“want a fine, young tenderoni such as myself. Day-old bread won’t do. You might as well leave now because the only thing you’ll be counting tonight is change.” Kiki dropped a penny on the floor for emphasis.
There was no breathing or moving in the room. The air was thick, and the music that played in the other room seemed louder than ever. Angelica put her hands on her hips and twisted her lips into a scowl.
“Normally, I wouldn’t stoop this low to an uneducated, brainless bitch like you. You wished you knew what I know. I can turn tables around your sorry ass, and I’ve made men faint at the sound of my name. I’m the last of the real diva pole queens. Sweetie, I bet you’ve never picked up five Gs from one person on a single dance. You need to watch me work.”
Kiki sneered at her, but Angelica had turned and walked away. Kiki was livid.
“What are you heifers looking at?” Kiki shouted at the group.
The others dismissed Kiki with a swing of their hands. She walked off in a huff, eyeing Angel with a carnivorous stare. “We’ll see about that,” Kiki said under her breath.
“Show time in thirty minutes,” Desiree shouted. “Tonight’s lineup: Michelle, Foxy, Toya, Lovey, Misty, Arnell, Kiki, and Angel.”
“Oh, no!” Kiki shouted. “I’m not going in front of the old bag.”
“’Fraid I’ll clean up what you couldn’t get?” Angelica said.
“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.
“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,
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.”
