Alf's 'Don't Quote Me' challenge prompt 2) A professional is an amateur who didn't quit.

Keep Dancing by jnharrow

"My mama always told me, 'a professional is an amateur who didn't quit,' so I'm not quitting!" Lula yelled down at me.

"Really? Huh. My mother always told me 'quit while you're ahead.'" I mused on this a second, then shook my head to clear it. That so wasn't the issue here. "Lula--"

"I don't wanna hear it." Her voice trailed off into distant mumbles. "…give up…don't do that..."

"Lula--" I peered up at her in the near darkness and all I could see was a dark blob on another skinnier dark blob. "Are you stuck?"

"Why you ask?" Good, that was a nice loud Lula voice now. "'Course I'm not. I'm practicing."

Probably she's stuck or scared or both. "Uh…what exactly?"

A snort this time. "Dancing, what d'you think? I'm gonna set the dance world on fire. Go on one of those TV shows, maybe." She paused. "I'd miss you when I won that job in Vegas, though. Maybe you could come with me. We'd show Vegas something!"

Of course we would. That explained everything…except why she was hanging from some kind of pole off the roof of her building. I squinted. A pole that seemed like it was bending an awful lot.

"This is a good roof to dance on. Plenty of space and this pole. This pole is my prop--my gimmick. Not like a stripper pole. This here's a classy pole. All the good acts have props. I'm just getting used to it. Leaped on just fine. The dismount is tricky, I'll give you that. I'm workin' my way up to it."

Yeah. I wondered what had really happened. It didn't matter though. "Why'd you practice in the dark?"

"Lighting's more romantic. When I get on the show I'm gonna have those lights with all the big floating dots like I'm underwater or somethin'…and a swirly red dress with sequins and maybe some tasteful feathers..."

I wondered how long she'd been up there. Thank God, she had her cell in her bra. Though why she'd called me instead of 911…no, I knew why she'd called me.

Flicking open my cell, I speed dialed one and waited for him to answer.

"Yo."

I said, softly so Lula wouldn't hear, "Yo, yourself."

"Problem, Babe? You ok?"

"Kind of. I'm fine." I sighed. "But Lula needs a ladder right away or sooner. Or one of those extender truck thingies. Maybe some ropes too. Oh, or maybe those things that can shoot into buildings and stick. Just to be safe."

"Babe. How high?"

"Uh…" I tried to look up at her again. "It's really dark."

"Address?"

"You're not tracking me anymore?" This sent a strange bolt of sadness through me.

Ranger chuckled. "I am. But you need help fast. Telling me is faster."

Much better now. I gave him the address. "Quiet help too, please. If you can. I don't want to embarrass her if you can manage it." I had another thought. "Oh--bring Tank with you."

Silence.

Then... "Why?"

"Then Lula won't have to quit. She can just practice being caught. Or leaping. Or something. Just bring Tank." I thought about it. "And a dip after he catches her would be nice and romantic. Yeah, definitely Lula deserves a dip."

"Babe."

I heard faintly ominous creaking sounds from above. "Hurry, please."

"On our way."

"You may need your cape," I told him seriously.

His soft laughter came through the phone and caressed my ear.

Then he hung up.