Dance!

Jangling music began to play on tinny speakers. A smatter of applause rose from the crowd as the girls shuffled out onto the stage, wearing nothing but their strappy purple bikinis. Bonnie's heart sank as she saw a familiar face in the crowd.

"Hey, Bonnie," yelled Hank. "I can see your..." He hesitated, not sure what to call it. "Uh... nice outfit!"

"Shut up," muttered Bonnie, as her hips began to sway. It was strange, but something about the music made her feel compelled to put on a show. Beside her, Susie was wiggling in a sort of belly-dance, looking astonished, as if she hadn't known she was able to do it. Bonnie, not entirely of her own accord, began to stride down the catwalk, kicking her long legs high into the air with each step.

It made her a little uneasy. The audience was looking at her hungrily, drinking in her every move. But it seemed like they wanted more. Copper bells were fastened to her purple silk wristlets and anklets, and they jingled in time with the music as she moved. She twitched her hips back and forth, writhing like a snake as her dancing picked up speed and confidence.

She felt exposed. Her bottom wiggled, her breasts swayed inside her silk bikini top. A shimmering purple jewel sparkled in her navel, drawing the eyes of the crowd. It could be worse, though. At least she wasn't in her underwear. Not quite.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

The voice on the loudspeaker was Mr. Trapp's. "Now presenting the world-famous Hootchy-Kootchy show!" he announced. "Featuring our exotic dancers from the Orient, and not at all from the humble town of Pinkwhistle, Illinois! Please give it up for Bonnie Driscoll and Susie Snook!"

As the crowd applauded politely, Bonnie felt her cheeks flush. Did he really have to give her name? Of course, half these people knew her face, but that was just rubbing it in. From the corner of her eye she watched Susie writhe in time with the music, her tall slender form rippling like a silk scarf caught by the breeze.

"These two lovely ladies," said Trapp, "have made a pact with a sultan. In exchange for his protection from their enemies, they have agreed to entertain the guests at his nightly banquet. A fair trade. Or so they thought."

The music was speeding up. Bonnie danced faster, somehow unable to control the tempo of her movements. She looked longingly towards the exit, but for some reason it felt impossible to just jump down and run away. And she didn't like the sound of that "or so they thought". The bells jingled louder as she turned to face the crowd on the other side of the catwalk, strutting up and down with her arms twining over her head.

"Little do they know," said Trapp, "that the sultan is a cruel and wicked man. Two girls have fallen into his power. He wishes to torment them. How best may he do that?"

Faster and faster. Sweat was coursing down Bonnie's sides, enough to let her know she was getting a workout. A young man in a cravat was watching her intently, and she was pretty sure Hank, behind her, was checking out her ass. And the silk was starting to feel a little... strange.

"By offering a choice," said Trapp. "Our dancers are very proud girls. They would not dance at all if the sultan had not promised their decency would be respected. Secretly, however, he resolved to put them to the test."

An itch between her legs. No. A tickle.

"They must dance all night, until the sultan bids them stop. But, unbeknownst to them, the silk of their costumes has been impregnated with a mystic unguent from the East. The sap of a rare tree. It produces, upon contact with sweat, an almost unbearable sensation."

Susie had started to giggle.

It tickled! The damn costume was tickling her! And exactly where a girl didn't want to be tickled! Bonnie's eyes went wide and she bucked and jerked in frustration, throwing off the rhythm of her dancing, patting at the outfit. Like a hundred tiny pixie fingers, all hard at work across her girly parts! No!

"The only way to stop the torment is to remove the costume," crooned Mr. Trapp. "But then our girls must entertain the sultan's guests... quite naked. Much to his delight."