“That’s Helena Peabody.” Dana responded.

“Thee Helena Peabody? As in Peabody-Shaolin?”

“The one and only.”

“Damn. She can’t dance worth a shit, but I bet she tastes like hundred dollar bills.” Papi hypothesized.

Dana made a face at the comment. “I wouldn’t know what a hundred dollar bill tastes like.”

“Me neither,” Papi admitted while still staring at the media mogul, “but I bet it tastes like her.”

Gabby made herself comfortable on the couch next to Tonya before she spoke again. “We need to talk about our contract, Ton.”

—

Front Entrance of Hit

“Alice, will you watch where you’re going, you keep stepping on the back of my shoe.” Shane turned around and saw that her bandmate was busy looking down at her iPhone as she touched and swiped her finger over the screen.

“I’m tweeting where we are and what’s going on, Shaney. Maybe some fans will recognize us.” Alice replied.

Bette just laughed. Since she had dropped a nice gratuity with the club bouncer, it was relayed via headset that the cover charge would be waived for all five of them.

The girl at the front register asked them all for ID then pulled out pink wristbands to attach to each of them. Bette asked what they were for as she wrapped it around her wrist.

“Oh, it’s for the VIP section. I guess you made quite an impression outside so, you’ll be taken care of in here.” The girl replied.

Bette was suddenly getting that weird knot in her stomach again. It wasn’t quite uncomfortable, but it wasn’t too composed either. Almost as if she was anxious, bordering on exhilarated and hopeful.

All five of her senses became suddenly heightened. Her eyes caught every shadow’s changing shape and size as the overhead colored lights rotated across moving bodies; the skin of her wrist could feel the tightened strength of the band that had just been place around it; the smell of perfume mixed with booze, incense, and sweat penetrated her nostrils; she could taste the remnants of the Jaegermeister and Red Bull as her tongue swept across the inside of her cheek; and then she heard it.

“Jesus Christ, they’re playing that fucking song while the group is here?” she asked aloud.