The Crystal Rainbow

By: Hank Horne
(© 2019-2020 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

HHorne@tickiestories.us

Chapter 20
Atlanta Pride and Mr. Crystal Rainbow 

Atlanta Pride Week was held the week of Halloween, and the weather was anything but cooperative.  However, Wednesday, October 28, Stride Into Pride bar crawl was as successful as always.  The Official Pride Kickoff Party at the Aquarium was a smash with hot groups and bands, headlined by Blake Lewis.  And with its being on Halloween weekend, gay bars like Blake’s On the Park and Mary’s were pushing the limits with entertainment and every kind of costume imaginable. 

But the parade went into high gear on Sunday, which included the Crystal Rainbow float and racecar, and St. Pete’s Righteously Outrageous Twirling Core. 

The CR got involved with the occasion back in January when Jim mentioned at the first Board meeting of the new year that George Donaldson, the County Commissioner who joined our opening weekend, asked him if the Club was going to be a part of the festivities that year.  He discussed it with Scotty and Harvey and they presented their suggestion for a float.  It was a great idea and Harvey had a preliminary sketch for the parade entry. 

A ten-foot flatbed with a rainbow arch LOGO.  At the back of the float was a golden cauldron holding six thousand gold coins with a promo on them to admit one to the Club.  The six Munchkins, dressed in their Leprechaun outfits, would toss the coins to the crowd.  They probably could get them spread to the back of the throng of people gathered to support the parading LGBT groups, not just the ones next to the barriers.  In the middle of the float, six dancers, wearing Irish kilts and little more,  would perform Irish dances to the recorded music. 

The driver would be inside the front of the rainbow with a window to see through, and a back-up driver/mechanic would walk along at the front of the float, communicating information to him.  Dil would be on the opposite side of the driver.  All the mechanical and electrical stuff would be run through the arch and cauldron to the underneath of the float.  Neon lights would run through a glass arch into the container at the back of the flatbed. Harvey, Scotty and Jim would walk on one side of the float and Justin, Hass and Grant would walk on the other side.  Behind the float, five other security guards would be on alert as if they were Secret Service Agents. 

A couple of parade units would separate the float and the colorful “CR-69” racecar that would carry other mechanics, all hanging out the windows and waving to the crowd.  At times, they would get out of the car to get closer to the onlookers, then crawl back in through the open windows.  Some would climb on the back bumper or hood for part of the parade route. 

As the time came close for Pride Week, everybody at the resort was talking about it.  Manu, one of the little guys, suggested, “Hey, how about we include Delmar in the parade as Mr. Crystal Rainbow 2009?  He can throw the coins farther than any of us!”

“Hell, he can throw us farther than we can throw the coins!” Akio replied, which got guffaws from everybody else.

“We could fly him in on Friday afternoon after classes then back to D.C. on Sunday night or early Monday morning,” Harvey commented.

“IF he wants to do it,” Grant added.

“What ‘IF’?” Dylan asked.  “He would love it!  You could Skype him this evening and ask, so he can arrange his schedule there.  Or — one of us could do that. ”

“I can do it.  What time do you guys chat?” Grant asked.

“Anytime between eight and ten,” Dylan replied.

Grant nodded his head, “Okay!”

Dylan was absolutely right that Delmar would be excited about it. 

Lane designed a minimal outfit for Del to wear.  The “Mr. Crystal Rainbow 2009” ribbon was a rainbow sash with iridescent lettering that went over his shoulder and crossed at his hip.  A short, gold lamé wrap-around, draped from the crossover of the ribbon to his mid-thigh, was held in place by the ribbon and the elasticized spandex bag that held his wild thang in check.              (I love you, wild thang!)

Del started out riding on the back of the Charger, holding onto the rear wing and waiving to the crowds.  At the first brief pause, he jumped off and met some of the people on each side of the street.  He pretended to push the Charger for a while.  The car paused for him and he jumped back on the car for several blocks.  Then he was off and running up to the float.  Along the way, he flexed and posed for the crowd, letting them rub their hands over the ripples of his body and legs.  Nor did he deny anyone who wanted to cop a feel under his modified gold kilt!    He lifted some of the Leprechauns up over his head in a show of strength!  He carried some of them over to the barricades for a good long throw of the coins, then set them back on the float.  He harassed the dancers by flipping the bottoms of their kilts up to show what they didn’t have on!  Del was having as good a time as the other guys from the CR were. 

Several times, each of the little guys did back flips off the float and tossed handfuls of coins up in the air over the crowd.  Then they would spring back on their platform in an easy jump.  The guys riding in the car would occasionally crawl out the windows to greet the people cheering them on.  They high-fived some, hugged others, and occasionally kissed those who were especially hot!  Men and women!  The crowd ate it up!

Majid and Cliff, the Video Supervisor, were accompanying the two groups to get a promotional video.  Armand stayed busy telling the cameramen what to look for next.  Majid felt like he was back in Bagdad shooting war videos – except this was fun.

When the parade was over, the huge floats were parked on the streets around Piedmont Park for the rest of the evening.  Later, they would be returned to their owners.  CR security men stayed with their float and mechanics stayed with the Charger until midnight when everything was moved, and the City’s clean-up crews made a start on the clean-up.  There was probably three days of clean-up after the party.

The first of the gold coins were redeemed Sunday night and the lap-dance room got plenty of action.  For the next several weeks, extra dancers were working the crowd because of the added volume of customers, directly from the Parade.  Gold coin members were given six-month memberships for free.  The overload with military veterans’ being honored for Veterans’ Day added to the busy time at the Club.  Thanksgiving was also busy and hundreds more coins were presented for entrance throughout the holiday season and into the new year.

Saturday night after Thanksgiving, “Mr. Crystal Rainbow 2009” made a personal appearance on stage at the Club.  He wore the same costume he had for the parade.  Additional 18-inch woofer speakers were installed under the stage for Del to feel the vibrations of the music, so he could get into the rhythm being played.  He did a set each hour from 9 o’clock to closing at 3:00 a.m.  The midnight show featured him with the regular dancers. 

By that time, he had shed the ball-sock that held him in place and the wild thang went wild under the gold covering.  He had been outfitted with elastic bands on his arms just above the elbows and on his legs just below knees.  He made almost as much in tips as the rest of the dancers combined.  During the breaks from the stage, Del and Dylan sat in the Lap-Dance Lounge and enjoyed the performances of the other dancers with paying customers to the semi-private room.  Without exception, every patron wanted a personal lap-dance with Del.  And without exception, Dylan refused the request.  So the best they could hope for was rubbing up against him as they walked by – and letting their hand accidentally rub against the rock-hard protrusion under the golden wrap.

* * * * * * *

School let out for Christmas the week before, so Delmar could spend some quality time with his family in Robbinsville.  On the Sunday after the Holy Day, Del came to the Crystal Rainbow for the week before New Year’s.  During the day, the mechanics spent a day with him, showing him the sights of Atlanta.  A couple of nights, they went bar-hopping in the gay areas of the city and he got to see how the other strippers work their audiences.  Some recognized him from the Pride Parade several weeks before and tried to refuse his tips, but he left the tip lying on the stage floor.  Del is very intimidating, so when he pointed to the dancer and then to the money on the stage, the performer acquiesced.   (Who’s going to argue with a 7-plus-foot giant when you’re on the stage and he’s on the floor looking down at you?)

New Year’s Eve, Del was the featured performer at the Crystal Rainbow.  Alvin, one of the senior choreographers, spent an hour each morning during the week working with Del on the music and the moves.  The morning of the 31^st, Alvin got guys from every department to play the audience for Del’s dress/undress rehearsal.  They pretended to put money in his arm and leg bands but there was no pretending when they were rubbing all over his body.  They took liberties with Del that paying customers would only dream of.  He dealt with it the way he would that night at the real show – grab their heads and ram them into his junk!

After lunch, Del relaxed for a while then got Caleb and Darrin to join him in the Rainforest.  They swam, slid down the waterslide, spent time in The Grotto, and totally relaxed in the Jacuzzi.  After a couple of hours, his two escorts took him to the Recreation Center for a four-hand full-body massage – with release!  Then they took him back to his room at the Residence for another couple of hours’ nap.

An hour or so after dinner, Dylan helped Delmar with his cleansing, then rubbed his full body with baby oil so that the lights of the stage would accentuate the sheen of his healthy skin and the hills and valleys of his muscle groups.  The Scotsman sucked one load out of his buddy, hoping he could get through the first appearance without any unforeseen circumstances.  Del dressed for his first set — a gold T-bar under a purple pair of biking shorts under distressed bluejeans that were stretched to their limits by pumped up thighs and a pull-over sweater that hugged his pecs and erect nipples, then dropped around his tapered waist in freefall, while the knit sleeves molded over his monster biceps and hugged his forearms.

Dylan parked in the staff’s parking lot behind the Club and they went in the emergency exit which led directly to the basement dressing room.  It was a quarter to ten.  

At ten o’clock, Harley, the DJ in the booth, put on Del’s programed music.  It started with bass drums banging the rhythm on the large woofers.  The curtain opened to show Del in silhouette with rainbow lights on the sky-blue cyclorama at the back of the stage.  He was already moving in time with the drums.  The snares started their rudiments and the shadow moved into the light.  He was feeling the music perfectly and was right in tempo. 

Then Del got into full swing and sway.  His pelvis swaying would have even made Elvis envious.  Alvin was standing near the DJ booth in just enough light for Del to see him dancing along.  Five minutes in, and Del had stripped to his purple biking shorts.  Another few minutes, and Alvin cued him to shed them, leaving the gold T-bar.  The men and couple of women around the stage were anxious to get their hands on the smokin’ muscle giant. 

Del knelt before first one then another and another and another who wanted to rub his legs, body especially his T-bar – and what it was trying to hide.  In five minutes, he probably was tipped somewhere between fifty and seventy-five dollars.  Each person who tipped him got a kiss from him and a ‘Thank you’ sign.  When things settled down, two other dancers were on the side stages, and Alvin signed Del to leave through the curtain.  The giant stripper blew kisses to everybody and ‘Thank you’ signs, then disappeared through the curtain.

Backstage and down in the dressing room there almost was pandemonium with pats on the back, hugs and kisses for the new star.  He was dripping with sweat and Avri had a towel wiping down the giant like grooming a Chincoteague pony – or a Clydesdale stallion.  Alvin and Dylan walked in together, followed by Grant, Majid and the entire Residence staff. 

As the room started to fill up, Alvin took command of the situation.  “Alright, guys!  Listen to me!  There’s not enough space for the entire Crystal Rainbow crew in this one room, so walk through, give Del a pat on the back – or the backside – and keep moving until everyone is back upstairs.  Grant and Majid can stay as long as they want to!  Everyone else, keep moving!”  Dylan translated for Del who got a laugh out of Alvin’s speech and stuck his buttocks out for his buddies who  acknowledged the bubble but with a pat, a slap or a rub.  The guys from the garage leaned in to kiss his ass!  Then he rested between the sets.

The eleven o’clock show was similar – different music but heavy on the percussion to give Del the rhythm.  This time, the crowd had their money out from the moment he got to the front of the stage.  Even with his shorts on, they wanted to stuff money in his pockets, up the legs and inside his waistband.  At the signal from Alvin, Del stood and slinked out of the shorts to a micro-bikini posing brief-brief in rainbow stripes.   The big stud cleared more than a hundred dollars in the fifteen minutes he was on stage. 

Dylan was waiting for him in the dressing room.

‘Why am I in Gallaudet when I can make this kind of money stripping?’ Dell asked Dylan.

‘There’s more life than flexing your muscles and letting men and women rub your butt and prick,’ Dylan replied.  ‘You might get tired of this in twenty years and want another way to make money.’  The Scotsman anticipated Del’s rebuttal.  ‘It’s easier to learn a vocation now than when you are forty years old.’

‘Party-pooper!’ Del showed his disgust as he stuck out his tongue at his bestie!

Del rested for a few minutes then went back up to mingle with the customers.  Several wanted a lap-dance with him in the private room so Dylan arranged for them to spend time with the incredible hunk (somewhat) alone.  County Commissioner Donaldson was the first to sign up for time with the giant, and he was all over the big guy!  Donaldson was a solidly built hunk who enjoyed rough action and Del was just stud to give it to him.  Del worked him over and tossed him around like a ragdoll.  He picked him up and turned him upside down.  George grabbed him at the hips and locked his legs around the super-stud’s neck.  Del’s flagpole was at full mast, so George used one hand to free it from the minimal covering and consumed most of the huge boner in the first descent on the gun barrel.  It didn’t take long for the hunk to deliver a full load of ammo to the waiting target.   Then Del sat on one of the leather covered chairs, letting his client ease to the floor.  After a few minutes, George sat up as Del leaned over to seal the experience with a kiss.  Commissioner Donaldson dressed, then stuffed a “U.S. Grant” in the strap of the minimal posing brief and left.

By the time his other private lap-dances were finished, it was almost midnight and Del was due on stage for the dancers’ show.  This show included all six of the regular dancers plus Del. 

Barbacks brought champagne to pass around to everyone and the countdown to the new year began.  On the stroke of midnight, rainbow confetti and streamers were released from the ceiling, horns blasted through the Club and the crowd made good use of their noisemakers.   

As the music for the stage show began, the curtain opened to reveal a backlighted scrim.  A rainbow appeared from the front projector.  The six dancers entered the scene as shadows, gyrating to various forms of erotic dances.  From the center back of the stage, a huge form began to move forward, growing larger on the screen with every step.  The six backed up, as if in awe.  Del stopped at the point where his head just barely touched the rainbow.  His dance performance was a choregraphed bodybuilding routine. 

On the scrim, he looked even bigger than in reality.  He flexed as he turned to each pose.  The side chest pose revealed that he was not only totally nude, but he was fully erect!  Two by two, the dancers performed an erotic dance around Del, symbolizing a devotion to muscle worship.  Then the six made a full circle, each with their own erotic movements before the larger-than-life idol.  The big man picked up each dancer, performing acrobatic moves – lifting them over his head, draping them over his shoulders, performing bicep-curls or letting them handstand on his shoulders.  One by one, the shadows impaled themselves on their idol’s enormous scepter, either orally or anally.  The effect was so erotic, the Club members watching burst onto hoots, hollers and cheers!

At the end of the show, Del turned toward the scrim and shot off on the scrim from the top to the bottom for at least thirty-seconds — using a large cooking baster full of thick cream to create the effect!  The crowd was stunned, then the hoots, hollers and cheers filled the room, this time with double the volume.

The curtain closed – the scrim was raised before the curtain reopened just wide enough for the cast to come through two at a time, with Del as the last one to take a curtain call.  The appreciation of the crowd was deafening as the dancers separated, three on each side stage, leaving Del to receive his accolades on the center stage in front of the brass pole.   The ones and fivers filled his leg and arm bands to overflowing and the strings of his cock-sock couldn’t hold the overflow, so he had to use his large hands for the surplus.

Alvin and Dylan signaled for Delmar to thank everybody and leave, which he did, blowing kisses on his way to the back of the stage. 

The other dancers had left the stage prior to Del’s exit about 12:30 New Year’s Morning. 

The regular dancers continued performing until Gunner shouted out “Last call!” 

That was the signal for the dancers to take a seat on the edge of the side stages and greet the patrons up close and personal.

Then all three working bartenders repeated the announcement.  “Last call!” 

As long as there were customers wanting to get up close and personal with the dancers, they obliged.  They didn’t leave the stage until well after the final announcement.    (It’s money, baby!  It’s money!)

Finally, all the barbacks joined in for the third announcement.  “Last call!” 

To be continued …

Plan on some Highland Commando Gaymes next time!

Posted: 04/24/2020