Awkward meeting, ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!

Who here has met a friend or acquaintance at a strip club? How was it- fun, uncomfortable, did you both pretend that neither of you were really there...?

I work for a company that answers emergency service calls, and got sent to Desert Flame to fix something that some idiot broke before it began to pose a safety hazard. I wasn't best pleased to have to answer this one, mostly because it's alllllllll the way on the wrong side of the Phoenix metroplex from my home, but also because the Flame stinks on ice, and I can't linger at any place that serves alcohol (company policy, backed by GPS reports from both my cell phone and my service truck. Ain't tech just fucking GRAND?). Not that I'd linger at Desert Flame in any case... Why couldn't somebody break something at Bourbon Street or the Hi-Liter?

So I'm finishing up, waiting to get my service ticket signed and payment arrangements made, having a soda at the bar. No harm in eyeballing the girls and having a free soft drink, as long as I skin out after someone hands me a check. A girl with cute legs, plenty of cellulite on her ass, two-kid muffin top and a really bad multi-shade hair color job grabs the stool next to me, welcomes me to the club and asks if I'd like to find a table or booth and chat a while, maybe get some dances. Turns out it's an ex-GF's daughter's best friend from high school. We recognized each other the instant I turned around to speak to her. She lived next to me when I was shacking up with the aforementioned ex. She used to be cute. Not she's just sleazy, and not in a good way. She's not even average for Desert Flame.

Just to see if she can still get embarrassed, I addressed her by her real name and got all fake-enthusiastic about bumping into her, started asking about the hubby and kids. She tried not to fidget, but turned plenty red. She was unable to make any chit-chat, and couldn't really cover up, so she fake-checked her phone (yeah, she's one of THOSE strippers) and tried to excuse herself, but that's when the DJ chose to call her up on stage.

I could probably have found a table and watched her, just to twist the knife, but it's tough to break the company's policies while wearing their monogrammed shirt and hat. I stayed at the bar and waited on the check. I'm headed for the door when she appears behind me, trying to be cool, asking me if I could kindly keep our meeting to myself. Wouldn't do for Mom and Dad to find out that she's grinding laps for a living, you see. I pledged myself to silence and hit the road. Laughing about the whole scene made the 70-mile drive home go a lot quicker.