by Erin Osborne
Sydney sees me and startles. She places her hand on her chest and finishes tucking the little boy in bed before walking over to me. When she gets close to me, I don’t move an inch. She’s going to have to rub up against me if she wants to get through the door. And I sure as hell won’t mind one damn bit about feeling her body up against mine.
“Um, can you please move?” she asks, her voice almost a whisper so she doesn’t wake the boy up.
I give her my panty-dropping smile and inch back further from the room. I’m not going to make this easy on her. Sydney will learn when I want something, I do whatever it takes to get it. Even if it’s just getting her in my bed or invited into hers.
When she realizes I’m not going to move much more, Sydney huffs out a breath and passes me in the narrow hallway. The front of her body brushes up against mine and I savor the contact. Just as soon as her body touches mine, the contact is gone. I miss the brief heat from her and the smell of lavender and sunshine that I relate solely to Sydney.
“Are you going to bring in the rest of the groceries?” she asks, heading straight for the kitchen.
“Yeah. You in a rush for a reason?” I ask her, wanting to get to her as much as she does me.
“My friend will be back soon and I want this taken care of before then. Heaven and she spent their morning cleaning in here and I don’t want her to think it’s a waste,” Sydney tells me.
I nod my head and make my way back out to the SUV. There’s someone walking down the street and eyeing the back of the open SUV. As soon as he sees me, he turns in the other direction. I smile, an evil smile, and hope that means people will leave her the hell alone if they think she’s mine. One goal accomplished while she lives in this part of town. That’s something else that’s going to have to be rectified.
I grab two armfuls of bags from the SUV and head back to the house. There’s still more bags to get, but I’ll make as many trips as I have to for Sydney. I don’t know that there’s much I won’t do for her honestly. It’s weird times and feelings for someone to seem to have this much control over me. Especially a woman who doesn’t have a clue of the power she holds right now. Or doesn’t seem to want it. When the hell did I grow a pussy?
It takes two more trips to get all the groceries inside the house. Sydney is putting everything away and looking on with a bewildered look. It’s like she’s never seen this many groceries at one time or something. If that’s the case, I’ll be making this run as often as I can for her. Sydney and the little boy in the other room deserve better than this. And if Karson shows up while I’m here, he’ll get a piece of my mind and a fist to the face for how he’s treating these two.
“Bounce, why are you doing this?” she asks.
“Heaven called me and asked me to go on a grocery run for you. So, here I am. Is everythin’ okay with you?” I ask her.
“Yeah. My brother had to have emergency surgery so I have to stay with him for a bit. I’ll be back to work soon,” she answers.
“Your brother?” I ask confused.
“Yeah. The little boy in the room. Karson is my brother,” she tells me.
Karson is her brother? She’s not with a man named Karson.
So many questions run rampant through my mind. I thought Karson was her man and she didn’t deny it at Legacies when she was questioned. Sydney let us all think she was with someone but why?
I have to get out of here. There’s no way I can stay when I have more questions than answers running around my head. It’s making my head hurt.
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” Sydney suddenly asks.
“Yeah, babe, I can do that,” I answer without thinking.
Sydney finishes putting the groceries up and then starts making dinner. She’s quick as hell as she starts the oven, and puts several pans on the top of the stove. I take a seat at the small table and wonder if the chair is going to hold my weight. Syd cuts potatoes, makes gravy, prepares green bean casserole, and puts the chicken in the oven. I try to think of things to talk about as she works, but the silence is comfortable and there’s no reason to speak. So, I decide to remain quiet.
Finally, the door opens and a woman rushes inside. She drops a bag on the couch and makes her way to the kitchen. The entire time she’s paying attention to her phone and doesn’t realize I’m here yet. I’m just waiting for her to notice.
“Hey, slut, did you miss me?” the second woman asks.
“No. You weren’t gone long enough to miss you,” Sydney says. “Santana, this is Bounce. Bounce, this is Santana.”
The girl, Santana, immediately looks up from her phone and looks at me. Yeah, she knows what happened between her friend and me as she turns a glare in my direction.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Santana asks.
“I brought groceries over and Syd was kind enough to invite me to dinner,” I answer, sounding bored with the conversation.
“You sure that’s a wise decision, Syd?” she asks her friend.
Sydney doesn’t look at either one of us as she continues to work while shrugging her shoulders in response. This is how the rest of the night goes. Well, when I’m not being grilled by Santana. She should work for the damn club with all her questions and trying to intimidate the hell out of me. And the only reason she’s doing it is to protect her friend. Santana just earned a few points in my book because of this. And she seems to be here for Sydney when no one else is. Well, that’s about to change too. I’ll be here as much as I can from now on.
Chapter Eleven
Sydney a.k.a Delight
IT’S BEEN A few days since I brought Karson home from the hospital. He’s been doing amazing so far. There’s been no infection, he’s eating more, not sleeping as long, and he is finally starting to move around the house a little bit. I’ve been the overprotective mama bear when it comes to him and I know it’s starting to get on everyone’s nerves; Karson’s, Santana’s and even Bounce’s. The only one who gets it is Heaven because she does the same thing with him when she’s here.
I’m debating going to work tonight. Santana is more than capable of taking care of Karson now that he’s on the mend. Heaven already told me I can get some hours in behind the bar for now to make up for the time I lost while Karson was in the hospital and when he first came home. Now, I need to think about what I need to do to get us back on track.
So, I’ve talked to Santana and called Heaven about working and they’re both on board. Now all I have to do is get ready. Heaven assured me I’ll have an outfit there to wear, I just need the heels and I’m set. I’ll be either working the floor or standing behind the bar with Colt and Vanish. I don’t think I’ve been around Vanish before so I kind of hope I’ll be on the floor so I’m not in close contact with a man I don’t know.
“I’m jumping in the shower, Tan,” I call out as she makes Karson some lunch.
“Okay. We’re having lunch and then watching movies,” she answers.
On top of buying me groceries, Bounce went out and bought a brand-new TV for the living room with a Blu-ray player and a bunch of movies for Karson. And some for him too. As I said, he’s been spending time here and wants to make sure he has something to watch after dinner. I’m still not even sure what I’m going to do about him or what he wants from me. He hasn’t made a move on me since the one time we had sex and we haven’t talked about it. This is why I haven’t worried about men before; they take up too much brain power and are too confusing.
Stepping in the bathroom, I turn on the shower and wait for the water to heat up. While I look in the mirror, I see my skin has paled and my hair looks listless and grungy. I guess I’m more exhausted than I originally thought with trying to take care of my brother and all the stress of the unknown over the last week or so. It’s definitely taking its toll on me and I’ll be glad when I can start bringing in money from work.
Finally stepping under the hot water, I let it cascade over me for a few minutes. My muscles begin to loosen one by one and I le
an my head against the cool tile of the shower. This is the next room I want to work on in the house to make it cleaner and better. The tile is cracked in places and I’m sure the entire surround should be replaced but I don’t have that type of money. So, for now, I’ll do what I can until we can leave here.
As soon as I’m washed and everything is taken care of, I get out and quickly dry off in one of the threadbare towels I have. We definitely need better towels than this; ones that are thick, fluffy, and don’t look as if they’re about to fall apart if you touch them. Beggars can’t be choosers at this point.
I throw on a pair of jeans, a tank top, and add my socks and sneakers. Once I’m dressed, I do my hair in a simple ponytail and then go in the living room for Santana to do my make-up. It doesn’t take her long to get it done and I look in the mirror to see she’s done my eyes in a smokey color with mascara and then left the rest of my face in light make-up so it looks like I’m not wearing anything. She’s the best.
After making sure I have everything for work, I head into Karson’s room. He’s getting some movies he wants to watch as I enter.
“Hey, buddy. I’m heading to work,” I tell him. “Be good for Santana and I love you.”
“Love you,” he practically whispers in response.
I kiss the top of his head and leave his room. Walking in the living room, Santana is getting a few drinks ready for Karson and her to have while they spend the afternoon vegging out in front of the TV.
“I’m not sure what time I’ll be home,” I tell Santana. “If there’s any problems, you have my number, Heaven’s, and Bounce’s. I’d say call Bounce first.”
“We’ll be fine, Syd. Have fun and I’ll be here when you get home,” she tells me, wrapping me in a hug before I grab my keys and head out.
Getting in the car, I turn it on and fiddle with the Bluetooth so I can listen to my music before leaving the house. I’ve got Wicked Game by Stone Sour playing as I head toward the club. I’m driving along, singing along to the song, when I notice the volume starting to get lower on the radio and the car not acting right. It seems to be slowing down the further along I go. So, I turn my blinker on and roll toward the side of the road.
Frustration fills me to the point I want to cry, but I can’t. I don’t have time for that weak ass shit. So, I grab my bag, turn the car off, and hit my hazard lights before getting out and making sure the car is locked. Instead of driving to work, I walk the rest of the way. Keeping my phone in my pocket where I tucked it, I don’t want to talk to anyone right now. I’ll lose my shit if I do. Santana tried to do a nice thing for me and I’m not going to have her feeling bad because of this happening.
The sun beats down on me and I swear I’m going to melt right into the damn sidewalk as I make my way to Legacies. It doesn’t take long for a sheen of sweat to cover my skin and the heat to feel as if it’s suffocating me. This is not how I anticipated starting my day today. And it’s sure as hell not how I want to start my job at Legacies. Or is this just a precursor of what today’s going to be like for me?
As I walk to the club, I’m passed by several cars, trucks, and even a few motorcycles. Not a single person stops to ask if I’m okay or if there’s something they can do to help. It’s not like I expect it, but it would be nice to be treated as a human being and not a piece of trash because of where I live or who my mother was. Instead, I make the trek to the club and I’m thankful it’s only a mile or so today instead of the two plus mile trek I’d been walking.
I’ll have to call someone to tow the car eventually and I’ll have to let Santana know what happened to. She’ll be upset, pissed, and I can’t guarantee what she’ll do but it’s her money that was spent and she has the right to know. For now, I’ll just concentrate on getting to work and making it through the shift. After work, I’ll focus on the rest and try to get it all figured out. It’s hard to do when you don’t have any damn money for emergencies like this. I can’t even pay for a damn tow truck.
By the time I reach the club, I’m drenched in sweat, my make-up is dripping down my face, and my clothes are sticking to me. Tonight is not going to be a good night at all. Somehow I’m going to have to figure out my make-up, hair, and try to get the stink of sweat off me before I start working tonight. My only hope is that Heaven is already here and can help me.
I round the building and see a few motorcycles, Tonya’s truck, and a few cars already in the parking lot. Bounce is already here because his bike is the one parked the closest to the door right now. I roll my eyes at the odds of having to face him in my current condition and chastise myself because I’m sure he’s not going to give a rat’s ass about what I look like.
Pulling the heavy back door open, I relish the cool blast of air as the air conditioning already hits me in the face. I want to linger here and just soak it all up with my overheated skin, but I can’t. There’s no time to soak up the cool air so I can get ready. Well, as ready as I can with the ruined appearance I’m now sporting.
It’s bad enough, I can feel my hair sticking to my head, neck, and back. My face feels like it’s dried from the little bit of make-up Santana applied before I left the house. And my clothes are definitely sticking to me. I’m so uncomfortable I can’t stand it. To top it all off, I have to wear a miniscule dress with a pair of heels and put off sex appeal I don’t feel right now. It’s going to take a fucking miracle to help me look fresh and like I belong here.
“Syd, what the hell happened to you?” Heaven asks, rushing down the hall toward me.
She comes to an abrupt stop as she takes in my appearance from head to toe. Bounce isn’t far behind her and I can fell his gaze perusing my body at a much slower pace.
“Well, I was on my way here in the car and it died,” I answer Heaven, never once looking at Bounce.
“Why the fuck didn’t you call me?” Bounce asks, his voice sounding low and lethal.
“There wasn’t time and I don’t have your number,” I answer him. “Heaven, is there someplace I can take a quick shower to wash the sweat off me?”
“Yeah, honey. Follow me,” she answers, grabbing my arm and not letting Bounce say another word to me.
We enter the dressing room and I see a few girls getting ready. Heaven introduces me to Dream, Fawna, and Temptress. Dream and Fawna are usually waitresses but some girls got fired and they’re filling in until new dancers can get hired. The girls all greet me warmly and begin to fawn over me as Heaven fills them in on my mishap today. I rush into the shower and hate that I’m going to either have to wear nothing under the dress or put on the sweat soaked panties and bra I’m currently wearing. Yeah, no thank you to that.
I rush through a quick shower. As soon as I’m dried off, I slide the skimpy black dress over my head and root around my duffle bag for the brush I stashed in there. After pulling it through my long hair, I put my hair in a low bun so I can put the wig I’ll be using for dancing on. There’s no way in hell I’m stepping out on the floor with my natural hair and eye color on display for the customers tonight. We have access to them for a reason and I’m sure as hell going to take full advantage of it.
Once I’m dressed, I look down and my mouth drops open. My chest is on full display and you can clearly tell I’m not wearing a bra. At least I don’t have panty lines so I guess that’s something to be grateful for.
Heaven and the girls are waiting for me when I make my way out of the bathroom. There’s a ton of make-up and other shit on the dressing table I’ll be using when I strip. Heaven has my wig in her hand and is brushing it while I see a curling iron sitting on the table as well. I reach for the lens case containing my colored lenses to put in before anyone touches me. There’s no point in waiting until my make-up is done to put these in.
The contacts turn my eyes a shade of brown while the wig is brown in color with caramel colored high lights throughout it. As soon as they’re in, I’m sat down in the chair and the women surrounding me all descend. Heaven puts the wig on me and gets it in pl
ace. Loose curls hang down my back and nothing hangs in my face. There’s not even any fly away pieces like my natural hair.
Soon, the rest of the women have my make-up done and I look at myself in the mirror. They’ve given me much the same look as Santana did before I left the house. My eyes are smokey with mascara and some eye liner in place. At the same time my lips shimmer with gloss that was placed on them by one of the women.
“Girl, you look hot as fuck,” Heaven tells me.
I can feel the blush creeping up my face at the compliment I’m not used to getting. The only time I ever hear compliments is from Santana; never anyone else. I’m only used to hearing what a mistake I am, a waste of space, or any other derogatory things my mother would say to me when she was still alive. Especially once I started caring for Karson because she was too blitzed to do so herself.
The only time I ever saw my mom sober was when she was pregnant. That’s because the state stepped in and started doing random drug tests and told her they would take the baby and me from her. There was no way in hell she could let them take me, or Karson once he was born, because that was her only source of income; the money and food stamps she’d get from them for having dependents. Not that we got any of the food stamps because she sold them for her next fix.
I push the thoughts of my mother aside and look at the miracle the women created. Before I can say anything, there’s a knock on the door and Bounce sticks his head inside.
“Need you, Delight,” he says.
Looking around the room, I see everyone looking at me. What the hell?
“Who’s Delight?” I ask.
“You are,” comes Bounce’s reply. “You’re goin’ to be the Delight of the show once you take the stage. Tonight, you’ll be on the floor and the men won’t be able to get enough of you.”
“We don’t use our real names here, honey,” Heaven tells me. “You’ll be Delight from now on and I have to agree with the nickname.”