Bound To Love 18+

BTL7

Zaya POV

I walked down the strip minding my business. Looking for the nearest karaoke bar when a man walked up to me asking to buy him a lighter. I politely declined, but the man demanded I buy him one and asked me if he could touch my ass. I was beyond ticked off, but I had to keep my cool. Because of situations like this, it can go left within mere seconds. Thankfully the cops saw what was going on and took action. Once the man was off the streets and in the squad car, I asked the cops where’s the nearest karaoke bar and the officer told me, the only one and that’s in the Excalibur Hotel. I thanked the officer and headed to the hotel; I need to get my thoughts off of Way and Nov. I'm even thinking about leaving early because he and Nova are actually in the same hotel which is Balley’s. What was the point of me even coming? I thought as I walked into the hotel. “Good grief,” I said covering my mouth, it’s so much smoke… I hate the smell of it.

 “Hello, welcome to The Excalibur Hotel can I interest y-

“No, thanks!” I said, walking hastily past the time-share lady, thinking they are undefeated in these streets. Every corner you turn there they are. If it’s not them, it’s the people passing out their call-girl cards. I shook my head, walking to the mini lounge where it was packed with no room to sit and barely room to stand, but I managed and even made conversation with some guests there. Then I shimmy my way to the announcer and asked him if I could sing after the lady on the stage. He told me that there were five people ahead of me, but I told him it was fine and I'll wait. An hour and a half had passed until I decided it was my turn to sing, I chickened out after the lady sang My First Night by Mya which is one of my favorites to sing and she did a damn good job so I let some other people go ahead of me until my nerves had subsided and when I had a new song. Thankfully, I did.

“Now coming to the stage, please give a warm welcome Zaya Reese!” The announcer said, with a big smile on his face. As I looked at the crowd of people I smiled feeling wanted and some were even screaming my name. Once I started singing, I forgot all about everything... this bogus trip and my job it was just me and the stage.

Do you think

You could fall for a woman like me

'Cause I find it hard to trust

I need too much

And I really don't believe in love, no no

Do you think

That I could be the girl of your dreams

Sometimes I don't let things go

Get emotional

And sometimes I'm just out of control

You need to stop for a minute

Before you get too, deep up in it

(Too deep)

'Cause everything ain't what it seems

It's hard loving a woman

A woman like me

(Woman like me)

While I was singing, my mind wandered from memory to memory. However, it always came back to this moment of our mother packing us in the car for a midnight drive. That's been one of the many things I missed about her. Just us, the Lord, and music. I also remember sitting in the back seat of the car with Nova singing You Send Me Swingin by Mint Condition. Me and Nova always tried to outdo each other in the music department, that's one of the gift's mother left behind for us. The gift of song. Once I was done, the crowd of people cheered and whistled. Asking for an encore, but I decline, making my way back to my hotel. While strolling back to Paris, I thought of what it would be like to entertain, not give chase to criminals. Did I pick the wrong career path, I thought? As I was walking someone pushed a Venus' Flytrap plant in my hand and kept it moving, I tried to see who gave me this ugly thing but they disappeared into the crowd. I looked for a nearby trash and canned it once I made it back to my room, I opened the door to see three more flytraps, “What the hell” I mouthed, then I walked into my room and froze.