“Thank you,” Jenny sighed, tilted her head up and kissed Marina with
only a slight bit of tongue. “I’ll reward you well. I promise.”

Marina smiled and blinked lazily. “Oh, I’m sure you will.”

The young writer stood up to leave.

“Jenny?” Marina called to her quietly.

“Yes?”

Marina stood up, put her hands on Jenny’s shoulders, and gazed into her
eyes. “I meant what I said on the phone. I love you. I would do
anything to have a second chance.”

“And I’m going to hold you to that, Marina,” Jenny gave her an odd
little smile, stretched up on her toes and kissed Marina again. “See
you tonight.”

~*~*~*~*~*

The Top Hat wasn’t quite what Marina expected a smoky dive filled
with drooling men and aging dancers with dead eyes and too much makeup.
For one thing, there were no men. For another, the dancers were all
young and gorgeous, and their routines were ranged from flamboyant to
edgy. Leather and latex were the costumes of choice, for dancers and
audience alike, and their props went with the lifestyle.

“Are you Ms. Ferrer?” A beautiful young thing appeared at her side, wearing a thong and teddy with the nipples cut out.

“Yes,” Marina answered, once she’d recovered her voice.

“Your table is this way, please follow me?” She smiled, pivoted
gracefully on six-inch stiletto boots and led Marina to a table in
front of the stage, hips swaying sexily. “Can I get You a drink?” She
seemed eager to serve and Marina obliged her.

“A Bombay martini, please.” Marina ordered with a slight hint of a smile on her gracious lips.

“Right away, M’Lady.” The young woman answered rather formally.

The dancers on stage finished their performance, and a handsome butch
in tails and top hat walked on stage under a single blue spot. “Good
evening, Ladies, and welcome to the Top Hat. Tonight we have the honor
of presenting our newest dancer, already a club favorite the Yeshiva
Schoolgirl. Let’s give her a warm welcome, shall we?” She clapped her
hands and the audience joined in.

The lights darkened and came back up as a throbbing club beat kicked in
over the loudspeakers, and a small lithe woman strutted onstage
carrying a ruler in one hand. Marina caught a glimpse of her
long-sleeved white blouse, top three buttons undone and tucked into the
waistband of a very short black skirt, not even long enough to cover
white schoolgirl panties. On her legs, black garters, white stockings,
and black stiletto heels. She wore her hair in pigtails. She turned her
back to the audience and began to move her hips slowly and seductively,
as she let down her hair. When she turned around, Marina gasped in
surprise. Jenny! She felt her world rock.