“Are you kidding me? A night out and getting to try something new?” Harper asks. “I’m glad you suggested it.”
“I never thought I’d want to try pole dancing, but it sounds fun,” Stevie says.
“It was on my list of things to try, and I don’t think Dax could do it with me.”
“Your list of things?” Harper questions. “What’s this list of things?”
“Things I wanted to do that Duncan didn’t want me to try,” I say. “A way to break out of my bubble and do everything I want to do.”
“He sounds like my ex,” Stevie says. “He wasn’t the best guy.”
“Yeah. I’m kind of over it. So I’m taking back control from him and doing everything I want to do.”
“What else is on the list?”
“Break a world record, bungee jumping, go hot-air ballooning. A bunch of things.”
“Okay, I love this idea, and I love that we get to help with pole dancing.” Delight rings in Harper’s voice.
After the gala, the three of us became fast friends. With the guys on their way home to Nashville after an early afternoon game in Vegas, the girls and I are spending a few hours together before they get home.
Checking in at the front desk of the dance studio, we’re shown into a mirrored room with several poles extending from floor to ceiling. The lights are dim, but blue and pink bulbs color the room.
A few people are mingling about as the three of us find poles together. I unzip my jacket and adjust my sports bra that I paired with bike shorts. I have no idea what to expect, but did some research into best outfits to wear for beginners. Based on what Harper and Stevie are wearing, they did too.
“Welcome, everyone. I’m Jennifer, and this is our beginners class.” A woman with short brown hair calls our attention to her. “We have some repeats tonight and some newbies in here, so I’m going to walk you through what we’ll be doing.” In high-waisted shorts and a sports bra, she looks the part of professional dancer.
I tighten my ponytail and hold on to my pole as I listen to her.
“We’re going to start with a few basic spins to make sure you have your form right before progressing. After that, we’ll go from there and you’ll be a pro in no time.”
She leaps onto the pole, climbing up it before holding on—with just her thighs—and spinning down it.
“Ow. How does that not hurt?” Harper whispers to us.
“Wow,” someone else says.
“Don’t worry.” Jennifer laughs. “That’s our advanced class. I’ve been training in the art of pole for years.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be that good.” A nervous laugh slips out.
“We’re going to start by holding on to the pole.” Jennifer grasps the bar overhead and grabs on in a kneeling position with her thighs. “Let’s see if you can do this. I’ll walk around to check your form and help adjust if you need it.”
“I am definitely not strong enough for this.” Harper tries to jump up and grab the bar, but slides off.
“Maybe don’t try jumping?” Stevie asks, holding on for a few seconds before slipping off.
Reaching overhead, I grab the bar and pull my legs up and—oh damn, this is not easy. I do everything I can to squeeze my legs together around the bar but my arms can’t hold me up.
“Why does this make my arms feel like they’re noodles?” I shake them out as the instructor comes around.
“It’s not as easy as it looks. You have to build up a lot of arm strength, but if you’re committed, you’ll get there.” She helps each of us onto the pole and we hold it a bit longer this time, but nothing like her as she demonstrates it for us so we can try again.
“Did you see her shoulders?” I ask as she walks away.
“They are insane. No wonder she can do all these complicated moves,” Stevie says.
“We have to come back. If only to get built like her.” Harper points at each one of us. “I’m already having a blast and we’ve only been here for a few minutes.”
