"Jasmine here; ya heard!"
Cru's yell makes Jasmine chuckle, then she walked into the Booker's residence. "You your Daddy son. What you doing home boy?"
"Cause parent teacher conference." Cru said as he closed the door. "What you doing here?"
Shantey came in the grand entryway, grabbing Cru by his head and turned him to the staircase. "Mind yo business." She pushes his head forward, "Go to ya room. Play the game or something. Just get outta my face."
Cru laughed racing upstairs as Jasmine chuckled. "He must've already been hardheaded."
"Girl. Working the last nerve I have left. Goddamn parent-teacher conferences." Shantey voiced as she leaded Jasmine to the kitchen where Tae, Ameer, and Azoni were, her UGG Fluff Yeah slides scrubbing the floor.
"Happy birthday, Tavon." Jasmine greeted as he held Azoni.
Tae smiled. "Preciate it, Jas."
"What do you have planned tonight?" Jasmine wondered. "It's your big 3-5. You gotta turn up."
"Y'know me, I'm simple. I want this dinner wit my family. I'm not tryna do nothin' big and major."
Jasmine nodded, discreetly shooting Shantey a glance. Before she could say anything else, Ameer spoke, "Tae Tae, can we play in the playroom with Azoni? I'll share."
Tae chuckled lightly. "Yeah, Boogie, com' on."
Ameer jumped off the island stool, then left with Tae and Azoni. Jasmine instantly turned to Shantey, quietly saying, "How the hell are we going to get him out to the surprise party if he want a at-home dinner?"
"See he didn't tell me that until we woke up this morning," Shantey returned in a whisper. "But don't worry about it. Let me handle getting him out the house. I am glad you came by. I wanted to run something by you."
"Oh yeah?" Jasmine on the massive island stool, "What is it?"
"I want to do another documentary." She revealed.
"Another documentary?" Jasmine repeated with a raised brow, "What made you think of doing another one?" She wondered.
"Because, the past has been interfering with me lately." Shantey explained, "My first documentary was part of my truth. Part of it. Which is the problem. The label I was signed to made me water down my truth. Jasmine, you were there. It was certain things they didn't allow me to talk about because the real gutter shit would've quote, unquote ruined my image even more. I'm not signed to a major label. I can say tell my full truth. A tell-all doc."
Jasmine nodded slowly, pondering on the tell-all documentary. "Now, I get your point of doing it. But you don't feel it will be more on your plate? You have your family, DèXe Appeal, LedéLuxe, the record label, signing Che, tour soon to come. You get where I'm going with this?"
"Well when you list it out like that." Shantey chuckled. "I know it sounds like a lot. But I can do it. I can have Knox film it. I don't want to do the whole theater thing how I done the first go-round. I want to link with Amazon, YouTube, but not theaters."
"I think it's a good idea. But are you prepared for what will come with it putting another one of those out?" Jasmine wondered. "The first one brought drama into your life—The Taj and Tania raft. I want you to be mentally prepared for this because you've been through a lot recently. You're not fully healed."
Shantey understood her close friend and manager's worry. "With y'all beside me and positivity, I can do this tell-all documentary with no problems."
Jasmine nodded. "You know we got you. So, if you want to do it, let's do it. Let's write out the ideas and propose it to YouTube and Amazon. Netflix isn't an option?"
"Can be. Whichever one that offers more dinero."
"Do you have ideas?"
"I do," Shantey let her know making Jasmine bring out her tablet to type in the info. "It will be named Shantey UNCUT—the 'uncut' capitalized. It will be split in six parts. Part One would be titled PAST."
Jasmine typed vigorously, her acrylic nails tapping the screen. "And what will 'PAST' dig into?"
"More than just about me," Shantey leaned back on the counter and took a deep breath. "I'm the way I am because the way my mother treated me. My mother's the way she is because of how her mother treated her. But also my Grandmother was that way because of what she went through."
"Your Grandmother Tansi, right?" Shantey nodded in response to Jasmine, "Do you know anything about her background?"
"No. My grandmother never talked about my grandfather to me, or even my sisters. I think it would be a good idea to have Aunt Sunni do that. She knows more than me. She lived it. I'm gonna ask could she do it. But I know she will. So you can mark that. And talk about the first man that's ever controlled me—Allen."
"And part two?"
"Part Two: CAREER." Shantey disclosed, "I want to touch base on the start of my career, how I got to this point because it wasn't all roses. I need to talk about what really happen. I want to talk about the fact I was a victim of... Michael Randolph."
Suddenly her typing stopped, and Jasmine looked at her friend. "Michael, Michael? Lawerence's brother Mike? Big-time manager Michael?"
Shantey nodded with her lips tucked in and Jasmine mouth fell open. "Shantey! What a minute. Michael Randolph done that to you? Does Lawerence know?"
"Nobody knows. Well, knew." Shantey said, "And I don't want you to tell Law either. I'm probably not gonna even name drop him."
"He used you, Shantey. You name drop him there could be other females out there—"
"No." Shantey cut her off, shaking her head. "I'm not gonna name drop him. That would be another level of chaos I don't need. It will be in the documentary. But as far as naming Michael, I'm not doing."
Jasmine understood and continued to type. "Okay, what else for CAREER?"
"I'll insert some of the videos Knox recorded of me making SL3 and the deluxe. Since it was the last album I've released. Talk about the other journeys pertaining to my career."
"Got it. And part four?"
"Part four will be MOTHERHOOD. I have so much footage of my pregnancies that I never posted. It will be great. Then, part five: FAMILY, I'll touch base on being wifey for a year in April. It's something different for me. People are still shocked that I'm even married."
"Yes they are." Jasmine typed speedily, "Okay, what's next?"
"Well, the big one—THE OD." Shantey revealed the title to part five getting her friend to look at her. "I want to talk about what I can remember and how it affects me today."
"As you should talk about it. The OD was huge and scary."
"Yeah it was." Shantey took a breather arms. "ACCEPTANCE, it's the final part of it. I want to speak on accepting who I have become and my mental health. Finally open up to the world that I am Bipolar and suffering with that isn't easy.
"Acceptance. That's a great way to end it." Jasmine finished typing and says, "I'll call up Phae as soon as I leave here. We'll talk about the other business tomorrow. I want you to enjoy your family the rest of the day."
"Okay, I'll walk you out."
Shantey walked Jasmine to the door as her phone rung. Shutting the front door, she pulled out her phone to Amaury🧡 would like to FaceTime... flashing across her screen. She went into the boy's big playroom with her husband and younger two sons as she answered. "Hey, Mar." She noticed her expression, "What's wrong mami?"
"De left." Amaury revealed, getting Tae's attention across the room hearing about his brother.
"Wait, left as in..?"
"Packed literally everything of his and left to Oakland to look after the second location of Booker's Seafood. I think he and Toby got into it in Utah yesterday. He hasn't really spoke a word to me but that he was leaving upstate. That's it. I don't know what to do."
"I'm not in you or De's relationship. But if he needs that space, allow him that." Shantey voiced as Tae approached slowly with Azoni, "There's nothing worse than somebody in your space when you want to breathe. Just let him get his head right. He'll be back."
Amaury released a stressful breath with her eight month old son babbling in the background. "DeAngelo has been asking for him all day, and he just leaves me here by myself to deal with that. This is bullshit."
Shantey glanced at her husband before saying, "Just come over here. You and DeAngelo. He can play with the kids, you can get your mind off of it for a few hours. I'm cooking for Books birthday since it's all he wants to do."
"Okay, let me get us ready and we're on the way."
Once the video call ended, Shantey looked at her husband. "Toby and De got into it?"
"Hard." Tae confirmed as he hands Azoni over to his mother who beckoned for him. "De'Aundre was trippin' and Toby said what needed to be said. De got this anger in him and he takin' it out on anybody in his path. Specifically Amaury, or any woman. It scares me honestly."
Shantey cuddles Azoni close to her as she eyed her and he continued. "That anger he got in 'em scares me 'cause he gonna flash foreal one day and end up back in there. He remind me too much of my Pops when he upset and you know my relationship wit my father before he died. There wasn't one 'cause what that anger made 'em do to my moms. De need help."
"So, let's sit him down and try talking to him."
Tae shook his head in disapproval, tugging on his chin hair. "That's not gon' work wit De. At all. He gon' be defensive and feel we backing 'em in a corner and that'll never turn out the right way. It'll go left quick. We just gotta let him stay in Oakland, breathe, and he'll com' back when he ready. Hopefully bro in a better headspace."
"You right. I'll leave it alone. You'll be ready at nine?"
His brows furrowed, smirking. "What we doin' at nine?"
"It don't matter. I'm taking you somewhere. So be ready."
〄
Later on that night, it was striking ten, and Shantey was the only one ready while Tae laid out on the California king bed in a towel wrapped around his waist. She came out the bathroom, dressed in a black Fendi Ribbed Mohair crop top and matching mohair skirt with black patent leather Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps, sucking her teeth at the sight of her husband sprawled out in the position.
"Tavon!" Shantey called as she put in her Gold Paul Mendoza hoops one by one. "Get up. You need to be up. You already have us a hour late."
"Cause I kno' whatchu doin' Mini." Tae groaned as he raised upright, eyes roaming his wife dressing beautifully for the night. "I kno' you plannin' som' surprise party."
Shantey mouth fell open. "How did you know that?"
"I suspected. But you just confirmed it." Tae laughed when Shantey punched his arm.
"Oh my God! I hate you!"
"C'mere baby," he brought her down on his lap. "I appreciate everything you wanted to do for me baby. But I don't want allat. I just wanted you and my kids. So, I hit up Sino and told 'em cancel it hours ago. I don't feel like dealing with no paparazzi. Let's just sit in here, watch some movies, or som'. I'll even let you ride my face for canceling."
"No." Shantey crossed her arms, pouting. "I don't like you."
Sucking his teeth, Tae gripped her jaw, turning her face to him and kissing her lips repeatedly until she giggled and kissed back. "Ugh! I really wanted to do this for you."
"You and my family all I wanted." he pressed his lips on hers, biting her bottom lip softly.
Her palm slaps his cheek making him smirk and lustfully growl. "You just let me get all dressed."
"I can take it off," he slid his hand under her skirt.
"Before you do that..." Shantey hopped up from his lap and over to the dresser. She pulls open one of her drawers, taking out the clasp envelope, and gave it to him.
Tae raised a brow at the envelope. "Whats this?"
"A birthday gift." She smiled, crouching in front of him. "Do you remember the park in Long Beach we would go to every night when it was a lot on our mind and the city shut it down?"
"Yea'. How could I forget?"
"That park and the land around it, it's yours baby."
"Bullshit." Tae smiled as he quickly opened the envelope and pulled out the paperwork. It was real, in front of his face right now. Shantey remembered how much it hurt Tae when the city shutdown the park and tore it down. Since she couldn't figure out what to give her husband that has everything—that park with their childhood memories was the biggest gift she could ever give.
"Ohh shit. This real?"
"Yes baby. It's real." Shantey confirmed, smiling wide. "That park, the land is yours. You can build whatever you want on it. Another park, rec center-" Tae lifting her up abruptly made her pause and squeal. "Babe!"
"Baby! Fuck the cars, materialistic shit, this right hea' is the best thing you eva' coulda gave me. Y'know how much I fucked wit that place."
"And now it's yours." Shantey kissed him over his face, "I love you."
There was a knock on the couple's door and Tae placed his wife back on her pumps.
"Com' on." he called.
Romeo walked inside with his phone in his hand. "I'm not tryna disturb y'all especially with y'all about to leave. But I feel like y'all should hear it from me first before you go into public with paparazzi out and everything."
"Well, your Dad canceled." Shantey elbowed his side as Tae hugged her from behind, kissing her jaw. "What's going on Roro? Lorelei straight?"
"Yeah, she good. This actually about Dad and Ameer."
The couple instantly frowned in confusion. "Bout me and Boogie?"
"Yeah. Y'all can look at it." Romeo hands over his phone and the couple that both reads over The Jasmine Brand article.
Social Media Speculates That former NBA Star Tavon Booker is the real Father of Shantey Ledé's Son Ameer Brewster—Dave East Alleged Son.
Is Tavon Booker really the father?
Known in the world as TBook, recently turned 35 today, and earlier this morning his wife of eleven months, Shantey Ledé posted a rare picture of her husband at his young age and Black Twitter has been eating it up! One tweet started the whole speculation when she put the young photo of TBook and Ameer Brewster together and comparing their features.
The tweet has blown up, and the entire world believes that Tavon Booker could possibly be Ameer Brewster's father. Everyone believes it so much that the hashtag #DaveEastDNAtest is trending and used over a million times.
Who the father harpo?
Shantey scoffed. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
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