Page 34 of Solomon’s Temple

“And that’s what makes it worse. Don’t sell me a dream, then wake me up to lies. I don’t like feeling played.”

“Maybe he just needed some time. I’m sure he’ll be back.”

“Yeah, well, he can take all the time he needs. I’m over it.” I shrugged. “Give me the usual.”

Toni shook her head as her smirk returned. She poured my shots before I hugged her and headed to the back to get dressed.

Toni was right.

Maybe I was doing too much with him and ruined any chance I may have had at having a real relationship.

God and I had our own relationship. He knew my heart and what I was capable of becoming. I used to be just like Solomon. Walking into God’s promise and my purpose. It wasn’t until Ma Lula slipped into that diabetic coma that I began to lose hope and backslide.

At the time, I felt like God tried to take the only person who loved and cared for me. It wasn’t to say Toni, Sapphire, and Aunt Tasha didn’t love me, but Ma Lula rescued me from the pits of hell. She gave me a home and a family.

She was our matriarch, so the fear of losing her made me withdraw, stop attending church, and lean into survival mode. I wanted to do anything to ensure she’d live, so I figured out another way to make fast money.

The nightlife consumed me, and I found myself succumbing to the lifestyle more than I wanted to.

I wasn’t opposed to having a God-fearing man as my man.

I knew I probably needed that, but if I was too much for him, then maybe our love story was never meant to be.

Hours later, I was called to the stage. I walked up the stairs in my tall platform heels, teal G-string, and teal pasties. I was dressed like an Egyptian goddess with a sheer skirt and a diamond-and-teal headpiece. I stood with my back to the crowd and dropped into a squat when the beat to Jamie Foxx’s “Fall For Your Type” queued.

I lifted, spun around, then sexily walked to the pole in the center of the stage, hips swaying with a delicate precision that had the dollars flying before I could really start the show.

My mind drifted, and I was no longer Temple Newman, the woman with dreams of being a social worker and opening her own business.

I was Temptress.

The men charmer.

The woman whose body and dance moves lured men around the stage to blow their net worths to see me.

And while I shed the skirt, locked my legs around the pole, spun slowly while waving my arms, my thoughts traveled to Solomon.

The man who walked into my life and got to me with his charm and confidence.

The one I thought wanted me but left like we never even met.

Get him off your mind, Temp, before you fall off this damn pole.

I lifted, grabbed the pole, then slid down slowly into a split. I slowly crawled across the stage, watching the money rain down on me. Then I saw Nate at the end of the stage and figured I’d stop ignoring him. Crawling toward him like a lioness, I turned, arched my back, and moved my ass cheeks one at a time.

I could feel him slip some bills in my G-string, and I turned and smirked at him, bringing his face to mine.

“You playing games, Temp.”

“Shhh.” I put my finger to his lips then continued my dance until it was over.

“Gahhhhdamn! Y’all, give it up for the beautiful, sexy as fuck, Temptressss!” They sounded the alarm, something he did anytime I left the stage. It alerted the security to be on standby just in case men or women decided to get out of pocket.

I gathered my earnings, switched out of my persona, and walked off the stage.

I didn’t know what it was, but I wasn’t feeling this shit anymore, and it had everything to do with the ghost whisperer who came into my life and left just as quickly.

The following morning, I woke up to the sound of my ringing phone. Since I’d left the club early last night, I wasn’t pissed that my sleep was disturbed. I hurried and grabbed it from the nightstand, hoping it was Solomon so I could curse his ass out, but was disappointed when I saw Nate’s number instead.