Love Lost (Love's Improbable Possibility) (9 page)

“Arch those fabulous arms, The Lost One Found!”

“Heel
s up high, The Lost One Found.”

“Chest out,
The Lost One Found.”

“My goodness, boast those boobies, The
Lost One Found!” he’d say to me.

As soon as I arrived Jimmie
trilled, “You’re finally here, The Lost One Found! There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” as he examined my makeup to be sure it was in tip top shape for the performance. He pulled my arm into a room where other girls from my team were either preparing for their performance or assisting someone who was. I smiled as he towed me through a crowd of half-naked people and never took a breath while talking. He stopped at an attractive middle-aged man with beautiful brown skin and an alluring smile. He had vanity built into his full cheeks and dark mustache.

Jimmie continued while holding my hand and patting it gently every few seconds while speaking, “Frankie darling, I would like you to meet my leading lady of the evening. The number she’s doing tonight should only be attempted by seasoned professionals
, but will be gracefully performed by this charming, medical professional who only dances to fulfill some back alley dream of hers. I’ve named her appropriately,
The Lost One Found
. She’s lost in purpose but found in this gift.”

He then turned to me and said, “Honey, this is a dear, long time, long lost friend of mine…the ultimately talented, Mr. Frank Gatson.”

“Hello, Mr. Gatson.” I pushed out with a wide smile. I didn’t know who this man was.

“Nice to meet you, dear
,” he responded as he gazed over me intensely from head to toe in assessment. It made me very nervous. I quickly turned my head towards Jimmie to break the awkward gape.

“Okay
, my dear, you must prepare for your debut. I’m expecting fabulous results on that stage tonight. Frank just stopped in to say hello and I thought I’d introduce him to you people. Run along and meditate, The Lost One Found!” I could tell he thought I had a clue of who that man was. 

The event was held at a club called
Cobalt
on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. I didn’t want to tell Michelle it would be here because she’d been talking about this place for months now saying that we really need to come. It was one of the hottest clubs around. Too bad this was a weekday and I couldn’t gauge the type of patrons who frequented it. She said the owner was a young tycoon who was buying up lots of property in L.A. including a recreation facility in Long Beach City that has prime space available for a prospective location for the physical therapy practice.

The outside of Cobalt provided much aesthetics
, boasting bright flashing lights and a fancy marquee, which was all I could see because I entered through the rear. There were about eighty performances that night and could only be three winners. I had no expectations of winning. I just wanted to experience the stage. Jimmie would always say there’s nothing like it. He said it took some time to master it but no time to feel the high from it. I was the seventy-seventh to go on and began to get extremely nervous. I had to ask myself why I was so anxious. It’s not like I was in it for the competition. I thought it would be like dancing in the mirror when alone or with Jimmie and the rest of the class at the studio.

I took the stage with the curtain down. There were more than a gazillion butterflies in my stomach. No
—the best way to describe it was more like elephants. The last thing I heard was Jimmie whispering, “Honey, you’ll be great! Remember, you’re The Lost One Found!”

I saw Mr. Gatson’s knowing smirk on his face with his arms folded as if he was waiting to be impressed. I don’t know if what Jimmie said should’ve eased my nerves or increase
d my fears. But man, when I heard the beat drop as I sat in the black wooden chair with my back turned to the audience it felt as if something coated my mind and body and I was no longer surrounded by an audience.

The song that I
did my number to was Vanity 6’s 1980s hit, “
Nasty Girl
”. And that night I was just that. The beat was electrifying and easy to be guided by. Jimmie chose it believing it complimented my passive mannerisms. Little did he know, there was a wild side to me—it just wasn’t for everyone to experience.

I twirled, lunged, arched, pumped, dropped it, spun, hurled, teased
, and popped. I demanded the stage. When Vanity would sing about living in a fantasy and asking if I was a nasty girl, I was
that
nasty girl. It felt so natural; I forgot where I was and focused on my inner sex-goddess. The experience was invigorating.

I had to be careful not
to emulate a stripper but a dancer with grace and dignity instead. So there were no shirts coming off like in other numbers performed here tonight. And I did more than feel the beat, I was one with the beat. When I ended the number, I commanded the audience. I could tell by the expressions on their faces. That snatched me from the trance I was in. I heard applauses, screams, and whistles.

When I walked off stage Jimmie was there clapping and yelling, “She’s found! She’s found! I knew it
! Bravo!”

He grabbed me into his arms and held me for dear life. I was trying to calm down.
That was quite an experience up there on stage.
After recieving my evaluation from Jimmie, I hurried and changed. I was ready to get home because I had an early morning the next day, but Jimmie would kill me if I were to leave before they announced the winners. I knew I wouldn’t win, my competitors had been at this for years. They relied on this talent. And me? Well again, it was just a hobby.

I went out to the bar figuring I’d get a nice cold drink while they called the winners. I moved my way through the crowd to an unoccupied seat. I motioned for the bartender and ordered a sprite with lots of ice. That’s what my body needed at the time. I heard them announce the third place winner. It was Wendy, last year’s first place winner. She didn’t seem too happy about her ranking as she took to the stage to collect her trophy.
Big deal!
I thought to myself then I felt someone grab my arm. I looked up and it was Richard.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” 

“I just wanted to surprise you by showing up to offer a little support. You were hot, mami!” Richard’s hands were clasped together as he tried to mask his enthusiasm.

“I don’t need any support. Just a little privacy as I told you earlier! How did you even know where
—”

I started to rip him a new one when he shrieked and drew in a hefty breath, “Rayna! They called your name, mami! You won! You won! Go!”

I looked up and heard the MC announce, “Again, number 77, Crème!?”, as he searched the crowd.

I was so stunned my body trembled as I went up to
collect my trophy. As I approached the stage, I saw Jimmie jumping up and down as if he’d won the lottery. I had to remind myself this was a win for Jimmie. This is what he dedicates his life to; so I tried to act excited.

“You worked that, baby!” the MC said in a slick and greasy way. I cut my eyes at him and looked into the crowd for Jimmie. He was right there in front with his hands locked in front of him with
the look and stance of a proud father.

I won second place. I couldn’t be happier for hi
m. After all, he chose the song and the moves. I debated him on the song fearing it was too impish. But he was adamant about the combination and I couldn’t fight him anymore after a while. When I came down from the stage, as the MC was announcing the first place winner, I walked over to Jimmie and gave him the trophy and certificate.

“You earned it
, Jimmie.”

“Now, I’ll take the trophy but you keep the certificate. You put in the work, girl! You’re
The Lost One Found
! Just marvelous!” he cheered. “And who’s this?” he asked as he batted his long eyelashes. I turned to find Richard right on my ass!

“No
one,” I murmured to Jimmie. I preferred my private life to remain just that. Besides, Richard was exactly that—nobody.

I turned and said to Richard, “Let’s go!” as I motioned my head to the door. He turned and started walking. I turned to Jimmie, kissed him
, and said goodnight. He gave me a look of pity as if I was some confused hopeless that I’m sure had to do with my dismissal of Richard.

I caught up to Richard and when we got near the front door
, a young kid walked up to me, grabbed my arm, and snarled, “Yeah, Ma, you did ya’ thing up there. Call me if you wanna make some money and make something of ya’self wit’ dat body,” and then looked back at his friends as they all laughed.

Richard must have caught the sentiment
of his outburst though not the details of it and glared at the young guy, “What did you say?”

I told Richard not to waste his time. I looked at the
kid, who could be no more than twenty-one or so, and jeered through clenched teeth, “Little fucker, you wouldn’t know how to make money off any part of my body if I pointed
it
out to you!”

His boys started
Oooing
and
Ahhhing
at him. It was clear that he didn’t like that at all.

“Fuck outta here, bitch
,” he hissed making it clear that his pride was hurt.

As I turned to walk away
, I felt a strong push of verve emanating from a distance. It was a powerful force that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand erect. As I pushed Richard out of the door, I turned in search of the eyes that were burning the side of my head.

Then I placed them.

I saw a tall, powerfully poised and commanding figure standing with a drink in his hand near the bar. With his head slightly bowed gazing fixedly at me. His presence was superior and magnetic. He never spoke a word or gestured a movement. Feet away from him, I almost got lost in his eyes and my heart began to flutter for a minute as chills ran the course of my spine. I’d never felt a pull so potent or experienced a man with such an alluring aura. It impelled my stride out of the door.

Outside Richard was asking why I didn’t let him defend me in the club. “That kid disrespected me, too. He could see you were with me.”
I didn’t have time to entertain his insecurities. I was too busy gathering my bearings from mesmeric experience I’d just had in the club.

“And what is ‘
being with you
’? You’re not my man. Things like that happen all the time. I can handle myself.” I thought it was cute that he wanted to be my knight in shining armor. I started to tease him. “What’s up with you anyway? You’re keeping something from me.”

“What do you mean, Rayna?”

“What I mean is we’ve never spent any private time together in all the seven months we’ve known each other,” I goaded him.

He raked his fingers through his thick black silky mane as he let out a deep sigh, full of exasperation. “You’ve never invited me over and I’m not going to ask you to get a room with me. That wouldn’t be polite.”

“I’ve never invited you to my home because you’ve never invited me to yours. If you don’t show me yours I won’t show you mine.” I strolled my index finger down his chest slowly. “You know it isn’t safe out here in L.A. for a single woman,” I continued.

He was getting excited and I could tell he was thinking. Thinking of how to get me alone, which wouldn’t be easy.

“Why can’t we go back to your place?” he asked.

“Uhn…uhn!” I said as I walked up to him and started licking his neck.

“Well, then I guess it’s to my place we go!” He let a moan escape from my tongue action. “Why don’t you drop your car off at your place and I’ll follow you. And then we’ll go to my place?” he continued.

“Uhn… uhn. I’ll follow you from here in my car,” I bargained.

“Okay!”

As I was following behind Richard, I could tell he was on the phone a lot. I knew it had something to do with where we were going. I figured maybe he was telling a roommate to clean up before we got there. I wasn’t interested in anything more than a friendship with Richard but tonight I wanted to be that nasty girl Vanity 6 sang about earlier and he was the only candidate.

We pulled up to a Spanish-style apartment complex. As we walked up to the door, it opened before Richard could get his keys together.
A stocky guy with sandy blonde hair, green eyes and a welcoming smile was walking out.

“Hey Rich!” he
greeted.

“Hey, Danny! This is my friend Rayna. Rayna, this is my roommate, Danny
,” Richard announced.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Danny
,” I greeted with a nod.

“Same here! Hey Rich, I won’t be back for a few hours. I’m meeting my girl
,” Danny offered as he fetched his keys from his tight pockets.

“Okay, I’ll see you later!” Richard said waiting for Danny to walk off.

Danny stood there for a few seconds ogling me with a boyish-like smile—almost salivating. He eventually caught himself and started on his way. Richard motioned me inside and I obliged. I immediately began patrolling the place looking for signs of who Richard was. I didn’t see any personal pictures, just a few of a woman who Richard said was Danny’s girlfriend.