Strings and Schemes

Chapter 15

Niall eventually fends them off of him, or they run out of coins to throw at him, and neither of the Payne-Tomlinson duo are willing to part with their bigger notes knowing they have poker coming up and have continuously lost for the past few weeks.

Niall starts circling the pole, as if he's stalking prey. Stops, staring straight at the pole, and grabs it with both hands and tries to lean back with all his weight on the pole. He turns, and lines up with the pole and bends over, twerking and popping his butt on the pole.

"God, do I have to touch that after he's done that?" I whine, everyone laughs.

Zayn pulls me to sit on his lap and pulls me into him, my back to his chest, I turn slightly so I have a view of the stage and an easy access to communicate with Z. He smiles warmly at me, "I don't think I've ever seen you so, free?" He offers,

I nod in agreement, "I don't think I've ever felt as free as I have the past few days."

"You know, you don't have to do that dance if you don't want to." He says quietly, "not that I am going to stop you - I am only too happy to watch all these fuckers drool over whats mine."

I challenge, "whats yours?"

He nips my neck ever so slightly, nobody else noticing, too enthralled in whatever it is that Niall has been calling dancing.

"We'll return to that later," he says, a glint in his eyes. "But more importantly, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. Independence Day is about doing the things you want -"

I interrupt, "well, as the founder of this Independence Day, I would say, it's actually about doing the things that scare me. And that -" I say, pointing to the pole and Niall, "scares me, outside of whatever this is that Niall is doing. I am scared of dancing in front of people, even in a non stripper pole context, so I'm doing it."

He grins at me, "I love how quick you are to step up to your fears and take ahold of them."

I smile, "I'm working on it, this mystery guy I met a few weeks ago has really helped me see things differently."

"I can't take all the credit, you were already halfway there."

Harry approaches, "Hey, Rain - what song do you want?"

I open up my phone and share a private playlist with him, "Do not actually look at this playlist, styles. Or I will assault you with that Mace. I've heard they can do some damage."

He holds his hands up, "Don't shoot the messenger. Or beat the messenger."

I laugh, "it's the third song on the playlist, delete the playlist later and never talk to me about it again."

Zayn eyes me curiously, whispering, "you should show me that playlist."

Louis pretends the broom is a mic, and calls all our attention to the stage. "AHEM - EVERYONE IT IS THE STAR OF THE SHOW - RAINA ADDAMS TURN TO COME UP HERE ON STAGE."

I laugh, everyone cheering, "BUT FIRST -" Louis says to me, "I actually do have fun outfits for you if you want to change into something more.... Dancer-like."

I roll my eyes and shake my head, a grin forming. "Let me see it before I commit."

Louis pulls over a bag, and in it are a few different mini dresses and skirts and bralettes. I nod, "Alright, you've chosen well. I'll be back in five."

I wink at Zayn before walking to the toilets, with my bag of clothes. I choose a mini skirt, fishnet tights, and a black leather bralette, throwing my corset top over it. Perfect for stripping down just slightly if I decide to have more fun with it.  I walk out with my dance heels on, shocking everyone outside of Louis who knows I actually have an affinity for dancing and took many classes in private over the years.

"Musics cued up, love." Says Harry encouragingly.

I station myself behind the pole, taking a deep breath in, closing my eyes and waiting for my stage presence to kick in. As soon as the first verse starts, my eyes blink open and an entirely different version of Raina comes out. Confident, sexy, certain of herself. Unafraid of the friends sitting in the audience, cheering her on. Louis and Zayn look entirely pleased with themselves as they both sit, legs wide, nowhere near one another, with hungry looks in their eyes. I chuckle, breaking the fourth wall.

Kelly won't kiss my friend Kassandra,

Jessica won't play ball,

Mandy won't share her friend Miranda,

Doesn't anybody live at all?

I start with a head whip to the right, my hair falling perfectly around me. My hands on my upper thighs, as I slowly slink down to a crouching position, with perfect posture staring out at nobody but everyone all at once, I wink before I take one hand in front of me and dive down on a diagonal, followed by the other going the other direction. I hop up with one leg bent, one leg straight, pulling my hands up my legs in beat with the music taking my time, before whipping my head up at exactly the right moment.

She wraps her hands around that pole

She licks those lips and off we go

I strut the few steps towards the pole, and take one hand to steady myself over my head, with my back against the pole and slink down the pole ending in a similar crouching position again. I whip my head to the left, avoiding the pole, slinking into a cobra, my hands leading my chest into the ground, my face turned to face the men staring, mouths slightly agape in shock of my new found skill set - outside of Louis, who winks back. My legs extend behind me so I'm mostly flat on the floor, minus my hands underneath my rib cage. At the drop of the beat, I reverse the motion, and open my legs into a V, knees bent under me, and do a slight body ripple before doing a figure 8 with my head, my hair leading me as I reach for the pole with one hand and pull myself around with more power than I expected.

She don't play nice, she makes me beg

And she drops that dress around her legs

I slip one hand behind myself, and slowly unzip the corset top. Pulling it over my head, and sexily throwing it at Niall, it hits him in the face and he erupts into cheering. I laugh and grab the pole again spinning around before eventually setting centre again. My back against the pole I reach forward towards my foot and snap back up, like the ever so famous bend and snap motion, before pulling myself to face the pole and swaying my hips in line with the music lowering myself again and pushing back with real power so that my butt is visible at the bottom of my skirt as the last of the song ends.

Cause that's porn star dancing

Everyone erupts into cheers and I take a shy bow, reaching for my shirt from Niall who is not looking like he's about to part with it at all. Liam looks slightly horrified but impressed, Harry is unshocked after all the things he's bore witness to over the years, and Zayn has a sparkle in his eyes as if I am the most impressive thing he's every seen. He reaches me first and pulls me up to him and twirls me round as my hips are wrapped around his waist and kisses me, in front of all of these people.