“I didn’t sign up to work tonight. Mel and I are off.”
“You and Mel are both working. There are clients, Avery and—”
Pulling the phone away from my mouth, I whisper to Mel, “Are you working tonight?” She shakes her head. “Turns out we are. Can she do that?” Mel wiggles her fingers, meaning for me to give her the phone. “You can’t drive and talk—” Mel snatches the phone from me. “Okay, so maybe you can…”
Mel’s voice is as hard as Black’s. “Hey, Miss Black. I was out with my home-fry, Avery. What up?” Mel mouths, “I’ll handle this. No reason to go whiter than you already are. We need to get you some color, girl.” Mel jerks the car and changes lanes, leaving my stomach behind us. I hate driving with her in traffic. She bobs and weaves, yanking the steering wheel, changing lanes abruptly, and flying like the car should have wings.
Mel grins, “Well, it’s gonna cost you. We had plans.” Mel presses the phone to her shoulder and cuts across three lanes of traffic to get to our exit. Horns blare, but somehow she still hears what Miss Black says. “Fine, whatever. All I know is that my days off are getting to be fewer and fewer, and overworked and underpaid are two words that are not in my vocabulary, Miss Black. So, if you want me and Avery to work tonight, you’re going to have to fix that underpaid part. Overtime is a 50% increase. We’re both well into it this month and you know it. Uh huh. Well, that’s a risk I’m willing to take. How ‘bout you, Avery?” Mel makes a sound of agreement, and grins as she comes to a stop light. “Avery says, ‘suck it.’ She’s not taking a charity case either. Go ahead. Sic your big thug on us. I’ll cut him up and don’t you doubt that I won’t. Yeah.” She nods for a few seconds and then a smile breaks across her face like sunlight in the dawning sky. “Damn straight, woman. That’s more like it. We’ll be there in an hour. We both need wardrobe, too.” Mel tosses me back the phone.
I’m a little afraid. I put it to my ear like it might bite me, but Black already hung up. “Are you insane? She threatens to beat the shit out of us and you said bring it?”
Mel shrugs. “It’s part of the game, honey. If you can’t play, get out of the sandbox.” I blink at her like she’s lost her mind. Mel rolls her eyes, “This business is just that—a business. If Black wants to work us like this, then she’s gotta compensate us. That’s all there is to it.”
“Has she ever had Gabe or one of the guys rough you up?”
Mel snorts and glances at me. We turn a corner and head back to the Long Island Expressway. “Where are you getting your info on pimping? Crocodile Dundee? This isn’t 1980, Avery. The most Black will do is make you uncomfortable.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“It’s all talk. Have you ever seen Gabe beat the shit out of anyone?”
“Yeah. Last week. He beat Henry Thomas—”
“So he slapped him around in front of you, but did you witness the whole asskicking?”
“No.”
“Well, I’ve never seen one either. Odds are that Mr. Dickhead is walking around in the same condition you last saw him in—meaning that Gabe threw a few punches and that was it. If it’s bend over or take a hit, I’d rather get punched in the face. Besides, Black was bluffing this time. She needs us.”
“Yeah, but the key phrase is this time, Mel.” What about next time? Or the time after? What happens when we no longer hold the same value to Black? I don’t want to find out.
CHAPTER 5
The life of a call girl agrees with Mel. She likes to make guys fall on their knees. She tells me that Black gives her the guys that want to be tamed, that need a strong woman. “Most women are too demur. Bunch of pussies.” We’re sitting in the office, checking in.
I stifle a laugh because Black is coming back. She already scolded me for being fat again, even though my measurements are exactly the same. “Avery,” Black snaps her fingers at me, motioning to take the lingerie in her hands, “Put these on and hurry up. You’re going to be late.”
“She’s not late and stop snapping at her like she’s a mutt. Show some respect.” Mel folds her arms over her chest. She’s leaning back in a chair, already dressed and ready to go.
“Why are you still here?” Black’s eyes narrow to slits as she stares at Mel.
“I’m waiting for my friend.”
“Your friend has had enough of you for today. Go and have the driver take you downtown before I get tired of seeing you.” Black glares at Mel and Mel stares back. They hate each other. It’s weird, since I thought they had an okay relationship. Guess not.