The Etiquette of Smoking

XXNX

The music inside the strip club thumped hard and loud, reminding me of work, except for the smell. Sweat and fog permeated the air as we walked through the entrance and into the large room. There were multiple stages around the room, some small and private and one large one in the center of the room where there was currently a gathering of men. They stood by, cheering and throwing cash onto the floor of the stage as a stripper hung upside down on the pole in front of them.

I was escorted to a small booth in the back of the room along with Max and Niki and told to sit tight by Ian, who disappeared with George and Chad. Max slid into the booth beside me and dropped his head to the table with a loud bang. I winced and wiggled his shoulder to ask if he was okay. Incoherent gibberish slipped from his mouth so I pulled back and let him sleep.... I think. On my other side, Niki was singing along and swinging her hips with the song playing.

I looked around the room, watching scantily dressed and completely naked girls walk around, sitting on and grinding their bodies against men in chairs. I looked in the opposite direction, where the guys had walked off to and oop there were women getting lap dances here too.

It was a more intimate vibe than we had at work, which felt more like a party atmosphere than a sexy one, even when Niki walked around without her top on.

Max groaned, lolling his head to the side and pressing his cheek against the tabletop when he turned to look up at me.

"Water." He murmured through dry lips. I nodded, patting him on the back gently and leaning over the table to look for the others. I spotted them in the distance, standing at the bar. George was laughing as he talked to -one of the more clothed- strippers. Beside him, Ian was speaking to the bartender and Chad had a comically oversized handful of cash.

I patted my dress without thinking, searching for my cell to text them before I realized I left my phone turned off in my hotel room. I'd been so afraid of ruining the trip that I had decided to ditch it for a few days. Everyone I cared about was here with me, anyway.

I sighed, rubbing Max on the back gently. I looked over to Niki who was rapping to the song and completely lost in her own world. Before I had to resort to climbing over the table, Ian turned around, I assume to check on us, and I waved at him to come over. He held up a finger and turned around to lift a couple glasses from the bar as he made his way towards us.

Ian reached the table and placed two large mugs of beer in front of us. Max looked up and groaned but pulled the glass towards him anyway, taking several large chugs of the honey colored liquid.

"Max wants water." I told Ian, watching as Max swallowed down more alcohol. Ian sighed, turning around to head back to the bar just as Joji and Chad returned.

"Your cut." Chad announced happily, thumbing through the cash wad in his hands and offering me a small chunk of it. I grinned, accepting the bundle and counted the money. It was at least 200 dollars in cash. Some 20s and smaller bills but mostly ones.

"Jesus, how much money did you cash out?" I asked him, aghast. He chuckled, tossing a stack towards Niki and shoving the largest one into Joji's hands.

"Don't worry about it. Happy birthday, cunt." Chad grinned at George and with that, he left the table and over to one of the stages where dancers were twirling around on glittering poles. Ian returned quickly, placing a large glass of water in front of Max, who immediately began sucking it down.

"Well this is going great." Ian laughed as water dribbled down Max's chin and onto the glossy tabletop beneath. The song ended and Niki slipped out of the booth, disappearing into the crowd. Behind Joji's head, Niki's drunken ass pulled herself up on stage and joined the stripper, hooking her leg around the metal pole spinning.