easy. All that shit you’re doing on the pole, you do on his dick, then follow his lead with your eyes open.”
Samaya said, “Bitch! You sound dumb as fuck. Hit this shit so that you can come back to earth.”
Queen said, “You don’t have no filter. At least give it a try or something.”
Samaya said, “With no direction, or structure, I’m a hot mess for anybody. Sliding down this pole to get this paper is all I know, and a man will slow that down. Have you ever thought about what our life would be like if our parents raised us, or Granny?”
Queen said, “I don’t think about them. We came from nothing, but look at us now, bitch!”
Samaya said, “I’ve never seen our family work a nine-to-five, attend college, or have rules.”
Queen said, “We ran away from home into the streets to get away from Granny’s army rules, or we’d probably be college graduates by now.”
Samaya said, “Girl, please! We didn’t give a fuck about anything just loose. Chasing people in that old blue Chevy.”
Queen said, “My dumb ass was right there with your hungry ass stealing and shit. Girl, remember Granny tried hard to get us out of that damn car, but we kept dodging her. I didn’t want to move across the country and shit.”
Samaya said, “She had the police looking for us, and we hid in the car for hours. We’d probably be running like my mom did, if we went. Poor Kacee and Kasie, they’re trying to leave now.”
*****
Samaya looked at Queen sideways when Sunshine came into their changing room. “Thanks for knocking first,” Samaya said. Queen knew Samaya wasn’t fucking with any of the females or men that stepped a foot in that club.
Sunshine said, “Let me hit the flame, Queen.”
Queen said, “Huh? What you need?”
Samaya said, “You got money, right? We don’t know where your mouth been. Da fuck!”
Sunshine said, “I do…I wasn’t talking to you to begin with.”
Queen said, “Slow your roll, Sunny. What do you need?”
Samaya said, “This bitch said, ‘Sunny.’ You funny as fuck, girl.”
Sunshine said, “It’s Sunshine. I’ll see you later before you leave, Queen.”
Queen said, “Here, girl! Let me get that hundred first. Did Rocky raise your premium?”
Sunshine said, “What the fuck is a premium?”
Samaya said, “Hell naw! This shit funny, G! It’s your rent!”
Sunshine said, “Y’all using all these sadity-ass words. And no! He didn’t raise shit! I’m gone, Queen.”
Samaya said, “I can’t stand her jiggly ass. Anyways, we went from pushing pushcarts down the street to rolling on rims in this bitch.”
Queen said, “Girl…every time you get high, yo ass go down memory lane. Come back, bitch! Come back! Look at the situation now, we’re good. But jiggly?”
Samaya said, “Whatever! I can’t wait to count all this money my beauties, techniques, and Saria made tonight.”
Queen said, “We did bank tonight! I’ll call you tomorrow. I’m out.”
Samaya said, “Hold up! Did you hear our premiums went up in this bitch?”
Queen said, “Yes. I was serious when I just asked her that. He so money hungry, I can’t stand him.”
*****
The smell of smoke, stale alcohol lingered in her hair and clothes, but counting all that money made her forget about that shit.
She danced four nights out of the week and shopped the other three. In her mindset, she didn’t have time to fuck with a nine-to-five, that school bullshit, or these simple-ass men. Money turned her on, and people that made it, period.
Samaya hustled hard to get her apartment on the top floor of the Canyon Club Condo, never wanting to be hungry again. Taking everything off as she walked through looking at her all-white furnished Grayson Luxury collections, she was reminiscing about living out of her car with her sister and Queen.
The warm water hit her body, relaxing her mind as she massaged herself with Eau Du Soir in the all-white marble shower, moisturizing her caramel skin, perky 38D pierced breasts, thirty-four-inch waist, and apple booty. She loves her moneymaker, thinking about how they used to take baby baths in restaurants, to the movie theaters.
She lay across the top of her white Batiste European goose down comforter, with her white laced bodysuit on, in her oversize king bed by herself again, which was solely hers.
She loved the softness of her skin, feeling the silk sheets ravel as the tightness came then relaxation. Beep. Beep. Beep. She did not pay the notification no mind, because only a few people had her number, so if it rang, she answered. Beep. Beep. Beep.
She ignored the sound and continued to slowly rub her nipples in a circular motion to intensify the effect of the tightness, never letting a release to the fullest, relaxing the clitoris just enough for a daily wall exercise. She finished and checked her notifications, knowing damn well it wasn’t Prince Charming with the glass slipper.
*****
Queen’s text to Samaya: “Love you girl…Wyd?”
She noticed that Chad finally got out his feelings, texting the same thing over and over again; a few notifications on Lovely Vines; and her manager fat ass from the club.
When she responded to Chad, she instantly got mad at herself giving in to her past.
Samaya’s text to Chad: “What’s popping?”
The last time she had drinks with Chad, they became partners in crime. He tried to wife her because he liked how she got down with him, but they went their separate ways when he couldn’t fuck.
Chad’s text to Samaya: “When can I see you?”
She ignored Chad’s text, wishing she hadn’t said anything to him. She continued to check her notifications until she saw one that stood out from the rest. She decided to text Queen because she knew she had something to do with it.
Samaya’s text: “What’s up, Queen?”
Queen’s text: “What are you doing?”
Samaya’s text: “Looking at this site ‘Lovely Vines’ you know, the one I joined. Are you coming over?”
Queen’s text: “Got some new flame! This shit fire! The twins called earlier wanting to come live with me, but granny not going.”
Samaya’s text: “Girl please, you see Tara left when she turned sixteen.”
Queen’s text: “You are always
