Any Way the Wind Blows - E. Lynn Harris [46]
“One more little surprise for you, baby,” Wardell said as he sat next to Windsor on the bed.
“Another surprise? Are y’all trying to kill me for real?”
“Yancey is going to sing—just for us.”
I stepped forward and went from hostess to diva in a few seconds. I had to show Miss Marlana how a real diva took control. After I had sung a few bars of the Whitney Houston–Dolly Parton hit “I Will Always Love You,” everyone broke into applause, as my melodic tones filled the room. I was flowing, and just as I was going for my note I heard Aunt Toukie guzzle some champagne and then belch.
Then, just as I got to the chorus, Aunt Toukie also broke into song. We sounded like a cross between an opera diva and two cats fighting in the alley. I tried to ignore the interruption and kept singing, but Aunt Toukie was not to be denied. Everyone looked at Aunt Toukie, but the screeching continued. Every time I would sing a little louder, Aunt Toukie got louder too. I assumed the champagne had taken over her voice and good sense. Finally, Mr. Adams and Bobo each took one of Aunt Toukie’s arms and dragged her out of the room. Just when I was hitting my final note, I heard the door shut.
“And I, I, will always love you,” I sang as I was hitting the homestretch.
“And I will always love you-uuu,” Aunt Toukie sang from behind the door as her cat-screaming-off-key voice echoed the chorus at the top of her lungs. She tried to hold the final note with me but I was not having it. I held the note for over fifteen seconds, when I suddenly heard coughing and choking.
When I finished the last pure note, everyone clapped and shouted, “Bravo! Bravo, diva! Encore!” Just as I was getting ready to take my bow, we heard a muffled “Thank you. Thank you everyone,” from behind the door.
Steam Heat
I went to Basil’s office to let him know face-to-face he couldn’t just treat me like a piece of bookstore trade. Not only was he not returning my calls, but when I went by his place, the doorman said he was not accepting guests.
I got to the office a little before 9 A.M., and as I passed a guy in the hall, I recognized a face I’d sworn I’d never forget. Suddenly, I realized how I knew Basil. About a year ago I had been in Tallahassee, Florida, for a rare out-of-town modeling assignment. After we finished the shoot, I went to a twenty-four-hour health club near the hotel called Run-N-Shot. I was surprised that such a small city would have a luxury twenty-four-hour health club, but Tallahassee is the state capital and a college town.
After a brief workout, I went into the steam room and saw these two men with hot-looking bodies sitting on the bottom level. They were busy talking and didn’t notice me. I couldn’t really see their faces, maybe because I was looking between their legs, even though they had towels covering the lower parts of their bodies. One of them stood up and removed his towel, and I could see that he was bottom heavy, booty, dick and legs of life. It was as though he was inviting me to make a move when he looked in my direction and quickly wrapped the towel back around his body.
I thought, shit, nobody knows me here, and I might as well see what trouble I can get into. So I got up from the wet bench, moved toward the two of them and deliberately dropped my towel. I bent over slowly to pick it up, but before I brought my body back to a standing position, I looked at the one who had dropped his towel and said, “Is there anything I can do for you while I’m down here?”
“What did you say?” he demanded. I knew I should have used that as my cue to move on, but I am never one to back down to a macho man, so I repeated myself. The next thing I knew, I felt his large foot crashing into my face, and I fell back on the floor. The two men then raced from the steam room.
I figured he didn’t know how good I was, so I continued my steam. The night was young, and somebody else might walk in who could use my services. Moments later, a large white guy, fully dressed, entered the steam room with