Free Black Dahlia by Tiffany Patterson Page A

give them that control.” He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed each one. He saw her eyes widen slightly, but she didn’t pull away.
    “What’s something you do to calm yourself before a performance?” He asked.
    Mercedes thought for a moment and shrugged. “Truth is, I don’t really get nervous anymore. I haven’t done anything to prepare me for the stage in a while. But when I first started there was this one thing I did…” she trailed off.
    Raul lifted his eyebrow. “What was it?”
    “All right, but if you laugh or try to mock me, I’ll kick your ass,” she said sternly.
    He smiled. “I have no doubt you would try. I promise, querida, I won’t laugh. What was it?”
    Thirty minutes later, the pair were sitting on Mercedes’ hotel bed eating and watching The Josephine Baker Story. Mercedes was enraptured with the film. Raul preferred to watch Mercedes rather than the movie. He saw every emotion play out on Mercedes’ face. One scene in particular seemed to touch her. It was the scene in which Baker, as played by Lynn Whitfield, completed her first nude photo shoot, and after sleeping with the photographer, she stares at her naked body in the mirror. Baker plays with her hair, pushing it back out of her face, and turns left and right examining herself. Baker’s voice over states “there she was.” This is when Baker first comes to terms with her exhibitionism on stage. This was the turning point in Josephine’s career. Raul looked on as Mercedes’ eyes lit up like Christmas trees as if she identified with Josephine’s story. He wondered if that was what dancing did for her. Did it give her the opportunity to express her true self? Never one to let his curiosity go unsatisfied, Raul decided to ask Mercedes about it after the movie ended.
    “That scene seemed to really touch you,” he stated as the film credits rolled.
    “Which scene?”
    “The one with her looking in the mirror. Can you relate? Is that how you felt when you started dancing?” He asked.
    Mercedes lifted an eyebrow as if she was deciding on how much she wanted to tell him. Raul was a patient man so he sat back on the bed and waited for her to decide. He wanted to know more about her. What made her tick? What drew her to dancing? He was good at reading people, and he realized that while she could be very forthcoming, and even blunt, she held something back. He wanted to break through whatever wall she had up that she used to keep most people at arm’s length.
    Finally, Mercedes tipped her head, “Yeah, I can relate. When I discovered burlesque it just felt natural,” she shrugged. Raul looked at her, deciding to drop it for now. He knew she wouldn’t give up more information, but he knew there was more to the story.
    Raul convinced Mercedes to take a walk around Central Park where they made small talk and enjoyed the scenery. Mercedes’ mood seemed to lighten up, which is what Raul wanted. He saw the tension release from her shoulders during the movie, and she was able to focus on the reason they were in New York. He didn’t lie when he said he was looking forward to her performance. For the past week, he’d watched her sew and redesign her costumes, and he wanted to see her in the outfits. By the care and consideration she took in designing, he knew she cared deeply about performing and being her best. He would not let this stalker get in the way of that. Unbeknownst to Mercedes, he’d had two of his employees come up to New York and check out the club, and sleep in the same hotel they were checked into. They would be his backup in the audience tonight in case he needed them. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
    ****
    “This next performer is something of a treat….”
    Mercedes stood on the edge of the stage, as she listened to the emcee make her introduction. She was dressed in a navy blue and purple peacock tutu skirt, four-inch thigh high black leather boots, a purple corset with peacock feathers on it, a