Free Show and Tell by Niobia Bryant

he answers with authority.
    â€œNigga, you trippin’. You ain’t my man.”
    â€œBut I wanna be your man.”
    Uh-oh. Oh no. Here we go again.
    â€œLet me call you right back,” I say suddenly, wantin’ to change the subject as I grab my purse and get out my car. I shiver. It’s even colder at night and right now the winter season is bitin’ like a bitch.
    â€œBefore you hang up—’cause I know your ass ain’t gone call me back—I want you to let me take you out tomorrow night.”
    â€œThat’s Valentine’s,” I protest.
    â€œAnd?”
    Holidays. Dates. Phone calls. Relationship. What part of fuck buddies don’t his ass get?
    â€œI’m walkin’ in the store. I’ll call you back,” I lie as I push the remote to lock the car. Ba-boop .
    â€œIf you don’t call me back I’ma put your ass on dick knock off,” he says in a joking voice.
    I don’t even take his ass seriously. “Bye, Corey.”
    I close the phone and drop it into my bag as I step up onto the curb. The wind whips around me. The street is dark except for the flashing neon sign. Club XXXCite. I look at my reflection in the dark glass. I feel alone. So fucked up. Like I’m backtrackin’ or some shit. But I feel like I ain’t got no choice either.
    Then why is it so hard for my ass to go in?
    I light a cigarette and smoke that whole motherfucker plus another one. My hands and ears are cold. My leather jacket ain’t doing shit to block the cold. My feet are freezin’ standin’ in the pissy snow. As men walk inside the club, the loud music and flashing lights come out the door. It’s fuckin’ money to be made up in that bitch but so much more to be lost.
    I drop the lit cigarette and crush it into the grayish snow with the tip of my boot before I walk inside the club. It’s dark as hell and it takes a minute for my eyes to get used to it. The smell of liquor, weed, and body is familiar as hell to me.
    â€œWhaddup, Juicy!”
    I smile at the tall and muscular bodyguard dressed in all black. “Whaddup, Dogg.”
    He wraps one beefy arm around me and pulls me close as hell for a hug. When he slaps my ass I feel like grabbin’ his nuts in my hand and pulling down ’til he screams like a bitch. “Where’s Vic?” I ask instead as I follow Dogg to the circular bar in the center of the club.
    â€œHe opened a new spot on Sixteenth Avenue so I’m kinda runnin’ this one while he gets that one all straightened out and shit.”
    Dogg’s breath smells like somebody’s ass and I wonder which one of these dancers he done ate the fuck out. He use to treat the girls like they were his personal pussy playland and he probably still do. “Well I want to make some money,” I tell him as I squint my eyes and peep the shit goin’ on in this motherfucker.
    Dancers in nothing but thongs and g-strings with titties hanging as they lap dance for the money. Two dykes are butt naked on the stage ’bout to let everyone in on the shit they supposed to do behind closed doors. In the corner dollar bills are flying up in the air from a crowd of hot boys watching some bitch booty clappin’.
    Same-o-same-o I left behind.
    â€œFor tips only?” Dogg asks as he raises a shot to his mouth.
    â€œLike some new bitch?” I ask, kinda insulted. “You know what Juicy can do.”
    â€œWell, I ain’t seen Juicy in a minute so I don’t remember,” he throws back at me.
    â€œPut me on after the clit lickers,” I tell him before walkin’ away from him.
    I don’t break my stride even when I see some random bitch under the table sneakin’ this dude a blow job. I did smile when I thought of Cristal pullin’ that same shit with her man in a restaurant. I ain’t know she had it in her. Bitch swallowed and all.
    Downstairs in the dressin’ room, that