Page 17 of We The Depraved
Taking a breath, I stand up and go down to the women’s dressing room. Yasmine is there talking to the dancers who are always spouting off some bullshit.
One girl, Tasty, is giving her shit about the lineup.
“Aye, I don’t know why I got the worst time to dance,” Tasty looks around Yasmine and speaks directly to me.
She’s sporting an afro and purple bikini with a lot of attitude. The bubblegum pink lipstick coats her lips giving her a frosted cupcake appeal.
“Excuse me?” I stop in my tracks.
“You heard me,” she says and fold her arms. “I guess you gotta be fucking around with you to get the best time to dance.”
Carla and I had been a rumor around the club.
We had neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.
“Yasmine is the manager,” I step in closer. “If you don’t like the time slotshe’sput you in, quit. Here’s a fucking tip, dance better. That little slow grind on the poll shit don’t get you rained on.”
She huffs and whirls away.
Yasmine throws up her hands. “I had it.”
“Did you?” I ask.
“Let me do my job,” she puts her hand on her hip. “I packed the club tonight. VIP is going to be popping. Houston’s finest will be here…ballers.”
I nod and give the girls one last look. “Fine. The club had better be pulling in hella money.”
“And get that bitch under control,” I holler and everyone knows I’m talking about Tasty.
When I reach the bar, people are just starting to flood in. Silver isn’t here just yet and part of me wonders where she might be.
Pulling the bottle of bourbon down off the shelf, I read the label.Blanton’s…
The glass gleams when the brown liquid splashes into it. Before I know it, I’m three glasses deep and Silver is wrestling the bottle away from me.
“What in the world is going on with you girl?” She scrunches up her nose at me.
I feel all warm and fuzzy inside even though it is cold as hell in the club. We keep it cold inside because we’ve discovered the men who want private dances get harder faster, longer and pay much better.
“Men,” I tell her.
Gio by this point has sauntered over and I can tell him and Silver are giving each other looks.
“Junebug sold his half of the club,” Gio offers.
“No one asked you to tell that smartass,” I roll my eyes.
My eyes feel heavy.
“I need air,” I declare. “Have my next drink waiting when I get back.”
Nearly stumbling from behind the bar, Gio stands me upright. I shake him off.
“Fuck off!”
He stares down at me, a look of annoyance on his face. He’s like the big brother I always wanted. He’s one of the few men that makes me feel safe.
“Careful, Sage,” he tells me.
