Déjà Vu

by Suzetta Perkins

“I ain’t afraid of an ole goat like you,” Kiki roared back. “I’m not going on before a has-been. You have heard of saving the best for last.” Kiki pointed her finger at Angelica.

  “You stupid, simple-minded, little bitch. You can go last because no one is going to be interested in a newborn infant, especially after I give them what they came for. Savor the flavor because you’ll be the one counting the change tonight, honey. Not another word from you.”

  Kiki tried to speak but Angelica threw her hand up and everyone else ignored her.

  Michelle, Foxy, Toya, Lovey, Misty, and Arnell had completed their sets and were gleaming with sweat and dollar bills.

  “There’s enough Benjamins to go around. This crowd is in the giving mood,” Misty said.

  That was great, Angelica thought. She suddenly remembered Ari’s words about being out of his house by the end of the week. It frightened her, but payday was around the corner.

  “Angel, you’re on,” Desiree called out. “Shake what your momma gave you, girl.”

  “I’m already shaking it, Desi,” Angelica said. They laughed.

  Angelica felt the energy. She looked out into the crowd, and the room was filled to capacity—men in business suits, casual players in polo shirts, and men off the street looking for a good time and a couple of beers. They came in a variety of colors and ethnicities—white, black, Hispanic, Italian, Puerto Rican, you name it. They were there to have a good time and fantasize about how hot it would be to roll with the beautiful women who danced on stage.

  A white, felt cowboy hat sat on Angelica’s head. She wore an off-white midriff bolero and an ultra-short matching skirt that consisted of one-inch strips that were attached at the waist. Underneath the cowboy costume, rhinestones trimmed Angelica’s skimpy, shimmery gold top that circled the outermost parts of her breasts, while a G-string wrapped her bottom like gold ribbon on a Christmas package. Her four-inch, gold pointed-toe stilettos made her feel like the queen diva she knew she was.

  As the music played, Angelica sashayed to the center of the stage, enunciating her hips as she did so, her body glistening under the glare of the stage lights. Whistles from the men teased her on, and she made up her mind that she was going to give them the thrill of their lives.

  The intro finished playing, and Angelica reached for the pole as the drummer’s cymbal crashed. The beat was sultry and pulsating, and Angelica’s hips made quick jabs in and out, eventually taking the pole between her legs and sliding down the length of it. Her body gyrated until she was on the floor, and then pulling up swiftly, she let go of the pole and rubbed her hands seductively against the length of her body. At the urging of the crowd, Angelica made seductive movements with her body and dropped her shoulders back, letting the bolero slide off her shoulders and down her arms. In one swift move, she snatched at the side of her skirt that was held together with Velcro. She pulled it from her body and threw it out into the crowd. She turned and looked at the pole, bending her body at the waist, shaking her heart-shaped buttocks in the air. The applause and the roar of the crowd pushed Angelica to the edge.

  Standing upright, Angelica’s body rippled and screamed at the crowd that begged her to do more or take it all off. Angelica sensually licked her lips and wiggled her tongue, then jumped on the pole midway, extending one leg upward with the other wrapped around it. She brought one arm out to the side and spun around the pole, finally pulling herself upright. She danced with the pole like it was her lover, making grown men howl for more.

  Finally releasing the pole, Angelica switched her way to center stage and let her body rip.

  “Take it off, Angel,” someone screamed. “Take it off.”

  “I love you, Angel,” said another.

  “Shake it, baby. Shake it for meeeeeee!”

  Angelica moved closer to the edge of the stage, her body still gyrating in the faces of her adoring fans. Money seemed to fall from the sky as bills in all denominations were either placed in her G-string or dropped to the floor. Then, in one swift move, Angelica removed her top and mayhem broke loose.

  Men scrambled over each other, trying to get up on the stage to touch the golden-bronze goddess. Dollar bills continued to rain as Angelica continued to dance. Alarm showed on Angelica’s face as the crowd continued to advance, and she looked at Gerald Lloyd to see if it was time to cut it off. Getting no sign from Gerald, Angelica looked back into the crowd and saw the money that was being flung her way. She needed a place to live and she only had three days left at Ari’s. This was the payday that might make it happen, so all thoughts of abandoning her out of control admirers were set aside. Angelica moved to the edge and stooped down to scoop up the paper bills. She stopped short when five crisp one-hundred-dollar bills were placed under her chin.

  “You’re beautiful. How about a private dance?”

  The voice was familiar and so was the face, although it had been a long time since she had seen or heard from him. Angelica tried to cover her breasts with the handful of paper money she held in one hand, but the five one-hundred-dollar bills distracted her from her sudden embarrassment.

  “Robert Santiago,” Angelica said slowly.

  “Oh my angel, you remembered. I’m flattered. So it’s Angel now?”

  “It’s my stage name.”

  “Dinner afterward? I would love to catch up for old time’s sake.”

  “I’m not sure it would be a good idea.”

  “I’ll make it worth your while.” Santiago placed the money in her hand. “I’ll be waiting.”

  Angelica stared after Santiago as he disappeared into the crowd. She picked up the few bills that remained on the floor and blew the crowd a kiss. The set was complete, and the crowd was calling Angel’s name.

  Angelica nearly ran to the dressing room, passing a smirking Kiki. Flustered, she placed her night’s take on the table and caught her breath, leaning her head on her open palms with elbows planted squarely on the table. She jumped when she felt cold hands on her back.

  “Girl, you rocked the house,” Desiree said. “They’re still screaming your name. Kiki went out there and they were shouting, ‘We want Angel. We want Angel.’”

  Angelica turned to face Desiree.

  “Are you all right, Angel?”

  “Yeah, Desi, I’m fine. I just saw a ghost.”

  “What do you mean you saw a ghost?”

  “Someone from my past that I’ve tried to forget.” Angelica pulled the five one-hundred-dollar bills out from the pile of crumpled bills.

  “Damn, that’s a big tip. Put that out of sight,” Desiree whispered. “Don’t let anyone know you have it. You want to talk?”

  “Not right now, Desi. Maybe later.”

  “I’m here for you, girl, but you know you’ve got to go back out there. They are emptying their pockets for you.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Angelica said half-heartedly. “I delivered, and they paid. I was on a high, you know. Wanted to show that simple-minded Kiki how a real pole dancer did it. Never expected to see him again.”

  “I can give you a ride home tonight, if you like,” Desiree offered. “If it will make you feel better.”

  “I appreciate it, Desiree, but I’ll take a cab. Don’t want you to have to go way out of your way. I’ll be all right.” Angelica paused. “Thanks for being a friend.”

  “Girl, you’re all right in my book,” Desiree said. She patted Angelica’s back. “I knew you were special the moment I first laid eyes on you.”

  A look of surprise covered Angelica’s face. She looked up at Desiree and smiled. They both turned toward the commotion at the entrance to the dressing room.

  Kiki was arguing with Gerald Lloyd. Her hands were flying in the air and her mouth was going a mile a minute. Gerald was up in her face, and his fingers were swishing back and forth like windshield wipers. Kiki took her hands and pushed him in the chest, and, then walked in Angelica’s direction, Gerald walking right behind her.

  Kiki threw her hands in the air. “You owe
me, bitch. You went out there and stole my money. I’ve got a baby who needs milk and Pampers, and your old ass is in here cuz you ain’t got nothing else to do.”

  “Ignore Kiki, Angel,” Gerald Lloyd said. “She’s having a bad day.”

  “I don’t need you to talk for me,” Kiki screamed. “She’s gonna pay for this!”

  “It’s all right, Mr. Lloyd. I can handle this.” As Angelica stood and stared at Kiki, Gerald Lloyd backed away. “Poor, poor, Kiki. Didn’t make enough money to buy her baby some milk?”

  Kiki raised her hand.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Angelica said, throwing her hand up to block Kiki’s hand. “Next time, you’ll be careful what you ask for. Last is what you wanted, and last is what you got. You have no one to blame but yourself. I told you before you got in my face that you were no match for me. You’re cocky, ignorant with mush for brains, and if you had only listened to the advice this old ass gave you, you would have fared much better.

  “I believe there’s hope for you Kiki, but before you go around attacking people because of your inexperience and insecurities, use your head for something other than a coat rack. You’ll be better off.”

  “I’ll sue you first. Those men out there were my customers.”

  Angelica peeled off a twenty-dollar bill and pushed it into Kiki’s hand. “Get your baby some milk and Pampers.”

  Kiki stared at Angelica with tears welling up in her eyes. She slapped the money away, walked to the restroom and slammed the door.

  24

  Tonight’s payday made Angelica a very happy woman. Not only would she be able to afford first and last month’s rent, she could also buy a whole lot of other things. Her five hundred-dollar tip was tucked deep in the crevice of her bosom, and her employers at Club Platinum would be none the wiser.

  She called for a taxi and chit-chatted a moment with some of the other girls who had taken a liking to her. They begged for Angelica’s secret because a payday like hers meant freedom for them…freedom to make the kind of choices they wanted—where to live, what stores to shop in, and even the choice of a higher education, if they wanted it. They listened intently to Angelica’s colorful monologue on how to please a man with your body without being touched. Finally, Angelica waved goodbye and headed for the door.

  Upon opening the door, cold air rushed into Angelica’s face. It was three-thirty in the morning, but she felt alive. Facing Ari wouldn’t be a chore this morning because she could leave his house tomorrow if she chose to do so.

  A set of headlights crawled down the street but, to Angelica’s disappointment, it wasn’t the cab. The black car pulled to the curb, and the passenger door flew open. Out stepped Robert Santiago, his gold diamond ring shining under the moonlight.

  “Thought I forgot, didn’t you?”

  “Well, I hadn’t thought about it since we first spoke,” Angelica replied.

  Santiago laughed. “I bet you didn’t forget the thousand-dollar tip I left you. If I check with the owners, I can almost guarantee that you didn’t turn it in. See, I know you, Angelica. You lust for money like most men lust for women.”

  Angelica stood on the curb, unable to find a word to say. Santiago was amused but not for long. “Come on, let’s hop in the car. I don’t like long drawn out conversations standing outside in the cold when I have a warm comfortable place to do that sort of thing.

  “I really ought to go home. I have a lot to do tomorrow.”

  “Like what?”

  Angelica stared at Santiago. She had been free of him for the last five years, even if she was in a prison cell, and she wasn’t about to let one evening send her back into his clutches if she could help it.

  “I’m sorry, Angelica. What you have to do is none of my business. I want to take you for breakfast and some small talk.”

  “I’m sure there aren’t any places open at this time that serve breakfast.”

  “You’re in New York City. Nothing ever closes.”

  Santiago guided Angelica by the arm and led her to the car. “By the way,” Santiago said, “I like Angelica much better than Angel. Angelica has a ring that pulsates down my spine.”

  A sigh slipped through Angelica’s lips. She couldn’t believe that she was allowing Santiago to manipulate her. No, she wasn’t putting up a fight because she knew the power of his reach. Angelica had seen Santiago in action. Maybe breakfast was all he really wanted, and then she could be on her way to making her own success, whatever it was, all by herself. She slipped into the car, with Santiago right behind her.

  The car was spacious. A smoked-glass partition separated the back from the driver, and a well-stocked mini-bar faced the couple where they sat.

  “How about some champagne?” Santiago asked.

  “All right,” Angelica whispered.

  “You were working it tonight. But why, may I ask…a strip club?”

  “If you really want to know, before I became Hamilton Barnes’ wife years ago, I used to be a stripper. In fact, that’s where we met.”

  Santiago passed Angelica the drink and cocked his head to get a better look at her. “You certainly haven’t lost your touch.”

  “Some things you never forget.”

  “Truer words were never spoken. You know, Angelica, I adored you once. I know that it wasn’t a match made in heaven, but you were special to me. My princess. Remember?”

  Angelica swallowed hard. She had no desire to recount the past, especially the part where she betrayed him. “Yes, I remember.”

  “You would do anything for me then. Manipulation was your game, and you did it well. I hated that you ran out on me like you did. Don’t worry, you’ll have an opportunity to redeem yourself.”

  “Redeem myself?”

  “No need to worry about that now. Enjoy the ride. We’ll be at our destination in about twenty minutes. We’ll have a nice meal, small chit chat, and then I’ll take you home.”

  “Whatever. I’m here now.”

  Santiago placed his arm behind Angelica and watched the New York night roll by. They drove in silence. A long expanse of bridge lay before them, and when they had crossed over, Long Island lay before them like a mystical city under the stars.

  Santiago pulled his arm to the front and tapped on the glass partition. He motioned to the right and the driver pulled in front of a storefront building. The area surrounding it was all but empty, however, and Santiago smiled and turned to Angelica. “This is it, El Conuco—the best Honduran food outside of The Republic.”

  Angelica looked nervously about her, got out of the car and followed Santiago into the small but clean family-owned restaurant. A wide smile radiated on the faces of the old couple inside. They were of Latin decent and seemed very familiar to Santiago.

  “Angelica, this is mi tio, Jorge, and mi tia, Maria. This is my uncle and aunt,” Santiago said, addressing the frown on Angelica’s face. “They are the first persons I stayed with when I came to the United States from Honduras. Nothing like family.”

  Santiago uttered a barrage of words in Spanish to Maria, and before anyone could count to three, a skillet and pots were hitting the stove.

  “In another few hours, they would have been up to start the day,” Santiago said. “Uncle Jorge and Aunt Maria have owned this little restaurant for almost thirty years. Life has been good to them, and they love it when I come around, give them a few dollars, and bring some big spenders. They have been my only family since the day my mother and father were killed in Honduras. I owe them so much more than I’ve given them.”

  “They seem to be very nice people,” Angelica said. “To fix you breakfast in the middle of the night…”

  “They would do anything for me. Now, let’s talk about you. What are you doing in New York?”

  Angelica cringed as she suddenly thought about Donna lying in some morgue. At some point and time, she was going to have to make contact with someone about Donna’s death. Whom, she did not know. The last thing she wanted to do wa
s share any of it with Santiago. She fidgeted in her seat, and tried to think of something to say.

  “I wanted to start a fresh life far away from North Carolina,” Angelica said softly. “Not much in N-C. I figured I would have a better chance in great big New York.”

  “So your fresh start is stripping at a nightclub for a bunch of lust-filled men?”

  Angelica looked directly at Santiago. She sensed he was fishing for something but could not put her finger on it. Why was he so interested in what she was doing with her life?

  “I needed some quick money to get me started.”

  “I thought you owned property in North Carolina or something.”

  “My brother, Edward, sold my home and used some of the money for my trial. The rest…he is overseeing. He doles it out to me when I need it.” She wasn’t about to tell Santiago about leaving her condo she recently bought in Fayetteville.

  “It’s your damn money, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, I’m sure I can get some anytime I need it, but coming to New York was a sudden move for me, and I didn’t have time to consult my brother about it.”

  “So you came to New York without a real plan. Seems rather odd to me.”

  “Well, I had actually been asked to model for a magazine, but I found out that I really wasn’t cut out for the business. Too demanding.”

  “Modeling would have been much more respectable than what you’re doing.”

  Angelica was becoming irritated at Santiago’s line of questioning. Again, why should he care? It was her life, not his. She only consented to go to breakfast with him, not become part of his life.

  “Why does it matter to you what I’m doing?” Angelica asked.

  “Curious. There’s so much more to you, Angelica. It doesn’t seem to be your style.”

  “Do we really ever get to know everything about someone—the real truth?”

  “So, what should I know about Ms. Angelica Barnes that I don’t know?”

  “You probably already know all there is to know about me.”

  A pained look crossed Santiago’s face. It frightened Angelica, but she refused to let him see it. He placed his chin on his hand and continued to look at her as if he had disappeared into her soul. Angelica could feel his footsteps on her heart, searching and looking for the thing that made her tick. The footsteps were so hard that she could feel her blood running from them.