Sometime over the past hour a thin haze had settled in the club, it was most notable over the now populated dance floor, swirls and whirlpools appearing as people swayed their bodies around. Like every other club in the city smoking of any kind was not allowed and there was no detectable scent of it in the air, though there were no obvious fog or mist machines either. I suspected that the haze was meant to combine with the low lighting to add a mysterious ambiance and it was very effective, though I had never been one to want to dance I found myself wanting to get up and join the gyrating fray. There was something enticing about a bunch of people in disguises swaying their bodies around in ways that they might otherwise be too embarrassed to do.

“Dance with me,” Joannie demanded playfully, popping up out of her chair. She grabbed the drink out of my hand, set it down on the table, then took my hands in hers and tugged me up to my feet. “You keep looking over like you want to, so let’s do it!”

“I don’t even know how to dance,” I protested, though I rose to my feet anyway. “I think the last time I ever danced in front of anyone was in middle school when they make you learn how to square dance for some strange reason.”

Come to think of it, why exactly were we all made to learn how to do-si-do? The opportunity to use my niche dance skills had never once come up since being forced to learn a culturally obscure folk dance. Yet it was something that had been presented several times to me in the pursuit of bettering my physical education and supposedly learning would be something I would be grateful for in my adult years. Unless I suddenly found myself hanging out with people who went to barn dances regularly I didn't see myself ever feeling inclined to dance off my rusty skills.

“No one knows how to dance,” the man calling himself Joey chimed in, “that’s kind of the beauty of it. Everyone is always so worried about how they look and if they have rhythm that no one ever pays attention to what anyone else is doing. Plus with this kind of place even if someone notices that you're terrible they don't have a clue who you are anyway.”

“I guess…” I said, still not convinced that I wasn’t going to end up making a fool out of myself and feeling mortified.

“I’ll come with you guys, that way no matter how bad you end up being it won’t even begin to hold a candle to how awful my sense of rhythm is,” he offered with a laugh.

“Come on,” Joannie urged, “I bet you’ll be wonderful at it, just move with the music.”

Giving in to the peer pressure I gave a dramatic sigh and let Joannie drag me to the edge of the dance floor. The music wasn’t what I would normally expect for the atmosphere and I started to awkwardly undulate my hips back and forth to the slow, jazzy beat.

“See, you’re a natural,” Joannie cooed, wrapping her arms around my waist and pulling herself against me to lay her head on my chest.

I didn’t know whether it was the liquor or her just settling into the idea that we were actually romantically involved now, but either way she was really getting more comfortable and less hesitant with her displays of affection. I was loving every moment of it, it had truly been far, far too long since romance and tenderness had been a part of my life and though I had told myself that I didn’t need it and that I was strong and independent I couldn’t help but feel like I had been fooling myself and missing out as her breath flowed warmly over my collar bone. Wrapping my arms around her I pulled her close and gave her a tight squeeze, the sequins of her dress digging into my arms slightly. I couldn’t help as my mind instantly went to the wish that she had worn something soft or silky and felt my body heat up as I imagined what that would have felt like pressed against me instead. The beat of the music picked up, the light tinkling of piano replaced with sharp, peppy trumpet and a swarthy saxophone. Joannie pulled away enough to reach up and kiss my cheek, then twirl me around with a light laugh as she increased the frequency of the gyration with her hips.

“So much for our tender moment to slow music,” she said with a wink.

“Thank god,” Joey muttered.

True to his promise he was dancing close by and he had been completely accurate in his assertion that he would make our dancing look much better, he seemed to be the embodiment of the saying ‘two left feet.’ Generally most people have some base dance move that they rely on that doesn’t make them look ridiculous, but he couldn’t seem to settle on one, instead moving between types and styles of dance desperately trying to find one that suited him. To his credit, I would have ran back to the table and waited for a hole to open up and swallow me to get away from the embarrassment, instead he had a big grin plastered on his face and a look of amusement twinkling in his eyes.

“I am absolute garbage at dancing normally, slow songs, especially by myself, are even worse,” he added with a snicker.

“It gets worse?” I asked with playful shock. “I hope they play one next and I can watch this time. It must be like watching a train wreck: terrible and horrifying, but you can’t look away.”

“I think you two should slow dance the next one,” Joannie said with a mischievous smile. “See first hand how bad he is.”

I cast Joannie a confused and questioning look, surely she wouldn’t be suggesting that I slow dance with someone else, even in jest. There was something undeniably sensual about all dance, but especially the kind where you’re encouraged to be smashed up against another person. I couldn’t tell if she was just very open and progressive or if it was some kind of test of my loyalty, though it seemed quite a bit early into the relationship for that kind of thing. Not that that I thought that any point in any relationship was appropriate for that kind of mind game.

“Don’t look at me like that!” she laughed and then stuck out her tongue at me. “I’m not the jealous type, okay? I want to see how bad it is and besides, I think you two make a cute couple as well.”

“A cute couple?” I questioned. “We’re both wearing masks, how can you even tell?”

Now that I really didn’t expect to come out of her mouth, though the more that I thought about it, I did remember her talking about being in a polyamorous relationship before when she was a bit younger. It had sounded like something that had been an experiment that she hadn’t done since it had ended, but she hadn’t been any serious relationship in a while, monogamous or not, so how would I know if she was still into it? Asking her was the proper answer, but it seemed a bit taboo to just blurt out the question in the middle of busy club, even if it was a sex club.

“I wouldn’t mind slow dancing with you,” he said, “I think it will be fun.”

I noticed that he didn’t say anything about her ‘cute couple’ comment, but I didn’t know if that was to avoid the awkwardness or if he just agreed with her that we did, as absurd as that seemed.

“One dance,” I agreed, “I don’t want to be seen dancing with you for too long if it’s truly possible for it to be worse that way.”

As if the universe was making sure the dance happened, as soon as I agreed the raging saxophone solo that had been playing faded out and was replaced with a soulful clarinet playing long, low notes to accompany a husky, raspy female vocalist. Wasting no time, Joannie put her hands on my shoulders and turned me around to face the so-called Joey and gave me a gentle push forward.

“She’s all yours,” she said cheerfully.

“I’ll take good care of her, well…” he let out a deep laugh, “I’ll try not to trample all over her toes too much.”

Before I could second guess what was happening, he pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around my waist, giving a wink to Joannie.

“See I was right, you two are very cute together,” she said, looking us up and down with noted approval.

Getting unspoken permission, he lowered his hands down my back, resting his hands on the place where my lower back began to swell. I sucked in breath and suppressed a shiver, I didn’t want to admit that what was happening was affecting me so much, I still felt like I wanted to appear loyal though it was obvious that Joannie was enjoying what she was seeing. She had slid up close to us and pulled my hair away from my face, running a finger slowly down the side of my face.

“Enjoy yourself,” she whispered in my ear.

Emboldened by her blessing, he moved his hands the sides of my hips and pulled them to press firmly against his. Unsure of exactly how I wanted to proceed, but unable to deny that I was still enjoying it, I matched his awkward gyrations that definitely did not match the beat of the song. It was impossible not to notice the bulge that was growing hard against my thigh and a quick glance at his face showed no shame for what was happening. He smoothly slid his hand forward on my left thigh until he found the slit in my dress and tickled his fingertips into the gap in the fabric and gently caressed my bare skin. I was unable to control the shiver and he let out a very low hum of satisfaction at the response he was able to elicit from me. His fingers lingered, gently stroking my skin as the song continued, slowly he advanced his hand until he was firmly grabbing the side of my thigh and inching slowly back towards my butt.

The more he touched me, the more I ignored the fact his dancing was unarguably terrible and found myself forgetting that I was trying to appear unaffected. In fact, without thinking I had not only been pressing myself to the bulge in his pants, but intentionally gyrating against it. A quick moment of as much clarity as I could summon in the moment revealed that I was not feeling all that drunk so it wasn’t just the alcohol making me do something that I might later regret. Embracing that there was no way to deny that I wanted the both of them I turn myself around in his embrace and reached out my arms for Joannie. She bit her bottom lip in wanton anticipation and slipped herself into my arms, sliding her hands between Joey and I, instantly find their way to my butt which she gave a firm squeeze. Joey slid his hands between Joannie and I and teasingly rested his hands just over my mound making me desperately wish he would apply pressure so I could grind against it under the guise of just dancing. Though I could tell that Joannie was flushed and still nervous, she had donned a confident appearance and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the three of us being pressed against each other.

“This brings back a lot of memories,” she said wistfully. “Good memories.”

“We can make some more,” Joey said, voice heavy with innuendo, “this is exactly the kind of place meant to make good memories.”

The flush rose in her cheeks, but she gave a smirk and a nod. “You read my mind, I think it’s time we went and figured out how exactly we get into those back rooms.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, though I sorely hoped that she was indeed serious, I felt like melting putty sandwiched between the two of them.

“Very sure,” she confirmed, much to my delight.