by Summer Rose
My third and last set was playing and I still hadn’t made my way to the patient man waiting at the side of the stage. Only he wasn’t there anymore. I then heard a roar from the crowd as the DJ acknowledged someone throwing hundred dollar bills around the edge of the stage. He told security to assist in case someone tried to snatch up a few bills.
I looked closer at the man and nearly fell off the stage.
Ralph!
Oh my God! What is he doing here? How did he know I worked here?
I ran off the stage in total embarrassment. I couldn’t believe he was there. I didn’t know why it bothered me so much that he saw me. I guess I just didn’t want him to know that part of me. I didn’t know why I felt that way, because usually I would think of a man as just another customer.
“Excuse me, but are you okay?” one of the girls asked.
I didn’t know who she was. I wasn’t trying to get close to any of the girls there.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“You left this downstairs, don’t worry, it’s all there.”
She handed me the money from the stage. It was a large stash consisting mostly of one hundred dollar bills. I counted it and looked up at her.
“There’s over fifteen hundred dollars here.” I said breathing heavily.
“Damn girl, Ralph must really like you.” she said.
I felt as if I was in the twilight zone because I thought I heard her say ‘Ralph’.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”
I needed to hear that again. She repeated herself, only louder.
“How do you know Ralph?” I asked.
I was now a little irritated to the fact that I felt embarrassed because I thought he would think less of me. Then I find out that this other dancer knows him too.
“Everybody knows Ralph, girl. He comes in from time to time.”
“What; really?” I didn’t know what to say.
“Yeah, I don’t deal with him in that way, but what you do is your business. I just feel like I’m playing with fire with him.”
“What are you talking about? Deal with him in what way? Playing with fire how?”
I was starting to get pissed off with her circle of comments.
“You know, playing with God in a sense. Anyone else I can do, but a preacher? No way, not me!” she waved her hands in the air.
“A Preacher!”
I fell out of the chair that time. I knew I was in the twilight zone then.
What the hell?
I started going over things he said in my mind and I mused. A higher power?
Oh shit, I made out with a preacher?
I got myself together because I needed some more info.
“Are you sure he’s a preacher?” I stuttered.
She cocked her head to the side. “Yes, I’m pretty sure. Don’t you watch TV girl? Everybody knows who he is.”
I snapped, “Apparently not!” I didn’t know.
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I guess he didn’t mention that he’s married too.”
“No, I don’t know him that well anyway.” I was sick to my stomach.
I left the dressing room to go find Ralph. I wanted to find out if what that girl was saying was true. I wasn’t mad that he was married or a preacher. I was mad that he didn’t tell me.
When I found Ralph, he was sitting with one of the girls.
“Hello Nina, I was just asking this nice, young lady to go and get you.”
“Well I’m here now. We need to talk.” I said firmly. “I agree.”
He motioned the other girl away, and like a pet, she went.
I started right in on him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what? That I was coming here? I didn’t know you were going to be here either.” He raised his brow in question.
I hadn’t thought about that.
“Is this the important thing you had to do tonight?”
I hesitated. I didn’t mean for this to turn around on me.
“I wasn’t ready to tell you, but this is my job.” I confessed. “This is what I do for a living.”
He put his hand on my leg. “Sweetie, it’s okay.”
I wasn’t hearing that, I felt that he should’ve at least told me that he was married.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were married?” I demanded an answer.
It wasn’t as if I was in love or that we were in a relationship, we had just spent time in Vegas. I felt I should know who I was dealing with.
He was calm and very soft spoken. “I was going to tell you everything tonight over dinner. You said you were busy tonight, so I was going to tell you everything tomorrow.”
“Everything, huh? Did everything include you being a preacher?”
Ralph looked stunned that I knew. He sat back in his chair, folded his arms, and boldly said, “Yes, I’m a preacher.”
DAMN!
Want to know what happened next? Stay tuned for MS2---Preachers or Pimps
Acknowledgements
This book would not have been possible without the gift of life and support of God. I thank you God for giving me life and the courage to write this book. I thank you for the friends and family that supported me throughout this journey.
I would like to express from my heart, a special thanks to my parents for their support of me writing this book. I know it was difficult for them to read something like this coming from their little girl.
I would like to thank Ron for believing in me and supporting me in this journey. He supported everything I wanted to do and didn’t criticize when I wanted to give up.
Special thanks go to Keith Harmon, who edited and challenged me about the book. There were times I wanted to give up, but he helped me regain focus and continue. When I wanted to give up out of fear, he reminded me that there was nothing to fear but God. I will always appreciate you for all you did.
Other thanks go out to my friends Paulette J, Derreck S, Freida J, and Jade P who encouraged me to keep writing. Thanks for being my friends. It’s so hard to find good people out there. I’m blessed to have found you all.
Finally, I want to thank TinaR with Outskirts Press for publishing and believing that my book was a good product for them to publish.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 In The Beginning
Chapter 2 Showtime!
Chapter 3 Welcome to the Real World
Chapter 4 Curiosity Kills More Than the Cat!
Chapter 5 She’s a Man-Eater
Chapter 6 Watch Your Back
Chapter 7 Forbidden Fruit
Chapter 8 Education of Graduation
Chapter 9 Too Many Women
Chapter 10 Wet or Dry?
Chapter 11 Room Service
Chapter 12 Another Chance 2 Change
Chapter 13 A New Chapter
Chapter 14 Then There Was Religion
Chapter 15 Perfect Gentleman?
Chapter 16 New Life
Chapter 17 Oh My God!
Acknowledgements
