Confessions of a Bunny

Bela "Phoenix" Cruz-Marquez

 A 5-bedroom 6-bathroom house at 23, I couldn't imagine that 6 months ago I was swinging from a pole while niggas threw money at me for 6 hours a night. But I knew it was what I had to do to take care of myself. Don't get me wrong I have a family, but they didn't exactly agree with my lifestyle and thought I should stay in school and become a doctor or some shit. I never wanted to be a doctor I just wanted to get out of the hood and finally be free to live. Working at the club wasn't all bad, I had a permanent reason to keep my body in shape and I got to wear the flyest clothing. I couldn't be a stripper walking around in bummy ass clothes, nope I had to the newest shit even if it was from the swap meet. The girls at the club knew when I walked in the club I was on a mission and that was to get money and nothing else mattered. Nothing else mattered for a while until I met Devante. I'd met tons of guys promising me that they could do all this shit for me and take me out of the club. He was the first one to actually do it. He'd come to the club with his teammates one night, he got one dance and I swear he was hooked. He came every Saturday for a month before getting the courage to approach me and ask me on a date. I remember that night like it was yesterday.

"So, can I take you out? Take me out, I am not an average girl salads and shit don't make me happy. Salads and shit. You know what I mean I am not like the girls you normally date, you wouldn't be able to handle me. You let me be the judge of what I can and can't handle. If you think you can handle me, you can take me on a date, but don't say I didn't warn you."

I guess he proved me wrong because after our first date I was sprung, he was so charming, and he didn't treat me like around the way girl. He picked me up all romantic like with flowers and took me to a nice little Italian spot. And after the date, I was expecting him to want some ass, but no he kissed me on the forehead, made sure I got in ok and then he left. Now you tell me where niggas as fine as him do that at cause I ain't never met one like him before. He didn't treat me like any other guy I'd ever dated before, and he understood why I was working at the club. He told me he wouldn't change who I was but enhance my life. He supported my decision to keep dancing until he got the opportunity of a lifetime and he asked me to come with him to Las Vegas, where he'd been signed to a minor league basketball team. Of course, he wasn't balling like Jordan or Shaq, but the team broke him off a little bit of change and he was able to get us this nice ass house in a gate subdivision with a pool and a damn tennis court. I don't even play tennis but now I have access to learn and I owe it all to him.

"Bela! Yeah, babe in here I said from the kitchen. What you doing he said wrapping his arms around my waist. Washing your dishes from earlier that you were supposed to put up. My bad baby. It's okay it was only a few items I said looking at him. Babe, I promise you're going to love Vegas. Yeah, you keep saying that but what I am supposed to do while you're traveling all the time? The stuff you like to do, or you can even get a job. A job, I am not going back to dancing if that's what you think. No babe I don't want you to go back to dancing. In fact, stay far away from them damn clubs, I don't want you swinging from no poles! Awe you jealous baby! No, I am not cause I got you he said smiling as he pecked my lips. I am late for practice I'll be back by 7. Ok I said fixing his shirt a little. Go make me some money. Ok" he said chuckling as he grabbed his bag off the counter before making his way out of the house.

Whew what to do with myself today I mumbled as I wiped my hands on the towel, before hearing the phone ring. "Hello! Mi bebe! Hola Mami que tal? Nothing I was just calling to see how you are doing. I am doing good just getting the house set up while Devante is at practice. I can't believe you let him talk you into moving over there. Mami please I told you he didn't just move me over here; I willing came and I thought you'd be happy I wasn't at the club anymore. Now that I am happy about, I just don't see why you had to leave the state to do it. It's a new beginning mami one that I desperately needed. I know I just miss you that's all" she said sighing into the phone. "You miss me, where is your golden child at. Haha very funny I love all of my children equally. You had a strange way of showing that. I didn't call for us to argue. Who's arguing, I am just saying you always paid more attention to him than you did me. Maybe if I had paid more attention to you, you wouldn't have gone down the wrong path. Mami I gotta go someone is here to deliver something. Ok well call me later. I will, love you mami. Love you too bebe." I had to end that call before she took a trip down memory lane that I wasn't prepared to deal with today. My past is my past I won't deny that I did some sketchy shit, but I didn't need to relieve it every day for the rest of my life either.