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“You moving?” I ask him with a frown, nodding at the cart.
He freezes a moment before resuming his riffling.
“Something like that,” he mutters, tossing a faded overcoat on before moving to the back of the cart.
I hardly know what to say, I’ve never had Jay act so weird toward me. There have been a few times he’s been a bit erratic, drugs I’ve assumed, but not like this. He starts to push the cart away.
“Are you...sure everything is okay?” I ask hesitantly. He pauses once more, turning his head only slightly. I hear him sigh.
“I’ll be fine, girl. You...just take care of yourself. And, uh, good luck tomorrow.”
With that and a squeaking wheel, he turns out of the alley, leaving me standing there with a card in hand and what I’m sure is a stupid look on my face.
I look down at the card once more and frown.
What the hell was all that about?
It’s laterwhen I’m sitting in front of my closet, looking over the outfits I brought from home, when I realize that I actually did it. Well, at least I set up an audition.
From what Jay has told me before, this is one of the higher-end clubs. Newer, too, after another was burned down a while back. I debate calling Sarah and telling her, I know she’d squeal with pride, but I hold back. Am I really going to do it? My eyes read over the words on the card, not truly reading them but letting the shapes roll over my mind. It’s smudged, a bit faded, but there is an address and a scrawled name on the back, and a time.
“Joe, 7 PM”
With a sigh, I look back up at my closet and around the decrepit apartment. Well, it isn’t much, but I sure would like to stay here. Knowing there are no other options, I start looking for an outfit.
If I’m going to do this, may as well do it right.
An hour later, I’ve decided I have absolutely nothing appropriate to wear for something like this. I can hardly wear a sundress or one of my ballet costumes. I pull up my bank app and grimace when I see the balance, but note I still have a little room on my credit card.
Go big or go home, I tell myself as I grab my bag and head to the mall.
* * *
The next nightI’m on the bus headed toward the club, and already I regret my outfit. The sales girl was so flattering and complimentary, but in hindsight I’m sure she just wanted the sale. The red does look amazing against my fair skin, but it's so tight and short, unlike anything I usually wear.
I remember the woman I saw only days ago walking into the other club, and she looked amazing in her red dress. So confident and sure. I feel anything but, as I tug the short miniskirt down once more.
Across the aisle from me is an older woman who keeps darting glances at me. I finally catch her eye and give her a small smile but she quickly turns away, turning her attention to the passing streets. Sighing, I do the same.
It takes almost an hour for me to get as close to the address Jay gave me as I can, and I look down at the time. 6:30, perfect. Gives me a bit of time to look around.
Thanking the driver, I hop off the bus and look up and down the streets.It certainly isn’t a very nice area, I think to myself. Sepia streetlights line the street, a few flickering and a few out completely. I feel exposed standing there in my little red dress and quickly pull up my phone GPS and plug in the address. I frown when it comes up in another city entirely.
What the hell?
I pull out the card once more and squint at the address.Is that a B or a D? And is that a four or an eight?
“Crap,” I mutter to myself. The card, further smudged from where I sat and rubbed it in nervousness, is almost illegible. I close my eyes and think back to reading it.
I’m pretty sure it was a four, not an eight.
I type in the new address I think is correct and sure enough, it pops up as a fifteen-minute walk from here. Fifteen minutes? I groan to myself as I look down at the ridiculous heels I got to go with the dress. How did I mess the bus schedule up so bad?
With a final sigh, I make my way down the street and toward my destination.
It ends up taking me closer to twenty minutes and I’m sure my makeup is smudged and running from going so fast. My armpits feel sweaty and my face flushed, and I seriously consider just heading home.
I turn the last corner, taking it slow as my eyes fall on a metal door at the side of the building. There are no signs or anything, and I frown.This doesn’t look like a club, I think. Nearby, someone coughs, making me jump.
