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“Like it’s unreal. Like if I pinch myself, I won’t feel it.”
“Well, believe it, Alise. This is so real that, soon, your decision to quit teaching and invest in your music career will prove to be the best decision of your life.”
“I already feel that way. I mean, I miss my kids, but dealing with a roomful of high schoolers on a daily basis is not an easy job. I love creating music more than anything.”
“But, I’m sure you were the best at it, just like you’re the best R & B singer in the nation, right now.”
“Wow. Say it again,” I teased.
Monica laughed. “How about we take another one of your singles to the top of the charts? I would love to represent your song “Dangerous Bonds.” What do you think about that? You ready?”
“That sounds amazing! What ideas do you have for it?”
Monica spent the next hour running down a well put together plan to take Dangerous Bonds to the top. That song was inspired by my best friends’ relationships. It was written about interracial love and the hate that people who just want to love each other sometimes come up against. With America quickly turning into a melting pot of cultures, it needed to hit the top of the charts so that the message could be a part of the cultural conversation.
After talking to Jessica, I headed to the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed for my day. It was already 10:30 a.m. and noon would be here before I knew it.
Fully dressed and ready to head out, I thought about calling my mother. I picked up my cell phone and searched my contacts. I found the contact that said “Mama” and hovered my finger over the call button.
Just press it, Alise.
I stood there for minutes, coaching myself to do it, but I couldn’t bring myself to press the call button. As much as I wanted, no needed, to hear her voice, to hear her tell me that she was proud of me and that I had done well, I couldn’t dial her number. If she rejected me right now, it would break me a little.
I shook off the thought, placed my phone in my purse, and picked up my keys. It was safer to just meet up with my girls and enjoy the day without inviting hurt back into my life.
?
Five Days Later
I bowed to the audience and looked out at my friends Tameka, Kemara, and Jayne, who were all there to cheer me on. When we went out for lunch earlier that day, we had a run-in with Tameka’s ex’s mistress that soured our lunch date a little, so it was good to see smiles on everyone’s faces.
At the end of the night, I was tired. I went straight to the dressing room the club owner, Jeb, had created for me since I became a regular. I packed my bag with my cosmetics and extra clothes and went out the door. Dimir was nowhere in sight, so I walked briskly to the back door. I made it outside without him calling my name and asking me to wait for him, which was fine by me. I didn’t want to be followed by security tonight. I didn’t want to deal with anyone. After all the excitement of the day, I just wanted to be alone.
I looked around the back parking lot, and no one was back there but a few couples who were booed up and kissing. I walked around to the side of the building to my designated parking space, peeked through my windows to make sure no one was inside, then hopped in. I shot a quick text to Tameka and let her know I was headed home and to tell the girls. She FaceTime’d me because she wanted to see my face to reassure her that I was okay, but just tired and heading home early.
Within an hour, I was home. I sighed in relief because I made it inside the door without anyone attacking me. Over the past two weeks, Bruiser had badgered into me that I needed a guard with me at all times. Someone was always guarding my house when I was home. Every time I got ready to leave, someone had to go with me. According to Bruiser, if I didn’t have him or one of his guards with me at all times, someone would blindside me and attack me. Well, I had made it home. Safe. Take that, Bruiser. The guard that had been there earlier tonight followed me to the club. I shook him, leaving him at the club, and was now home alone.
I was relaxing on the couch, a glass of red wine in hand, instrumental classical music playing, and a lavender incense burning. This whole vibe was like an oasis of relaxation. With this vibe, I had forgotten all about having a stalker. Forgot about having an overbearing man who was getting more and more into my personal space and threatening to take over. Forgot about the way he was going to go off when he found out that I shook my detail.
I pushed all of those things to the back of my mind, leaned back further into the cushion of the couch, and admired the tranquility of my home. It was perfect. I never recognized how much I missed being at home, just being, until this very moment.
A series of thunderous knocks at my front door rattled all of that peace right up out of me. I grabbed my wine bottle and walked to the door, ready to confront whoever was there. Peeking outside, I realized it was Bruiser. Damn. He had come sooner than I thought he would. I sighed, thinking about the confrontation that was sure to ensue. I flung the door open and started in on him.
“What are you doing here, Bruiser? I told you that I won’t need you guys every night. Well, tonight is a night where I’m good.” I stood in my doorway, glaring at Bruiser, my gaze going to the gorgeous swirl of hair in the front of his perfectly cut hairline. For him to be such a rugged man, he was always well-groomed.
“What do you mean, what am I doing here? I’m here because you ditched your security detail. That’s not acceptable,” he growled.
“I’m a grown woman. I can leave and come home when I get ready. I don’t have to get permission.” I pushed the door to close it, but Bruiser’s hand reached out and stopped it. A loud thud sounded off as if the door had come against a brick wall.
“Hey, I didn’t invite you in,” I said as he walked forward, forcing me to take a few steps back so as not to occupy the same space with him at once. “You can’t just come into my house like this.”
“Move over, Alise. You have no idea of what kind of danger you are in.”
Oh, I could think of several risks I would be taking if I allowed Bruiser to come in. My heart wouldn’t be able to handle either. He couldn’t be allowed in under any circumstances.
Chapter Seven
Bruiser
