Baby took another bite. “Ma’Linn, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Manti!” She narrowed her eyes.
“I’m not lying.” Baby laughed at her smirk. “Ok, fine. What do you want to know?”
“Everyt’ing!” she said, settling up to the table like a schoolgirl waiting to hear the latest gossip.
She sipped the hot coffee from the chipped mug. “Well, work was a disaster last night.” Baby filled her in on the details about Slade and his pissing contest with Lucky. She told her about his territorial antics, and how he was trying to get her to start using again.
“I’ll snap his balls right off ’n feed ’em to him with cho sòs!” Ma’Linn flared her nostrils, cracking her knuckles. She despised Slade. Baby was sure she’d spent a good bit of time hexing him and sticking pins into an oversized doll with a blond ponytail.
“It’s ok. I’m fine. I didn’t take anything and I’m still clean.” Baby smiled at the dramatic way Ma’Linn grasped her chest, throwing her hand in the air chanting something about thanks. “Besides, I had some company to help get my mind off of it.”
“Oh, goody-goody.” Ma’Linn rubbed her hands together bouncing around in her chair.
“Yes, as you already know, I wasn’t alone last night.”
“It was dat yummy piece a man hunk dat was here fixin’ ya door, uh?”
“Yes and his name is Lucky. I can’t explain it, Ma’Linn. He’s amazing. He’s sexy, but not in that over the top kind of way. He’s smart. Hell, he’s been to college. He comes from a rich family, the Gauthiers.” Baby shifted in her seat. Sipping from the mug, she savored the bitter taste of the chicory. She had been drinking the New Orleans favorite since she was a kid.
Ma’Linn arched her eyebrows. “Girl, dat don’t be soundin’ like somet’ing you wanna be getting’ mixed up in.”
“I know. He doesn’t sound like someone I’d be interested in, but he’s different. He doesn’t seem anything like the snooty Gauthiers I’ve had run-ins with in the past. I can tell there’s some bad blood between him and his parents. I told him things about myself. Things that only you know. Things about Momma, Slade, stuff I’ve done in past. Actually, almost all of the things I try to hide.”
Ma’Linn’s hung on every word. This was new territory for both of them. “Child! Swear, never t’ought I’d see da day you let dat wall be chipped ’way at!”
“I know! I’m surprised too. And he told me things. He’s been through a world of hurt, and I don’t think he’s anywhere close to being over it. There’s something else there, I don’t know what it is yet.”
“Girl, I’d run if I’s you.” Ma’Linn chomped down on a sugary doughnut. “Unless der’s something good ’nough worth stayin’ for,” she said through a mouthful.
Baby Jade’s cheeks turned a fresh shade of pink. Her heart pounded thinking about the throbbing between her legs, left over from the shower.
“Oh, I see. Der is somet’ing def’nitely worth hangin’ ’round fo’. You already know dat, don’t ya?”
Smiling, Baby nodded. “I plan on doing it again to make sure!”
“I know dats right!” The two laughed until they were practically out of breath. Ma’Linn topped off her coffee cup with hot chicory. She smoothed the crumpled up napkin from her hand until it was wrinkle free.
Baby thought she was stalling. “What’s up, Ma’Linn?”
Still running her hands over the smooth napkin. “It’s ya momma.”
Baby Jade’s back snapped upright. “Is she ok?”
“Yeah, she good. I saw her da ot’er day. She had anot’er episode. She got to be on dat new pill to help keep her calm.”
“Did she say anything about me? Does she want to see me?”
“Naw, baby girl. Not’ing new der, but I keep on givin’ her dat root beer you send.” Ma’Linn reached across the table and patted Baby’s hand. “Sorry, sweetie.”
Baby’s head lowered. She tried to hide her disappointment. After all these years, she should be immune to it by now, but the rejection never got any easier. She shook her head. “No big deal. How’s Phillipe?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.
Ma’Linn gave an aggravated sigh. “Not heard from dat boy in weeks. Tryin’ not to be worried.”
Now it was Baby’s turn to comfort her friend. She got up and hugged Ma’Linn’s plump shoulders. “He’ll show up. He always does.”
“Hmpf! He don’t never disappear for dis long.”
“I know, but I’m sure it’ll all be ok.” Baby didn’t want to let her friend know what she was thinking. Phillipe ran in the same circle as Slade, and right now Slade was on the defense. These two things together spelled nothing but trouble.
Baby and Ma’Linn finished their breakfast and said their good-byes. The rest of the day was a blur as she busied herself, counting down the hours until she saw Lucky again. Simply thinking about him made her wet.
***
Baby Jade had an extra bounce in her step while walking to work. She was excited to get through the night and spend as much time as possible with Lucky. Seeing his bike parked on the curb gave her butterflies. Knowing he was that close made her heart thud louder. After the night they had spent together, and things they had shared, Baby had no idea what to expect. Would he treat her differently in front of people? Would he be embarrassed or ashamed? Did he regret it? Intimacy scared the hell out of her.
Baby chickened out and decided to use the back entrance of the club. She wasn’t ready to face the inevitable bullshit.
She heard the chatter as she opened the door.
“Well, surprised to see you came back.” Jewella sat at Baby’s dressing table.
“Get the hell out of my chair.” Baby Jade hissed as she stalked over to the table and dropped her bag, with one hand on her hip.
“Damn, no need to be such a bitch.” Her bony fingers flicked the long ash from her cigarette right into one of Baby’s trinket boxes. Jewella was trying to get her to lose her temper, and it was working.
She knocked Jewella’s stick legs off her table and rolled the chair away. Tossing her bag in the bottom drawer, Baby went about her business, refusing to give the skank the time of day.
Jewella scoffed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Too scared to back that shit up. What’d I tell ya, girls? Baby’s losing her touch.”
Baby looked around the room. Barbie sat on the dressing table next to Jewella, cackling every time her mentor opened her mouth. She was dressed in a cheap teddy that looked like it could use a good washing. She was smearing on another thick layer of slut-red lipstick.
Lolli smirked from her own table. She was a beautiful girl, but something had changed. Her eyes glazed over and the plastic smile never moved. Looking closely, Baby saw the blemishes starting to form and her teeth were a new shade of yellow. Whatever Slade had her on, it was a heavy dose.
“I couldn’t care less what any of you think. I’m here to do my fucking job.” Baby applied some fresh makeup and flipped her head over to give her hair a shake, giving it extra volume. She stripped away her street clothes until she was wearing nothing but a burgundy thong. She pulled a matching corset out of the middle drawer and slipped it on. The silky fabric molded to her body like a glove. The deep color set off her dark skin. The black lace trimming enhanced all her curves. She slid her feet into a pair of black peep-toe stilettos, making her about five feet ten.
“You’re such a snooty bitch,” Barbie snapped.
“You don’t want to go there with me. The best thing you can do is keep your head down and your nose stuck right up Jewella’s ass.” Baby Jade stepped closer, towering over both women. They pretended to be tough, but Baby saw the way the younger girl clutched the table, her white knuckles leading to her long, pointy fingernails.