Listless Library, Quiet Enough to Study In

This place has been The Library for over a year now, and the name is appropriate: it was quiet enough to study in, and there seem to be plenty of rules. I showed up early on a Saturday night --around 8pm -- paid a $10 cover and walked right in. I guess when it used to be the Venetian, there was sushi served on the second floor, but now the second floor is a balcony bar that surrounds the centrally located stage. On the first floor there is ample seating at tables near the stage, tables around the perimeter of the room, and the bar. There were about 8 dancers on duty this evening, all of them reasonably attractive. For each of them, the first of two dances was a bikini dance, followed by a topless dance. Nothing too exciting going down on the stage, although there was one dancer, P---, in long black gloves and high spiked heels, who put on an enthusiastic show -- she seemed to be the only dancer who was bothering to use the two poles on the stage.

I was approached for a lapdance by a petite brunette with bolt-ons who had delivered a somewhat lackluster stage performance. I knew by her demeanor that it wouldn’t amount to much -- there were a couple of other dancers who seemed like they would be a lot more fun -- but I went anyway, for the benefit of science. The offer was a $20 lapdance, or 4 for $100 in the VIP room. I opted for the VIP, which turned out to be a room full of open booths without any privacy. The brunette led me to a booth opposite someone else’s dance-in-progress (awkward!), sat me down and instructed me to keep my arms at my side. Not what I’m used to, but I played along -- for science! The dances were rather short, or maybe it was just my imagination. Bikini stayed on for the whole thing, and while I wouldn’t say the dances lacked intimacy, they weren’t particularly fun, and they certainly weren’t calculated to satisfy any urges. The term “air dance” comes to mind for at least a portion of the encounter. The dancer had nothing to say during the four dances, and when they were over she said simply, “Thanks -- and thanks for being a gentleman.” Well, I guess I was not led to understand that there was any other option.

Overall, I’d say the vibe was almost solemn, even listless. It may be a regulatory matter, but the lack of nudity in the VIP was a bummer, and keeping one’s arms straight at one’s sides seems very artificial to me. They should probably re-think calling the lapdance area “the VIP,” because I can’t imagine feeling “very important” back there. But, I was there for science, folks -- I tested the Library so you don’t have to.