After the hour was up, Baby got off the bike and took a large swig from the wine glass. She loved the flavor of Moscato; savoring it, letting it calm her nerves. She checked the window one last time and was comforted to find the street filled with nothing but the regular beaters. No Jeep.

It would be back. She was sure of it.

She refilled her glass and changed the playlist to Brandi Carlisle before heading to the tiny bathroom to take a shower. She stepped out of her spandex boy shorts and pulled the sports bra over her head. Catching a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror, she was pleased to see the definition and muscles in her long, dark legs. Her arms were toned and her tummy flat. The slim sides of her waist dipped in and the small of her back had a smooth indention leading to her round, but firm backside.

Baby Jade beamed at the reflection, happy that her hard work was paying off. It wasn’t easy, but she refused to let the lifestyle eat away at her until there was nothing left. She refused to let it turn her into an empty shell of a woman. She refused to turn into Jewella.

Baby Jade twisted her hair and pinned it up with an old clip. She didn’t bother with the cold water since the hot water heater had a mind of its own and rarely worked. She washed her body in the lukewarm drizzle from the shower nozzle, serving yet as another reminder of why she hated this place.

The apartment only had two temperatures, arctic and swampy. On a night like this, Baby threw on nothing but a t-shirt and crawled into bed with her book. Not in a hurry to start a new day, she planned to read as long as her tired eyes would allow.

Her life outside the club was a quiet one. Few people and definitely fewer friends. It’s not that she liked it that way; she preferred to be on her own. It was easier, less drama. When people asked why she didn’t have a man in her life, her response was always the same—she didn’t want to be responsible for screwing up some poor soul for a couple nights of cheap sex.

Baby Jade was content falling asleep next to a book, at least that’s what she told herself.

After tossing and turning all night, morning came entirely too early. She thought it might be from Slade’s recent stalking appearance. On the other hand, it could have been the crazy dreams she had about a certain tattooed biker. Her mind drifted thinking about the dreams and how they awakened places in her that she assumed had shriveled up and died off a long time ago. Her early morning music choice of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” couldn’t shake the steamy thoughts.

Either way, Baby decided to get a head start on her day, hoping to fit in a few extra errands.

***

The Louisiana humidity slapped Baby in the face as soon as she stepped out the front door.

She placed a bag of tomatoes on Ma’Linn doorstep, thinking they would go nicely in her next pot of gumbo. It was obvious that she had been up most of the night lighting candles, probably for Phillipe. A silver platter filled with white candles in various sizes sat on the stoop. A poppet resembling her son rested on top of an upside down clay pot and she had spread ash across the entryway. Baby’s heart ached for her friend.

Deciding on the first stop of the day was easy. She craved a chicory from Café Du Monde. She thought about indulging in a beignet, but only for a split second before ruling against it. Her second stop was the pharmacy, and since it was next door to Pecan Grove, she wanted to check in on Rozalie and drop off another root beer.

“Good morning, hon. I’m surprised to see you.” Ang smiled, her head barely visible over the tall counter.

“I was in the neighborhood. How is she today?”

“Well, it was a rough night. She’s still asleep.” Ang popped a stick of gum into her mouth.

Baby Jade leaned onto the counter, placing her bag to the side. “Damn, what happened now?”

Ang punched at the computer. “The night nurse made a note. Apparently she might be getting a roommate.” She smacked on her gum.

Lines formed across Baby’s forehead. “No wonder she’s pissed off. Why would she be getting a roommate?”

“I’m not sure. They mentioned the meds at the morning meeting when we switched off. When I asked why she was upset, that’s all I was told. I’ve already put a call into Dr. Goodwin to try and get to the bottom of it.”

“Shit. This is bad. You know how she can be about her belongings.” Baby fidgeted with her bag.

Ang took Baby’s hand, squeezing it gently. “I’ll check into it, sweetie. Don’t get yourself worked up.”

“It’s not me you should worry about getting worked up. Momma is going to flip out.”

Ang gave a forced smile. Everyone in Pecan Grove knew what it was like when Rozalie was unhappy. “I’ll take care of it. We’ll figure something out.”

Baby Jade was upset that she didn’t know what was going on or how to make it better. “I hope she’s ok.” Tears sprang to her eyes.

“Yeah, they gave her some meds to help her sleep it off through the day. She may have to be dosed again, but I won’t know until later.”

“It’s been a while since she’s had to be sedated.”

“Now you know we’ll take care of her. I promise.”

Baby Jade tried to smile but struggled. Her insides were twisted in knots. “I know you will. Do you mind giving her this for me when she wakes up? That way she knows I came by today? I don’t know if that’ll make things worse or not, but I want her to know I’m thinking of her.” She dug into her shoulder bag and pulled out the plastic bottle of Barq’s.

“Sure thing. I’ll give it to her myself,” Ang said with a wink.

“Thanks, Ang. Have a good one!” Baby Jade hollered as she pushed open the heavy door.

She headed back to her apartment and threw her dirty clothes into a mesh laundry bag. In her line of work, she didn’t have as much as most people. Thongs, corsets, robes, her favorite boy shorts, and a couple of t-shirts.

With her bag in tow, thankful that the laundry mat was right around the corner, she set out to check the rest of her stuff off her to-do list. That was one of the only good things about her crappy apartment. It was nestled in the center of everything she needed, not that she needed much.

The afternoon was quiet, which was always a good thing. No Slade. No Mickey. Ma’Linn must have been up and about because her tomatoes were gone and the clean stoop now smelled like herbs. She must have been purging again.

Baby Jade had a small bowl of gumbo waiting for her on her own doorstep, along with a covered plate of beignets. She stifled a giggle, knowing what Ma’Linn had in mind. That woman’s determined to make me fat.

Baby Jade poured herself a glass of wine and made a tomato sandwich. The gumbo would have to wait until she got home from work. She never ate anything heavy before a performance. There wasn’t hiding any extra indulgence when wearing a thong as work attire. She downed the first glass and got ready to hop on the treadmill, something she sometimes did before work to limber up.

She snapped her iPod into the dock and slipped off her shoes. Korn blasted and she ran until the end of the playlist, leaving her primed for work. It was a good thing since Mickey had scheduled her to perform six sets. Not to mention Mr. Tats was starting tonight at Bottoms Up.

It was sure to be an interesting evening.

Baby Jade gathered up her shoulder bag and locked up the apartment tight. Her tummy clenched, still on edge after Slade’s brief appearance the night before. The light was on at Ma’Linn’s, and she could hear chanting coming from the apartment, more than likely for Phillipe.

Other than the excessive humidity, it was a beautiful night. Baby used the time during the walk to prepare for the night by running over her dance routine in her head. She slapped in her ear buds and listened to her set music.