by J. , Lea
“Well, at least someone is happy to see me,” I say and point my head in Ryder’s direction, so he knows what I’m talking about.
“Oh, don’t mind him, something’s eating him. He’ll come around eventually.” I nod and continue.
“At the moment, my classes are fine, nothing special. It’s only the beginning of the semester—we’ll see how my exams will go.” I bite into the sandwich I bought before coming over.
“Hey, Aaliyah,” Addison yells from the other side of the table, and I raise my gaze to her. “Are you coming with us to Mirage on Friday?”
“No, I can’t, I’m working. But I’ll come over to check up on you guys in between, if I have time.” Addison pouts her lips.
“That’s a shame. When you’re free, you have to tell me, so we can all go out together, okay?” I nod.
“Hey, do you happen to know who’s performing in Mirage on Friday? I hope it’s someone good.”
“I’m not sure, but I think I heard Patrick say some female band is coming, Prestige or something like that.” It’s a new band on the scene, slowly becoming famous.
“So no cute guys singing, noooo,” Addison acts upset.
“Hey, what about me—you can look at me all you want,” Jackson responds playfully.
“But that’s not the same,” she winks at him before they start making out passionately. I turn my head the other way and listen to the conversation between Ryder, Noah and their friends. They’re discussing practice they have in the afternoon. I like how passionately they are talking about basketball, I can see in their eyes how much they love this sport. I recognize that look—I had the same look in my eyes when Hope and I sang together. I desperately miss the times we spent together and filmed ourselves fooling around in front of the camera. Unfortunately, my camera is in the closet, broken, and will remain that way as I don’t have the money to get it fixed yet.
“Hey,” Noah nudges me with an elbow, interrupting my thoughts, “do you want me to pick you up on the way to work so you won’t have to walk?” I offer him an honest smile.
“That would be great, thank you.” But my smile quickly fades away when I see Ryder piercing me with a glare. Seriously, what is wrong with him? I shake my head and leave the cafeteria, because I still have two long classes to attend.
The next day, Addison and I decide to go spend some money at the shopping mall after classes. Well, she’s going to spend money, and I’m just coming with her to help her choose what to buy. She asked me to help her pick some sexy lingerie and clothes for her date with Jackson. I’m not completely sure I’m the right person for this job, but she begged and begged, so I couldn’t refuse. We drive up to the parking lot and enter the shopping mall. I look around, there are stores and people everywhere. Addison grabs my hand and takes me to the first store that sells lingerie. We check out a few shelves and stop at corsets.
“Wow,” I don’t hide my excitement as I hold a sexy black lace corset in my hands.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asks.
“It’s gorgeous,” I look at the price tag and cough, the price almost knocking me flat on my ass, “expensive, too,” I groan and put it back down.
“It’s not that pricey, you should try it on! I bet it would look great on you.”
“No, seriously, it’s too expensive—who pays 200 dollars for a corset?” Addison shrugs and gets the saleslady.
“Do you have this in 34B?” She turns to me. “You’re a 34B, right?” My eyes almost pop out, and I snatch the corset out of her hands.
“Seriously, I said I won’t take it. I don’t have that kind of money.”
“Relax, it’s my treat. And please,” she says to the saleslady, “could you also find one in 34A for me?”
“No, thank you, buy it for yourself, I don’t need one.” I turn around and start browsing around the store when I hear Addison calling me from the changing room.
“What do you think?” she asks as she draws back the curtain and confidently steps out, ignoring the couple that’s also in the store.
“Wow, awesome! You look fantastic,” I compliment her. She really looks amazing in it.
“Do you think I should buy it?” she asks, biting her lip, waiting for my response.
“Sure, if you want it, buy it—it’s really pretty.” She also finds a matching black thong and black stockings. While she’s paying, I step out of the store, because my head is spinning from such high prices for tiny pieces of material. We walk up to the designer stores, where prices are also appropriately steep.
“What exactly are you looking for?” I ask Addison as we’re walking past the evening wear section of the store.
“Hmm, Jackson is taking me to dinner at Pierre’s, so I have to wear an evening dress.” I run my fingers through beautiful dresses. Some have crystals on them, some are sprinkled with glitters and others have exquisite details, but every single one is gorgeous.
“Don’t you have enough evening dresses hanging in your closet? I saw a whole bunch of them in there the other day.”
“Those old rags?” Addison waves her hand. “No, no, I need something new, sexy, so I will take Jackson’s breath away when he sees me.” I shake my head. I guess when you have money, this is normal. Addison steps out of the changing room, dressed in a long purple evening dress.
“Wow, it’s beautiful—I think this is the one.” She twirls with a grin on her face. The bodice of the gorgeous purple dress she’s wearing is close-fitting, and the skirt of the dress falls to the floor in two layers. The garment is sleeveless, and large crystals are sewn into the fabric across the chest area.
“I have two more dresses to try on, but I really like this one,” she says and goes back into the changing room. Meanwhile, my eyes stop on a stunning black evening dress. I run my fingers over the fabric, and I am awed by its beauty.
“You should try it on,” the saleslady interrupts me.
“No, no, I’m just looking…” She takes the dress off the hanger and checks the size.
“It’s your size, go try it on.” She pushes me into a dressing room along with the dress. Well, if I’m here already, why not try it on to see what it is like to wear something so sophisticated at least once in my life. I carefully open the zipper on the back, which is also the only part of the dress that’s not translucent, so I have to go without a bra. I undress, remove the bra and step into the dress. I hold it by the front side, but can’t reach the zipper. I hear Addison talking with the saleslady, so I step outside the dressing room to ask her for help.
“Wow, Aaliyah, you look gorgeous. Here, let me help you with the zipper.” She pulls the zipper up and I forget to breathe for a moment. I don’t even recognize myself. The dress emphasizes all the right curves and hides any imperfections. It is covered in glitter, the transparent black sleeves are also scattered with glitter and reach into the back to an intricate glittery design. The mermaid style dress is completely skin-tight.
Ryder
I am walking through the shopping mall, searching for the store Addison wrote she would be in. She needs money for the clothes she wants to buy, because she forgot her credit card at home, and she already spent all the cash she had on her. Since it’s on the way to the gym, I said I was going to pay for her things when she called me. Why are there so many stores? When I am looking for the right store, I suddenly see Aaliyah through a display window. She is wearing a long black dress that accentuates her beautiful figure. It hugs her in all the right places. She gathers her hair in her hand and throws it over her right shoulder. It ends at her full breasts that capture my attention for a while. I lick my lips, my eyes roaming over her body. Damn, she’s beautiful. She is laughing, talking excitedly with someone. I notice Addison approaching her from the back and closing her zipper. My good mood instantly changes. What the hell? Are they here together? I knew Aaliyah was up to something. I’m certain a portion of the money from the credit card will pay for the dress she’s wearing. She cannot afford it on her own. Pissed off, I open the door a
nd head to my sister.
“Oh, hey, you made it. I’m so glad I don’t have to go home and get the credit card myself.”
“What is she doing here?” I angrily ask Addison, while glaring at Aaliyah the whole time. Aaliyah widens her eyes in surprise and looks at Addison.
“What do you mean, what is she doing here? I asked her to come with me to help me pick clothes. What’s with you lately?” Aaliyah meanwhile furiously storms into the changing room.
“What else is she going to buy with MY money? I don’t mind you spending it—you’re my sister—but I can’t stand lying and manipulative women that only care about money and material things. Can’t you see she’s just exploiting you? She wants you to buy her things she doesn’t have the money for. How can you still be so naïve after everything we’ve been through?” I angrily whisper in her ear. Addison is staring at me, shaking her head in bewilderment.
“What are you talking about? What exploitation? She’s nothing like that—on the contrary! I wanted to but her some sexy lingerie earlier, but she yelled at me in front of the saleslady that she doesn’t want anything from me. She won’t even let me buy her coffee. Now, you tell me if that’s exploitation.” She turns and walks away. Right at that moment Aaliyah comes out of the changing room, gives me a disappointed look and goes to the counter where Addison is paying for her clothes. They leave the store without a glance back.
Chapter 5
Aaliyah
It’s been a month since I came here. Everything has been calm so far, and I’m becoming more relaxed. Today I’m working with Noah again, and as usual, he’s picking me up. He’s truly a great friend who always goes out of his way to give me a ride. I dress into a denim mini skirt, I’m still not used to dressing so scantily, but I’m starting to feel good in my skin. I put on shoes with high heels, apply some mascara and I’m ready for work. I have a couple of minutes before Noah arrives, so I take a bottle of water from the fridge and sit on the bed. The conversation between Ryder and Addison I overheard in the shopping mall a few weeks ago is still reverberating in my head. I don’t know why he thinks I want to get to their money. I’ve never given him that impression, and I never wanted anything from anybody. I don’t care about their money—all I want is to find true friends whom I can trust. As I take a long sip and put the bottle on the nightstand, I hear faint knocking. I quickly grab my keys and open the door, Noah with his beautiful dimpled smile is already waiting for me. I happily return the smile. “Hey, I’m ready. Let me just grab my sweater and then we’re off.” I lock the door and we drive to Mirage.
“Shit, I completely forgot they’re going to be here,” I shake my head as I pour beer.
“Who are you talking about?” Noah turns to me. I point my head at Addison, Ryder and the others.
“Ryder already dislikes me—I don’t want him to make a scene while I’m working.”
“Just ignore him, he’ll get over whatever is bothering him. That’s just Ryder.” More people are coming in, and that means more work for me. Two more waitresses came to help us so we can serve everybody. I take three deep breaths to gather courage and walk up to Ryder and his group to take orders. Addison sees me from afar and runs to me, hugging me tightly.
“It’s such a shame you have to work. I could use your company, Paris is getting on my nerves,” she says, shaking her head, and points toward a thin blonde with full lips, who is currently grinding all over Ryder. “You see what I’m talking about? They’re no longer dating, but it’s all she ever talks about and still keeps coming on to him. Disgusting.” Addison puts two fingers to her mouth, making a puking gesture. We laugh out loud. Ryder clears his throat, interrupting us.
“Can you bring us six beers and… What are you three drinking?” He turns to Paris and her two friends. The three of them start giggling, it’s obvious they’re already tipsy.
“Mojito,” they all say at the same time.
“Okay, so six beers, three mojitos and a vodka for Addison.” I nod and turn to leave. “And hurry,” I hear his rough voice.
“Aaliyah, wait, I’m coming with you,” Addison runs to me. “I’m sorry about my brother—I have no idea what’s up with him. He’s never behaved this way before.”
“It’s okay, never mind,” I wave my hand and walk behind the counter to prepare the drinks as soon as possible. “How was your date with Jackson? Lately, we see each other so little I didn’t even get a chance to ask you before.” She sighs dreamily. “Mmm, it was heavenly. The best date I’ve ever had. When he picked me up, he brought me flowers, a limo drove us to dinner, we danced, and I slept over at his place. Well, there wasn’t a lot of sleeping involved, damn, the things he did to me.” Addison is still happily chatting away. “He really is a perfect boyfriend.” It sure was a date to remember.
“Wow, he really made an effort, in all aspects,” I wiggle my eyebrows at her and Addison nods contentedly. “As long as you had fun, that is the most important thing – and that he treats you nicely. He does treat you nice, right?” She is a little surprised by my question.
“Yes, of course, why wouldn’t he? Has somebody said anything else?” she asks, bewildered.
“No, no, I’m just trying to make sure you’re happy.” Addison grins.
“Yes, I’m happy. Very happy. He’s a great man, respectful and loving, and I love him very much.”
“Good.” I put the drinks on the tray and take them to Ryder’s table. Addison stayed behind, because Noah was asking her something at the bar.
“Here you go,” I tell the group, placing the tray and the bill on the table. Ryder hands me a bill and I go to the cash register to get the change.
“And don’t forget the change!” He yells after me. Rolling my eyes, I take the correct amount of money and put it in front of him. “I hope everything’s there,” he says. Marc and the twins give me a sympathetic look, smiling apologetically, and I nod to them, close my eyes and leave. I don’t want them to see how much it hurts me that someone has such a bad opinion of me. I hope one day I can prove him wrong and show him I’m not who he thinks I am.
“Crap, crap, crap!” Patrick comes to the bar with a phone to his ear. It’s a miracle he can even hear anything over the noise. “What am I supposed to do now? People are expecting the performance… Yes, I understand, if you have a problem with your voice, you can’t sing, but still. It’s going to cost me a lot of money, fuck, I already feel a headache coming ... Fine.” Hanging up, he turns to Noah and I. “Pour me a glass of whiskey, I need a drink.” I take a glass, pour the light liquid and put it in front of him. He swallows it in a second and commands me, with a bend of a finger, to pour him a new one.
“Is everything okay?” I ask him as I wipe down the bar with a rag. Patrick sighs again.
“No, everything is wrong today. Casey Stone’s agent just called. He said she lost her voice and will not be able to perform today. And so many people came to hear her sing.” Tonight, Casey Stone is supposed to perform. A singer who is becoming more and more popular. He puts his hands to his head, shaking it. “Now what am I going to do? I don’t have anything else prepared for tonight.” Sad and crushed, he sits at the bar, mumbling to himself. I feel bad seeing him so distressed. I think for a second, and, biting my lip, I tug at his sleeve. “What?” he raises his head, looking at me.
“Umm…” I clear my throat. “I could…” Shit, why is this so hard to say? Hope and I were always doing this. Perhaps it’s harder because she’s not here.
“What is it? What are you trying to say?” he says wearily. I take a deep breath and start again.
“I could sing instead of her.” It comes out of my mouth more as a question, not a statement. Patrick looks at me and studies me for some time.
“Can you sing? Tell me you can sing. Right now I could really use someone to stand in. I’ll pay you.” I nod.
“Yes, I used to sing a lot, but not much in the last few months. Though it’s not something you forget. I’ll sing—and no, you don’t
have to pay me. I’m happy to help.” A huge smile appears on his face. He quickly stands up, reaches across the bar and gives me a tight hug.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, you have my eternal gratitude. Do you need anything? Casey was supposed to start her performance in ten minutes, so get ready and go to the stage. They’ll prepare everything for you. Just tell them which songs you’re going to sing. Thanks again.”
“It’s okay,” I respond with a smile, but I’m shaking on the inside. Oh, what have I gotten myself into again? Hope was the one who sang, I was just her backup singer. I am breathing deeply as I climb the stairs to the stage. I rattle off the names of the songs I’m going to sing, and they hand me a microphone. My legs are shaking, my hands are sweating and I have no doubt my voice is in the same shape. I clear my throat loudly and prepare for the performance backstage. The stage is still shrouded in darkness when Patrick appears on it.
“Hello everybody, I’m glad you’re here tonight, eagerly expecting tonight’s concert. But I have to inform you there’s been a slight change. Casey Stone unfortunately can’t perform tonight.” Groans are coming from the audience, some are protesting, others are booing. “But I do have someone else here who’ll sing instead of Casey. I’m sure you’ll enjoy her performance, please, give a round of applause for Miss Thomas!” This is it. Now or never. None of the people I know recognized my name. Well, I’m not even sure I’ve told anyone my last name. I carefully climb the three steps leading to the stage, which is dark again. I step in the middle and bring the mike to my lips. The first song will be slow. I want to start with some ballads and continue with energetic songs, because I don’t want the audience to fall asleep. Music starts playing, lights turn on and the first tones come out of my mouth. Mariah Carey’s Hero is the song I chose to open the show with. I start singing, and when I almost get to the chorus, I hear cheers from the audience. My stomach is twisting, but I confidently sing about a hero that everyone has in their hearts who helps us overcome all our fears. I sing about the long road that we’re facing if we don’t have anybody to help us, but we can find love within ourselves if we only look deep enough, chase away the fears and find a savior within.