Fly Girl | [Novel] (Wattpad Version)

45| Freedom And Coping Vices

I spoke quietly, waving to the two producers he'd been working with lately while putting together his second solo album. Why he waited so long in between this one and his debut, I'd never know, but I was beyond certain that it was well worth the wait. Every snippet I heard, it was like he pulled from every producer that had ever been considered a genius in their time, and mashed it into one love child of an album. So far, from my understanding and sitting in on sessions, he'd had over thirty songs that he'd recorded, and he wanted to do at least twenty more before he went through the process of choosing for the album. It was a lot, but he was a perfectionist, still, and he knew exactly what he wanted. He was producing himself, funding himself pretty much since Sony, his new label, wouldn't agree fully with his personal vision; so, I knew that he would take forever until he got exactly what he wanted.

Marliss looked at me for all of two seconds after saying hello before he turned back to his mixing console. And then, he paused and looked at me again with wide eyes. "What... what did you do?"

I smirked, rubbing the back of my head before I chuckled. "I got my hair cut off. You like it? You don't like it, huh?" It was a pixie cut, something I wanted to try after seeing it on so many different, beautiful, black celebrity women over the years. I felt I could rock short hair, and looking at myself once I finished, I felt I was right to take such a huge step.

Marliss bit down on his lip before clearing his throat, turning to look at me fully. "You look beautiful, Baby, I was just caught off guard. I'm so used to your hair swinging and now it's just ... really, really short. Are you going to grow it back out?"

I laughed, nudging his arm before I sat down in the empty chair next to his. Crossing one leg over the other, I shrugged my shoulders. "I probably will let it grow back, but don't you think it was time for something different?"

"I mean, if you're happy with it, I'm happy with it. Are you happy?"

"Very. It was so crazy to watch all of my hair falling to the floor, but it was like something had been lifted off of my shoulders. I felt so different afterwards, free. I love it."

He nodded, leaning over to give me a quick kiss before he focused back on his music. "Then that's all that matters. Say, I want you to listen to something for me."

"Is it another snippet? 'Cause quite frankly, I'm getting anxious like your fans. I want a full song, damnit."

He laughed, nodding his head. "Yes, you can listen to it in full, if you do me a huge favor."

I looked at him for all of a second, shaking my head. "Nope, that's alright. I'll take the snippet."

"You don't even know what I'm about to ask you for."

"Yes I do. To sing on it, and not just small background vocals. You're not slick, Tariq."

He groaned. "I like when you say my first name, and baby, please. The song, it's great, but it's missing something and I have absolutely no duets on this album."

I shrugged. "You don't need any. You can sell an album without duets or features."

"I know that Troy, but this is something that I really want. Baby, I need this." He turned to me, grabbing my hands in his as he began to give me the puppy dog eyes. "Baby, I need you."

I smiled. "Aww, that's sweet and everything, but you need to be tired of working with me." He dropped his head. "Besides, you know that I do not sing anymore. What sense would it make for me to hop on a duet with you, one that you'd probably try to make a single, but I'm still ducking and dodging MCA and their request to get things with Fly Girl on the roll again?" I hadn't sang more than a few 'ooo' and 'ahh' and simple short background notes in over a year. He wasn't about to get me croaking on a track either.