an official reason to remain in contact with them. After a while, Jada would be off of Gineconna’s radar. I’d already told them I was going to have to get a job, so I’ve got a reason to be unavailable at times. But I could go on being Chante.
I loved being Chante and I was starting to wonder if Chante was who I really was. I didn’t believe it. But I do. I love being Chante.
The last time we were together, Jada asked if I could take a weekend trip with them. “All expenses paid of course,” Jada explained. “It’s just going to be us and the ladies hanging out in the Bahamas.”
I told her I’d think about it, but I knew deep down inside I wanted to go. And since how I did my job was pretty much my business, I figured I’d be able to go with no worries.
But Gineconna was right about one thing: I know Jada could live without it, but the ladies do love the spotlight. Sooner or later, hangin’ out at that club will be their downfall. My job now was to keep Jada out of the clubs, or this could all come crashing down on me. I’ve had nightmares about blowing my cover and fearing Jada’s disappointment once she realized the truth. My challenge was to find a way to prevent that from happening, at all cost.
12
Jada West
It was a little before midnight on a Wednesday night and the ladies and I had been sitting around talking and drinking. Everybody, myself in included, had an appointment earlier that night and had come back to my place. “So, I say we polish these off and go find some real trouble to get into,” I said, looking around the room.
“One more of these and I ain’t gonna have to try too hard to find trouble,” Diane said hoisting up her glass.
“Okay, we’re all feeling real nice and nobody’s got an appointment”-I winked-“so we should just call an end to this bonding, then go kick up some dust.” I glanced at the ladies. “Who’s down?” I asked.
“Count me in!” Diane said, hyped and drunk at the same time.
“You ain’t said nothing but a word,” Simone tossed in, as she turned up her glass.
Just then the phone rang.
“Does this mean I can give it away for free tonight?” Bella giggled.
Diane got up and removed the drink from Bella’s hands. “I think you’ve had enough,” she said. in a dramatic fashion. We all started cracking up as I picked up the phone.
“House of Beauty, this is cutie,” I sang into the receiver.
“Hey, cutie, sounds like there’s a party going on over there. How come I didn’t get an invite?” Chante said into my ear.
“Oh, hey, Chante. We’re just sitting around trying to decide what to get into,” I answered. I had planned on talking to Chante about her conversation with Bella, but it was a conversation I wanted to have in person.
“Hmmm, seems to me like that’s where I need to be,” Chante said.
“Well, come on through then,” I challenged.
As I hung up, Simone turned to me and asked, “Who was that? Chante?”
“That was her,” I confirmed.
“So, what’s up? Is Chante gonna be down or what?” Simone asked.
“I don’t think so. I mean she’s cool and all, but ours isn’t the kind of business you can just welcome someone into,” I said to Simone, even though that was exactly how I got her. I placed the phone back in its cradle and swallowed the last of my drink. I was had nice buzz going and this wasn’t really a conversation I felt like having with Simone. But I knew she wasn’t about to give up.
“So we just continue to have her hanging around? I mean, pretty soon she’ll figure it out, don’t you think? Nobody can be that fuckin’ dumb.” Simone snickered.
“Well, she hasn’t said anything to make me think she’s even curious.” I lied just to shut Simone up. She had a way of questioning everything. I hadn’t forgotten about the questions Chante had asked Bella, but a part of me was a little suspicious about why Chante never approached me. “Why don’t we think about getting our groove on,” I offered, trying to keep things light.
“Yeah, I feel you on that. So what’s up with the bachelorette party Diane mentioned?” Simone asked.
“Bachelorette party?” Bella questioned. “Diane, you are getting too gay for me.”
“Look, it’s like I told her. I don’t think we need to even start doing events like that. I mean, we make good money now. We start going out like that, I’m just afraid it could turn into something we don’t want.”
Simone didn’t look like she agreed too much with my response, but I meant what I said. “I didn’t start this business only to go right back to where I’d started. I see no real money in the stripping thing; especially since we make three or four times what a stripper earns on a good night. This is easy money for a few hours on your back.” I knew for sure that old saying-been there and done that-applied in this case. It made no sense to start stripping at parties. And honestly, I was a bit pissed at Diane for even bringing it up in the first place. I went and sat down next to Diane. “Did you ever imagine things would turn out this way?” I asked.
“I always knew you were destined for the big-time. I watched how you came to Ecstasy and took over. Yeah, there were prettier girls working there. Better dancers too. I was a better dancer than you.” Diane laughed. “But you knew how to give those men what they wanted, and you made the money. So when you said you were gonna do this, I knew this was where the money was gonna be. Why do you think I begged you to be down?” Diane smirked.
“Smart girl.” I leaned closer to her. “So, why do you want to take a step backwards and go back to shaking your ass? I know it can’t be the money.”
“Honestly,” Diane said softly, “Creme asked me if I would do the party with her. I already told her what you said, but she wants to get with us bad and she’s trying anything.”
“I knew there had to be something else to it. I tell you what, why don’t you and me go by Ecstasy and I’ll tell Creme myself. That should get her off you.”
“Thanks, Jada. Once she hears no from you, maybe she’ll stop bugging me about it.”
Diane and I stood up and started getting ready to leave. “We’re gonna make a quick run, ladies,” I said to Bella and Simone. “Chante is on her way. Give me a call and let me know where y’all end up and we’ll meet you there.”
“Where y’all going?” Simone asked.
“Ecstasy,” Diane replied.
“The place where you guys used to dance?” Bella asked.
“That’s right,” Diane said.
“What are y’all going there for?” Simone asked. “You’re not still thinking about asking that crackhead to join our family, are you?”
“Of course not,” I assured Simone.
“She getting on my nerves, so Jada’s going to shut her down,” Diane said.
“I wanna go,” Bella said quickly. She stood up and started shaking her ass. “I might even dance while I’m there.”
“Why, so you can fall off the damn stage again?” Simone asked and started to get ready to leave.
“Why you gotta go there, Simone, with your no-dancing ass,” Bella came back.
“Aren’t we getting a little loose with the language, ladies?” I asked.
“Sorry, Jada,” they both said, and Diane stuck out her tongue. It was usually her that I had to chastise about her language, but lately it hasn’t been an issue.
“Where are you two going?” I asked.
“With you,” Simone said.
“No. You guys have got to wait here for Chante.”
“She has a cell phone, am I correct?” Simone said in as proper a manner as she could.
“Simone, you are absolutely correct. Chante does have a cell phone,” I said and took out my cell phone.
