Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“We’re professionals, so show my sistas some respect in the form of a smile and an open wallet.” More applause broke out from some of the ladies. “Some of y’all are real stand-up dudes. And I appreciate you, more than you know. I’m gone but I could never be forgotten. Blow the whistle! Velvet has left the building!”
With that, she tossed down the mic and raised her arm, pointing to the ceiling as men jumped to their feet, tossing more money on the stage and clapping. Some of the ladies jumped on the stage with her and grabbed the cash, handing it to her or stuffing it in her boots or G-string. The DJ came with the broom, sweeping the rest of the money in a nice, neat pile. She felt glossy kisses on her face, warm hugs and yells of excitement. The feminine energy was a beautiful thing. A beautiful vibe. A beautiful night.
After a few more hugs and teary-eyed goodbyes, she went back to her dressing room with her bags of money, and quickly disrobed. Instead of taking her attire with her, she set it aside for Lydia, jotting a quick note for her:
You’re a little shorter and thinner than me, baby girl, but I bet with a bit of tailoring you can wear my outfits. Some of ’em cost hundreds of dollars. I am leaving them to you. She decided to keep the one she wore this evening for herself. Sentimental reasons. They are dry cleaned and ready for you, with the exception of the one I had on tonight. I will text you my locker combination inside of my changing room so you can get them out. I want you to enjoy them and earn even more money than I did. I don’t need them anymore and soon, you won’t either. Pay it forward when the time comes.
The pulsing music soared through her veins, and her heart was still thumping. She had a sudden urge to vanish, to get out of there, and yet, she was torn. She was missing the place already, and that surprised the hell out of her. Perhaps the reason was because this had to be one of the classier joints she’d ever worked at, and it was where she’d made the most money throughout her entire dancing career.
Standing, she seized her money and locked it away. She grabbed her bath gel, towel and washcloth, as well as her jeans, purse, underwear, shirt and a few odds and ends and stuffed them all in a grocery sack, and made her way out of the dressing room when she was certain that most of the ladies were either dancing, working the floor or VIP room. She walked naked with only her slippers on as she often did, down the back hallway which resembled the posterior of a theatre with scaffolding, large lights, wires, and all, and laughed when one of the few ladies around, Sunshine, a white dancer who loved Black men, Black culture, and jet-black hair, slapped her bare ass and wished her good luck.
There were three open shower stalls in the back area and she quickly secured one, making fast work to scrub and clean all of the bad memories away. All the glitter and the gold disappeared down the drain. The water hid her happy and sad tears that trailed her face. The water hid her pain, but highlighted her rebirth. It, too, was a type of rain.
She heard a bit of muted noise, a ruckus, yelling and arguing of some sort. She couldn’t make out any of the words, but this happened from time to time. Guys getting into it for whatever reason. Alcohol and pussy had a way of making men turn manic. She rinsed her hair and body, blinking to remove a bit of soap from her eyes. It proved to be rather stubborn. She kept working her eye with her finger, and in between rubs, she spotted a blurred, tall, shadowy figure some distance away.
Her heart thundered and a biliousness filled her belly, but she kept running the cloth against her skin, pretending to be oblivious. Then, the footsteps ensued, slow and leisurely, towards her open shower stall. She kept right on going over her skin with the cloth. Around and around. In circles. Slick with water. The rain was coming…
Her hearing and sense of smell became acute as she pressed her eyes shut—the man was so close that she could smell his cologne, a classic scent she couldn’t quite name. She could hear his breathing over the music of the next dancer doing her thing on stage. After keeping her back to him for a second or two longer, she spun around, her burning eyes wide open, her body going hot in a flash.
She held the sopping wet cloth against her stomach with a firm grip as her gaze landed on the resolute sapphire eyes of a demon covered in white flesh. The sinewy man in the ball cap. His eyes darkened, and his mouth bent in a slanted smile. His clean-shaven face exposed a small scar along his chin. His long neck constricted with a tight swallow, like a snake finishing the final taste of his meal.