Chapter Nine

“Queenie, girl, are you excited about debuting your new routine tonight?” Goldie asked as she leaned against the wall next to the main stage at the club. It was quiet. A few employees were milling around but customers wouldn’t be arriving for a couple of hours.

“You know it. I’m gonna set this room on fire tonight with what I’ve got planned. I just got a call from my girl Melanie, and she’s coming to see me tonight.”

“Squee!” Goldie clapped her hands and lightly bounced up and down. “Baby, I’m so excited for you! Your bestie is coming to see you.” She flicked her signature gold hair over her shoulder dramatically as they turned to walk together down the hall that led to the backstage area.

“You know she never lets me down. And she’s bringing that hot husband of hers with her.”

“Ooh, that man just oozes class.”

“And sex.”

“That, too. He looks like he should be on the cover of a magazine.”

“Are you kidding? He looks like he should be starring in a porn flick,” she said laughingly as she thought of the gorgeous man Melanie was married to.

“You are so bad,” Goldie giggled, covering her mouth with her hands.

“You know it’s true. I bet that man’s a stallion. Anyway, he was in the background telling me we need to be careful. That Mummy Man asshole is still on the loose and they’re worried that he might be hitting up bars that cater to folks who prefer a little something special in their entertainment.” Queenie stopped at the dressing room door, resting a perfectly manicured hand on the doorknob. “Well, that little son of a bitch better not come after any of us or I’ll be mummifying his ass.”

Both girls laughed and headed into the dressing room to start getting ready for the evening’s show. The wall was taken up with a long, lighted mirror and an extended vanity countertop. Pink salon chairs were positioned in a tidy row in front of the impressive vanity, and elaborate totes filled with makeup were scattered along its length.

Goldie looked at Queen Bee in the mirror as they applied their makeup. Her own look was pretty outlandish compared to her friend’s softer, more natural appearance. Goldie lived up to her name with glimmering highlights that gave her hair a metallic sheen, and gold nail polish on her carefully manicured nails. Even her eyes were a distinctive cognac brown that practically glowed under the stage lights or when she was feeling emotional.

On the other hand, Queen Bee’s beauty wasn’t dependent on artifice beyond the usual cosmetics to enhance her features. Her long blonde hair had subtle auburn undertones. Her eyes were green but when she was onstage she sometimes wore contact lenses of blue or, when she was really working it, a soft lavender shade reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor.

“What music are you using tonight?” Goldie asked as she eyed her special tube of gold lipstick. She was considering doing her James Bond review tonight, and the audience loved how the gold lipstick shimmered during her Goldfinger routine; at least, that’s what she’d been told by her adoring fans.

“‘It’s Raining Men’, of course, and I don’t know what else. Not sure yet.” Queen Bee lifted her chin and tilted her head from side to side as she looked in the mirror, checking the blending of her foundation along her jawline.

“I knew you’d do that one. Don’t you just love it when the club is full and it really is raining men?”

“You know I do, especially when it’s raining their hard-earned cash.” They both laughed at the thought of all the men they bewitched from the stage every night. The men came in search of a fantasy girl, and Goldie and Queen Bee were more than happy to accommodate them.

“Well, hey there, girls.” Jasmine strolled in and took the seat closest to the door, tucking her layered red hair behind her ears. “I had to get away from that bar.” Jasmine fanned herself with her hand. “I swear, I’m having a hot flash, honey.”

“It’s the hormones, girl.”

“Well, I can’t transition without them. All that counseling I have to go through is ridiculous, too. I don’t need anyone to tell me who I am. I’ve known I was a woman trapped in a man’s body since I was a child and I don’t need some damn doctor getting inside my head to tell me that.”

“You and the rest of us, baby,” Queen Bee said with a soft smile. “I’m a year in myself. All the hormones and counseling? It’s no fun. But it’ll all be worth it, ladies. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m finally feeling like…me. You know?” Queen Bee looked over her shoulder. “Now, what happened out there?”

“All they’re talking about on the news is that Mummy Man killer. It makes me nervous. Then everybody at the bar picks up on it and starts talking about it.” Jasmine’s eyes became shiny. She blinked hard and cleared her throat as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. “It’s just scary, that’s all. The longer I sit around and listen to that shit, the more I worry that he may come here. Who knows, he could be sitting out there any night of the week, just watching the stage and picking out his next victim.”

“Goldie says she’ll bury him alive if he comes after us.”

“I do believe she would. Nobody likes crossing Girlfriend. Bad temper doesn’t even begin to describe her.” Jasmine looked over at Goldie and arched a perfectly groomed brow. “Everybody’s scared of you, you know.”

Goldie shrugged. “I got tired of putting up with people’s shit years ago. If I have to pop a bitch in the head then so be it. Not my problem. I’m not under any illusions, ladies. I have a nasty habit of picking the wrong men. No more. By now, I bet I can spot a bad apple as soon as he walks through the door.”

“You’ve been known to beat up grown-ass men, girl.” They both laughed.

“You mean bigots, honey. A bigot’s just a bigot, not a real man.”

“True. They deserve an ass beating.”

“That’s right. Live and let live, girl. But I’m not looking for trouble. They can leave me alone and let me live my life, or they can make the mistake of giving me a hard time and end up with my stiletto up their ass.”

“Well, if you don’t mind let’s try to get through tonight with no fights. It’s my…”

“Debut,” they all said in unison.