Luscious paused, and then cleared her throat. “I had to … see, my mother wuz in a bad car crash. She laid up in da hospital fa a while. She was on and off life support. Befo’ she died, I made a promise ta her ta take care of my li’l sister and my li’l brother. I found out ’bout dis and I been doin’ eva since ….”

“But didn’t make enuff ta take care of them? How old are dey right now?”

“Of course I made enuff … I took care a them. Put ’em through private school … They grown now wit kids of they own … I don’t even think they realize the sacrifice I made for them … Na’mean? … I kept tellin’ myself one day I wuz gonna quit. One day I wuz gonna stop … You know what, that day neva came yet! … I’m still here … Afta all these years … Tender, I’m tellin’ you some good shit. Don’t be like me … Use da game as a stepping-stone. Or it’ll use you. It’ll eat you alive, take da best years of ya life … Do what you gotta do. Just know you gotta change … Don’t be like me … Make it out da game fo’ it’s too late ….”

Suddenly, Tender remembered how Kat’s sister, Jackie, tried to warn her in the beginning. She didn’t listen then because she didn’t know any better. She didn’t believe her, but maybe she should have.

TENDER WAS READY to get out of the stripping game now. The conversation she had with Luscious spoke volumes to her soul. She saw that material possessions weren’t worth losing her life. She was worth more than that.

As it was, though, she wasn’t rich; she wasn’t broke either. How much money was enough? Or would it never be enough? It was time to cut her losses and move on. She made plans to make her escape. Maybe she’d join Goldie in New York. That would be nice, she thought.

“WHAT AM I DOIN’ HERE?” Tender asked herself, dressed in black, shiny, latexlike trench coat with matching stiletto pumps. Armed with handcuffs, ropes and a whip, she looked like a black villain for some comic book. But this was no joke. What she was about to do was real; the last money that she’d make in this game.

The scent of money had recently led her to some of the strip clubs frequented by white businessmen. Before she would have avoided them because it was such a culture shock to her. But truth be told this was where the “real” money was. But the more money she was given, the weirder the sexual perversion became. She was asked to do some very strange things.