Free Black Dahlia by Tiffany Patterson Page B

navy blue choker, and her hair pinned up high with a few curls falling around her face. She opted for light makeup, with just purple lipstick, light concealer, and golden eyeshadow, completing the costume with black satin gloves that nearly reached her elbows. She looked on across the stage and saw Raul dressed in dark pants and a short sleeve button up, light colored shirt, with a suit jacket over the top. She knew beneath his jacket he had a weapon tucked into his waistband. Ordinarily no one but performers and employees were allowed behind stage, but given the safety concerns, management allowed Raul backstage-well they relented after Raul practically threatened the management with bodily harm and a lawsuit. The owner took one look at Raul’s dangerous expression and knew he would absolutely follow through on his threats. Mercedes smiled at the memory of Raul’s easy expression turning dangerous as he explained in detail how he would personally see the owner held responsible if something happened to Mercedes. At that moment, Raul turned and looked directly at Mercedes in the eye, and winked. She felt a quiver in her belly, and dipped her head. Mercedes wasn’t typically shy when it came to flirtation of showing her physical attraction, but Raul was different. Maybe because she knew if she weren’t careful, Raul could easily become more than just a physical attraction. She could get lost in those big brown eyes of his and never want to be found. Mercedes sighed.
    Before Mercedes could get too lost in thought about her warring emotions about Raul, the emcee, Miss Celia, completed her announcement.
    “Welcome to the stage, Black Daaahhhliaaaa!” The audience clapped and whistled.
    The opening notes of Eartha Kitt’s Careless Love began playing as Mercedes strutted on stage. The live band in the club helped add energy to Mercedes’ performance. She shimmied from left to right, before stopping, biting the end of her left glove and slowly removing her hand and tossing it to the side. She repeated the move with the other hand, before turning and presenting the audience with her backside, where she lifted the end of her peacock skirt, giving them a view of her round behind. She spun and swiveled her hips while tapping her foot to the beat and reaching around to loosen the strings of her corset.
    Love, oh love, oh careless love
    In your clutches of desire
    You've made me break a many true vow
    Then you set my very soul on fire 
     
    Love, oh love, oh careless love
    All my happiness bereft
    You've filled my heart with weary old blues
    Now I'm walkin', talkin' to myself 
    What few people knew was this song held special meaning for Mercedes. When she’d first heard it a few years ago, it spoke to her reluctance to fall in love or desire to marry. She’d seen the pain her mother endured because of love. She saw the way her father betrayed her mother and repeatedly cheated. She’d even seen other women and friends in her life cry over no good men. Her own best friend had fallen in love with a man who emotionally abused and cheated on her in the bed they shared. She’d held Devyn as she cried over her ex-boyfriend, and while Devyn was happy now, that situation was just another reminder for Mercedes that love was often painful. Mercedes vowed that would never be her. She never wanted to get that deep with anyone, at the expense of her own sanity.
    Love, oh love, oh careless love
    Night and day, I weep and moan
    You brought the wrong man into this life of mine
    For my sins, till judgment I'll atone 
    By the time Eartha Kitt ended her lamentations on the sins of loving the wrong man, Mercedes was left in her thong, boots, and navy blue pasties with tassels. She shimmied her shoulders making the tassels swing, and blowing a kiss to the audience. Before exiting the stage she glanced over and found Raul’s gaze transfixed on her. He was clapping proudly as he let his eyes roam her body. Mercedes felt the heat rise in her body at