Free Show and Tell by Niobia Bryant Page A

same smell of funky feet, corn chips, and ass is still there. Most of the dancers are upstairs but I turn the corner by the beat-up lockers and see asses in the air as two dancers are bent over and snorting something from the counter. The sight of them gettin’ high makes me anxious. It would be so easy to walk over there do a line and forget my money problems for a little while.
    One of the girls stands up and almost stumbles on her five-inch heels. She turns. It’s Candy. I frown a little. When I used to work here she was my weed partner. Me and this bitch could smoke four blunts straight without blinkin’.
    The way she looks right now scares the shit out of me.
    Powder is on the tip of her nose. Her eyes are so glassy and kinda yellow. She done lost weight. Her makeup is smeared and shit. This bitch look like . . . a junkie. Straight the fuck up.
    Candy looks right at me but I know she so high she don’t even recognize me. “Wanna hit?” she asks me. Her words is all slurred together as she stumbles back onto the edge of the counter. She reaches out with her hand and it lands in the residue. She laughs and raises her hand to lick the dope from her fingers.
    I watch her and I feel hungry for it. My body is callin’ for it. I want to lick her fingers, the counter, hell, the floor if some is down there on it. I want to get high so fuckin’ bad.
    I ain’t gone never stop wantin’ it?
    I turn and run the hell out of there, almost trippin’ as I try to get my ass up them fuckin’ stairs. Go. Go. Go. I tell myself as I run through the club knockin’ some big tittie bitch over as I fly out the damn door. As soon as I feel the cold air surround my body I stop and just fuckin’ breathe . Cold air ain’t never tasted so good. Bein’ out of that strip club ain’t never felt so good. It’s like I was drownin’ and finally breakin’ through the water for some fuckin’ air.
    I can’t go back. I can’t. I won’t.
    I walk quick as hell to my car and climb in. My hands are shakin’ as I crank my car. I pull off just as them tears I’m fightin’ rolls from my eyes.
    Everything for me is a fuckin’ battle.

Chapter Twelve
    Cristal
    â€œL owe, Ingram, and Banks.”
    â€œHello, Danielle. This is Carolyn.”
    I look up from the message pad I was jotting on. “Hello, Mrs. Ing—”
    â€œCall me Carolyn, dear.”
    â€œUh, hello, Carolyn. If you will hold one second I will get you transferred in to Mr. Ingram.”
    â€œActually I was calling to speak to you.”
    I pause. I am not quite sure how to take this lady. The charity event at the Waldorf-Astoria was two weeks ago. She hardly spoke to me there and I have not seen or heard from her since. I left the party confused as hell as to why she even invited me and I am confused as hell now that she wants to speak to me.
    â€œHow can I help you?”
    â€œThere’s a celebrity charity luncheon tomorrow and I thought this would be a great event for you to attend with me.”
    One of my shaped brows lifts slightly. “Why?” I ask in the nicest tone and manner possible.
    â€œWhy not?” she counters mysteriously.
    I know the luncheon of which she speaks. I even read somewhere that Star Jones, Holly Robinson Peete, Kimora Lee Simmons, and many more are supposed to attend. Do I want to have a fabulous meal and rub elbows with these celebrities? Hell yeah.
    â€œI have to work tomorrow.”
    Carolyn laughs like I said the funniest thing in the world. “Oh dear, don’t worry about that.”
    â€œCan I get back to you?” I ask, pretending to sound young, dumb, and unsure. I want to go. Do not get me wrong. But I am a little tired of this woman jerking my chain and catching me off guard.
    She paused for a noticeable moment before saying, “Get back to me but remember the early bird gets the worm, Danielle. In life you never