“So what’s up, Jada?” Bella asked.
“Yeah, when do we get to see some real money?” Simone had asked.
“I’ve got an idea,” I said, shedding thoughts of Sasha from my mind. “I think we need to go out and see if we can drum up some business.”
Bella had a worried look across her face, but it was Simone who fired q
uestions at me. “Drum up business? Why? I thought you had that all under control. You mean we gotta go out and get the johns?” She sucked her teeth.
“Okay, first off, these are not johns. These are very important clients who are a bit lonely and are willing to pay for the company of an attractive lady,” I corrected.
“Whatever,” Simone snapped.
“I think what she means is, we thought things were a bit more organized and setup already,” Bella informed me. “I didn’t think we’d actually have to go out there and have to get our own clients.”
Simone jumped up. “I don’t know about this,” she said.
“I thought you guys were ready to make some paper. I guess I was mistaken.” I shrugged.
“Yeah, but I ain’t about to go on the stroll,” Simone said and smacked her lips.
“Nobody’s asking you to go on the stroll. All I’m saying is, right now my client list isn’t enough to sustain us all, and I don’t think it would hurt to do some networking at some exclusive events.”
“So how do we get ourselves invited to these exclusive events?” Simone asked.
“I know exactly where we’ll start.”
“Where?
“Sensations.”
Sensations was a nightclub frequented by our target clientele. My plan was a simple one.
Advertise.
If you have a product and you wanted to get maximum product recognition with your target group, you have to advertise. Get that product out in front of your target group. Once a week we would go to Sensations.
“Are you guys gonna trust me or what?” I needed to know. “I’m telling you, we’re doing the right thing.”
Simone was a bit reluctant, but after some convincing, quite a bit actually, she agreed. Once I had Simone, Bella fell right in line. By the time Diane arrived, it was agreed we’d go to Sensations the very next Friday night.
That night I realized that my new family had found their voice. Simone was by far the strongest personality of the three. Bella was soft as butter, and Diane was just glad to be down, so she went along with whatever everybody else was doing.
But not Simone, her favorite line was, “I don’t understand this at all,” she would say, laced with attitude. Which to me always meant that she wasn’t with what I was sayin’, and before we moved on, I needed to make it clear what we were talking about and more importantly, how it would benefit everybody. I knew that once I had Simone on my side it was over.
We spent the day shopping for that evening’s attire. Simone chose a Nicole Miller stretch, satin ruched slip dress with spaghetti straps. I couldn’t really appreciate the straight neckline, but I did like the ruching at center bust and at the front and back bodice. When she first walked out of the fitting room, I wasn’t sure I liked the dress.
“Work it, girl,” Diane encouraged.
And when Simone worked it, it was like she gave the dress a life of its own.
“I think that’s the one,” I told her.
“You like it?” she asked Bella.
“It’s nice. And obviously you know how to work it,” she said excitedly.
With Simone out of the way, we turned our attention to finding just the right outfit for Bella. I was flipping through a nearby rack of dresses when my head snapped toward a squeal coming from Diane.