Chapter 190: Cabaret
*In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln*
Going to the Cowboy Cabaret was bittersweet for all the princesses in attendance. Mary had planned to be here for her daughter’s eighteenth birthday. Had planned to watch her daughter grow into a young woman.
But life had other plans and there was an empty seat in the large gathering.
As if they understood, and missed their friend, none of the dancers or waiters sat in the chair. They would sit in a chair and pull one of the women into their laps. Or drag a chair over to the grouping of tables. A fresh daquiri sat in front of the empty chair all night, replaced as it began to melt.
Even without any alcohol in her system, Dean was having the time of her life. Every so often, she would look at the pink icy drink next to her, sadness would fill her to the point that it would leak out of her eyes and down her cheek. Her aunts and cousins seemed to understand and would give her a light hug or squeeze her hand or leg. More than once she grasped Helen's hand thinking how much her mom would love this Queen.
Other times, she would look at her silver and pearl ring and wish that her husband was there. Even nearly four months later, it was still a change that she was not used to.
Neither were her teachers. Most were now calling her by her new last name and many assumed that her uncle had adopted her. When they changed her name on the paperwork for the school, she told the registrar that she did not want everyone to know. If they were to know, Dean would tell them.
The low lights of the club went even darker and then a spotlight swirled around the room. It stopped on Dean and two of the shirtless dancers took her hands and guided her up to the stage. They sat her in an armless chair as a dozen dancers lined up in front of her.
Suddenly, she felt self-conscious of her tight jeans and off the shoulder peasant blouse. The black satin had silver and black lace trim that was set off by her silver bracelet and her new princess tiara necklace also in silver with black diamonds, emeralds and tiny pearls.
As the music faded and a new song started, they all assumed the same stance. Facing the right side of the stage, left foot slightly in front of the other and right hand lightly grasping the front brim of their black felt cowboy hats and left hand tucked behind their backs. They bent slightly forward at the waist and their heads were tipped down ever so slightly.
With the first notes, the dancers stomped their feet before they turned and faced the other direction. The moves were synchronized and sharp. As Garth Brooks sang about his friends in low places, the line of dancers moved in tandem as their clothes slowly disappeared.
Turning and facing the audience, Dean’s eyes were drawn to a stick figure tattoo on the upper shoulder on one of the dancers. A boy and a girl, both in black, another boy in red, followed by a third boy and two girls also in black.
When they spun back to face Dean, her eyes drank in the chiseled muscles on his chest and abdomen. With a dozen near naked men in front of her, she found herself focused on the subtle differences of this one. His belt buckle did not match the others. Where the others were a silver rectangle with golden star in the center of a circle, his had the Navy Seabee.
Now that she was watching him, she noticed that his moves were not quite as sharp as the others. Slightly offbeat and just after the others made their move.
Their hats remained low on their heads, tipped down to hide their faces in shadows. But she knew that mouth. Knew what it sounded like. The taste of it. How it felt against her own mouth and against her skin.
As the second song ended, the line of dancers approached her chair and the man she was watching, straddled her legs. He braced himself on the back of her chair and held himself just above her legs. Reaching up, she pushed his hat up with a finger on the brim until it tipped backwards and fell to the stage behind him.
“Hello, wife.” JD grinned at her.
“Nice moves.” She murmured as she ran her hands up his chest and around his neck to pull him down for a kiss.
Laughing against her lips, he moved his hands to her hips before standing up and taking her with him. Squealing in surprise, her arms and legs wrapped around him as he turned and sat in the chair, effectively reversing their positions.
“I’ve got other moves to show you later.” He promised quietly against her ear. “Ones that I don’t need my mother or the Princess Club seeing.”
“You know they’ll hear about them.” Dean warned with a grin as the next song started and half the dancers left.
“Without a doubt.” He grinned back as his hands slid up to grasp her shoulders. “Now relax.”
With that warning, he pulled her back until she was laying across the top of his legs. One of the dancers placed the hat from the floor on her head before helping her to sit back up. Quietly, he moved behind the chair whispered his instructions to her as he guided her through the routine that JD had only recently learned.
With a few reminders here and there for him, Dean realized that her husband had put a lot of time and effort into her birthday. She was only vaguely aware of the couple on either side of them going through the same routine. One dancer in the chair, a waitress in his lap and another dancer behind the chair.
Halfway through the song, the dancers that were standing stood behind the women and pulled them to their feet.
“Trust me, sweetie.” Her new partner whispered as he guided her off JD’s lap. “Just follow my lead and enjoy yourself.”
He spun her in a tight circle around him and she looked at JD who sat with his arms crossed like the other two men. An angry scowl on his face but amusement dancing in his eyes.
“This leg,” the dancer said as lifted her thigh, “around my waist and relax your other one.”
Dean did as he said and squealed as he dipped her low. Laughing, she placed a hand on her acquired cowboy hat to hold it on her head. He dropped her even lower, her long brown hair dragging along the floor as he swung her around and then pulled her hack up to him.
JD stood up and approached the man as he kissed Dean’s cheek and hugged her tight. “We all loved your momma. It was an honor to dance with you, Dean.”
The last of the notes of the song faded as she hugged him tight. A soft sob escaped her as she nodded against his bare chest. “Thank you…” Stepping back, she swiped at her eyes. “I don’t even know your name.”
“In here, it’s Donovan. If you see me outside, it’s Vince.”
She kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Vince.”
Taking her hand, JD guided her to the back where the other dancers and wait staff gave her hugs and told her how much they all loved Mary. Just before leaving the back room, the manager presented Dean with a dozen dark red, almost black, roses.
“Your mom was a planner. She had this night planned out before her last deployment.” The manager, Taylor, told her. “We changed a few things for your husband. And he picked up the routines pretty quick.”
“Yeah, you should see the rest of my unit.” JD said with a wink. “I’m not going to suggest that you search dancing Seabees on the insta.”
Dean laughed as several of the professional dancers pulled out their phones. JD and Dean headed out to the tables where the rest of the princess club was still seated.
“Damn, boy!” Gina bellowed when he sat down in Dean’s chair and pulled her into his lap.
“Your brother,” Bunny smiled, “needs some lessons.”
Dean grabbed her phone off the table and pulled up Instagram to do a search. A dozen or more videos pulled up of JD and his friends learning the routine. Handing her phone to his mom, Dean kissed JD.
“I love you.”
Smiling against her lips, he returned the sentiment as the women around them gushed over the videos.
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