Adventures of the Artificial Woman by Thomas Berger Read Free Book Online Page B

could be made even more conspicuous by folding back little panels that covered the apertures through which her nipples protruded. Though the dancer was almost bare to begin with, the prevailing style was deliberately to remove garment by garment, taking much more time than should have been needed to undress, but as Phyllis observed, it apparently did not annoy the audience of men, which began with those seated immediately around the U-shaped stage, the floor of which was low enough for them to lean their forearms on it, with fists clutching paper money. From time to time the performer would crouch before a man waving a bill and rapidly thrust her pelvis toward him, withdrawing it as quickly. On average she repeated the movement thrice before leaving her groin in the extended position until he inserted the bill behind the patch of satin concealing her genital organ—without, according to Eddie, touching the flesh with anything but the money, on pain of violating the law and being expelled by the bouncers.
    Phyllis had carefully observed the girls who performed before her, and when it was her own turn to go on she made an initial effort to imitate them, but could not quickly catch on to dancing, which, if she tried too strenuously, threatened to take her back to the early days when Ellery was training her to walk, when she had often fallen to the ground. Who would repair her if she damaged herself now? So she confined her movements to a vigorous stride around the U, undressing as she went, and when nude she knelt before the nearest man brandishing a greenback.
    He wore eyeglasses and graying sideburns. His nose was sharp with exasperation. “Where am I supposed to put it?”
    Phyllis relieved him of the problem by taking the bill with her fingers.
    After she had done the same with two more customers, Eddie looked out from backstage and gestured for her to come to him. “Listen, Phyl, you ain’t makin’ it. Go out and do some lap dances instead.” He told her to collect her garments and put them on. “You can sit facing the customer with your legs spread and rub your titties in his face, or you can spread his legs and get inside them and rub your crotch against his dick. Or you can turn and sit down facing away and grind your ass into him. Collect the tips soon as you sit down, and then get some more from him if you stay more’n three minutes. Don’t quote a price, but you don’t have to accept less than you want. Also remind him he’s got to buy a drink every ten minutes. The waiters are the bouncers, and vice versa.” He smiled at her. “You never done any of this before, have you? What are you, some college student? I never asked for ID, was I wrong?”
    â€œI’m not legally underage.”
    Eddie chuckled. “Know how I knew that? I can tell a girl’s age within two years by one look at her snatch.” He raised his eyebrows. “I mean it. I seen so many!”
    Phyllis made her way as far from the stage as possible, suspecting that the customers who sat at tables in the twilit rear might constitute a better market than those closer to the dancers, who would be more interested in looking. A burly bouncer-waiter had just placed a bottle of beer in front of a frail-looking little fellow in a suit jacket that rose up and away from the back of his collar.
    â€œ Twenty dollars? Twenty for a bottle of domestic beer?”
    The waiter pointed with a carrot-sized finger. “Get the fuck out.”
    â€œI’ll pay,” the little man said. “But I can complain, can’t I?”
    The waiter seized the extended bill. “No!” He lumbered away.
    â€œHow do you like that?” the man said to Phyllis. “I don’t know why they have to be nasty in places that have to do with sex.”
    â€œI think it’s because these places are somewhat degrading. Many of the clients would not like it widely known that they come here, the