Black Dahlia (6 page)

“You’re a dangerous man, Raul Santiago,” she said, honestly.

He winked at her again before standing. “In more ways than one, Querida.”

“I should get going. Your car is actually scheduled to be done today, so I’ll be back early this evening to take you to pick it up,” he said as he bent down to pick up the plates.

“I’ll get those,” Mercedes said stopping him. “Thank you. I’m just going to be working on my costumes for most of the day anyway.”

“Oh, Nikola and Devyn invited us to dinner at their place before we leave for New York. I know you’re probably getting a little claustrophobic being stuck in here most of the day. We can go over there tonight.”

“I’d like that,” she smiled. Truth was, under ordinary circumstances being inside for nearly three days straight would make her want to climb the walls, but she felt comfortable in Raul’s home and he’d been good company. But she did want to say bye to Devyn before she and Nikola took off for the summer. Mercedes gathered their breakfast dishes and put them in the kitchen sink before walking Raul to the door. He’d taught her how to set the alarm, and once he left she would put in the security code. As she stood on the front stone steps of his house, and watched him fold himself into the driver’s seat of his white Jaguar, she felt something strange course through her. This felt...natural;
almost like a wife waving off her husband as he went off to work and she stayed home and tended to the kids. Mercedes knew that thought was ridiculous. They weren’t married or anywhere close to it. They certainly didn’t have any kids. So why was she feeling so comfortable in his space? Why did her heart whisper that this felt right? Mercedes looked up when she heard Raul’s horn blow and he waved as he exited the driveway. She smiled and waved back, and reentered the house, pushing those unexpected thoughts aside. Mercedes had no intention of being anyone’s wife, or even girlfriend in the near future.

Raul observed as Mercedes moved from the bed, to the chair back to the bed, and now was standing looking out the window. He felt a little guilty for having just scolded her about not checking the peephole before opening the door for him. He wanted to do something to calm her.

“Do you think this person followed me up here?” She asked still staring out of the window. They’d arrived in New York the night before and tonight was Mercedes’ first performance since her apartment was broken into. Raul felt an ache in his chest as he realized just how anxious Mercedes was about performing. His feet moved on their own accord. When he reached her at the window, he stroked her back, needing to touch her, to both reassure her and himself.

“We don’t know,” he replied to her question honestly, it’s possible. But nothing is going to happen to you. You’re not in this alone.”

She half smiled. “I know. I trust you. It’s just that knowing this person could be in the audience or hell, even one of the dancers is scary. I love dancing and performing. Usually I can’t wait to hit the stage, but today I feel like I want to do anything but get up there and perform,” she said stepping away and going to the bed to sit down. Raul’s heart constricted at seeing the anguish on her face. He grew angry knowing this is exactly what this person wanted. Whoever was behind this wanted Mercedes to feel intimidated and stop doing the things she enjoyed. This was part of stalking. It wasn’t just about the physical danger, but the mental and emotional toll it took on the victim. This is how stalkers get and maintain control of their victims.

Raul pulled up a chair to the side of Mercedes’ bed and clasped her hands in his. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. I know you’re scared, but you can’t give into fear. This is what they want. They want you to become a shell of yourself. You can’t give them that control.” He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed each one. He saw her eyes widen slightly, but she didn’t pull away.

“What’s something you do to calm yourself before a performance?” He asked.

Mercedes thought for a moment and shrugged. “Truth is, I don’t really get nervous anymore. I haven’t done anything to prepare me for the stage in a while. But when I first started there was this one thing I did…” she trailed off.

Raul lifted his eyebrow. “What was it?”

“All right, but if you laugh or try to mock me, I’ll kick your ass,” she said sternly.

He smiled. “I have no doubt you would try. I promise, querida, I won’t laugh. What was it?”

Thirty minutes later, the pair were sitting on Mercedes’ hotel bed eating and watching
The Josephine Baker Story.
Mercedes was enraptured with the film. Raul preferred to watch Mercedes rather than the movie. He saw every emotion play out on Mercedes’ face. One scene in particular seemed to touch her. It was the scene in which Baker, as played by Lynn Whitfield, completed her first nude photo shoot, and after sleeping with the photographer, she stares at her naked body in the mirror. Baker plays with her hair, pushing it back out of her face, and turns left and right examining herself. Baker’s voice over states “there she was.” This is when Baker first comes to terms with her exhibitionism on stage. This was the turning point in Josephine’s career. Raul looked on as Mercedes’ eyes lit up like Christmas trees as if she identified with Josephine’s story. He wondered if that was what dancing did for her. Did it give her the opportunity to express her true self? Never one to let his curiosity go unsatisfied, Raul decided to ask Mercedes about it after the movie ended.

“That scene seemed to really touch you,” he stated as the film credits rolled.

“Which scene?”

“The one with her looking in the mirror. Can you relate? Is that how you felt when you started dancing?” He asked.

Mercedes lifted an eyebrow as if she was deciding on how much she wanted to tell him. Raul was a patient man so he sat back on the bed and waited for her to decide. He wanted to know more about her. What made her tick? What drew her to dancing? He was good at reading people, and he realized that while she could be very forthcoming, and even blunt, she held something back. He wanted to break through whatever wall she had up that she used to keep most people at arm’s length.

Finally, Mercedes tipped her head, “Yeah, I can relate. When I discovered burlesque it just felt natural,” she shrugged. Raul looked at her, deciding to drop it for now. He knew she wouldn’t give up more information, but he knew there was more to the story.

Raul convinced Mercedes to take a walk around Central Park where they made small talk and enjoyed the scenery. Mercedes’ mood seemed to lighten up, which is what Raul wanted. He saw the tension release from her shoulders during the movie, and she was able to focus on the reason they were in New York. He didn’t lie when he said he was looking forward to her performance. For the past week, he’d watched her sew and redesign her costumes, and he wanted to see her in the outfits. By the care and consideration she took in designing, he knew she cared deeply about performing and being her best. He would not let this stalker get in the way of that. Unbeknownst to Mercedes, he’d had two of his employees come up to New York and check out the club, and sleep in the same hotel they were checked into. They would be his backup in the audience tonight in case he needed them. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

****

“This next performer is something of a treat….”

Mercedes stood on the edge of the stage, as she listened to the emcee make her introduction. She was dressed in a navy blue and purple peacock tutu skirt, four-inch thigh high black leather boots, a purple corset with peacock feathers on it, a navy blue choker, and her hair pinned up high with a few curls falling around her face. She opted for light makeup, with just purple lipstick, light concealer, and golden eyeshadow, completing the costume with black satin gloves that nearly reached her elbows. She looked on across the stage and saw Raul dressed in dark pants and a short sleeve button up, light colored shirt, with a suit jacket over the top. She knew beneath his jacket he had a weapon tucked into his waistband. Ordinarily no one but performers and employees were allowed behind stage, but given the safety concerns, management allowed Raul backstage-well they relented after Raul practically threatened the management with bodily harm and a lawsuit. The owner took one look at Raul’s dangerous expression and knew he would absolutely follow through on his threats. Mercedes smiled at the memory of Raul’s easy expression turning dangerous as he explained in detail how he would personally see the owner held responsible if something happened to Mercedes. At that moment, Raul turned and looked directly at Mercedes in the eye, and winked. She felt a quiver in her belly, and dipped her head. Mercedes wasn’t typically shy when it came to flirtation of showing her physical attraction, but Raul was different. Maybe because she knew if she weren’t careful, Raul could easily become more than just a physical attraction. She could get lost in those big brown eyes of his and never want to be found. Mercedes sighed.

Before Mercedes could get too lost in thought about her warring emotions about Raul, the emcee, Miss Celia, completed her announcement.

“Welcome to the stage, Black Daaahhhliaaaa!” The audience clapped and whistled.

The opening notes of Eartha Kitt’s
Careless Love
began playing as Mercedes strutted on stage. The live band in the club helped add energy to Mercedes’ performance. She shimmied from left to right, before stopping, biting the end of her left glove and slowly removing her hand and tossing it to the side. She repeated the move with the other hand, before turning and presenting the audience with her backside, where she lifted the end of her peacock skirt, giving them a view of her round behind. She spun and swiveled her hips while tapping her foot to the beat and reaching around to loosen the strings of her corset.

Love, oh love, oh careless love

In your clutches of desire

You've made me break a many true vow

Then you set my very soul on fire 

Love, oh love, oh careless love

All my happiness bereft

You've filled my heart with weary old blues

Now I'm walkin', talkin' to myself 

What few people knew was this song held special meaning for Mercedes. When she’d first heard it a few years ago, it spoke to her reluctance to fall in love or desire to marry. She’d seen the pain her mother endured because of love. She saw the way her father betrayed her mother and repeatedly cheated. She’d even seen other women and friends in her life cry over no good men. Her own best friend had fallen in love with a man who emotionally abused and cheated on her in the bed they shared. She’d held Devyn as she cried over her ex-boyfriend, and while Devyn was happy now, that situation was just another reminder for Mercedes that love was often painful. Mercedes vowed that would never be her. She never wanted to get that deep with anyone, at the expense of her own sanity.

Love, oh love, oh careless love

Night and day, I weep and moan

You brought the wrong man into this life of mine

For my sins, till judgment I'll atone 

By the time Eartha Kitt ended her lamentations on the sins of loving the wrong man, Mercedes was left in her thong, boots, and navy blue pasties with tassels. She shimmied her shoulders making the tassels swing, and blowing a kiss to the audience. Before exiting the stage she glanced over and found Raul’s gaze transfixed on her. He was clapping proudly as he let his eyes roam her body. Mercedes felt the heat rise in her body at his perusal. She’d been doing burlesque for years, and was no stranger to men openly ogling her body. She usually enjoyed it, as long as they kept their hands to themselves. But Raul’s look had the ability to make her blush and feel like a schoolgirl having her first crush. Exiting the stage on the same side as Raul, she felt his heated gaze on her as she walked past.

“That was wonderful, querida,” he whispered in her ear, before they turned and made their way down the hallway.

“Thank you,” was all she said, as she followed him down the hall. She didn’t want to examine the pride she felt at his compliment. This was only her first performance of two for the night. She didn’t have time to wonder about how Raul made her feel. She needed to get backstage, change into her second costume of the night and prepare for her final performance.

Due to the safety concerns, Mercedes was given a private room to change in. She entered the small locker room, and found her discarded costume already waiting for her. She packed the costume into her bag and began removing her second costume from the locker. She had another half an hour before her next performance, so she was in no rush to change. She sat taking off the thigh high boots, and slid on a pair of fishnet stockings, followed by her long red skirt. She changed her pasties to a pair of heart shaped red ones with tassels, and put on a long sleeve, red halter top that buttoned up in back. Ordinarily, she’d have one of the other girls help her button it, but she was alone. Just as she was wondering how to secure the top, there was a knock on the door.

“Mercedes it’s me,” Raul announced through the door. Mercedes felt her nipples harden at the sound of his voice. She shook her head at her body’s response to his voice.

“Just a second!” she yelled through the door, as she slipped her foot into her second pair of four inch heels for the evening. Walking to the door, she opened it slightly just to make sure it was Raul. He’d already scolded her once about not being safe enough opening doors, she did not want a repeat of that. She was in too good a mood. Performing always gave her the release she needed and she was still on a high from her earlier performance and couldn’t wait to hit the stage for her next one. Her second performance was to the version of
Candyman
by the Mambo Kings. This was a more upbeat performance than the first and she intended to let her fun, sexy side show.

“Hi. Can you help me button this?” Mercedes asked, as she opened the door to let Raul in. She turned her back to show him the buttons, before she even let him respond.

“Uh, sure,” he said seemingly thrown off by her abruptness, but he quickly recovered.

“You were wonderful out there.” Mercedes felt his fingers lightly skim her back as he fastened the buttons. Her skin tingled at the feel of the skin to skin contact. When she felt his breath on the back of her neck, she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning. That was when Mercedes looked up and saw they were facing the full length mirror and Raul’s eyes were on her mouth. He dragged his eyes up to meet hers, and gave her a smirk, as if he knew what his closeness was doing to her. Mercedes cleared her throat.

“Thank you,” she said in response, to his compliment.

“You’re welcome. There you go. You’re all set,” he stated as he smoothed his arms down her shoulders. Mercedes took a step forward and turned to face him.

“Are you enjoying the show so far?” she asked moving to put on the rest of her costume accessories.

“Aside from the fact you’re kind of working?” she added.

“Yup, I’m enjoying myself immensely. Never had so much fun on a job before,” he said giving her another sexy smile.

A job? She wondered if that was how he thought of her, all the while avoiding eye contact with him. She shook her head to rid herself of that thought, then continued putting in her gold dangly earrings.