“Santa, Santa, Santa!” our table began to chant. Except for Winnie, who was holding on to my arm.
“Did someone say Santa?” the DJ asked as Donner and Cupid slid up and down the pole. “Could it be that Santa is on a summer vacation to Christmas Notch and needs to let loose a little?”
“Get your hot ass up there,” Nolan demanded.
I looked down at Winnie, and she gave me a tired smile. I stopped her before she could say anything. “I know you’re ready to sleep, but come on, don’t you want to see me up on that stage?”
“Likeonthe stage?” she asked, sounding surprised.
“Yes, he means on the stage!” laughed Nolan. “You’ve never seen Kallum the party animal, but trust me, he’s abeast. One time he put a hockey stick through a door chasing after me during a poker game.”
“What, like during your INK days?” Winnie asked, eyes wide.
“No, that was last year,” I said proudly. We ended up leaving the hockey stick in the door, it was wedged in there so tightly.
“I see,” said Winnie faintly.
Bee smirked. “You’re going to be raising two children, Winnie. Have fun with that.”
Winnie bit her lip, but not in a cute way. Well, it was still cute, but she looked a little worried now, like she was thinking there might be something to Bee’s words
I lovingly flipped Bee the bird and then turned back to my beautiful baby mama. “Once Santa has a chance to meet his naughty boys and girls, we can go back to the inn, if you want.”
“It’s a plan.” Winnie offered me a small smile. “Just no going down on anyone but me in a private room, capisce?”
“It’s actuallycapisci,” Luca cut in condescendingly.
I ignored him. “Winnie Baker,” I said. “Did you just capisce me?”
“I guess I did,” she said, looking rosy-cheeked and drowsy and so fucking perfect.
“God, you’re so fucking cute,” I said as I slid out of the booth. Luca groaned something about us not being allowed to visit him and Angel in Milan.
As I jogged over to the stage, a few people held out their hands for high fives, including Teddy.
Steph shook her head with a coy grin. I stopped for a moment and held her hand up and gave her a high five. “Didn’t want youto feel left out,” I told her right before sliding across the stage and thankfully stopping just shy of flying off the other side. I stood up and shouted, “I’m good!”
The whole crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Oh boy, I forgot what a drug adoration was. Even in a musty old gem of a strip club.
I squinted past the stage lights to see Nolan hold two fingers to his lips and let out a wolf whistle. I thought I could see Winnie smiling next to him.
And with more faith in myself than any rational adult should have, I began humping the open pole in the middle of the stage.
“Go Santa!” Cupid said as she untied her bikini top to reveal green glitter pasties. Or maybe it was Donner.
“Give us a twirl,” the other said.
Maybe it was because my joints were nice and lubricated with liquor or maybe it was my INK days coming back to me, but I spun around that pole so hard it shook.
Feeling a little dizzy from my sweet moves, I stopped for a moment and then gripped the collar of my Slice, Slice, Baby T-shirt with both hands and tore as hard as I fucking could.
The audience roared and I ripped the rest of my T-shirt off and tossed it to Winnie, who was holding her hands up and screaming like I was a fucking Beatle.
“This one’s for my very own Mrs.Claus!” I shouted.
I gripped the pole and did a nice slide down and a little twerk or two for my fans.Shit. My knees aren’t what they used to be.After popping back up—literally, my knees were popping—I swung my feet up and gripped the pole and spun around a few times.
Okay, maybe I was actually pretty good at this. All thoseyears being a boss at the monkey bars in elementary school and my INK dance experience had led me to this moment.
