came at me like that. Once niggas heard that, they usually went on about their business with their heads hangin’ low. I was there for the money, not to give up any parts of this pussy.
“Whaat? Five hundred dollars? Bitch, is you crazy? Baby, I can get some ass for a hundred and a half up in this bitch,” he yelled.
I sucked my teeth. “One fifty?” I ran my hand along the length of my body. “What about this body says I’d even consider giving up any of this for a measly, hundred and fifty dollars?” I asked with all seriousness.
“Damn, baby, that’s a grip though. You want too much.”
“Nigga, please. Obviously your paper ain’t heavy enough, so you need to move on to one of these average bitches around here.” Before he could tug me again, I snatched my arm from him and stormed into the VIP room.
When the club was getting ready to close, I walked into the dressing room and everyone was giggling and acting like they’d gone in on a winning lottery ticket.
“What’s up?” I asked one of the few somber-looking dancers in the room.
She turned to look at the group that was celebrating, and then turned to me. “What’s up, Jada? They all excited and shit ’cause Bruce Bruce just came in and picked girls for Sunday night’s big private party,” she snarled. “I’m really surprised that Bruce Bruce didn’t pick you.”
“So am I,” I mumbled, taking her response and attitude to mean she wasn’t one of the chosen ones. I had heard the talk around the club. The party was being held for The One. He was the hottest rappers in the city and word was, when he and his entourage came to the club, it was at least an easy grand for even the average dancer. That told me my goal should be three times that amount. Now, all I had to do was find a way to get invited to the party, but Bruce Bruce was nowhere to be found.
As I was heading out the back door, a powerful hand clutched my shoulder.
“Miss Kitty, I was lookin’ for you. I want you at One’s party tomorrow night. Think you can handle it? It’s a lot of money to be made,” Bruce Bruce warned.
“I’ll be here purrin’,” I promised.
4
The next night sheer electricity lingered in the air at the club. This so-called private party wasn’t private at all. There were fifteen other dancers besides myself and at least thirty members of The One’s entourage, and a bunch of the clubs regulars that were friendly with Bruce Bruce.
When I hit the floor, Bruce Bruce was sitting at a table in the corner with two guys, but it was the one in the black that caught my eye. I was just about to make my way over there when I was surrounded by three men. “Miss Kitty!” one of them screamed and they all started dropping money at my feet. Without taking my eyes off the man in black, I took off my outfit and went to work.
“Watch this,” another one said. “You ain’t never seen nothin’ like this before, dog.”
I was so into it that a circle formed around me and before long, they were chanting my name. “Miss Kitty! Miss Kitty! Miss Kitty!” There were so many of them that they blocked my view of the guy. When the song ended, I picked up my money and went back to the dressing room.
When I returned to the floor, I looked around the club for the man in the black, but I didn’t see him. I was startled when a deep and sexy voice said, “Miss Kitty, right?”
I spun around; it was the guy and he looked even better up close. He had the most piercing eyes. “That’s me.”
“I enjoyed watching you dance,” he said.
“Thanks. You a friend of Bruce Bruce?” I asked.
“I guess you could say that.”
“I haven’t seen you here before,” I said and stepped closer. “So I guess you’re part of The One’s entourage.”
He flashed a smile and I got wet. “Not exactly. I own the company that manages The One.”
“Oh really,” I said, knowing that this was somebody I needed to know.
“You ready to go, Black?” the other guy he was with said.
“Yeah, in a minute, Freeze,” he said and turned to me.
“Miss Kitty, it was a pleasure meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you again.”
“Jada.”
“Excuse me.”
“Jada. My name is Jada.”
“Okay, Jada it is then. Maybe I’ll come back to see you. Bruce Bruce speaks very highly of you. I’d be interested to see why,” he said and started to walk away.
Since he’d already seen me dance I assumed that he meant something else. The way he looked; the way that sexy voice rang in my ear, I was ready to forget about this money and go anywhere he wanted. I grabbed his arm. “What’s your name?” I had to know.
“Mike Black.”
And just like that he was gone.
I kept looking toward the VIP room where the real money was. I knew it was time for Miss Kitty to take the stage. I looked around at the tired ass dancers who didn’t make it into the VIP room and knew I’d have the room chanting my name again, soon enough.
When I got onstage, I went into my act. I was gyrating my hips and did a split. When I eased out of it was when I noticed him.
The One himself.
He was walking out of the men’s room flanked by two men. When his eyes caught mine, I took my nipple between my teeth and bounced up and down, allowing the tassels on my crotch to touch the floor. He stopped cold in his tracks.
Bills started raining down on me. When I twirled around on my ass and brought my thighs up and did a split in midair, I heard them yelling.
“Goddamn, girl!” someone cried.
“Work that shit!” another one said.
I danced like there might not be a tomorrow and at every turn, his eyes were on me. Before it was over, he was at the edge of the stage, his bodyguard’s right at his side.
When I crawled to him, he plucked five crisp one hundred dollar bills from his wad and held them out for me. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “You come to VIP with me and my boy Bullet here.”
I allowed him to put the bills into my thong then shook my head. “Nah, baby, I’ve got work to do,” I said and shook my hips and wiggled away from him. When I finished my set he was still standing there, staring at my every move. The One went back in the VIP room while I was picking up my money. I cursed myself for not jumpin’ at his offer. I was doin’ all right controlling the floor, but I knew that The One was in there with a select group, and that’s where I belonged. With the real money!
Later that night, I walked out of the dressing room and bumped right into The One’s bodyguard. He was massive; a six feet four-inch tower who looked down at me and said, “The One wants you in the VIP.”
“And what are you, his mouthpiece?” I asked.
“He told me to bring you,” he confirmed.
Since that’s where I wanted to be anyway, I followed Bullet to the VIP room without another word passing between us. When I walked through the door, Creme and the other dancers that were in there, rolled their eyes at me and continued what they were doin’. They knew what my presence in the room meant. And when Bullet walked me over to The One and he pulled me onto his lap, you woulda thought I’d slapped their mothers.
“You a bad muthafucka, you know that?”
“Thank you,” I purred modestly.
“I was watchin’ you move on the stage.”
“I know, and thank you for the tips,” I said and ran my hand across his chest. “Do you want me to dance for
