A BROKEN GIRL’S JOURNEY 2 (A BROKEN GIRL'S JOURNEY)

by Niki Jilvontae

  “I just wanted to see did I know you. Ain't yo name Lakea and didn't you go to Fairley?” The girl asked and Lakea began to relax, leaning on the counter.

  Mesha and Nika sat back down and continued getting ready.

  “You can never be too sure”, Lakea said laughing. “But yeah I went there,”

  Lakea stared at the girl and suddenly her face became familiar. It was her friend from middle school, Makina. The girls hugged and laughed. They talked for a few minutes before Makina was called to the stage.

  “Well, I will catch you later”, Makina said as she began to leave the dressing room.

  “Y'all hoes better be cool cause this hoe jacking and Red you know you can't fight. Hell that's Jeremy girl. Y'all know wassup”, Makina said rolling her eyes at Red who quickly followed her out of the dressing room.

  The sound of Jeremy's name made Lakea shudder and she almost lost her nerve. She didn't want to think about him at that moment. She just wanted to do what she had to. The girls finished getting ready then Mesha stood up and told them it was time to hit the floor.

  “You want to go by yourself or tag-along with me?” Mesha asked Lakea standing in the door.

  Lakea didn't want to stop her hustle so she told her and Nika to go and that she would figure it out on her own.

  “Make that money junt!” Mesha said leaving out of the door with Nika close behind her.

  Lakea stood there in front of the mirror admiring herself. She still couldn't believe how good she looked and now she had certain laid back swag from the X that made her think she looked extra sexy. She did look exotic and seductive as she had taken off the high low skirt and just left on her booty short, corset, and heels.

  “Bitch you bad as hell”, Lakea heard from behind her as a tall, super thick red-bone girl sat down next to her.

  She was really pretty with big brown eyes and full lips. Her ass and titties were HUGE too, which made Lakea fully understand how she was referred to as the top money maker in the club.

  “I can tell you nervous, but you gone be straight. I'm Benzi by the way”, the girl said.

  “Wasup”, Lakea said back.

  “You got a stage name yet lil mama cause you definitely gone need to hit that stage, that's where all the real money at”, Benzi said.

  Lakea thought for a second, might as well use the name I used before.

  “Kandi!” Lakea said sitting on the counter and looking at Benzi.

  “Okay that's a good name. Is this your first time?” Benzi asked as she lit her Kush blunt.

  Lakea gave Benzi a quick rundown of her stripping resume as they puffed and passed the blunt back and forth. Lakea didn't know why, but she instantly trusted Benzi and knew that her expertise could help her through the night.

  “I got you sexy ass lil girl. We gone go on stage together and you can stay with me until you feel comfortable”, Benzi said getting up and walking to the door.

  “You coming?” She said as she turned and looked at Lakea still standing staring in the mirror.

  “Yea ma'am, leggo!” Lakea said as she followed Benzi out of the dressing room and into the lion's den.

  The two of them dominated the room very quickly taking several girls' table dances and getting at least a $20 tip from each table, dance or not. By the time it was their turn to go on stage both Lakea and Benzi had made over $400, and they hadn't even done any VIP's, just dances; some for as much as $80. Mesha and Nika met Lakea in the dressing room as she was changing out of her booty shorts back into her skirt over her g-string so that she could easily get out of her clothes on stage.

  “Bitch, it’s too much money out there”, Mesha said throwing her money bag on the counter, which had bills spilling out.

  They each had made well over $1200 after doing table dances, VIP's, and going on stage once. They were naturals; however Lakea was still a little more reserved and apprehensive.

  “You gone be okay cuzzo, you can't fuck up. Hell all the niggas tipping you already. I saw that Peer Pressure nigga give you a $100 tip for nothing”, Mesha said flipping her hair at Lakea.

  Lakea looked in the mirror at herself now on her fourth blunt, second drink, and second X pill. She wasn't afraid of dancing, hell they had done that as girls and got money, and besides her second pill had just kicked in so she was feeling beyond sexy. No, what she was afraid of was deeper than that. She was afraid that she was beginning to like this lifestyle and she didn't want to. She was afraid she would get hooked on the fast money and abundance of drugs and lose herself at that damn club.

  “June you okay?” Mesha asked her rolling a blunt.

  “I'm straight cuzzo”, Lakea said taking a sip out of her cup of Hennessy.

  She was trying to calm the butterflies. Just then Benzi walked through the door.

  “That bitch ain't scared of the stage, her ass scared she was made for this shit. I can see it in your eyes”, Benzi said standing next to Lakea in the mirror and wiping her pussy with a baby wipe.

  “Hoe, that fear is normal. Most good bitches go through this they first time, but it’s some nasty hoes that don't care,”

  “Meeee!” Red yelled as she pulled herself up on her locker laughing and wobbled out of the dressing room.

  Benzi shook her head while smiling and continued talking.

  “Bitch you think I wonna do this? Hell naw, but I want to be an actress and I know I can't do that unless I get the fuck out of Memphis and to get out I gotta get my cake up!” Benzi said pulling hundred dollar bills out of her bra top.

  “I turn me off when I hit this club. When I come through that doe I'm Benzi, “The Money Maker” that's it!” She said getting the blunt from Nika and taking a big, deep hit.

  “Now bitch, turn yo feelings the fuck off and come on let's get this money!” Beniz said putting her money in the money bag around her wrist and hitting her blunt again.

  “What you said?” Lakea said laughing as she stood up.

  She knew exactly what Benzi was talking about. As long as she remembered her reason for stripping, and knew who she truly was she would be fine. Just like in Wolverine she would have to tuck her true self away within and be whoever the situation called her to be. Right then she had to be seductive, sexy, provocative, and enticing.

  ‘I can do all that and more.’ She thought to herself.

  “Let's do this”, Lakea said smacking Benzi on her fat, tattooed ass making it jiggle.

  “Oooh, that's how I like it. Now let's go money maker”, Benzi said standing back and letting Lakea walk out of the dressing room first.

  “I'm bout to be all over your fine ass on stage”, Benzi said following Lakea out of the dressing room with her eyes on her ass.

  As Lakea stood backstage and the music blasted through the speakers, she felt outside of herself. Like she was watching everything happen through someone else's eyes. It just didn't seem real to her. She watched Benzi adjust her g-string and tiny Chanel skirt, then looked back and smile at her.

  “It's yo time bitch. Let's get this money!” Benzi said walking up the last two steps of the stage as the DJ's voice echoed through the speakers.

  “Alright, alright all you ballers and broke niggas, coming to the stage, we got a real treat for you ugly muthafuckas. Two lovely ladies like no other, the veteran and the newbie, vanilla and caramel, the one and only Ms. Benzi and the All-Star Newcomer KANDIIIIII!!!” The DJ yelled.

  Lakea swallowed hard and closed her eyes, it was time to let Kandi perform.

  Chapter 10

  As the strobe lights came on Benzi stepped forward on to the stage with Lakea right behind her. Lakea's butterflies had totally disappeared as she walked on to the stage and straight up to a group of dudes standing in front of the stage with hundreds of dollars in their hands. Lakea walked slowly and seductively to the dudes, keeping her eyes on the obvious leader who was draped in diamonds and gold. When she was just out of arms reach, Lakea turned around and began to make her ass jump to the beat of the song, “I'm in l
ove with a Stripper”. She twerked her ass cheeks and whipped her long hair from side-to-side just as Mesha had showed her. Lakea heard the guys start to yell and saw that they were throwing handfuls of dollars and five's, but she wanted the big money. She dropped to her knees and began to make her ass clap to the beat. More money was thrown, but still no twenties or hundreds. Lakea looked over to the side to see Benzi making her ass clap in some fat guy's face as his friends made it rain on her. That's what Lakea wanted.

  She turned and crawled seductively up to the guy draped in diamonds, licking her lips and keeping eye contact. He stared at her intently as she began twerking her ass again, while looking at him. She unhooked her skirt letting it drop to the ground as she revealed her black, lace G-string and plump, naked, caramel ass. Lakea crawled to the edge of the stage and sat down, still staring at her guy. Then she opened her legs and began twerking her pussy in the guy's face. His friends erupted in cheers as they threw money at Lakea. The diamond guy kept his eyes on Lakea the whole time, gripping her ass and holding two stacks of money in his other hand that had to be at least $5,000 each stack. Lakea lie back on stage with her legs in the air making her ass shake as she unlaced the front of her corset. The guy with the diamonds stared at her like he was possessed, while fanning money off one of his stacks at her. Lakea saw $20's, $50's, and $100's. When she began to lick her own breast while rubbing her pussy through her lace panties the guys began to go frantic making it rain on her again.

  Benzi saw how well Lakea's group of guys was tipping so she danced her way to the side of the stage they were on. She immediately dropped to her knees, while twerking her ass, burying her face in Lakea's crotch. This made the guys go wild and they started throwing handfuls of money. Lakea didn't know how to feel, she was totally taken off guard. She knew that she and Benzi would have to touch at some point on stage, but she didn't expect it to go this far. She could feel Benzi's warm, wet tongue on her pussy lips and it made her feel weird because she wasn't a lesbian. However, it had been a long time since she had sex and her second roll pill was just kicking in.

  ‘Fuck it!’ Lakea thought as she grabbed the back of Benzi's head moving it in a circular motion and licking her left breast again.

  “This right here is a show.” The DJ yelled. “Y'all muthafuckas better get y'all cheap asses up and tip. All this ass on the stage and y'all sitting down!”

  And the dudes did. They made it rain on Lakea and Benzi as they danced and worked the pole for two more songs. To Lakea's surprise she was a natural at the pole, which must have been a result of her martial arts training and gymnastics as a child. She had the dudes watching her every move as she twerked her ass in the air and twirled around the pole upside down. She really turned the club up when she climbed to the top of the pole and dropped down really fast into a split.

  That is when the guy in diamonds motioned for her to come over when she got off the pole. When Lakea got over there he grabbed her around the waist and stuck the rest of an entire stack of $20's, $50's, and a few $100's into the front of her corset.

  “Baby you bad”, is all he could say as him and his friends began to bounce and dance to the music as “Cold Wit It”, Blast through the speakers.

  Lakea and Benzi danced around the stage collecting their money as Lakea noticed the guy she cursed out outside the club sitting in the corner watching her. He gave her an eerie feeling but she shrugged it off and kept picking up her money. By the time Mesha and Nika joined Lakea and Benzi on stage to help pick up the money they already had two buckets almost full. When they finished picking up all of the cash and left the stage the girls had three crown royal bags and three buckets filled with money. Lakea was happy despite the nagging feeling she had in her heart. She knew it was her guilt and also Jeremy telling her she shouldn't be doing the things she was, but she had to do whatever it took to provide for the boys. That meant ignoring that nagging feeling.

  As all of the girls sat in the dressing room counting up the money made on stage, Lakea noticed that the tips of her fingers had turned blue. She thought maybe something was on the money so she ignored it.

  “Okay, we got $4,800 right here, that's $2,400 a piece not including what we made individually when we had them niggas hemmed up on both sides of the stage. Bitch we hit they ass up!” Benzi said as she gave Lakea five and they both laughed.

  After assessing her $4850 total take for the night, Lakea decided she was done. She still couldn't shake that nagging and eerie feeling, her fingers were still blue after three washes, and now she was feeling extremely tired and nauseous, and she was getting a head ache.

  “Y'all ready to go?” Lakea asked Mesha and Nika as they sat at the counter eating rotel dip and chips that the house mama, Cutie brought.

  “Okay June, we will be ready as soon as we finish eating. We banked anyway might as well go home”, Mesha said smacking on her food.

  “Why you not eating anyway. Hoe you getting all sick and shit. You preggo?” Nika asked laughing.

  “Bitch hell no, by who? Anyways…” Lakea said rolling her eyes at Nika and licking her tongue out.

  “Shut up hoe. I do feel kind of bad though and the smells in here ain't making it no better, so Ima go sit in the car and wait on y'all,”

  “Aite, be careful. Here take my purse cause bitch you know I stay strapped”, Mesha said taking her black Chanel purse with the pearl handle 9MM inside out of a locker and handing it to Lakea.

  Lakea dressed quickly, got Benzi's cell phone number and then exited the club using the same door they came in. It was almost 4:00 a.m. when Lakea stepped out of the side door. The fresh, cool night air hit her in the face hard as soon as she stepped on the side walk.

  “Aw hell naw beautiful”, a short, very handsome young guy working security named lil Mitch said as Lakea walked past him standing by the side door smoking a blunt.

  “I gotta make sure that you get to your car safely sexy. I wouldn't be a man if I didn't”, Lakea smiled at lil Mitch as he passed her the blunt and continued to walk with her.

  “We may as well smoke and walk, so you fina go? Where yo cousin nem at?” Lil Mitch asked.

  “Oh those heifas ain't ready to go yet. Ima wait in the truck though cause I think all them smells in the dressing room making me sick,”

  “Hell, it’s some stanky muthafuckas in there, niggas and bitches so I ain't surprised you got sick!” Lil Mitch said laughing as Lakea passed him the blunt back.

  Just as they reached the truck they heard a lot of loud noises and voices coming from the right side of the parking lot.

  “What the fuck going on over there?” Lil Mitch yelled as he and Lakea walked closer to see a group of six guys standing near and open car door.

  “Maine what the fuck y'all doing?” Lil Mitch yelled again as the guys suddenly stopped talking and moved aside so that Lakea and lil Mitch could see.

  There was a girl in dance clothes lying halfway on the ground and halfway in the car and her eyes were tightly shut, but her body was shaking and she was foaming at the mouth.

  “What the fuck happened and who the fuck is she?” Lil Mitch asked.

  All the boys shrugged, indicating no one knew who she was or what happened to her. Lakea just stood there staring at the girl. She couldn't take her eyes off of her. She was staring at the girl the same way she had done when she was 14 living in LMG and she saw that boy shot from her window. Death wasn't anything new to Lakea, but now that she was a mother she valued life more. She felt sorry for the girl, she was someone's daughter.

  “Take her to the hospital!” Lakea yelled at the dudes.

  “We was trying to do that. That's why she in the car. Maine we don't even know who this bitch is. She was selling pussy on the lot then she walked up asking for a light talking about she took three double stacks and was feeling good. Next thing a nigga know this bitch fell out and started shaking and foaming at the mouth”, one of the dudes said as he lit his cigarette.

  “Well get her junky ass the fuc
k off the lot”, Lil Mitch said. “Take that hoe anywhere but here,”

  “Hell naw”, the driver of the car said as he and two more dudes got back into the car. “I ain't taking this bitch to no damn hospital so they can think I did something,”

  “Please take her”, Lakea yelled as the boy slammed his car door a sped out of the parking lot.

  Lakea stood there still staring at the car as it sped down the street until Lil Mitch put his arm around her and start leading her to Mesha's truck.

  “You can't feel sorry for every hoe that you meet lil mama”, Lil Mitch said as he helped Lakea into the passenger seat of Mesha's truck.

  “That shit will drive you crazy. Around here it's fuck yo feelings. Well goodnight witcho sexy ass!” Lil Mitch said closing the truck door.