Page 3 of The Sicilian Bastard
Araceli, One Year Later
Abright light glared and I closed my eyes to shut it out. I forgot to close the curtains, again.
"Wake the fuck up, bitch," Ruby, my roommate and fellow dancer, screeched, bouncing on my bed.
I groaned and rolled away from her and the window onto my stomach. I pulled a pillow over my head and started grumbling about how it was too early to be awake. That she was a demon masquerading as a friend. Ruby, in typical Ruby fashion, ripped the covers off me, almost flipping me off the bed.
"Fuck out of here, Ruby, or I'll cut your pretty little face," I growled at her peppy demeanor this early in the morning.
"Oh please, I'm not afraid of you, little miss Doe."
I peeked one eye open. Ruby flounced to my tiny closet and pulled out my workout bag.
"No, Ruby, no. I don't want to. Last night was enough," I sat up and pleaded with her.
"Listen here, Araceli Doe. You haven't gotten some of the mid-level tricks down. Today, we are going to hot yoga and then getting a few practice runs through at the club before tonight. If you don't, Maximilian is going to make you pay for it. He complained about your basic tricks during rehearsal last week." Ruby had her hands planted on her hips.
I knew she was right. We didn't work at any old strip club in Las Vegas. Our club was higher class and owned by Agosto Picone. I wasn't sure what he was into and I had never met the man, but I knew for certain it wasn't anything good. I took in Ruby's red mane flipped into a messy bun, her yoga pants that I knew she was commando under, and her tank top with no bra. She had a no-nonsense look on her face so I knew I had to give in. I was lucky she even took me under her wing. She'd been dancing at a club called Hustler before moving to Club Platinum that was under the Four Palms Resort.
I blew out an exasperated breath and relented. "Fine let's get this done."
Ruby squealed and threw some clothes at me. I jumped out of bed nude. As strippers, we weren't afraid of people seeing our bodies. I wasn't shy. Not at all.
I threw my blue hair up into a neater bun than Ruby had hers. Mine was longer and would fall out quicker. I grabbed a pair of sneakers and headed out of my room. Ruby was in the kitchen brewing the liquid of the gods.
"Why'd you make me stay out so fucking late if you were only going to wake me up this early?" I whined.
"I live to torture your dumb ass," Ruby cackled. She handed me a cup of coffee and I shivered when it hit my taste buds. It was a breakfast blend that tasted awful. I closed my eyes imagining a darker roast hitting my taste buds. I didn't even drink dark coffee, but for some reason, nothing I sipped tasted right.
I shot her a look that said she needed to tell me the real reason or I'd stab her in the throat with a stiletto. Ruby loved her shoes so it would be a good way to pay her back.
"You've gotten complacent over the last year. I thought if I could keep your brain stimulated or some shit, I'd trigger something," she mumbled into her mug.
"Ruby, I'll never get my memory back. That life, that girl. She's gone. Forever." I reached out and took her hand in mine.
Her eyes flooded with tears. "But what if there's someone out there? Someone looking for you?" she whimpered at my statement. I understood. The thought of losing me had to be great. We were each other's family after all.
I got out of my seat and pulled her into a hug. "You're my only family." I kissed her lips and we went back to our seats.
Ruby was into drugs and from time to time, she would have to sleep with her dealer to get a big score. Sometimes I would help her out. Her dealer loved the thought of lesbians. I don't like to label things, but Ruby and I weren't afraid to touch each other. It was better than doing someone at the club and running the risk of an STD or worse. Many unsavory characters frequented Club Platinum. The last time I ran into someone I thought I had a connection with, he tried to choke me out in the back room. Luckily for me, Ruby saw me disappear and told Maximilian right away. I bet they buried him deep in the desert.
"This life is holding you back. You need more. You need to grab onto more," Ruby reminded me.
She always told me that I was more than a stripper. How would she know? I didn't know who I was. There was nothing wrong with this life. Dancing made me feel powerful. When I first woke, I was afraid and had no one to lean on. Now I didn't need anyone. I fingered the puckered darkened dip on my temple, remembering that it was a bullet that had left its mark on me. The problem was I couldn't figure out who would want to hurt me and why.
"Let's get this over with," I grumbled.
Ruby packed a few water bottles and travel mugs of coffee. We hit the streets. The yoga studio was only a few blocks away from our apartment. We didn't live in the best neighborhood, but everyone watched out for everyone else. In a place like Las Vegas, you needed that. Too many tourists. Too much crime. Too much everything. Sometimes I wished I could pack up and move away. But it was hard enough getting a job here. I have no idea what would happen in another state with my fake identification. Ruby hooked me up. In a world full of lost souls, she found me and brought me back to life. No way I would ever leave her.
We arrived at the yoga studio and waved to Lexy manning the front desk. There was no reason to check-in, we were regulars. We laid our mats out in the back of the classroom. New girls stayed close to the instructor. We were old hands by now. My body was lean and fit, but I had wide hips. I could get self-conscious about my flaws, but instead, I flaunted them. I showed off the scar on my temple and my love handles. I was me. There was nothing wrong with me.
The class flew, and by the end, I dripped sweat on my mat from the intensity. I felt both exhausted and energized. I wanted to eat something, but I knew Ruby wouldn't hear of it until we finished everything we had to do today.
"Come on, you lazy bitch." Ruby smacked my ass and we headed out.
It was easier to get an Uber than try to make it to the club. It was close to noon and the sun had risen high in the sky. The temperature was scorching already. I dug in my bag and pulled out a bottle of water to drink. The Uber didn't take long to arrive and off we went.
Club Platinum was a hidden underground hotspot. The Four Palms Resort was above it and no one knew about the club. It was exclusive. That meant the girls had to be the best. Management allowed us to come in off-hours as long as we were practicing. Ruby and I let ourselves in.
