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“Figure out what? I make a living—a damn good one. I’m no longer my father’s nine-to-five puppet. I’m getting it off my blood, sweat, and tears, and now I’m the flaky bitch who doesn’t deserve loyalty? Ava! She goes to Ava! I can gut thatbit—”
“Now, now, now,” she murmured, coarsely. “Don’t start that shit. Leave it there. Dry your face and get back in there with your chirren!” The weight of her hand on my shoulder disappeared.
I glanced up, and Ines was inside the apartment, closing the door behind her. The cryptic energy from her had me more perplexed. Noelle basically called me selfish…and traitorous, something I felt she was demonstrating, having dealings with Ava.
This was all fucked up. Adding to my discomfit were the cold winds. I could withstand the low temp if I’d had brandy or wine in my system, but I wasn’t in the mood. Just as I thought to go inside my phone rang in the pocket of my sweatpants.
My lungs emptied immediately from a deep sigh. I was not in the mood, but understood, I had to catch up with my crew, and blowing them off since being home wasn’t cool.
“Hey, Cecil,” my tone underwhelmed.
“Bitch, guess who going toClub Sinnext Wednesday?” his yelp opposite of my energy.
“Who?”
“Us, bitch! Our crew banging down the fuckin’ doors, bitch!” I could hear the spit flinging from his mouth. “You know why?”
I really wasn’t in the mood, but figured the sooner I got him to make the point, the quicker the conversation would come to its completion. “Why?”
“Because my husband gon’ be there, bitch!”
“Who?”
“Who? What is you saying, Shi-Shi? I ain’t a nasty bitch—well, maybe I am, but you know this pussy beats for one man!”
“No.” My lips protruded as my head shook. “I don’t know that to be true.”
“Ooooh, you funky hoe! You know this pussy belong to Ra-muthafuckin-gee!”
I rolled my eyes. All of that preamble for this? “Is he going to be atClub Sinnext week?”
“Yes, bitch! What the fuck I been saying all this time? And don’t try to say you can’t come because I’m sick of your ass throwing shade about me finally meeting my husband because I’mma punk! He mayreallylike punks. Free us, bitch!” he yelled into the phone.
Yeah. Cecil was a huge Ragee fan. He crushed bad on the man. But Cecil crushed bad on everybody. He was worse than a teenage, boy-crazy girl; simply a crush-whore. I’d worked with Ragee and had never made the introduction with Cecil, and with reason. Cecil would fangirl him, and that didn’t seem right, knowing Ragee’s reputation for his sexuality. I’d been a fan of the man’s for years. I heard the rumors, but they were no different from any other R&B or Hip-Hop artist. The problem was Ragee’s propensity for privacy. It allowed the fodder to fester.
While working with Ragee and his team, I was introduced to a real human being who seemed to live his life a world away from all the rumors and naysayers. He was an incredible talent, evidentiary spiritual, and family-oriented. Ragee didn’t own the rumors, neither did his conduct in my presence contribute to them. So, hell no, I wouldn’t bring Cecil’s colorful ass to meet him. I didn’t want to be responsible for putting him in that position.
“Alright,” I sighed. “I think I’m free, but I need to check my calendar. I’ll make a few calls to get us in.”
“And backstage, bitch! I already saw him atClub Sina few years ago.”
Rolling my eyes closed, I shook my head. “Bye, Cecil.”
Before he could respond, I disconnected the call.
“There’s this bakery we passed on the way here.” Her attention shifted from the window of the restaurant. “I think it’s like two blocks down and around the corner. I’ve been told they have the best cheesecakes but haven’t been able to try them yet.”
My face wrinkled. “Junior’s?”
She nodded hard as hell with her pretty ass. “Yeah,” she answered, her voice so soft.
“So, you come to New York—Brooklyn often? You’re from D.C. Right?”
“I’m from Maryland, Baltimore, to be exact. I moved to D.C. when I saw B-More had nothing for me.”
I processed that information, dropping it into the “Josie” file in my mind. “Born in B-More, and we were born in the same year, same day, just a month apart.”
Those long lashes parted, and high cheekbones disappeared when her jaw dropped. “I know. Right! I’m still tripping off that from last week. You’re a month younger than me. Crazy,” she whispered while shaking her head.
