Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Eden laid out bill after bill, separating the denominations like a clerk did their till at the end of their shift. Before she knew it, mounds of green covered her freshly cleared makeup station. And as the piles grew higher, so did her smile.
She quickly surpassed five hundred, then six, and when she counted to eight hundred her lips spread even wider. Never, had she ever, got this much cash after one dance. She wanted to squeal with excitement. It wasn't long before thoughts of performing more opening numbers crowded Eden's mind, and with it, all the money that could be earned.
Was Diamond raking in this much a night? If she were why hasn't she told me? Eden thought but it didn't matter now.
Eden stared down in astonishment at all of the little stacks. Most were ones; fives, tens, and twenties but she found a crisp hundred-dollar bill in the mix. She held it up, eyeing the smudged red lipstick on the corner with a narrowed glare.
How dare that man steal a kiss! The night has barely begun. Think of everything else you're going to make tonight. Allow him his stolen kiss. I got something worth so much more. She dropped the bill and watched it float on top of the stacks.
Voices echoed down the hallway, stealing Eden away from her glorious moment. Before they could intrude on her isolation, Eden hastily gathered her cash in a thick bundle and stashed the wad into a small, red lockbox she kept stowed away in the bottom of her duffle bag.
Everyone knew the girls' at Harvey's weren't shy about going through each other's belonging.
A borrowed bra.
A missing skirt.
A few hundred dollars in tips vanish into thin air.
Theft in the dressing rooms occurred religiously, but no one ever knew who did it. Or if they did, they kept quiet.
Eden would be damned if she'd risk losing everything to those thieving whores, so she stashed her cash under lock and key and prayed they'd be non the wiser.
Moments later, two girls entered the room. Bras dangled from their hands and their breasts bounced with every step.
To her relief, the girls barely glanced Eden's way as they headed toward the opposite end of the room to change. Their frilly skirts were shed, cast aside without a second thought, and began to shimmy into their next performance outfits.
Eden shifted her body, blocking their view of her station, and relocked the box on her lap. She stashed it underneath her street clothes, making sure to conceal it just right. With a quick zip, the duffle bag was closed and kicked underneath the table.
Eden eyed the other girls with envy. They were talking in hushed tones and laughing as something Eden would never be a part of.
Without thinking, Eden rushed out of the dressing room and into the dimly lit hallway that would lead her backstage. She needed to speak to Diamond. To make sure everything was all right between them. Maybe then the sick feeling of guilt would vanish from Eden's gut and she'd feel better.
The black painted walls, and decorative ceiling lamps blurred by. Eden hated tight, enclosed spaces and with each step, her lungs ached, her heart pounded against her ribs, and the dark walls surrounding her seemed to be closing in.
Keep going. Eden quickened her pace.
Apologizing for the last minute change was the least Eden could do at this point.
Diamond won't understand. They never do. Eden already felt the pangs of defeat.
Images of all the other girls filtered through her mind. These were the faces of all the other girls who left her behind. All because of things Eden had no control over. She couldn't tell Harvey how to run his show any more than Diamond could, or anyone else for that matter.
It was Harvey who called the shots not me! Eden fought the tears that pricked at her eyes. I didn't have a choice.
Diamond will have to understand that it's not my fault. She has to. If she turns her back on me, I'll have no one. Ricky surely won't stick around after Diamond washes her hands of me. Eden knocked into a passerby. Without looking up, she mumbled her apologies and continued on.
Eden sensed the entrance to the stage was near and paused at the sound of Ricky's voice. And sure enough, she spotted her friend getting ready for her set behind the main curtain.
Diamond took her seat on the swing that would eventually lower her to the stage for her performance. Her hands fiddled with the straps of her safety harness that secured her to the seat. With a few simple clicks, she'd be released, but only when the time was right.
Eden rushed from the wings, fearing the swing would begin its lift before she had the chance to make things right. "Diamond, wait!"
Diamond wasn't in the mood to talk.
I knew it. You are mad. Everything before was just a lie. Eden halted a few yards away. She leaned forward with her hands against her knees and panted for air. "Please don't be mad at me."
"Girl, did you seriously run all the way over here to say that?" Diamond looked at Eden like she lost her damn mind.
A part of Eden was now wondering the same; maybe she had completely lost her mind. Or perhaps she was too afraid of losing the only friend she held dear. But above everything else there was one thing that would eat away at her the most. Eden didn't want to be alone.
Eden stood straight, "Yeah, kind of." she panted.
"You have terrible timing. Ya know that?" Diamond shook her head and gazed down at her working hands. They were busy checking and rechecking the safety harness. "We'll talk later, okay?"
Eden felt like she couldn't wait. "I honestly had no idea Harvey was going to pull that shit tonight. I was just as surprised as you. You believe me, right?"
"I believe that you didn't know, okay."
"Thank you."
"Hold up; I'm not done yet." Diamond continued, making Eden's smile falter. "It doesn't change the fact that you could've said no. You had a choice and did nothing to stop it."
"I'm truly sorry." Eden's eyes started to shimmer with fresh tears. "I didn't want-"
"Harvey to be angry with you?"
Eden nodded her head a little more than ashamed and struggled to maintain eye contact.
"Bitch, wipe those damn tears off your cheeks. Ain't nobody here wants to see you with raccoon eyes." Diamond motioned Eden forward, "You're still my girl so don't think much of it. We're good. Anyway, I'm more pissed at Harvey's triflin' ass." Diamond rolled her eyes when Eden sniffled. "Now get the hell off the stage. It's my turn in the spot light."
"Thanks, Dee." Eden stepped back from the swing, "Break a leg."
"Oh and before I forget. There's a man who reeks of money out there asking about you." Diamond let out a little yelp of surprise as the swing started to rise, "How 'bout a little warning next time, guys?" she shot the lift operator a disapproving glare. "Go find Harvey. He'll tell you all about it. But if you're smart, you'll go for it."
Eden waved Diamond off before heading off stage toward the main floor. Like Diamond did before her, Eden made a pit stop at the bar to retrieve the whereabouts of Harvey. Only Marcus was a little less friendly toward Eden.
"Have you seen Harvey?" Eden asked.
Marcus glanced up from his shaker and ignored her question. He poured the mixed drink into a freshly garnished glass and set it on a clean tray before starting on another. The whole time he was still openly ignoring her existence.
"I'm waiting." She pushed for an answer.
"Do I look like his fucking keeper?" He waved his hand in the air like he was swatting a pesky fly. "He's somewhere around here. Go fuckin' look for him yourself. Can't you see I'm busy?" He rinsed the shaker.
Eden stepped onto the footrest near the bottom of the bar to give her a little boost. She leaned over the counter and plucked a maraschino cherry from the partially covered tub. She popped it into her mouth and savored the burst of flavor as she chewed.
Marcus still insisted on ignoring Eden's antics. She didn't care for that sort treatment at all. She went to take another cherry only this time Marcus caught her in mid-grab. His round eyes narrowed.
"I saw that."
Eden popped the second cherry into her mouth and gave him her sweetest grin, "You saw nothing."
"Shouldn't you be working or something?" Marcus headed towards her, "Or do you not even have to do that anymore?"
"Screw you, Marcus." Eden turned her back towards him and scanned the crowd.
Her gaze drifted over the room. Ricky wasn't exaggerating about it being a packed house. From this angle she couldn't spot an empty seat in the theater, let along Harvey.
There was movement at her side. Then a high-pitched voice surprised her.
"Eden! I was wondering where you ran off to." Harvey pulled out one of the stools at the bar and struggled to take a seat. "Well don't just stand there, girl, sit down." He motioned toward the empty stool next to him.
Eden took a seat, crossing her legs in a way she knew would make them look long. She leaned against the bar. "Diamond said you wanted to see to me."
"I'm going to need you to do a private dance," Judging from the look on Harvey's face, he meant business.
Eden threw her head back at his bad sense of humor, "You know I don't do those. So who did you offer in my place?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Eden caught movement. Marcus edged himself closer toward them on the other side of the bar, trying to listen in. He finished making his next drink order and poured it into a glass.
"No one. I told him you'd do it,"
The drink Marcus was holding slipped from his hand and crashed against the bar. "Fucking shit!"
"What?" Eden asked as Marcus shouted out his obscenities. The two were in complete shock at the new turn of events but for opposite reasons. "Why would you saw yes?"
"Yeah, what has changed?" Marcus gave up on trying to hide his eavesdropping.
"It's time Eden started offering special services. It doesn't have to be for everyone, maybe a select few VIP clients."
"Like hell I do." Eden scoffed.
Marcus frantically cleaned up his mess of liquid and ice.
Eden's chest tightened when Harvey didn't answer her.
"This is a joke, right?"
"I have to put my foot down on this on Eden. If you choose not to work with this client, I'll be forced to put you back into group numbers for the next month."
Eden paled.
Marcus didn't bother to hide his excitement. His eyes danced between Eden and Harvey with a child like glee.
"What are you laughing at?" Eden glared at Marcus as he wrung out a sopping wet towel over the sink. "Don't you have more drinks to ruin or something?"
"Ain't no way I'm missin' this, bitch." He said when Harvey wasn't listening.
Eden stood up, fuming at the thought of having to do a private dance. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted out her bottom lip at Harvey, but none of her usual tricks worked. In the first time in Eden and Harvey's business relationship he wouldn't be swayed.
"I can't believe you're forcing me to do this, Harvey! Someone else-"
"He's offered two grand for one hour alone with you." Harvey pulled out the folded check and pushed it into her hand.
Eden stared down a all the zeros. "Holy shit."
"You'll be getting half of that." Harvey snagged the check from her unwilling fingers.
"Why only half? Why not all of it?" Eden was annoyed at the bad split. "If I'm doing all the work then I should at least get 75%."
"I've shielded you for far too long, Eden. Times they are a-changin'." He sung. "What will you choose? More opening numbers or back to group number. The other girls would kill for this opportunity."
"And all I have to dance? That's it?"
"That's all he requested. But I strongly encourage you to follow through with any special requests he may have. I'm depending on you Eden. Give him whatever he asks of you, and I will give you the spot light."
"I want to open at least three days a week."
"Sounds reasonable."
"And if I do any more private dances, I will get 75%. I get the final say on who get a private show or not."
"We're going to make a lot of money, Eden, just you wait and see." Harvey gripped the edge of the bar and hopped down off his stool, "Are you ready to meet your client for the evening?"
"By all means, lead the way." A flutter of nervousness twisted in Eden's gut as she followed Harvey into the crowd. This doesn't feel right.