Page 58 of Thirst

“Stanley, it could be the size of my bathroom and I would still be down, but by all means, lead the way.”

With a chuckle, Stanley turns on his heel and starts walking out of the parking lot. I follow him closely, trying my best to contain the excitement I feel from him agreeing to host an exhibit for me. That was fast. Too fast? No, I don't even allow myself to think crazy. I can't believe it’s actually happening, but I’ll save my most insane reactions for when I'm all alone. For now, I keep it professional and try to act like I've been here before, just like momma used to tell me.

Stanley leads me around the corner and into an empty space that looks like it could be used for absolutely anything. Whatever business was here before completely cleared everything out, leaving behind nothing but gray walls and a few concrete columns that would be perfect for displaying art. There's a second room that can't be seen through the big glass door and window in the front. It looks more like a setup area with a door that leads to the alley behind the building. I imagine there are dumpsters and other businesses' back doors, and a road just big enough to fit one vehicle on it.

“So, what do you think?” Stanley asks when I return from the second room.

I scan the empty space again, but I knew I was down the moment we walked in.

“I think it’s perfect,” I answer. “Just the right size for the number of pieces I have, and the Amari painting can be centered in the middle of that main wall.”

“Amari? Who’s Amari?”

“Oh. Umm. Nobody,” I lie, kicking myself for mentioning his name out loud. “That’s just what I'm calling the vampire painting … I guess. Anyway, the space is perfect. So, are we doing this?”

Stanley looks me up and down. “Oh yeah, we’re gonna do it alright. Without question. Umm, let’s plan it for two days from now. Seven o’clock. That’ll give me some time to call up a few clients who might be interested in your kind of art. It won’t be anything big, but if you want to get a jump on it and test the waters with a quick turnaround, this is it. That work for you?”

“Absolutely!” I say with a smile big enough to stretch across the Grand Canyon. “I’ll make sure I'm off from work, because there's no way I'm missing this. Oh, speaking of work; you know this has nothing to do with the club, right? I'm not here to sell myself to you or anybody else. I'm not a stripper here. I'm an artist. This is about business. You understand that, right? I know you're a regular at the club and I've given you plenty of lap dances, but that’s not what this is. I don't want there to be any confusion about us working together.”

Stanley raises an eyebrow, and his jovial demeanor slightly shifts. His smile fades and his eyes darken before he clears his throat and brings it all back.

“Of course,” he says, unconvincingly. “This is about business and doing what you have to in order to get ahead. I'm hosting, you're displaying, and I’ll take a percentage when it’s all said and done. A simple business transaction. I'm happy to show you the ropes.”

“Cool,” I say, absolutely beaming. I walk across the empty space and extend my hand. “Thank you, Stanley. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

He gently shakes my hand, smirking with a squint in his eyes. “It’s my pleasure, Aaliyah. Glad to be doing business with you.”

The meeting ends and I walk out, ignoring Stanley’s eyes lingering on me through the window until I turn the corner and speed-walk to my car. I get in, start it up, and hurry out of the lot just in case he's still looking. I keep all of my emotions bottled up until I turn onto an adjacent street where there are nearly no cars, then I grip the steering wheel, take a deep breath, and let out the loudest, happiest scream of my life.

Thirty-Five

Aaliyah, I know you have a lot of questions about what happened. I want to provide you with answers. But you have to talk to me in order for me to do that

Iread the message just as I sit down in front of a blank canvas, my paint brush in one hand, my phone in the other. I've been ignoring messages from Amari ever since he exposed himself in Fantasies, and I've been trying not to give in to his pleas. I officially have an art exhibit coming in less than forty-eight hours, and the last thing I want to do is split my focus. But I do miss talking to him. I always said I enjoyed our conversations, but I'm not ready for the topic of the next one we need to have. This is about more than just our pasts or things we enjoy. This is about a man who is secretly a vampire. I don't know how to talk about that, so I've been putting all of my energy into my art.

I went to work today and got through it as quietly as I could. Von tried to talk to me about what happened the other night with Amari, but I didn't even engage. I simply told him it was none of his business, and left him standing there looking dumb while I went to give a lap dance that didn't include getting assaulted and verbally abused.

When Majesty asked about Amari being strong enough to lift a man in the air with one hand, I shrugged as if the topic was the most meaningless thing in the world to me—told her he was just pissed off and filled with adrenaline. When she asked for a better explanation with details, I told her I didn't have any and left to perform my main stage dance.

I kept it low key all night, and didn't even say goodbye to anybody when the shift was over. I practically snuck out and drove away while nobody was paying attention, my mind focused on painting another piece the moment I got home. But instead of painting, I'm staring at my phone, reading Amari’s message and wondering if I should reply. After leaving him on read multiple days in a row, I decide to end my silence, but only briefly. What’s coming is too important to put it second to anything.

Yes, I DO have a lot of questions. I've seen things that don't make sense. Things I've been questioning since the beginning. But it all came to a head after what you did to that guy. Now I don't know what to say because it feels like I've seen enough to form my own conclusion

And what conclusion is that?

I shouldn't have said I formed my own conclusion. What if I'm wrong? What if there is a logical explanation for everything I've seen Amari do, and I jump out accusing him of not even being human? I would look like an idiot, and this thing between us could never evolve past where it is now.

But there's no way I'm wrong about this.

I don't wanna say too much over text and risk sounding dumb

That’s why we should meet in person

But only at night, right?

He takes a moment to respond this time, just like I knew he would.

Right … So when can I see you? Come back to the penthouse