I swallowed the lump in my throat as I listened to her talking. When everything popped off between Valor and me, I never mentioned it to her. Initially, it was because I was too emotional and wasn’t ready to speak on what happened, but the other part was because I wasn’t sure what she knew. Valor and Summyah met through me, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have their own friendship outside of our crew. Summyah was much closer to me, and I wouldn’t have been able to handle it if she knew about the betrayal before it happened.
“It’s complicated. A couple weeks ago, he basically told me he wanted to be with me, but I was selfish. He was talking abouthow I don’t reciprocate the energy and love he gives, and I’m still trying to figure out what to do. Right now, we’re both dealing with other people, but I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that didn’t want to give us a second chance.”
“I wouldn’t necessarily call you selfish, but I guess I’m biased because we’re friends. Instead of looking at his words in a negative way, I would try to meet him where he is. In the beginning, you were the one who pushed for y’all to be together, but afterwards, he was the one always doing things for you. Why not prove him wrong?”
“How do I do that?”
“Show the man you love him. Plan a date for him or buy him a gift that has more value than some shit you can find in Nordstroms. I’m always watching the couples on YouTube, and they are always surprising each other with gifts and trips. Book a flight somewhere and cater to the man. If you want him bad enough, then show him.”
Summyah’s advice made a lot of sense, and I appreciated her not sugar-coating things for me. She was right about everything she said, and her suggestions sounded like a good idea. East’s words had been on my mind for weeks, and I couldn’t help but feel hurt by them. I never wanted him to see me in a negative light, so the fact that he felt like I didn’t love him the same way he loved me bothered me.
A part of me was so focused on keeping things a secret from my brother, I hadn’t realized I wasn’t loving Essex out loud. I never planned anything for him or went out of my way to make him feel special. To be honest, I didn’t even think he wanted those things. I never tried to find out either.
“Alright, everyone. First, I want to thank everyone for coming out to celebrate with my team. We’ve been working hard this year, and it’s paying off in a major way. As a collective, we’ve secured some major deals, along with some collabs that areabout to put us in front of even more listeners. My team is full of talent, and this year, I decided to push a little harder to get their music out there.
“To my team, thank you for trusting the process. I know sometimes I stay on your ass, but I promise it’s for a reason. I can see the potential in each one of you, and if we work together and put in the work, success is guaranteed. Tonight, we are celebrating Rio38’s album going double platinum in the first sixty days of release. It’s an incredible accomplishment, and you deserve it, bro. Your work ethic is unmatched, and I promised that if you gave it all you had, it would pay off.
“I’m proud of you and what you’ve accomplished. You’ve helped put Frost Records on the map, and now it’s time for us to take over the world. Love you, man. Let’s toast to more success and more money than we can handle.” Mendeecees held up his glass, and everyone in the room followed suit.
Afterward, he told us they would be ready to serve the food in a moment, and the DJ resumed his music. We were dressed up, but it was a relaxed setting. There were tables and chairs set up in the backyard, but everyone was doing their own thing, mingling with one another.
I didn’t know very many people in the room, which was why I was glad I brought Summyah with me. There was nothing I hated more than meeting new people and having to be overly social or friendly to strangers. I might have been considered a public figure, but I was an introvert at my core.
“Excuse me, ladies. Do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?” A handsome stranger interrupted our talk with his eyes locked on Summyah. I expected her to turn him down, but she surprised me when she got up and shook his hand. I could tell by the chain around his neck that he was part of Mendeecees’s team. Summyah had always been the loyal type, so I wondered what was going on with her relationship.
While I waited for her to come back, I sat alone, observing the people around me. I loved to people watch, and it was even more fun when it was people I didn’t know. Mendeecees’s worked the room, talking and networking with everyone he came in contact with. There was something about a businessman that turned me on. I loved a man who knew how to switch things up. Essex was a prime example because he knew how to handle himself in the streets as well as the corporate world.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to formally greet you tonight. The turnout has been crazy, and I’ve been running around all night. You look beautiful, though,” Mendeecees greeted me.
“Thank you. You clean up nicely yourself.” I smirked, admiring his all-black Armani suit. The diamond earrings he wore gleamed brightly under the fluorescent lights.
“I appreciate it, baby. Oh, shit. There go your brother and his team,” Mendeecees acknowledged.
When I followed the direction of his gaze, I wanted to turn back around. There by the entrance stood Keynauri, Logic, East, and that pretty woman I saw him with on Logic’s story. Jealousy wasn’t even the word to describe the way I was feeling inside. While I was fully aware that East was single, he had never brought someone as a date. I wanted to go off on him, but he hadn’t done anything wrong. Hell, I was there with Mendeecees, so I didn’t have a leg to stand on.
Mendeecees didn’t wait for a response as he grabbed my hand, practically dragging me over to where they were. All eyes were on me as my brother and East stared at me. Keynauri wasn’t happy about me being with Mendeecees, and he made his feelings known the moment he found out about us. I tried to tell him that I was grown, and I was only having fun, but Nauri went straight into big brother mode. He felt as though Mendeecees was going to break my heart, but the joke was on him because Mendeecees would never have access to it.
The fellas shook hands and greeted one another. Mendeecees made me cringe because he was acting like a fan when it came to my brother. He even gave East his props for the records he helped create and asked if he would consider working with his team. I could see the arrogance on East’s face when he told him he was exclusive to Keynauri. I wanted to run away, but I was stuck in place while they discussed business until Mendeecees got called away.
“I’m gonna chop it up with y’all later. There’s plenty of drinks and food, so please help yourselves, and have a good time. I’ll be back when I can, baby. Don’t go too far.” He kissed my cheek before walking off.
East kept stealing glances at me while the woman on his arm glared at me as if I had pissed in her Cheerios. I decided to be petty since it was obvious she wanted my attention.
“Essex, who is this lady you have on your arm? I thought I knew all of the members on Keynauri’s team,” I probed.
“This is Montoya. She’s a friend of mine. Montoya, this is Lyric, Keyz’ little sister.” His introduction stung, but I couldn’t be mad because I was the reason he couldn’t introduce me as anything else.
“It’s nice to meet you.” She stuck her hand out, but it seemed forced. The liquor in my system had me feeling bold, and since my feelings were hurt, I decided to be petty and leave her hanging. She quickly caught the hint and dropped her hand while Logic howled with laughter.
“I’m going to go find Summyah. Y’all have a good night.” I walked away before anyone could address me. I put an extra switch in my walk, knowing I was wearing the hell out of this dress. When I finally caught up with Summyah, she was still grinning in the handsome man’s face. She seemed smitten by him, so I didn’t bother to interrupt her.
Instead, I grabbed some food and went outside to eat alone. There were people everywhere, but I managed to find space on the side of the house. I brought my own chair because I didn’t want to be bothered. My phone chimed, and I picked it up to see who was messaging me. I shouldn’t have been surprised when I saw his name pop up on the screen. He was back to being Noodle’s daddy in my contact, and I didn’t give a damn.
Noodle’s Daddy: You petty asf
Me: And what’s your point?
Noodle’s Daddy: You could have at least shook the girl’s hand. You’re the one who asked for the introduction.
