1995

I

Hazel Chanel Vargas.
I blinked my eyes rapidly as I looked at my best friend Ava. She tossed the duffle bag that contained a whole bunch of twenty dollar bills. "This is at least twenty thousand. And this is just from last night." She pushed the bag back underneath her bed. "I think you'd be great. You got a super nice body and you cute. C'mon, we're getting in my car right now to see if Mr. Macdaddy will hire you." She grabbed her keys off her nightstand and I followed her out the door and down the steps of her apartment.

It was July 23rd and it was 91 degrees outside in this California weather but strippers still managed to wear leather high heeled boots and long extensions.

I was pushed to keep moving forward and to not stare by Ava who seemed totally calm. "This is my job so I see this everyday." She pointed to a room where there were ten light pink vanity mirrors and woman of all sizes doing their makeup. "There's our makeup room there." She pointed. "Macdaddy don't like dirty rooms. If you left a mess he's deducting $5,000 outta pocket."

We kept walking. "Here's Mama Ruby she dresses us." The lady Mama Ruby kissed Ava on her cheek and welcomed me in for a hug. "What's your name babygirl?" She said with her thick southern accent. "I'm Hazel Vargas. Nice to meet you." I managed to say before Ava yanked me in the room that Read Macdaddy in all gold letters.

"Look I'd love to stick around but Macdaddy don't like more than one person in his office and I gotta get to work. If he likes what he sees you might just start working today, if he doesn't knock on the makeup room twice and here take a cab home." She pulled out a wad of cash and hugged me. "Good luck Hazel. I love you."

"I love you too." I took a deep breath before knocking. "Here goes nothing."