Read HIBISCUS :: at Anya's, (2)

Cédric leaves money by the sink and heads out.

"I didn't want you to see me like this," she says quietly, almost whispering. Embarrassed the whole salon can hear their argument. Bubble turns her face towards her sister. "I'm just so tired of this!"

"Does he beat you?"

"What? It's not-"

"Does he take away your money?" She asks, checking for the invisible whatever under her fingernails. Bubble shakes her head. Presses her lips together, holding down her anger. "Guess you're being treated well, then. I made so much cash last week. It's amazing!"

"I want out. I swear I'll go back to school, Nat, and finish my degree."

"I need a drink," she raises her voice.

Nat's gaze moves around the room and her heavy eyeshadow glitters. I notice how Bubble's eyes linger on her profile.

"Just a second," one of the stylists says, running to the mini-fridge but Nat waves her finger in the air. She knows what's going on. I guess she's been around here before.

"Get me the good stuff, Vicky."

She nods at Nat's sour smile and grabs a bottle from the locked cabinet. Pours whiskey into a plastic cup.

"You'll get used to it, trust me," Nat goes back to encouraging Bubble now that she has her incentive. "Before you know it, you'll learn to enjoy the love-making."

"Don't call it that!" Bubble almost yells out with a red across her face.

Nat laughs - teeth straight and white.

"Fine, the sex. You'll learn to enjoy it. And I thought I was being delicate about it. How many clients have you had until now? The most in one day?" Nat looks at her with condescendence and Bubble's eyebrows turn upwards.

Easy to see Bubble feels inferior around her but Nat seems like the kind of girl who only exposes the gap between them when it needs reminding.

"Four." The embarrassment gather hot tears in her eyes. "And most of them are old men! With wrinkly, hanging skin, Nat. I'm so disgusted by them." She starts crying again and her sister rolls her eyes. "I throw up after. How can I pretend to be into it?"

Nat lights a cigarette.

"How can you stand it?"

"I snort a line or two," she says, her tine rather amused. "You should try it."

Bubble's eyes widen.

"I can't believe you."

"Don't be a baby. Lucky suggested it. Really takes the edge off when I'm stressed. It does the trick."

Yeah, he's a fucking magician, all right.

"I can't believe you trust him!"

"Don't be stupid! You don't even have the guts to talk to him properly."

"Why are you so defensive?"

Nat stares at her blankly.

"Your sister is right." The Salamander slaps Nat's ass with a wide grin on his face." That little shit thinks he's a force to be reckoned with." Leans over them, his arms around their shoulders, giving off an illusion of privacy.

"You girls heard of what went down at the Hibiscus in its glory days? Bubble, since you started working there, someone must've mentioned Dauphine. What's that famous saying?"

"Don't go out like Dauphinelle!" Nat shouts and stomps her foot like a soldier. "Bang, bang!"

"Take it somewhere else!" Tatiana snaps and shouts over them. "We've got a clients coming in."

The Salamander's jealous and outdated. He's fussing because Lucky has him running errands. Feels it's disrespectful because of his seniority in the nightlife business. I'd say something but last time I did it got nasty. Last time I didn't stop and he ended up with an ugly busted nose.

"Okay, okay, ladies."

"You're scaring everyone," Vicky continues. She flips channels on the television hanging on the wall. "Especially since the shooting. I don't know how the papers just glossed over it. I mean the club's reopened already, even though there's an on-going investigation."

"I'm sorry for your loss," an older man says, cigarette between his dry lips.

"I heard it was a drug dispute," another throws in. Money. Revenge. Inside job.

Someone shushes him.

Tatiana helps me lean the back of my neck against the sink. The hard, polished edge digs into my spine. That damned light flickers into my eyes. I stare up at her.

A blurred shadow.

Whispers.

"You girls better start working hard if you want your spoiled prince to recover."

His grand persona filters into the afternoon. The bell chimes and I hear the traffic outside. The Salamander’s departure leaves a moment of lingering silence behind.

"You don’t know,” Tatiana stands over me, bottle of shampoo in hand.

The strange sadness in her eyes. She avoids my gaze.

A string of quiet voices behind us: God help us and a few may he rest in peace. Amen, amen. Slowly, the chatter begins again. Tatiana’s voice is weak.

“Hapi’s dead.”

It won’t settle. I feel the coldness of my hands.

“He was shot at the Hibiscus two weeks ago. It’s such a mess. I’m sorry.” She squeezes my shoulder and words keep coming but I don’t listen anymore. Reality ignites and crashes, boiling in the hollow of my stomach. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

This content is intended for mature audiences for the following reasons.