Allure sat at an empty table in the break room enjoying her lunch—by herself of course, she was eating a Cobb salad from Chick-fil-A accompanied with a half and half. She scrolled through TikTok as she ate her meal. The presence of someone sitting across from her caught her attention, causing her to look up. Kyren sat there with his head in his iPhone.
Allure continued doing what she was doing, she hadn't had any problems with Kyren lately—so she assumed he must've got laid. Nonetheless, she was glad he stopped being on the weird shit. He was an attractive guy, but it made him ugly.
"Yo friend gone huh?" Kyren broke the silence, speaking of Michelle. Allure shrugged, "You the manager, you should know."
Kyren lightly chuckled, "I'm just trynna make conversation with you, that's it. Chill." Allure didn't reply, she wasn't super fond of Kyren and he knew it—well, she hoped he did.
"I know we didn't start off on the best foot, but that's on me. I admit I liked you and felt a lil way when you didn't wanna go out with me." Kyren explained, Allure looked up at him with a blank expression. "You're a beautiful, ambitious, and smart girl and I wanted to get to know you." He added, Allure simply grilled him. She didn't notice how much he looked like Brent Faiyaz until now. Smooth brown skin and coily hair that he mostly kept braided, she could only remember seeing him wear it in a fro once.
"How sweet, but I'd never go there with you. You abused your power out of anger and that showed me what kinda person you are." Allure spoke before getting up to throw her trash away, she sipped the last of her half and half before throwing that away as well.
"I respect it." Kyren threw his hands up in surrender, "I just don't want any bad blood between us." He added, Allure eyed him as she hummed "Hm." And walked out of the break room to clock back in.
Allure dived on her bed and grabbed her phone, a message from Moo. Now that he had a phone, when they weren't on the phone they were texting. This took Allure back to high school, when you'd text a boy all night—ruining your sleep schedule for him. A big kool aid smile graced Allure's face as she replied to his message.
Allure's smile faded as she randomly remembered Char's words, "You'll never be shit but up under that hood nigga."
Allure prayed the situation changed, she knew Moo had much more to offer in life—and so did she. She was lowkey happy that she wasn't on good terms with Char right now, she knew she wouldn't have heard the end of it about Moo being locked up. The phone buzzed, grabbing Allure's attention. She looked at the message, seeing that Moo asked her to call him.
She pressed his new contact before putting the phone on speaker, a few rings in he answered the phone. Allure was surprised to hear so much commotion in the back since it was nighttime.
"What you doing Tink?" Moo questioned, "Nothing." Allure answered as she eyed her nails, "Probably finna watch Martin till I fall asleep." She added.
"I couldn't go to sleep without hearing yo country ass talk." Moo joked, causing Allure to chuckle. "I'm not country, I'm southern." Allure playfully fussed.
"You know what song been on my mind lately?" Moo questioned, "What?" Allure asked.
"Let me ease your mind by boosie." Moo answered, "Play it for me right quick." He added. Allure grabbed her remote from her nightstand and went to YouTube, she quickly typed in the song and shortly the song began to play.
"It's gon' be alright cause you can be my baby girl." Moo sang along, causing Allure to smile. She hadn't heard this song in so long, growing up she remembered Char and her older cousins always listening to Boosie, Webbie, and lil phat.
"I gotta sample this when I get out." Moo announced, "You should." She agreed, "You been writing while you in there?" She added.
"Here and there, I ain't put together no full song though." Moo replied, Allure nodded her head as if Moo could see her. "So, I gotta question." Allure announced.
"Wassup Tink?" Moo questioned, "Do you still not want kids?" Allure questioned, it had been heavy on her mind lately. And she wondered if his mind had changed since they last talked about it.
"Hell no, look where I'm at. That shit a make me feel just like hoe ass daddy." Moo replied, Allure could understand it. She knew the feelings he had about his father and how it affected him.
"You wishing you had a mini me right now or something?" Moo chuckled, Allure did the same. "No, if you don't wanna have kids I won't force it on you. I don't wanna be a single mother mentally or physically."
"Not right now at least, I couldn't bring no baby in this predicament." Moo spoke, Allure understood. The song stopped, causing Allure to grab the remote and pause the TV so nothing else would play.
"Your birthday coming up." Allure announced, April 11th Moo would be 23 years old.
Moo lightly snickered, "Yeah, I really almost forgot about that shit." It saddened Allure to hear that, she knew how much Moo loved celebrating things.
"I'm still gone go get you some fly shit." Allure chuckled, "You can wear it on yo first day out." She added.
"I appreciate it ma." Moo chuckled, "I love you Allure." He added.
"I love you too Musik." Allure replied with a smile on her face.
"Wassup with the candles?" Moo questioned, Allure took a swig from her water bottle before answering. "The website done and shit, we just working on our content and marketing roll out."
"Let me know when it drop, I done told all these niggas in here to send some to the ladies in they life." Moo spoke, causing Allure to chuckle. "Thank you baby."
"Don't forget to recommend me some books Tink."
Moo announced, "I got you baby." Allure replied.
Allure tied up her knotless braids with a claw clip, before rolling up the sleeves to her Sevyntheebrand hoodie. She grabbed a pair of scissors off the counter and popped open the big brown box.
In the midst of opening the box, her attention went to Ant who was carrying in a few boxes with Maiya in front of him.
With a yes from Moo, the two were using Moo's condo as their mini warehouse for the time being. The living room was covered in boxes that contained their inventory.
"Y'all gone have to put a nigga on y'all payroll, got me carrying all these heavy ass boxes." Ant jokingly fussed as he took a seat on Moo's couch, the girls laughed.
"Y'all dropped yet?" Ant questioned, Maiya shook her head no. "Not yet, but you can give your mama hers. She been asking me for it." Ant nodded his head.
They worked together, pulling the products out of the boxes. Each area of the living room was sectioned off by candle scent. Ant broke down the cardboard boxes and prepared them for trash.
These days the business was really keeping Allure in a good headspace, whether she was tweaking the website or designing content—it kept her mind from racing about anything negative.
Momentarily, all the inventory was organized and separated. Allure couldn't help but to smile as everything became as envisioned.
"I'm working more than when I worked at Amazon." Maiya announced as she laid out on the floor, Allure looked in Moo's fridge and grabbed them two small bottles of smart water.
"Bitch you worked at Amazon?" Allure chuckled as she crackhead open her water, she didn't strike Maiya as the working type. Even when she was living with her mom.
"Girl yes, after lunch on my like second day I didn't come back. That shit was too much." Maiya explained, causing them to laugh.
Moo unwrapped his honey bun before taking a bite out of it, he'd been on them real bad since he'd been locked up. Before then, he hasn't touched a honey bun since he was in high school.
He'd finally got around to reading, his first and current read was "The mountain is you" by Brianna West. Something Allure had recommended to him. His phone lit up—catching his attention.
Allure
Interscope just reached out to me about you baby!
Moo blinked his eyes a couple times as he reread the message, just like that his dreams were in his face—but the chance of him not being able to live them out were 50/50 which saddened him. He was hype just off the opportunity though, his music was finally getting recognition and that's all that mattered. Even if he never got out, as long as his music could provide for Aria and Allure—he'd be happy. Moo snapped away from his thoughts and texted Allure back.
They trynna sign me? That shit crazy asf! Remember what I said Tink, don't let nobody give me no 360 lol.
Go like something on my business page! Thx <3