by Summer Rose
“I’m Nina, but I’m sure you knew that, right? I asked sarcastically.
“No, I didn’t. Everyone calls you Luscious, this is the first time I’ve heard your real name. It fits you. You have such a sweet sexy face. Nina sounds that way, too. Sweet and sexy” she repeated.
“Thank you. Are you flirting with me?”
“No disrespect to your girl and home, but the flirting between us never stopped,” she winked.
She’s probably just trying to get me to buy some table dances from her.
Damn women are scandalous!
She handed me a card and asked me to call her if things didn’t work out between Tina and I. She mentioned that the word around was that this was a makeup party.
She knew that things had been shaky with us and that we were trying to work it out. I guess it was no secret about the welcome home party; it’s not as if I had been out of town or anything.
I took the card to the bedroom and put it in my purse. I didn’t feel like explaining why I had Delicious’ card. I looked at the name on the card just before I put it in my bag so I would remember whom it belonged to.
Darnell Gabel, Real Estate Broker.
Wow! She definitely knows what she wanted to do in life. I want to talk to her and see what she’s about.
I was still in a trance, I walked back into the party to mingle and host. Tina was doing a good job, but it was so much better when we hosted together. We both loved the attention that we attracted and knew how to work it to our advantage.
I walked over to say “hello” to a couple of people that I hadn’t seen in ages. Tina joined me and we began to toast our friendship, companionship and the overall appreciation of having friends to share it with.
The tune of “Ice Ice Baby” came on and everyone jumped up to do the electric slide. Tina grabbed my hand and started dancing in circles around me.
“You can’t hang with me and my slide,” she bragged.
“Girl, I’m a pro!” I said as I sat my drink down to show my slide.
We danced through the next few songs. I was finally calm, cool and collected until Tina reminded me of the question she wanted to ask me.
Damn, I had almost forgotten about that.
“Ask me later when I’m sober. That way I will remember tomorrow.”
“Oh you won’t forget this,” she promised.
I wasn’t drunk, I just didn’t feel like talking right then. I was having a good time and I didn’t want to risk a possible argument.
I left the dance floor and went to the kitchen to get ice to refresh my drink. I started thinking about my future. I was about to graduate and I was going to need more money for supplies when I went out in the work world.
I knew I wasn’t ready to work in a salon, so I needed to step up my game and start making some bigger money. I knew where the money was bigger, Texas. I just had to plan when I wanted to go and get a job. I decided to go right after I graduated.
I was so deep in thought, that I didn’t notice Pretty standing there smiling. She looked better than the Statue of Liberty standing there.
“Oh, I didn’t see you.”
“I know,” she said. “You look like you were daydreaming.”
“I guess I was.”
“About Passion right?” she asked.
“Yeah, right,” I lied.
She laughed, “No you weren’t.”
I didn’t know if I could trust Pretty or not at this point. She was Tina’s friend and I knew she looked out for her. She was very attentive as I told her about my plans of traveling to other clubs and working. I thought she would try to talk me out of it because of Tina, but she didn’t.
Instead, she asked me if she could tag along with me and start working, too. She claimed she had nothing else to stick around for and she could use a change, and more money.
There was a moment when I felt she was running away from something, but I chose not to ask. I told her to let me think about it.
She assured me that no one, even Tina would know about our conversation. With that in mind, I told her to let me know if she could go after my graduation and we could plan from there.
Tina came in on the end of the conversation and assumed we were discussing my graduation.
She told Pretty that she was planning a huge celebration for me and that she could use some help with decorations, food and invitations. Pretty told her she would help, but never let out that we weren’t discussing my graduation. I really appreciated that and it made me respect her more.
The night finally ended. Everyone left and Tina cleaned up. I was tired and had a lot of planning to do. Tina still wanted to ask me something, but I really didn’t feel like talking about anything.
I was, however, curious about the question, but not excited about the outcome. Tina sometimes blew up if things didn’t go her way and I hoped this question didn’t lead to that.
Chapter 13
A New Chapter
Tina definitely had a new attitude. She was up early in the morning cooking breakfast
and singing melodies. She was as fresh as a summer breeze after taking a shower and washing her hair, which smelled sooo good.
I loved how sexy of a woman she was. She didn’t walk around like a stuck up diva that surrounded herself with her looks. She was beautiful inside out, which is truly hard to find.
She was reading college catalogs when I went into the kitchen. She greeted me with a cup of coffee. Of all things, she made the best coffee.
A woman appreciates the simplest things. I hugged her and ran to get dressed.
I had only twenty hours more to complete school, which was less than a week. I still had a million things to do before I finished.
Time moved along, and I still hadn’t talked to Tina about my plans to leave after graduation.
We never got the chance to talk about my situation or her question. That night, she came into the room after taking a shower and joined me.
Just as she was about to ask me the question, I asked her not to ask me until after graduation, because I wanted to be completely focused on the final exit exams required for graduating students.
She told me that the question could wait although it was extremely important, but she also understood how important my tests were.
We always kept that certain amount of respect for each other for what we wanted to achieve in our lives.
She agreed to wait and to prepare her plans for my graduation gift and party. I looked at her for what seem like forever, I was surprised that she was cool about waiting and not getting her way.
She all of a sudden became attractive to me again. After I told her how beautiful she was, we kissed and made love like the first time.
After I got dressed, I made a couple of reminder calls to my friends and family, to let them know that I was graduating that week and not to forget. Tina was in the mirror flat ironing her hair and putting on her make-up.
I loved it when she wore her curly, black hair, silky and straight.
She looked like a completely different person with straight hair and with the right amount of make-up; she looked like a Barbie doll.
I peeked in and told her I would see her later that night at work. She had really cleaned up her act and seemed to be on the straight and narrow.
She had stopped drinking as much and started fixing herself up as she used to. She really had good taste - stylish and trendy. Not cheap, ‘off the rack’ looking. “I wanted to wish you luck on your last week and your finals,” she said as hugged me.
“Thank you,” I replied dryly. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m just running late. I’ll see you later, ok?”
I still really cared for Tina, however; I didn’t want to continue to be in a relationship with a person out of obligation. I wanted sparks to fly and stars to shine. When I saw at Tina, I felt nothing.
I knew I had to tell her, soon, but I wanted her to continue with her goals to go to school without any stress fro
m me.
I made it to school just in time and went to find Leah. I didn’t have to rush for class anymore because I only had practice tests to complete, which only took about thirty minutes.
I really didn’t have anything to do, but hours. I would clock out once my twenty hours expired and then start my licensure procedure. I didn’t want to work as a stylist for a living, but I did want to finish something I started.
Stylist’s made very good money, but it was a lot of work and hours. I was spoiled to making ‘fast money’. I wasn’t ready to have to hustle harder in a salon.
I was definitely hooked on the lifestyle of having plenty of money. I didn’t have to worry how bills were going to be paid. I enjoyed living a better life without having to depend on anyone else. I was in control and loving it.
I hated being a stripper, as some girls did, but it was a quick, legal source of getting and staying above the level of stability.
When I find a good man that wants to take care of me, and I don’t have to do this anymore, I will gladly stop.
We call those, ‘Sugar daddy’s’
I had a couple of ‘potentials’, but they weren’t fully taking care of everything. I mean, I took trips to different parts of the U.S., particularly Vegas and Miami. I was ready for the sugar daddy’s that took me on trips outside the U.S.
I shopped at some of the best shops like Neiman Markus and Saks for the money I was making. Life was definitely taking a turn for the better in the financial department, but I needed something more, something all on my own.
The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that leaving to go make more money was the best thing for me to do and not look back.
I couldn’t keep putting my life on hold waiting for someone else to move forward with their own lives. I was a risk taker and didn’t let much hold me back.
My downfall was surrounding my life with those who weren’t risk takers, but slackers and dream talkers.
A Dream Talker is someone that talks about his/ her dreams and talk a good game to do it, but it never happens. They just talk about what they’re gonna do. These people never even try to take the steps to make their dreams come true, like the education, or risk.
Lesson #5
Don’t allow others mess up your dreams because they don’t have any.
I found Leah by the lockers putting her lip- gloss on, thick.
“Heeeyy girl!” Leah shrieked. “Hey baby!” I hugged her.
“This is your last week right?” she asked. “You ready?”
“Hell yeah, I’m ready to get out of here! I don’t wanna ever see yawl again!”
“Not even me? I thought we were better than that.” She pouted.
“Not even you, girlfriend.” I teased. “I’ve put up with your horny ass long enough.”
“That’s cold, Luscious. My feelings are hurt,” she poked out her shining lips.
“I’m just play... what did you call me?”
I was shocked, and my knees buckled. I know she didn’t call me Luscious.
“I called you Nina.”
I demanded an answer. “No, no you didn’t. What did you say?”
“I called you Nina. That’s your name, you must be hearing things,” she winked.
I was flabbergasted!
I know she called me Luscious. I heard her loud and clear, but somehow I convinced myself that I was just used to hearing Luscious more than anything else since most of the time my stage name was used by hundreds of people I met a week. I shrugged it off to being tired and anxious to clock out for the last time.
I caught a glimpse of Leah watching me as I walked off, but I didn’t let on that I knew. I had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right with her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
I had more important things my mind and didn’t want to add to it.
After school, I decided to skip work to do some research. I needed to find out where I was going to work and where I would stay in Dallas. The choices were infinite as well as the clubs.
I knew I wouldn’t have any problems getting into the club of my choice.
Deciding on the best one was the problem. These clubs were three times the size of the clubs
I was used to working at, and the girls came in five times the numbers!
The competition was high; there were beautiful women from all over the world! I was nervous, but it was time for a change and I knew I was definitely ahead of my time. I made a few phone calls and set up auditions at a couple of the top clubs there.
May as well start high. If I am knocked down, I still have places to go.
After my auditions were scheduled, I made reservations at a hotel that I would feel safe.
I didn’t need any more psychos following me around and finding out where I was staying.
During my time at Panties, I’ve had a couple of potential stalkers, including Cookie. She did follow me around with roses, showed up at my hotel and called a lot, but nothing like a serial killer stalking. I hadn’t heard from her since the night of the hotel and ‘Water’.
I guess she got what she was after and was satisfied.
I made it through the next couple of days and was down to my last day. Tina once again surprised me by making me breakfast in bed. The orange juice squeezed fresh, and toast not burned. Although I didn’t like orange juice, I thanked her and took a sip anyway.
“Are you ready to graduate?” she winked.
“Yea, I guess. I don’t have much of a choice at this point.”
“You okay, baby? You have been kinda distant the past few days. Are you nervous about your state board test?”
“Yes, a little.” I lied and missed the opportunity to tell her how I really felt. Instead, I hurried out to get showered and dressed. I knew I couldn’t avoid her much longer; I just needed to get through this day.
I ran out of the house, jumped in my car and was about to pull off when Tina came running out of the house.
“Nina, Nina wait! You forgot your bag!” she said panting. “You didn’t even kiss me good-bye and let me wish you luck.”
“Luck for what? I’m graduating; I don’t need luck to graduate.”
“I know. I just wanted a kiss anyway.”
She leaned inside the window and kissed me softly. I didn’t respond much as I rushed her out.
“Don’t want to be late on my last day baby. I’ll see you later on this evening.”
“I thought you only had four or five hours left?”
“I do, but I have some errands to run afterwards.” I said as I whirled out of the driveway. Bye.”
I was gone before she could say anything else. I just wanted to get out of there! I stopped off to get some coffee, since I didn’t drink the orange juice Tina made for me.
By now, she should have known that apple juice was my favorite!
I finally made it to school, clocked in and headed for the break room. I needed coffee and a friend, so I went to find Leah. She always made me feel better with her crazy stories of her relationship with her man. She was a little off, but I really liked her personality.
She will do fine in this business. It fits her.
“Heeeyy sexy mama!” Leah screamed from the far side of the building.
She was always so loud!
“I was looking for you; I bought you a cup of coffee.”
“Awwwwww, you love me, don’t you?” she batted her lashes.
“No, I’m just being nice because it’s my last day,” I winked as I started to walk away.
“You gotta rub it in. Don’t you?” she smirked. “I’ll catch up with you in a couple of hours. Thanks for the coffee, boo.”
“Boo?”
That girl is full of surprises.
I laughed and walked around to kill some time.
As the day went by, I thought about my plans of moving out of town. I thought about Pretty’s invitation to come with me. I needed the company and I wanted someone there to watch my back.
I was about to call her and ask her to meet me later for a drink to discuss my plans with her when I heard a loud “Surprise”!
I spun around to see most of the school standing there with a cake and confetti in their hands ready to attack. Leah ran to the front of the crowd with a bag in her hand.
“Girl, did you think I was gonna let you go out like that?” she hissed.
“I, uh...”
Another student shouted from across the room, “We love you girl. Now blow out the candles before you burn the school down, damn it!”
“How you gonna have candles on a graduation cake?” I smirked.
“Excuse me, but that was my idea!” my instructor, Ms. Queen shouted.
She was cool as hell, and everyone loved her. She was like one of us, one of the students. She didn’t act as stuck up and uppity like the other staff. She liked getting high, too.
I found that out when she didn’t say anything about me showing up to class high as a kite! She advised me to spray on some perfume. She could smell me as soon as I walked through the door. She also warned me not to get caught smoking on school grounds, for that was means for immediate dismissal.
“If you feel you must do it on schools grounds, let me show you where to go.” She led me to the back door of the school and pointed behind the large dumpsters in the far back.
“That’s a good spot, just be careful and you didn’t hear that from me!”
From then on, we were closer than ever and the student-teacher bond was enhanced.
I blew out the candles and thanked everyone as I thought of something cheesy to say.
“I really appreciate all of you,” I said slowly as a tear rolled down my eye.
“Awwwwww…” some of them moaned. “You lucky, bitch!” Tia shouted.
She was a transfer student that started about a month earlier. We didn’t know each other well, but clicked right away.
“I am really going to miss all of you, especially you Leah.” I said to her after she loudly cleared her throat.
She ran up to me, kissed me on my cheek, and squeezed me tight. “I have something special for you, but I will give it to you before you go,” she whispered.