Nas got it though. “Yeah, it’s a show,” she began. “But did you see the way the men reacted to it. It was positive and light. Not sordid. And the way they’ve done up the place.” She looked to Sasha. “It looks nice.”
Sasha nodded as if he were answering an unasked question. “We have to improve our show, improve our image. We’re gonna lose more business if we don’t give ‘em something to talk about.”
As this conversation was happening, I was watching the media player, still playing the file, with my body cold with anxiety. On the screen, I had just stood from my table at Aphrodite’s Kiss and was walking away when…
“Hey, I know you,” was heard loud and clear. “You’re the homeless chick.”
All conversation stopped. All eyes turned to the screen.
“Please turn it off,” I begged on a whisper, my voice trembling.
But no one listened. They were too enthralled in the altercation happening on the screen.
“Too bad you’re not hungry anymore.” I bit the inside of my lip, my heart racing. “Damn, you’re a pretty one.” My throat closed and my arms tightened around my body. “I’m regretting not taking you up on your offer that night. My cock craves you mouth, baby.” Tears filled my eyes and I closed them tight, not giving him the satisfaction of crying over his actions one more time. “What would it take for the offer to be reinstated?”
“Hell to freeze over, you dirty asshole.”
I heard the low whine of someone standing from a chair. I knew he was in front of me before I even opened my eyes. Instead, I squeezed them closed tighter. “I’m sorry,” I told him.
I heard myself on the laptop. “Is that how you let men in your club treat women?” I cringed, slapping my hands over my face, knowing what was coming next. “No, thanks. I’ll be taking my business to Bleeding Hearts.”
Speaking through my hands, I let out a muffled, “Oh, God.”
I heard someone chuckle quietly. Nas spat out, “It’s not funny!” shutting them down before they could humiliate me anymore.
Sasha spoke. “I know it’s not funny. I’m not laughing out of humor.” His voice held a key note of derision. “Not only did she cause a scene, but her crazy ass announced that she’d be coming here.” He scoffed. “Yeah. There goes the rest of our customers.”
“Shut up, Sash,” Nas hissed. Her voice softened a great deal when she asked, “Mina, you know that guy?”
I shook my head.
When Lev spoke, I felt his fury. “You said nothing happened. That wasn’t nothing.”
It was then that I opened my eyes and, sad as they were, they settled on Lev. “I didn’t want you to hear what he said.”
“Why?” he asked, bordering irate.
I bit the inside of my lip and spoke through the thickness in my throat. “Because what he said…” Oh, God, I was so ashamed. “It’s true.” I sniffled, the first of many tears trickling down my flaming red cheek. “He owns a sandwich bar. I asked him for food. He told me to suck his dick. At first, I refused, but,” a ragged breath escaped me, “but I was so hungry, Lev. So hungry,” I stressed. “And when I finally agreed, he told me it was too late and left me crying out in the street.” I looked down at the ground. “He didn’t get his blowjob. And I didn’t get anything to eat.” My voice turned to a whisper. “That was the day before I met you. That was why I stole Sasha’s wallet.” I looked up through my blurry eyes to lock eyes with Sasha. My whisper was hoarse. “I was desperate.”
No one spoke for a while. I didn’t want anyone to speak. I didn’t want looks of pity. I didn’t want sympathy. I wanted to go home.
“Okay,” Lev murmured in that soft way of his, and it was almost as if he’d read my mind, because he turned to the others in the room and stated, “I’m taking Mina home.”
Even though he wasn’t asking for permission, Sasha gave it in the only way I imagined he could. “Yeah, whatever. It’s not like we got customers to serve.”