I used to go to a strip club for their $5 lunch buffet. The fried chicken was amazing, there was always salad, fruit, a second entrée, sides of vegetables or starch and dessert.

I met a woman dancer there who was 50, I was in my late 60's. She had another career outside the club, but had been dancing there a few days a week for 8 years. She found it very relaxing and tried to avoid the cattiness of the other girls as much as possible. She kept her private life, private with her co-workers.

She would rather sit with me and talk for free than hustle younger guys for money. She never worked nights where she could make way more money. Just the lunch shift. She'd leave my table for her wealthy married regular and the private rooms. She'd take her turn on stage but then come back.

She shared her life story and her future plans with me. Once in a while I'd buy a dance because I figured it was the least I could do. She taught me where and how to sit so the cameras couldn't see where I was touching her.

She told me sometimes she'd have to remove my hand from her breast because the floor manager caught a glimpse even thought the cameras didn't see a thing, but she told me she liked me to touch her and to please keep doing it after she removed my hand.

She gave me her real name and real phone number and sent me clothed photos of her on her trips to visit her friends. But in the club I was always to call her by her stage name.

I grew to like her a lot for the person she was. I was single and wanted to date her but she would never go out with me. She said she was too busy so her travels and social life were planned months in advance. She'd go to street festivals and concerts and tell me about them. She lived alone. Didn't have or want a boyfriend.

She did have ambitious business goals. She was 50 and was still in great shape. Her co-workers in their early 30's didn't know her actual age. Like her real name, that was another secret I was expected to keep.

I could never figure out why she would sit on my lap for a few hours and not do it for the money, but for the conversation. Or why she would let me fondle her when I occasionally bought a dance. (Which she always said wasn't necessary. She never hustled me for dances).

She was actually busy with her outside work, and she had been through a awful abusive previous relationship and marriage.

But I knew if she were attracted to me "that way" she would have found the time. I finally concluded she really liked me but was afraid of real world relationships with anyone. Our "dating" in the club worked for her. And for me too.

I left that city a few years ago. I still miss the $5 chicken and this sweet beautiful woman I came to know.

We're still connected on social media but we don't talk much anymore. Her business is very successful and she has employees to handle the increased volume of work.

Just a beautiful memory . . .