thick and sexy accent to the architecture of the restaurant. He was looking at the arches above all the doorways, the biggest arch above the entrance. His gaze wandered from the wooden ceiling fans to the casino floor, right in front of Lounge 101. There was a long bar with chrome poles and girls half naked dancing on or around each of them, men gambling or drinking or watching the girls dance.
Dominic squinted and leaned forward to get a better look at one girl at the very far left on the last pole at the bar. Was it her? Could it be her? Tristan squeezed Dominic’s thigh and burst into laughter at something Josephine said. Dominic couldn’t give two shits about what they were saying but faked a laugh like he even knew what they were talking about. He was still focused on the girl on the fourth pole. No way. It couldn’t be. He continued to squint until his vision sharpened. It was hard to tell from this angle because some of her hair covered her face. But it was the same natural black color and length. Dominic realized the girl he was looking at with black fishnet stockings and a tight green and gold corset was indeed the girl next door.
5… Shamayla
Hope met Shamayla a few months after she was hired at Lounge 101. But she didn’t meet Shamayla at work. It happened while Hope and her then boyfriend Michael-or whatever he was- were at the MGM Grand waiting to see a show. She saw Shamayla sitting near the Lion exhibit, looking lonely and vulnerable. She was wearing a gold and red sequined mini dress with matching stilettos in her hand. She had bruises up and down her legs and her hair was everywhere. At first glance Hope thought Shamayla was a prostitute. When Michael went to the restroom, Shamayla caught Hope’s eyes and approached her, asking about jobs.
With Shamayla’s overall careless look and strip tease past, Hope knew she could convince her boss to give Shamayla a go. Hammer liked that Shamayla was foreign and looked “exotic” to him, with honey color skin and sunrise eyes. He had one of the dancers turn up the radio and asked Shamayla to “show us your moves”. She wasn’t that great but he figured some dance lessons would help that. Shamayla got the job.
Being Shamayla’s friend was dangerous so she had very few. She made it clear to Hope what the risks were but Hope wouldn’t be so intimidated. It wasn’t easy: Shamayla’s estranged husband had followed them to a fast food place once and started slapping up Shamayla in the parking lot, in broad freakin’ day light. No matter how hard she tried, Hope couldn’t convince Shamayla to call the cops. Shamayla feared Zefar and claimed it would only antagonize him more.
Hope and Shamayla spent this afternoon at the mall. She and Shamayla checked out and as they were heading out of the main doors of the mall into the parking lot, they saw Zefar’s car. The girls stopped and stared for a moment.
“Just get in the car,” Hope said, hurrying to the isle her car was parked in. Zefar either spotted her car or had been following them. He had done it before and it was frustrating to always be looking over her shoulder, trying to spot him, to be sure they weren’t being stalked. Sometimes Hope and Shamayla got careless and didn’t even consider Zefar could be following them. But to frustrate him in return, Hope would drive to the police station which always scared off Zefar.
Sure enough Zefar wanted to follow them. He didn’t know where Shamayla lived or worked but would do anything to find out. When he turned down the same streets Hope did, Shamayla went into a panic.
“Drive to the police station,” she said to Hope.
“And if it doesn’t work this time?”
“Do it. He’ll keep going.”
Hope nodded.
“Oh no, oh no oh no,” Hope said, biting her lip. The light ahead flicked to red.
As cross traffic
Dominic squinted and leaned forward to get a better look at one girl at the very far left on the last pole at the bar. Was it her? Could it be her? Tristan squeezed Dominic’s thigh and burst into laughter at something Josephine said. Dominic couldn’t give two shits about what they were saying but faked a laugh like he even knew what they were talking about. He was still focused on the girl on the fourth pole. No way. It couldn’t be. He continued to squint until his vision sharpened. It was hard to tell from this angle because some of her hair covered her face. But it was the same natural black color and length. Dominic realized the girl he was looking at with black fishnet stockings and a tight green and gold corset was indeed the girl next door.
5… Shamayla
Hope met Shamayla a few months after she was hired at Lounge 101. But she didn’t meet Shamayla at work. It happened while Hope and her then boyfriend Michael-or whatever he was- were at the MGM Grand waiting to see a show. She saw Shamayla sitting near the Lion exhibit, looking lonely and vulnerable. She was wearing a gold and red sequined mini dress with matching stilettos in her hand. She had bruises up and down her legs and her hair was everywhere. At first glance Hope thought Shamayla was a prostitute. When Michael went to the restroom, Shamayla caught Hope’s eyes and approached her, asking about jobs.
With Shamayla’s overall careless look and strip tease past, Hope knew she could convince her boss to give Shamayla a go. Hammer liked that Shamayla was foreign and looked “exotic” to him, with honey color skin and sunrise eyes. He had one of the dancers turn up the radio and asked Shamayla to “show us your moves”. She wasn’t that great but he figured some dance lessons would help that. Shamayla got the job.
Being Shamayla’s friend was dangerous so she had very few. She made it clear to Hope what the risks were but Hope wouldn’t be so intimidated. It wasn’t easy: Shamayla’s estranged husband had followed them to a fast food place once and started slapping up Shamayla in the parking lot, in broad freakin’ day light. No matter how hard she tried, Hope couldn’t convince Shamayla to call the cops. Shamayla feared Zefar and claimed it would only antagonize him more.
Hope and Shamayla spent this afternoon at the mall. She and Shamayla checked out and as they were heading out of the main doors of the mall into the parking lot, they saw Zefar’s car. The girls stopped and stared for a moment.
“Just get in the car,” Hope said, hurrying to the isle her car was parked in. Zefar either spotted her car or had been following them. He had done it before and it was frustrating to always be looking over her shoulder, trying to spot him, to be sure they weren’t being stalked. Sometimes Hope and Shamayla got careless and didn’t even consider Zefar could be following them. But to frustrate him in return, Hope would drive to the police station which always scared off Zefar.
Sure enough Zefar wanted to follow them. He didn’t know where Shamayla lived or worked but would do anything to find out. When he turned down the same streets Hope did, Shamayla went into a panic.
“Drive to the police station,” she said to Hope.
“And if it doesn’t work this time?”
“Do it. He’ll keep going.”
Hope nodded.
“Oh no, oh no oh no,” Hope said, biting her lip. The light ahead flicked to red.
As cross traffic
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