Giselle "G" Rowe
Saturday, September 17 | 9:06 p.m.
Fuego - Strip Club
-
By the time I make it to Fuego, my friends are already inside. I got dressed on time, it was my parents that made me late. Too busy trippin' over where I was going.
The music is loud and the colorful lights are bouncing around erratically. I see topless women serving men chicken wings at tables and dancers making their asses clap on stage. Most of their bodies are surgically enhanced, disproportionate, and stiff. The air smells of cigarettes and weed and I hold my breath as I walk through the sea of men.
"Scuse me, lil' mama." Someone grabs my hips from behind and brushes his front against my ass to get by. I throw his hands off of me and pick up my pace, eager to get away. He protests but thankfully, I can barely hear it over the music.
The walkway clears up a little bit and I finally spot Cree and Lira sitting at the bar. Cree is turned around, her eyebrows knitted together with worry as she scans the vicinity and her phone is pressed to her ear. She exhales when we lock eyes.
"Damn G, you took a minute. I was calling you." She shows me her screen and the silly contact photo she has of me makes me smile. I hop up on the stool next to her and sigh with relief.
"Girl, I was bouta call one of y'all! Hey, Lira."
Lira looks past Cree's head to greet me before turning up her nose at a man who walks past us, coughing.
"This why I don't come to nasty ass places like this." She rolls her eyes. "He need to cover his mouth."
"Can I get y'all anything?" The bartender asks. Her skin is light brown and both her cheeks are pierced. She's wearing green contact lenses and her shirt is low enough for me to see the two dermals that sit between her breasts.
"Umm, no thank you."
"I'm good."
"Let me get a shot of Hennessy." Cree leans across the bar a little and bites her lip, staring at the woman's name tag. "Lourdes."
"Comin' up..."
"Cree."
"Okay. Comin' up, Cree." Lourdes giggles before turning around and reaching for the Hennessy bottle.
"Girl, you no better than these niggas." I tease, taking a strip of gum out of my purse.
Two songs later and Cree's had another shot just so that she can keep talking to Lourdes, I'm sure. Lira has relaxed a little bit too, all it took was endless compliments from strangers. An easy way to get her attention is to just tell her how pretty she is.
"Damn ma, you look foreign."
"Well, my dad is French and Italian. My family vacations there from time to time." Lira flips her curly hair over her shoulder. It's long and healthy with streaks of honey blonde.
"Fasho, I love mixed women. Can I get yo' number?"
"I'll think about it." Lira looks him up and down.
She doesn't really entertain men who do not have money or who don't at least look the part and judging by her facial expression, this one doesn't make the cut. He seems oblivious to her distaste though, too busy staring at her bare legs.
The spotlight returns to the stage as the next dancer gets ready to make her entrance and another song is rips through the air. Nadirah walks on the stage and I smile to keep my mouth from dropping.
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.
"You know Cree's social ass always got to speak to somebody." I roll my eyes.
"I hadn't seen my boy in a minute. He act like he don't wanna cop weed from me no mo." Cree shrugs.
"Anyway, you got me star struck!" I hug Nadirah and she chuckles. "You took all my money, friend."
"Thank you, boo!"
"Hell yeah, you killed that shit." Cree agrees.
"I can't believe that he made no effort to talk to me." Lira stares into Kasey's direction with her bottom lip poked out. "He must got a girlfriend or something."
"Every nigga don't gotta flirt with you, Lira." Cree shakes her head, stifling a chuckle and hopping onto the barstool to order everyone's wings.
Lourdes says something that makes Cree laugh and scoff at the same time. "Man, I can eat a lil' somethin', small frame or not so let me get a ten piece lemon pepper hot, like I said."
She turns around briefly to double check with us and Nadirah and I nod. "Aye Lira, you want five or ten?"
"Neither. I don't eat at dirty places." Lira folds her arms and turns her head back towards the section, distracted for a brief moment.
"Here she go." Nadirah rolls her eyes.
"Okay, just three orders of ten then." Cree shrugs it off, unfazed.
The conversation drifts back to Nadirah as we wait on our food. Many people stop to tell her how beautiful and captivating she is. Some even offer to buy her drinks but she politely declines, even though she's grateful for the gesture. I'm happy to see my girl receive all this love.
"My cheeks hurt. I been smiling for twenty minutes straight." Nadirah bites her lip in an attempt to relax her face. "I was nervous for y'all to come, but I'm glad that y'all did!"
"You know we gone show up for you whenever." I state and Lira blows her breath.
"Lira, as aggravating as you are I seen you throwing some real cash and I appreciate it, baby girl." Nadirah folds her arms under her chest and Lira actually cracks a smile, reaching out to her.
"As long as you know."
The two of them hug and I smirk. They argue more than anybody so the moments of kindness that they share don't go unnoticed, especially by me. Cree comes back with three black styrofoam boxes of chicken wings and I satisfied grin.
"Damn shawty, I can't even get a thank you?"
We all turn our heads to stare at the man speaking before giving each other looks of confusion. He cranes his neck to look down at my ass and my stomach churns. "You just ran away back there. Ain't even give me yo' name."
Oh hell no.
This is the same dude who grabbed my hips from behind when I first walked in. Sensing my uncomfortableness, Cree steps forward.
"Who the fuck is he?" She asks loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Bitch, shut up. I wasn't talking to yo dyke ass."
"Nigga don't call me yo' mama name." Cree looks him up and down, taking another step forward and handing the food to Nadirah. I turn my body to face him completely and get in front of Cree. I know that she carries and don't want this situation to get out of hand.
"You need to chill the fuck out, dirty ass nigga." Nadirah turns her lip up.
"Just leave us alone, bruh. I don't want to talk to you." I try to keep my voice calm.
"Fuck all that shit! You bitches need —"
"Aye, you got a problem?" Another male voice joins in and the pervert's face shifts from anger to shock to...fear? He bites down hard before answering.
"Nah. I'm good, June."
"Then get yo' ass out these women face, man. Sound like you being a nuisance." Mystery man stands behind us with his hand clutching his waistband and his is gaze deadly. Mack, Kasey, and Dexter are maneuvering through the crowd, approaching us quickly and I can see him mentally weighing his options.
June? June.
"Whatever." He heads for the exit but not before giving us one last annoyed look.
"Bitch ass nigga, I hope your car crash!" Cree yells, making Kasey laugh as he and the other two make their leave. More than a few people turn their heads at her harsh words.
"Thank you, Cree and Nadi." I sigh, just glad that he left. "And thank you, June."
His diamond chains stand out since he's wearing a crisp black tee and they match the grill that's in his mouth. It's so hard not to stare. He just looks so moisturized and clean.
"You're welcome, Giselle." He takes a minute to tear his eyes away from the other man's back to look down at me, but when he does, there's a slight smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Nadirah raises her eyebrow because she notices it too and I already know she gonna ask me a million questions later.
The lights shine on the next dancer that gets on stage and Ebony truly lives up to her name. Her skin tone is rich and beautiful. Her nails are long just like the last time that I seen her, but her hair is nearly dragging the floor this time, no longer cropped.
"Man, let's go." Cree scoffs, waving dismissively and we follow her, all four of us looping our arms together so that we can make it through the sea of men simultaneously and untouched.
"Hold up, I need to walk y'all out. Niggas might be waiting." June gets in front of Cree and it seems like people are actually moving out of his way, making the commute a whole lot easier.
"You only wanna leave cause yo' old play thang up there." Nadirah teases Cree, making her suck her teeth.
I don't get to hear any more of her response because all of the lights are cut off completely and there's gasps and screams ringing through the air.
"What the fuck?" I widen my eyes in attempt to see in the dark and we huddle closer together.
People push past us, opening the door and the yellow streetlight pours inside. We take a couple of steps to follow the light outside and suddenly, the lights inside are cut back on. All of the money that was being thrown at Ebony is gone and the building is less full now.
The outside air feels super refreshing to my lungs and once we're away from the entrance we let go of each other.
"You good, brudda?" Kasey runs up to June while Mack and Dexter follow behind, clutching their waistbands and darting their eyes around the parking lot. "I thought you was right behind us."
"I'm straight."
"Why was niggas running?" Mack asks, his eyes wide.
"Somebody cut the lights. Pretty sure they robbed most of them girls in there. We gotta go." June shakes his head. Dexter and Kasey head back towards their vehicles.
"Y'all women be safe outchea'. aight?" Mack says, looking at Nadirah. "Especially you, ma'am since you work here and all."
"Mhm." She replies, rubbing her lips together. "Thank you, sir."
"Same to you, mane." Cree nods in his direction before taking her to-go box and heading off to her vehicle after a quick hug to the three of us.
"Bye, y'all." I tell Lira and Nadi, as they head away in the same direction since their cars are parked near one another.
"Text the chat when you get home, G!" Nadi calls after me. I immediately turn on my heel, wincing at the ache in my feet and head towards my own vehicle. I feel June's eyes follow me as the distance between us grows.
"Where you parked at?"
"Just right here." I press a button on my keys to unlock my car door and the vehicle closest to me flashes it's lights. I got lucky with this parking spot. "Why?"
"I just needed to know in case it was too far, Giselle." He wets his lips and I smile, amused that he always needs to say my name.
"Well, thank you for everything." I open my car door and sigh in relief when the pressure is taken off my feet. June backs up without turning around, keeping his gaze fixated on me so I roll my windows down to hear what else he has to say.
"You're welcome. Have a good night, Giselle."
"You too, June."
I crank up my car, slide my heels off, and scroll through my playlist, fighting the urge to stare at him as he finally walks away. As soon as I pick a song, a text message notification comes through.
Semaj:
Tonight?
I mean, why not? I'm already dressed up and I'm outside. Plus, it's been a minute and I could use come fun, something to help me unwind. All I do is worry. I stare at his message for a few extra seconds, unsure if I really want to. I take a deep breathe and press send before I have time to overthink it anymore.
Yeah, I'm otw.
[Semaj loved "Yeah, I'm otw."]
**********
Sunday, September 18 | 1:12 a.m.
Town Bridges Apartment Homes
-
Semaj answers the door wearing a smug expression. This is the first time that I've ever driven to him and I know that he feels a sense of importance because of that.
Don't get too use to it.
"Wassup? I greet, walking inside and he runs his tongue over his bottom lip, wrapping his arm around my waist.
The apartment smells like weed and stale air. His roommate, Quan, is passed out on the couch snoring loudly with a few liquor bottles sitting on the coffee table in front of him.
Semaj speed walks in front of me and leads me to his room that is lit up with red LED lights, immediately locking the door behind us and turning the TV on. I glance around his room and it looks the same as it usually does when I come here. Dirty laundry piled up on the floor and empty containers on his dresser.
I sit down on his bed and take a deep breath, watching him as he approaches me. He leans down and presses his lips onto mine and the feelings that stir inside of me are nothing like they use to be.
The ache between my legs use to be so strong and present for him. The desire that I had for him was constant and undeniable back when we were still in a relationship, months ago. It's so faint now.
We've always had an on again and off again kind of bond, never being together for longer than a few months at a time and being apart for sometimes years. I use to hold a special place for him in my heart because he was my first — my high school sweetheart. His familiarity makes him a comfortable option for me sexually. Nothing more than that though. I've already realized that Semaj and I will never work as boyfriend and girlfriend. We're just too different. There isn't too much of a spark between us now that I'm older and less naive.
I've outgrown him emotionally.
I lay back on the bed and he gets on top of me, breathing hard as our bodies connect. The whole thing is boring, rushed, and ultimately, unsatisfying — a huge waste of time honestly. By the time that it's done, I'm annoyed with myself. Semaj is on a high, staring at me with wonder and yet another thing becomes clear — I've outgrown him sexually too.
Damn. I should've just took my ass home.