Dance For Me by Alice Dee Page A

her pinky nail and stared back at him waiting for the scum bag to get to it.
            “There’s a private party goin’ on tonight at The Mirage. It’s kind of a personal favor you know, for a business associate of sorts…”
           “Private party? We’re not hoes,” Hope said, turning her hand over and examining her nails.
           “Five hundred a piece, you don’t gotta do nothing but a little dancing, no different from what you do here. You’ll be in a private setting is all.”
           Shamayla turned her head to face Hope.
           “Why us?” Shamayla asked, looking from Hope to Hammer.          
           “You’re an interesting duo but look, I can ask someone else. If you don’t need the money-“
            “I didn’t say we weren’t interested,” Shamayla said. 
           Hope frowned.
            “Just dancing?”
            Hammer tapped his inner palm with the envelope. 
            “Topless.”
             “No way,” Hope said with no hesitation.
              “I’ll send Fat Mike with you guys, Tony too if you want. It’s a safe environment, aint nobody gonnna touch you if you don’t want it.”
              “If we don’t want it?” Hope scoffed. Her mind was already made up but Shamayla was on the fence.
             “Really, Hammer, five-hundred, a piece?”
              “One hour.”
              “Shamayla,” Hope said, shooting her an unyielding look. “Forget it.”
             “Fine,” Hammer said as if it was no sweat off his back. “Good luck matching this with all the lousy tips you make. If you’re lucky enough to hit the floor and serve drinks tonight.”
             “Just give us a minute,” Shamayla said to Hammer.
             “Hurry up, we aint got all night.”
             Hammer slapped the dressing table with the envelope and slammed the door behind him.
              “We don’t need the money that bad,” said Hope.
               Shamayla debated for a second and then grabbed the envelope, carefully taking the bills out and counting them.
              “There’s a thousand dollars right here.”
              “I’m not going to go prancing around showing my tits for money. I actually have some dignity.”
              “Wait a minute,” Shamayla said, getting out of her chair and stopping Hope from walking away. “It’s one hour, we’ll have bouncers-“
             “You really want to do this?”
             She licked her bright red lips.
            “Not really but we could really use this money. Isn’t your rent due? And you know ever since that dick hired the new girls our hours are going to be cut.”
            “Okay, he wants topless dancing tonight, prostitution tomorrow. Let him get someone else.”
            “I really need this money,” Shamayla said as Hope turned to walk away from her. “We both do.”
            “Not that bad,” Hope retorted. She felt herself already giving in. She didn’t want to look at her friend because she’d cave but she needed to, to give herself that final shove.
           Hammer barged in again.
            “So what’s it gonna be ladies?”
             Hope kept her back to Hammer.
             “I’ll do it.” Shamayla agreed.
             “And you?”
              Hope was pissed that Shamayla agreed to do this but still, she wasn’t about to. It wasn’t easy to stay headstrong in this environment. When you’re struggling to stay alive and large sums of monetary gain is being waved in your face, “no” isn’t always so easy. Hope knew if she was adamant about staying true to who she was, “no” wasn’t always hard, either.
         “I’m not doing that.” 
         “I’ll get someone else, your loss.” He looked at Shamayla.  “This is happening in forty minutes, it’s a thirty minute drive or so to Henderson.”