“Damn, if I had known all that was under them overalls and that baseball cap, I would’ve had you on stage before tonight. Put her in the golden cage.” She said, before she turned to leave the room.
I felt so strange.
Shanice put something around my neck that was connected to a chain, a collar.
“Good job Yas, she’s putting you in the golden cage! You go girl! Some of these girls been here for years and ain’t got a chance to dance in the golden cage.”
“Does The Beast have a name?” I asked, blinking to keep her in focus. Her mouth opened in surprise.
She laughed. “Poor country mouse, whatever you do, stay away from The Beast. You are too innocent for him. He will destroy you. But yes, he has a name, Gabriel—Gabriel Calhoun. He’s the only son of the big time gangster, Calhoun.” I frowned.
“The white guy?” My words were beginning to slur.
“Naw silly, the black one!”
I nodded, although I still had no idea who she was talking about. Laughing at her, I brought my hand to her face. She jerked her head back.
“Girl, don’t mess up my makeup!”
I gently touched her face anyway, lightly palming her cheek.
“You city folks are so funny!”
She laughed. “And you are so high, country mouse.”
I opened my mouth appalled. At least, I think I was appalled; that made me laugh. Right then Reggie, Shugga’s errand boy came in the room. He took one look at me and came to a complete stop.
“Damn!” His eyes raked over my body before he brought his fist to his mouth.
“Shugga wasn’t lying! Shorty, you about to shut it down!”
I think he was hopping around, or maybe it was the drugs.
“Girl, you sexy as hell!” He began walking toward me, but right then Shanice put her hand on his chest.
“Uh uh pimp, this ain’t for you.” He frowned at her and shoved her hand away.
“Yeah whateva, it’s time for ya’ll to go out.” He looked back at me.
“I’m gone holla at you later.”
I nodded trying to keep my cool, but I was losing touch on my reality. I was slipping into a place that was nothing but feelings. Shanice pulled the little golden chain that was connected to my collar and began to sashay out to the floor.
I don’t know what the chain was for, maybe I was supposed to be a falcon or something. As we walked out to what the girls called the show room floor, the little voice in my head that was screaming for me to run, began to fade until I could no longer hear it.
The men cheered when they saw us. The music changed and the beat became erotic. It felt so good. I began moving my body like Shanice in front of me. I couldn’t help it. The music was doing something deep inside of my soul.
Shanice walked me to the golden cage. Crusher stood outside it with his meaty arms folded. When he saw me his mouth dropped open.
“Close your mouth Crush and open the cage!” Shanice yelled so she could be heard over the music.
“What ya’ll do to Yasmin?” He asked as he opened the cage and helped me in.
His eyes raked over my body. I should feel ashamed to be on display like a piece of meat but I didn’t. It felt so good to finally be noticed. I was always dressing down to disappear. Even now, although most of my body was showing, I was still in disguise.
No one here knew how I really looked. The only ones in this world that saw me fully were dead.
“Don’t let anyone get pass you. She stays in this cage!” She cupped her hand on the side of her mouth so that he could hear her better.
He nodded his head on his thick neck before he placed that mean mug back and crossed his mammoth sized arms again. I stood there looking down at Shanice, not sure of what to do. She stepped up on the block my cage was on.
“Come on Yas, dance for me baby. Show me how you country girls do it!” She began to move her hips.
I duplicated her movements, but my body had a mind of its own and was moving to its own tune. I let go and gave into the music that had wrapped around me like silk. I danced barefoot in the cage and it felt as if the bass caressed my feet before gently wrapping around my ankles. It slid up my thighs to my hips. When it began to caress my belly, my breath got caught in my throat as pleasure like I had never felt shot through me.
I gasped, when it felt as if it palmed my breast. I followed its path with my hands, and oh that felt so good.
Throwing my head back, I brought my hands up to caress my neck and my wig covered head. I wanted to snatch the thing off. I always wore a wig. I wanted my hair to be free. But I refrained because I had been trained most of my life to conceal it.
Instead, I put my hands over my head while moving my hips to the rhythm. I felt like I was on fire, my body wanted something and I didn’t know what.
I don’t know how long I danced. I didn’t even notice the song changing, only that it changed. A spotlight shined on my cage that made me feel as if I was in a bubble with just me and the music.
But then something happened!
There was a force penetrating my bubble. I grabbed a hold of the cage still slowly moving my hips as I opened my eyes to scan the crowd.
Needing to know what kind of force it was that was penetrating through my drugged haze.
I saw blurs of vibrating people; men and the girls dancing on their
