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following evening at 7:00 P.M.
     

 
     
    Seven
     
    “Smooth Operator”
     
     
     
    We’d been living and working in St. Louis for exactly three weeks. Well, truthfully, I use the term “living” loosely, because all we’d really been doing was working, eating, and sleeping. After twelve hours in the ER, it was all I could do to drag myself to Carla’s car in the morning and then into my bed once we made it home. In those three, short weeks, I’d seen several stabbing and gunshot victims, a few guys who’d ended up on the wrong end of a fist fight, more than my fair share of motor vehicle accident injuries, and several cases that were more than suitable for an episode of Untold Stories of the ER. I was emotionally drained and physically exhausted, so when Carla brought up the idea of us going out for drinks, I jumped at the chance.
     
    She’d heard about Charmaine’s, a popular “grown and sexy” club located downtown, and we’d made plans to meet up there with a couple of ladies who also worked at the hospital.  So, with me dressed in a silver, off-the-shoulder blouse and black slacks, and Carla in a tight, red dress and black stilettos, we headed out for an evening of relaxation and fun.
     
     As Carla pulled out of our building’s parking lot, I checked my cell phone and saw that I’d missed a call from Tiffany. I decided to call her in the morning and tucked my phone away as I took in the images of St. Louis nightlife that flashed through the window.
     
    Ten minutes later, we arrived at Charmaine’s.  I smiled as we entered the club. It was small and cozy and filled with round tables covered with black table cloths and accented with centerpieces of vibrant, red roses. The dim lighting added a sense of intimacy to the place.
     
    It didn’t take long for us to find the two ladies we were meeting. Carolyn and Ronda waved at us from their seats right in front of the small stage. I was happy that they’d managed to get us a good table.
     
    The ladies greeted us with bright smiles and a promise that the band slated to perform that night, The St. Louis Kingsmen, would be good. I took a seat, ordered a strawberry daiquiri, and anxiously awaited the show while chatting with the ladies. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long at all.
     
    “Welcome to Charmaine’s, everyone!” proclaimed the short, stocky man with a booming voice, seizing our undivided attention.
     
    The crowd applauded in response. I looked across the table and smiled at Carla. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been out and it felt great .
     
    “Thank you for coming out tonight. You will not be disappointed,” the announcer continued. “Back by popular demand, we give you, all The St. Louis Kingsmen!”
     
    He left the stage and the lights brightened to reveal the full band—a drummer, keyboardist, two guitarists, a saxophonist, and a trumpeter. I took a sip of my daiquiri and clasped my hands before me on the table as they began to play a mid-tempo song. It was one of my favorite Sweetback tunes.
     
    They were good, very good . I leaned over to share the sentiment with Carolyn.
     
    “I told you they were good. We heard them a couple of weeks ago. The lead singer is awesome ,” she said.
     
    I nodded and returned my attention to the stage where the lead singer was now approaching the microphone as he continued to strum his guitar. His voice was smooth and rich and the music they provided was nothing short of aural beauty. I swayed and snapped my fingers and thoroughly enjoyed myself. They played a satisfying mix of smooth jazz and R&B and, by the time they took their break, I didn’t think I could take anymore, but the second half of the show proved to be even better than the first.
     
    Through the second half of the show, I found it hard to take my eyes off of the lead singer. He was tall, dark, sexy, and very handsome, and his voice had me absolutely mesmerized. He sang with so much emotion and soul. I sat