Page 17 of Thirst

“I don't know that.”

“What are you talking about? You just said you knew she was the one, and that’s how you said it would be. You always told me vampires are constantly eager for their Companion, so they force it onto everyone they have feelings for, only to find out they were wrong. But when you actually do meet the one, you won't have to force anything. Even if you fight it, the feeling never leaves you alone. You went in for Von and came out with her attached to your brain like a virus. If everything you've said about it is true, then this is it.”

I shake my head, refusing to accept it. “Yeah, but I'm still not sure.”

“If you're not sure like you said you would be, then maybe I'm wrong and you need to stay away from that place. You can't expose yourself on a whim of uncertainty just because you think the girl is fine.”

My head won't stop shaking. “I know … but I don't know. This feeling is brand new, and it’s stronger than anything I've ever felt before. Stripper or not, this girl wasn't like anybody else in the place. She wasn't like anybody I've ever met.”

“For a person who’s a hundred and fifty-six years old, that’s a wild statement. You should think about that.”

Finally, my head goes from shaking side to side to nodding up and down. I gulp the shot I've been holding this whole time, and let out a long sigh. “You're right.”

“Okay. So what are you gonna do? Because I thought the point of going there was to kill Von.”

“I am gonna kill Von, especially after hearing the way she talked about him. He takes a cut from every stripper. He’s very worthy of an excruciating death, and he's gonna get it. But, I have to learn more,” I say, turning to look out the window. “I have to see her again, and nothing else matters until I do—until I learn exactly what this feeling is.”

AALIYAH

Eleven

“Anybody seen … oh, there you are. Good. You ready?”

I nod my head at Von, knowing what he's about to say. It’s that time of night again. “More Than a Woman” booms over the speakers, and I don't have to wait for Von to tell me that it’s time for my show. I've been waiting on this all night.

Something strange happened the other night, and it has been stuck with me since the moment I saw him walk out the door. A man by the name Amari came into the club and sucked the air out of the entire place. I've given a million lap dances in the four years I've been working at Fantasies, but this particular dance wasn't like any of the others. This dance made me feel something in the depths of my heart. More than just excitement or giddiness from being close to someone cute, I felt sparks igniting in my stomach and fire that burned down into my soul. All from one dance. That was all it took—one conversation, one dance, and the strongest sensation I've ever felt from simple eye contact. Amari walked in and stole my attention from everyone for the rest of the night, even after he was no longer in the building.

I'm not the kind of girl who feeds too much into what I do, at least not when it comes to the customers. A thousand dances could equal a thousand dates and one-night stands if I wanted them to, but that’s not my vibe. I do what I do because I have to. I need this money, and I've never allowed myself to give into the customer’s desires to see me outside of Fantasies. I've never thought about a customer once the dance was over and their money was clenched in my fist or shoved in my purse. I go home without a single memory of what any of the men here even look like. That’s how it has always been. Until now. I haven't stopped thinking about the mysterious new customer since I met him.

Amari felt like he was pulled out of another world and dropped into this one. He was the best dressed, most moisturized man in the building, and his confidence carried an aura with it that damn near made him glow. Every eye in the place was on him at some point, like everyone was wondering the same things as me. Who is he? What is it about him that makes it to where I can't stop staring? He was draped in blood red and gold, and he made it look good. And it wasn't like he was trying to be mysterious. It wasn't an act to try to pull women. No, it was real. Even in the booth when it was just me and him, he never lost that ambience. It lingered, the same way thoughts of him lingered with me.

Before he left, he asked if it was okay for him to come see me again. It’s laughable, really, especially considering the fact that he tipped me four hundred dollars. Coming in looking like that, plus tipping enough to cover my rent increase in one night? Yeah, it’s definitely okay if he comes back to see me again. I've been anxious for it since before my shift started tonight. Every time the door opens, my eyes dart across the room to see if it’s him. But, nothing yet. Last time, I looked out from the top of the pole and found him sitting there. So I'm hoping my stage show will bring me the same luck.

I walk onto the runway to the rhythm of the beat, swaying my hips and looking down at the men in main seating. They smile at me, thinking that every move I make is specifically for them, and I let them think it, smiling back and raising an eyebrow like I'm intrigued. Money begins to cover the floor like rose petals being thrown at my feet, and when I suddenly drop to my knees to twerk, the crowd crescendos into a roar. I shake my ass and bite my lip, and they eat it up, throwing all different denominations of money at me—but mostly ones.

After sixty seconds on the floor, I grab the pole next to me and prepare to make my way up. I look out into the crowd as I tighten my grip, and when I glance at the bar, I see Amari sitting at the end of it. He's there. Again. Just like last time, standing out like a diamond glistening in a pile of coal. My face tries to smile all on its own and I have to fight it back. He looks so good, wearing white pants with a long-sleeved, knitted white sweater that matches perfectly. His skin tone with the all-white contrast is perfection. Everything else about him is the same as before: beautiful dark skin, his mini fro with the tapered sides, and the same breathtaking smile he flashed before. The fact that he's smiling at me while I'm on stage makes me blush, and I end up smiling back after trying so hard not to.

He's actually here. I'm so excited that I nearly forget my entire routine and have to rush to catch up to the cues in the music. I lift myself onto the pole and start grinding, but instead of looking down at main seating, I find Amari in the crowd again and keep my eyes on him. For the rest of the routine, it’s like he's the only person in the room, because there's just something about him that steals my focus. I look at him while I grind against the pole, sliding down it and giving him my full attention. The room fades to black and he is sitting there with a spotlight on him—the star of my show while I put on a show for him. It’s insane what his gaze does to me. Who the hell is this man?

The stage show ends, and the smile on Amari’s face never fades. As I'm picking up the money from the floor, I see Shay, of all people, approach him and whisper in his ear. I hate that she looks so good in her black-on-black outfit, but he dismisses her like she's nothing, shaking his head and keeping his attention solely on me as I clear the stage.

“Who were you eye-fuckin’ out there?” Von says when I get to the back.

I hand him the cash and he starts counting while I get cleaned up and changed.

“Nobody. Everybody,” I answer. “Isn’t that what I'm supposed to do?”

He hands me my money after taking a third of it. “Yeah, I guess so. Good job.”

I take the cash and rush to store it in my locker. I spend another few seconds making sure I smell good, then I'm hightailing it past Von because I know Amari is waiting. I saw him dismiss Shay. He’s here for me.

“Since when do you rush like this?” Von asks as I bump him on my way out.

“Since today,” I say over my shoulder, then I speed walk onto the floor and search every booth for Amari. This time, I see him just as he's sitting down in booth seven. On my way to him, I order a couple shots of Hennessy for us both, and carry them with me. When I enter, he smiles like before, and my heart flutters accordingly.

“Hey. Nice to see you again,” he says. “You looked incredible up there.”

My smile is the widest it's ever been. I feel it stretch across my face, uncontainable. “Thank you. I'm glad you came back.”