About that time, John walked up to her, bent over, whispered in her ear, and then turned around and walked away.About that time, John walked up to her, bent over, whispered in her ear, and then turned around and walked away. As he left, she was visibly shaking and her bottom lip had curled back under where she was not too gently chewing on it as tears appeared in each of the corners of her eyes. "Problems, Linda?" came a gentle non-prodding question at a very low and subdued level, from the owner of the pale blue eyes next to her. She couldn't handle it any longer and said, "excuse me a minute, I'll be back..............", and emphasized it by saying......."PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WHILE I'M GONE........THIS TIME...........PLEASE????" He didn't say a word. All he did was look into her rising eyes and pick up her cigarettes and lighter and put them in her hand after which he squeezed her hand with both of his and ran the tips of his fingers along the edge of her hand, all below the bar level where no one could see it done. Linda turned and walked away. Linda hurried around the bar and past the cash register into the dressing room, closing and locking the door behind her. She sank into the chair and stared at the mirror, tears, still in the corners of her eyes. John had told her, when he had leaned over and whispered in her ear, that she was "on" for this coming Friday and Saturday Night..........the whole way "on"...........$200 per night and had intimated that she'd earn every bit of it. It had hit her like a ton of bricks, because suddenly, she'd had enough of the 'Private Show' scene if not, in fact, this goddamn dancing gig. But she could not, for the life of her, think of any good way out of her "deal" with John. She still didn't have her car and there was no other way she'd get it back in time because the bank had called this morning and told her she either paid by a week from today, in full, or they would auction off her Firebird the next day, Tuesday, a week from tomorrow. Linda, got up and walked to the door, unlocked it and stepped out and told John she was feeling kinda sick and wanted to skip a set or two while she tried to take some asprin and laid down on the couch in the dressing room. Did he mind? He smiled at her and made some reference about long hours and hangovers two nights in a row and said it was OK because they still had four dancers working. She spun around and went back in the dressing room, locking the door behind her. |