King of the Empire (Completed)

Chapter Nine: Gay & Genes

Chapter 9

JAMAL BOUNCED UP the steps of Dem Love Notes. He grin as he greeted his co-workers was large and wide. He ordered a Frappuccino and waited for Cori to come over to talk to him. As he sipped his drink, he looked closely at Cori's slumbering figure. She was walking slowly, her big hair hid her face, and her voice was low and soft as she talked to others.

As Cori passed him for the second time, Jamal grabbed her elbow, gently pulling her to him. He flashed her his gentle smile. "Hey Cori... why are you avoiding me? Is it because of the kiss?"

Corisande didn't answer him and looked down on the ground. Jamal gently swept her hair to the side to reveal a large bruise on her neck. Jamal gasped and pulled Cori to him tightly, putting to fingers to her chin, raising her eyes to his.

[like this but covered with make-up]

"Who did this to you?" Jamal said in a hard but soft voice. Cori bit her lip and looked away from Jamal's eyes. He was unrecognizable now. His voice held no room for objections, his grip was soft but firm, and Cori could have sworn she saw a flash of green in his eyes.

"N-nobody." Cori whispered, trying to pull away. She thought she had covered her make-up well, but apparently Jamal saw through it. Cori sneaked a look at Jamal.

Obviously Jamal wasn't having that. "Who did this to you?" Jamal repeated, his voice deadly.

"Jamal...you're causing attention...please just let me go." Cori begged him. After a bit of a struggle, she got Jamal to let her go and took a step back. "Why would you care?" Cori said, chest heaving. "You didn't care after you kissed me and you didn't care when you dropped me off. So, please leave me alone."

Jamal shook his head and Cori saw that his eyes returned to normal and his body was relaxed.

"Don't say that Cori, please...you're one of the closest people to me besides my brothers and my mother. In fact, you are my best friend." Jamal looked hurt. "You look after me and I do the same." Now tell me...Who hurt you?"

Cori sighed. "Sometimes...my mom gets annoyed if I didn't do something right. She's just a little depressed."

Jamal looked at her tenderly. "We can make excuses for our parents until the day they die...heck, until we die, but it does neither of us or them no good."

"Did your mother beat you?" Cori asked hoarsely.

"No" Jamal smiled fondly. "Perhaps cracked a belt on my behind when I didn't listen, but never abuse. My father however..." Jamal sighed. "My father has always hated me...don't ask me. He once dumped me in a garbage bin. But now, my father wants to do an album with me."

Cori winced. "We don't ever know why. But I'm happy for you."

Jamal and Cori sat in silence for a minute.

"About that kiss, Cori, you are very beautiful but I shouldn't have kissed you." Jamal said awkawardly.

Cori looked at him. "Why not?"

Jamal huffed and closed his eyes. "I'm gay Cori."

Cori's eyes widened then relaxed. So that explains it. "Oh," was all she said.

"Cori, I'm sorry....really. But I got to go now. My Dad is waiting for me to start the album." Jamal hugged Cori and left quickly.

You sure know how to pick them. Cori thought sadly as she got back to work.

JAMAL PARKED IN the Empire's parking lot, next to his father, titled LYON FAMILY. He locked the car and got out, walking to the front entrance. The place was huge. Jamal honestly couldn't remember the last t

"May I help you?" the guard in the front looked at him.

"I'm Jamal Lyon...I'm here to meet my father, Lucious Lyon." Jamal said hurriedly.

The bodyguard looked at him and said cryptically, "So said the last twenty people that came through here. But lemme say, you actually got the name of one of his sons."

Jamal was about to say something when Andre appeared.

"Is there something wrong Mal?" Andre asked Jamal directly, ignoring the guard. "Let my brother through." Andre said crisply.

Jamal smiled at his brother appreciatively.

JAMAL SAT OUTSIDE his father's office, waiting for his father to finish with his meeting with the mayor.

"Psst" Jamal looked up from his phone and looked at the overweight, dark chocolate, platinum blonde beauty besides him, sitting in the receptive desk opposite of his father's office.

"Yeah?" Jamal asked after he looked to make sure she was talking to him.

"Are you a new artist here? The next big shot? Cuz my boss only meets with important people." The woman said stating fact.

Jamal chuckled. "I guess."

The woman rolled her eyes playfully. "He's meeting with the mayor now...so if you need to be signed through the label, you are going to have to be signed with the new A&R Manager, Anika Calhoun. You're cute though, so you should be signed."

Jamal stretched. "I'm signed. Lucious Lyon is my manager."

The woman gasped dramatically, causing Jamal to laugh. "Boss signed you himself? He must see something important in you."

Jamal continued laughing. "Yeah....genes."

"What?" The woman said confused when they both stood up as Lucious Lyon and the mayor of New York left Lucious' office.

"Keep it up Lucious and we can finish that broker deal in two years." The mayor said shaking Lucious' hand.

Lucious laughed good-naturedly and put his arm around Jamal's shoulder. "By the way Dave, meet my middle son, Jamal Lyon. We're about to make him a star here at Empire."

The mayor laughed. "You mean bigger than yourself? Lucious you have some high goals. I got to get back to my office now. Duty calls. Good to meet you son." The mayor shook Jamal's hand and left.

"Come on boy. We got music to make. Becky, cancel my meetings for the next few hours. My son and I are making an album." Lucious said, straightening his suit and pulling Jamal along to a recording studio, leaving Becky to gape at them both.