have to be sure to warn them never to fraternize with the patrons. It would ruin the “untouchable” image.
Christoph hailed from a tiny town in Nevada. Its main street was a highway that led from California to Utah. Every other weekend he and his friends would make the long drive north to Carson City to party. Because of their bumpkin status and that they had two days out of every month to keep up with trends, they studied how to dance by watching TV and practicing at home. That way they managed to at least blend in.
Ashi hailed from Seoul, Korea. He went to school and studied Japanese, Mandarin, and Thai to better survive in a family that traveled extensively throughout the Far East. His father was a high-level executive in an international company and groomed Ashi and his younger brother to become businessmen in his image. There was no time for partying in Ashi’s world, and his pursuit of martial arts took up what free time he had.
Even without either of them knowing each other’s backgrounds, Christoph started to question his sanity when he became annoyed that Ashi was dancing better than him.
As the song came to a close, the last few notes on a quieter loop, Joy moved front-and-center on the stage. She plucked a wireless mic off a stand and strutted back and forth across the stage. Her voice was throaty and enticing, promising all sorts of wicked things, and had the audience hanging on her every word.
“Mm, good to see some familiar faces in the crowd tonight,” she said, earning a number of cheers and whistles. “You are all looking good tonight! Let’s play it up for the new guys, huh? Give it up!”
Once again, cheers and screams of delight roared out, a bunch of people turning and waving up at Ashi and Christoph. The music screamed into a crescendo of fast, heavy techno, the same song the troupe had been practicing to right before the doors opened.
Joy fell into seamless step with the other dancers, shouting over the noise.
“Let’s show them how it’s done!”
And the audience went into their own frenzy of dancing and cheering, their screams growing even louder as the backup dancers behind Joy – guys and girls – started removing their shirts on the chorus. That was their cue.
'I am not doing that,' Ashi thought vehemently.
'I hope no one’s filming this,' Christoph thought as he took off his shirt.
'Why the hell is he taking off his shirt? Is he seriously going along with this?'
'Why the hell isn’t he taking his shirt off? Is he confused again?'
“Ashi! What the hell, man?” Christoph shouted.
Ashi raised his middle finger, then made the swirly “you’re crazy” gesture at the side of his head. Christoph gave him a “hurry up” gesture in return. They gestured back and forth for bit, Ashi growing increasingly agitated.
It would take forty years of Zen for him to be at peace with himself after this. Ashi mimed stabbing Christoph in the face, then went along with the dancers on the stage.
When he got home he was going to hide in the closet and never come out.
Some of the crowd was getting distracted by their antics. A few stopped dancing, instead staring, laughing, or questioning to each other what the heck was going on.
Ken, back in his office, had his face in his hands.
* * *
A few sets later, their replacements came. The cages were hauled over to an upper catwalk so a couple of similarly built, ridiculously pretty guys in outfits matching what Ashi and Christoph were wearing could take their places.
Two pretty, smiling girls were leading them with fingers hooked into their collars past the revelers, some of whom who were not too careful as to where they put their hands. A mix of sly and blatant offers were called out as they passed.
The girls led them through an “Employees Only” door, and promptly let go of the collars, making faces.
“God, you’d think they’d never seen a man before!” one of them piped up.
“Seriously,” said the other as she adjusted the tiny pleather skirt she was wearing. “Ken said you two should wait here. He’ll call you on stage in a couple minutes.”
“‘Just smile and nod and, for God’s sake, don’t open your mouths’ were his exact words,” said the first girl, even affecting Ken’s tone, rolling her eyes with a grin.
Christoph couldn’t stop laughing. He leaned against a wall with a hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking. This was