Lovely Lies

by Lashanta Charles

  Chapter 3

  Makynzee

  My mom thinks I’m working at the restaurant. When I get to the club I call her and tell her I took an extra shift and I’ll be home late. She doesn’t object. She said she needed a break from me anyway. I think she’s seeing someone. I don’t care. I throw my keys into my purse and go inside the club. I see a few men by the stage - none of them Kalil - and a woman behind the bar. She’s on the phone, but when she sees me she smiles and waves me over. By the time I reach her she’s hung up.

  She smiles and asks, “You’re Minx?”

  “Who?”

  “Kalil said to look out for the new girl, that’s you, right?”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m Minx.”

  “Well come on back, let me show you a few things. Put your purse and keys in this safe, only open it before we open and after we close, only the barmaids use this one. If you miss the cutoff use one of the lockers in the back. Wear this for your tips.”

  She tosses me a garter. I quickly slip it on my thigh as the three men approach us.

  “This the new chick?”

  “Minx, meet Chino, Ralphie, and Bruce. Anybody mess with you, their hands linger too long when they giving you tips, being disrespectful, let them know.”

  I smile and shake their hands. Bruce doesn’t let go.

  “I’m sorry, but I gotta ask,” he says.

  I know the question before he asks it, especially with the shorts I’m wearing. I used to have no curves at all. Since my indulgence in food, I’ve always been asked if my butt is real or not. I’m not even sure if it’s actually that big or if the rest of me is just that small. I tell him it’s real.

  “Well that’s nice, but my question was can I touch it?”

  “Get out of here Bruce, you’re supposed to protect her, not harass her,” Cari says and pushes him away before going back into her training spill.

  By the end of the night I’ve spilled a million drinks and messed up just as many orders. I’m tired and not looking forward to the two hour drive home. Surprisingly, I made about $250 in tips. Cari said once I get the hang of it, I’ll make more. I can sacrifice a little sleep for that. As expected, I felt hands all over me all night. Not looking forward to that part. It wasn’t as bad as I expected though. The clientele for this club seems to be pretty high. I grab my purse from the safe and head to the door. Just as I step outside I hear someone call my name; my real name. I haven’t seen him all night. Just the thought of seeing him now causes butterflies to take up real estate in my stomach. I pretend I don’t hear him and keep walking. I push the auto start on my mom’s car and within seconds of the club’s door closing he’s next to me. I can’t look at him. Those eyes will tear me apart. I’m already drunk off his scent again.

  He gently grabs my arm and says, “Never walk out here by yourself.”

  I’m instantly awake. His touch burns into my arm, sends shockwaves deep into me. I stop walking and glance up at him. I think he feels it too because he quickly drops his hand. Too late. I still feel his touch and I want it again. “Okay.” I reluctantly walk away although I think he’s watching me. I stop walking and glance back to make sure. He is and he’s frowning as if trying to figure something out. Before slipping into the car I say, “Have a good weekend.”

  My arm still burns. A glance in the rearview mirror tells me he’s still standing there. I can’t see his face, but I’m sure he’s still frowning. I wish I knew what he was thinking. When I finally make it home, I sneak into my room and take a quick shower. Even though I’m tired I can’t fall asleep. I can’t shake his image from my head. I can’t get the smell of him out of my nose. I glance up at the clock and see that it’s almost 5:30 in the morning. For the first time in a long time I touch myself. I let my hands become Kalil’s hands. I love the way they feel against my skin. Gently pinching my nipples…slowly caressing my thighs…slipping two fingers inside of me. I welcome his touch, yearn for it. I erupt quickly. My body convulses. I bite my bottom lip to keep from yelling out. I needed that. Sleep comes easily.

  I graduated from high school today. My mom actually showed up long enough to see me walk across the stage. She actually looked like she was proud of me. That had to be my imagination though because she disappeared before the ceremony was done and she’s not home now. I leave for work early. I’ve been working at the club for a while now. In tips alone, I make about $300-$500 a night, depending on the section I’m working. I’m satisfied with that for now. I avoid Kalil at all costs. It’s not hard though. When he’s here he’s usually in his office or entertaining VIP guests. Women throw themselves at him, literally. It’s ridiculous, but I definitely can’t blame them. Every blue moon one gets lucky and he leaves with her. I actually have the audacity to be jealous…imagine that. It should be me he leaves with. Since that night in the parking lot he’s said little to nothing to me. I think I’m in love with him. Every once in a while he lets me catch him watching me, but he never says much. I guess that’s okay though, since every other word out of his mouth is a curse word. When the VIP guests request “the tall waitress with the fat ass” he makes up an excuse. That’s the case tonight and it pisses me off. I’m not sure what pisses me off more, the fact that he doesn’t want me around or the fact that he’s messing with my tips. I’m still practical, so of course I go with the fact that he doesn’t want me around. When I decide to go with this reason it pisses me off even more. I know for a fact that the majority of the men in here would love for me to be around them. I watch him for a while knowing that sooner or later he’ll leave the guys he’s with. When he does, I follow him. He smiles when he sees me coming towards him and it pisses me off even more when he ducks into the men’s room. I hesitate as two guys come out then make my way inside. I freeze like a deer caught in headlights. He’s leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and the bastard is smiling at me.

  “I’m impressed, didn’t think you would come in.”

  Those damned eyes. I fold my arms across my chest, mimicking his stance.

  “I know they asked for me.”

  “And?”

  “And you told them no.”

  “And?”

  I’m pretty sure I had a snappy comeback, but just as I’m about to speak the door opens and a few guys walk in.

  As I look back at them, Kalil says, “Occupied.”

  They look around in confusion then turn and walk back out. When I look back at Kalil, he’s frowning. He looks dangerous again. I shiver slightly as goose bumps cover my arms. When the door closes his frown disappears.

  He asks, “You cold?”

  “Why?”

  “Because you shivered.”

  Maybe I should have been more specific. “Why did you tell them no, Kalil?” I’m irritated. He stares at me as if contemplating answering, but doesn’t. “An answer would be nice.” I put my hands on my hips. His eyes follow my hands then drop lower. I can only imagine what he’s thinking. I wish he would actually do it. Wait…I do? “Up here, Kalil!” I clap my hands in front of my face to get his attention. He takes his time bringing his eyes back up to mine. I should have let him keep them where they were. His gaze is smoldering. I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. I don’t want to.

  “I need you to close tonight,” he says.

  I frown. Not what I expected him to say. “I can’t, if I close that puts me getting home after…” Damn him, he almost had me. “I don’t close.” He smiles and begins to walk to me. I’m not sure why, but I back away. Stupid bathroom door. I’m stuck. He stops in front of me, inches away from our bodies touching. I frown and ask, “What are you doing?”

  He asks, “Can you please close tonight?”

  This isn’t about me; he just needs me to cover for Cari. “No, ask one of the other girls.”

  “I’m not asking anymore, I’m telling. You’re closing tonight.”

  Before I can respond the door opens causing me to fall forward. He makes no attempts to move or stop me
from falling. I land against his chest and he wraps one arm around my waist to hold me steady. I’m putty in his hands and I think he knows it.

  “Occupied!” he says as he uses his free hand to stop it from swinging open any further and possibly hitting me.

  “Sorry boss, we got a situation.”

  It’s Bruce. Effortlessly, Kalil lifts me and places me behind him. “Don’t move,” he says.

  I ignore him. He’s not the boss of me. Wait, he actually is. Before he even turns back to Bruce I slip past him and hurry back to the bar.

  Kalil

  I watch Mak load her drink tray and shake her head at Cari before disappearing into the crowd. I ignore half of what Bruce is saying and cut him off.

  “How old do you think she really is?”

  “18, maybe 19.”

  “I got her by at least 6 years, so what the hell is wrong with me when she’s around?”

  “Love bug, y’all should hook up.”

  Love bug? “Shut up, Bruce, that’s fucking stupid.” I only half listen as he tells me about the situation he claims we have. My mind is still on having her body against mine. Can’t deny that she felt good as fuck. She was scared though; I could feel her heart pounding in her chest. If Bruce hadn’t walked in I think I would have tested the softness of those lips. Since he interrupted us, I interrupt him. “Handle it Bruce, you don’t need me for that.”

  “I’m on it boss.”

  I scan the crowd until I find her. She’s smiling and giving drinks to a group of guys who look to be in their early twenties. They look drunk and each one that stuffs a tip into her garter lets their hands linger. That’s that shit I don’t like. As she turns to walk away from them her smile disappears. She takes a few steps then stops walking and I think she’s caught me staring at her, but she puts the smile back on before turning back to them. I watch as one guy holds up a few bills and says something to her. Her smile is instantly replaced by a frown and without thinking I start to make my way towards them. Her lips are moving. They all laugh except the guy holding the money. He frowns and says something back to her.

  “I was just looking for you. Bruce said you went to your office,” China says as he walks with me.

  “We know these dudes at Minx table?” I ask without taking my eyes off of them.

  “Not really, bachelor party.”

  With that being said I can guess what he asked her. I watch as she says something back to him before turning to walk away and I’m sure she sees me this time. She stares at me for a few seconds and just as she’s turning to walk in the opposite direction the guy stands up and slaps her on her ass causing her to stumble forward. That had to hurt. I’m not sure what I expected to happen next. I had a mental image of physically damaging somebody’s child, but what actually happens stops me and Chino in our tracks. When she catches herself from falling she tilts the drink tray and lets the other drinks fall from it. She turns back to face the guy who’s now laughing with his friends and slams the tray into his face. Damn! The guy falls back on the table and everyone around them watches in shock as she yells something to him. He grabs his nose and when he realizes he’s bleeding he jumps up from the table and goes for her. Before he gets to her Chino grabs him and I step in front of her. I actually have to force her to back away as I tell his friends to get out.

  Chino asks, “What seems to be the problem, sir?”

  “Don’t even answer that, apologize to her,” I say as I step aside and pull her closer to him. Her frown is gone. She looks confused as she stares at me.

  “This bitch broke my nose and you want me to apologize to her?”

  Damn. I really didn’t wanna have to hurt him. I hold him by his shirt and hit him twice, before I remember I actually have to let him speak to apologize. Somehow, over all the music and the other noise, one voice stands out. She’s not even yelling.

  “Kalil, stop it.”

  She has a lose grip on my forearm. I glance down at her and see fear in her eyes. It wasn’t there before so I guess it’s me who’s scaring her. Ironic. I would never hurt her. I let the guy go and he coughs out a few apologies before Chino speaks.

  “I think she deserves a pretty big tip to show how sorry you really are.”

  She finally looks away from me and her frown is back.

  “I don’t want his money!”

  Protesting is useless. Chino has already reached into the guys pocket and grabbed his wallet. He opens it and pulls out a wad of twenty dollar bills.

  “Why don’t you insist that she takes it?” I say.

  “I insist, please take it!”

  He tries to stuff the money into her hand, but she refuses it.

  “You might change your mind later, Minx.” I need her to take it so I’ll feel better, but she doesn’t. I snatch the money from him and stuff it in her garter before walking away. It’s probably best I go in my office until we close.

  Makynzee

  I’ve seen Kalil pissed and going ballistic on a few people, but tonight surprised me. I still have no idea why I needed to close tonight. Cari is still here and Keshia just left. Cari is wiping down the bar and talking nonstop about some guy she met a few weeks ago. Her guys change like clockwork. I can’t keep up. I stare at the stage wondering how hard it would be to do an upside down split on one of the poles. The stage is shaped like a T, with poles at each end. Cari said they have three girls on stage at once sometimes, but I’ve never seen it. Some of the girls hardly even use the poles. They focus more on the edges of the stage to make sure they get their money. I think if they focus more on the poles they’d get more money. What do I know though; I’m just an ex-gymnast. Maybe I should try to get back into it. Maybe if Kalil stops being a jerk and lets me dance I could afford to pay for a trainer. I hear Cari saying my name and I look back at her.

  “Can you actually dance?” she asks.

  I shake my head up and down and go to a table and begin to wipe it down.

  “You stare at that stage like it’s calling out to you. Why don’t you just ask Kalil to let you dance?”

  “I did, that’s what I wanted to do in the beginning. He told me no.”

  “That’s only because he wants you for himself.”

  She shrugs her shoulders as though this is common knowledge.

  “Sure he does.” I say this as though it doesn’t bother me. It does.

  “I’ve never seen him get that mad when guys are bothering any of the other girls.”

  I want her to stop talking about it. Kalil should be the last thing on my mind. I don’t respond to her and I think she gets the hint.

  “You should try it out. I’ll tell you if anybody’s coming.”

  I glance up at the stage then back at her. She already has my headphones in her hand and is walking to me.

  “Show me what you got, if you’re any good you’ll be dancing in no time.”

  Cari

  I watch as Minx slowly walks over to the pole at the far left of the stage. I wonder if she intentionally picked that one just in case someone comes out and sneaks up on us. I know Kalil and Chino are still here, maybe Bruce. She rotates her neck a few times as she chooses a song on her phone then starts to dance. The girl is good! She’ll be pissed, but they won’t believe me unless they see it. I run to Kalil’s office. Thankfully him, Chino, and Bruce are already headed our way.

  “You should seriously reconsider letting Minx dance,” I say.

  He frowns and asks, “Why?”

  “Because she’s good!”

  “And you know this how?”

  “Go see for yourself, she’s onstage now.”

  He actually seems upset.

  Makynzee

  Dancing is easy for me. A lifetime of gymnastics and dance classes made it that way. I smile to myself as Lil Wayne’s “How to Love” flows through my headphones. I love Lil Wayne’s music. He’s the reason I’m actually trying that upside down split. My arms aren’t as strong as they used to be, but I can still suppor
t the weight of my body. I flip myself back over and slowly slide down the pole. I feel like a fireman and the thought makes me laugh a little. I squat for a few seconds at the bottom of the pole before leaning my back against it and snaking my way up to standing. I turn to face the pole and wrap one leg around it before grabbing it with one hand and spinning around it. The song begins to fade and I finally open my eyes. I look up to smile at Cari and see what she thinks and my heart drops. I want to scream and disappear, but I just stand there dumbfounded and embarrassed. Cari is still behind the bar, giving me two thumbs up, but she’s not alone. What happened to her being a lookout?! I wonder how long they’ve been standing there. Chino and Bruce look amazed. They both have these goofy grins on their faces. Then there’s him. He’s frowning…again. I’m not sure if he’s actually mad or just confused. I need someone to say something so I can make my feet move. Cari apparently reads my mind. She runs from behind the bar and yells that I did great. I quickly come down from the stage and make my way behind the bar. He’s staring at me. I expect him to say something, but he doesn’t. He just frowns. Bruce is the first of them to speak.

  “What the hell was that Minx?!”

  I attempt to say “nothing,” but Chino drowns me out.

  “One hell of an audition, right boss?”

  He slaps Kalil on his back. I risk a glance to see if he’s still frowning. He is. I quickly look away and occupy myself by getting my stuff from the safe. I can’t figure out why he hasn’t said anything yet.

  “Kalil, she a bad bitch or what?!”

  Her voice is laced with excitement. Kalil doesn’t answer. This actually scares me. I don’t want him to be mad.

  “I’ll see y’all next week. Bruce can you walk me to my car?” I head for the door, but Cari grabs my arm.

  “Minx, wait a minute.”

  I try to pull away from her, but she tightens her grip and forces me to turn back to them.

  “What you think, Kalil? We got a new dancer or what?”

  I don’t look at him. I know he’s still frowning.

  “No.”

  He turns and heads towards his office. I’m obviously the only one in the bunch that’s not surprised.

  “But she’s better than the majority of the dancers we have!”

  Cari’s determined to have me dance. I’m pretty sure I’m better than all of them, but I’ll keep that to myself.

  “I said no, go home,” Kalil says.

  He doesn’t even look back. I smile at Cari and shrug my shoulders before heading to the door with Bruce.

  “I’ll talk to him over the weekend, Minx,” Cari yells.

  I wave at her, but keep walking.