Bloom

03 | lights out

Literally the prettiest girl I know.

She looks different from the pale majority with her smooth mahogany complexion. Natural ass and a toned stomach just like Teyana Taylor. Her heels are sharp and the jet black buss down wig on her head is laid to perfection. She grabs the pole and almost every head in the building turns, even the men who are already occupied with other women.

"Damn, Nadi killing that shit. We need to get closer!" Cree stands up and makes her way through the crowd. I grab Lira's hand and we follow close behind.

"Girl, thanks for saving me from his bum ass." Lira scoffs and I laugh, watching as he sucks his teeth and shakes his head in disappointment.

We squeeze our way through a group of men who are already throwing money and pull our own bills out to do the same thing. I catch a slight smirk on Nadirah's face when she spots us but it's quickly wiped away as she continues her pole tricks.

She moves from the stage to a section of men with familiar faces. They're all wearing flashy jewelry and the same facial expressions as the night they came into Heated Prime fifteen minutes before closing. Dexter's eyes are red, Kasey is mugging, and mystery man is unreadable. Niko isn't here at all.

Mack bites his lip, showing his dimples as Nadirah focuses on him only. He's throwing more than just one dollar bills and judging from the stack in his large hands, he can afford to.

I see the intensity in their eye contact when she faces him briefly and I almost look away, feeling like I'm intruding. She turns on her heels suddenly, and heads back to the stage to collect her cash, blowing a kiss before she exits.

"Damn." I sigh. "I didn't know my girl was poppin' like that."

"Badass Nadi." Cree whistles.

"Hmm." Kira hums, running her tongue over her teeth. "Her bag gone be heavy tonight."

I send Nadirah a quick text, letting her know that we're going to the bar to get some wings before we leave. The heels on my feet are starting to hurt and I'm getting sick of inhaling everyone's blunt and tobacco fumes.

"Aye wassup, Cree." Kasey steps down from the section and extends his hand.

"Wassup, bruh. I ain't seen you in a lil' minute. Thought you had done found somebody else." Cree laughs, dapping him up and Kasey's hard expression turns into a smile that lights up his whole face and reveals teeth that are nearly perfect.

"Nah shawty, I'ma hit you up soon." He promises before licking his lips and turning his attention to me and Lira. I only make a few seconds of eye contact with him before l cast my gaze downward while Lira's eyes fixate on the chains that hang from his neck.

"Oh, these are my friends, Giselle and Lira. Y'all, this my boy, Kasey."

He nods his head as a greeting before his thick eyebrows pull together. "You look real familiar. You a waitress, right?"

"Yes." I shift from one leg to the other, looking past his head briefly. Another pair of intense eyes watch us from a distance and I pull my dress down, hoping that I've sewn it well enough and smooth down my hair, praying that it hasn't frizzed up too bad.

Luckily, the conversation is cut short by a woman wanting Kasey's attention and take that as my cue to scurry back to the bar. Cree and Lira follow.

"Damn, I rushed over here thinking that y'all was on y'all way out the door and y'all asses took a lil minute." Nadirah complains. She's got a tote bag slung over her shoulder and a coat that comes down her her shins, covering her body.