girlfriend asked if I wanted to do a girls' weekend in Vegas for her birthday which happened to land on the weekend after the release of Just One Night: The Stranger...well it felt sort of apropos. Even more so when she suggested that we go to a male strip show.

I've been to gay clubs that had hired male dancers who wore nothing but Speedos or g-strings and yes, people were stuffing those Speedos with dollar bills. But those weren't exactly formal strip shows. When I was married I took my husband to a female strip club for our second Valentine's Day. It was my way of thanking him for being so doting and wonderful to me during our first Valentine's together (I knew he wouldn't be moved by the sunset champagne-caviar picnic he had surprised me with that first year so letting a naked girl dance on his lap seemed like an even trade).

I liked the gay clubs, I'd happily go back if someone asked me to accompany them. I didn't mind the girl strip club but I'm not really interested in doing it again (although I would if I was in love with a man and wanted to thank him for cooking me an amazing dinner and cleaning our apartment...I hope all potential future boyfriends take note of that).

But I had never been to a male strip club designed for a female audience before this weekend. I didn't know what to expect.

My girlfriend and I went to Men Of Sapphire. Of course visions from Magic Mike danced through my head but I didn't expect anyone to be able to dance like Channing Tatum.

Well I was wrong. There was one guy who could do everything Tatum could do and more. See this?

This is a man who is doing one armed handstand-push-ups, using only a chair and a stripper pole for balance...and yes, that balance point on the chair happens to be between an audience member's legs.  Now normally I'm not into guys with a lot of tattoos but that's just damn impressive. Oh, and if you get a lap dance from this particular man, well there's something he can do with his thigh...I don't want to give too much away in case you decide to go but just know...he's a fun one.

And then there was this guy who I had the pleasure of giving a few dollars to...

...he looked down my dress...and you know what? I let him.

This one here went out of his way to approach me and whisper in my ear that I was an "incredibly attractive woman."

I thanked him in a smooth voice. A few minutes later he came back, nestled his head into the crook of my neck...which is when his dark glasses got caught in my crazy curly hair. Because while I can be smooth my hair never will be.

Oh and last (but definitely not least) I won a free calendar featuring this dancer...

...it was my reward for showing impressive enthusiasm.

What really surprised me was the amount of audience participation that was incorporated into the show. Unlike the female strip show I attended it was rare when just the performers were on the stage. It was almost always the performers and at least one woman from the audience...frequently more. And that's what made it fun...that and the mood which was so playful and silly that even when things got pretty damn sexually explicit (I mean they handcuffed one girl to a bed while the guy sort of gyrated over her) it didn't feel uncomfortable or lecherous.  It's sort of like going to a sports bar.  All the guests are united by a common interest and we're all there cheering and acting crazy.

And then I started thinking about all those guys who ask their girlfriends/wives to go to strip clubs with them...I'm wondering if one of those wives shouldn't just say yes and then driver her man to Men of Sapphire. I mean if your guy isn't going to specify what kind of strip club he wants to go to then it's up to you, right?

And if he doesn't like it tell him you'll take him to see the girl pole dancers right after he cleans your apartment.