I sat on the chair in the middle rows of the arena, watching Robyn talk with the new backup dancer who'd be taking my position for the next few weeks. She was nodding and I could see his body language, he was definitely not being subtle.
But I wasn't even in the mood to care, not with what was heavy on my mind since I flew from Washington to London. Aniya was pregnant, it wasn't mine but she was still pregnant. She also refused to tell me how far along she was.. 'It's not your problem, don't worry about it.. follow your dreams.' Those were her words exactly.
I even offered to help, get her out of that neighborhood, get her back into school. Again, 'It's not your problem, I'll be fine.' She wouldn't let me do a thing, claiming I needed to put my money into my dreams. I managed to slip a few hundreds on her table when she wasn't looking but I knew she would need more. A child was expensive and time consuming as hell which is why I wasn't rushing.
I just hope she had help, I hope Keith wasn't a dick and.. cared for the child he created. If he was a deadbeat, I'd beat him dead myself.
"Yo," I was pulled out of my thoughts as I looked up and saw the new dancer, a light skin with some green eyes. "I'm Jamaal, what's up?" I looked down at his hand as I slowly chewed on my gum before looking back at him silently. "Oh alright." He said with a soft laugh but I wasn't laughing. As if this nigga couldn't catch the hint, he knelt on the chair in front of me. "So you the favored dancer, my bad for taking your spot but I mean.. I heard she like them pretty boys."
I didn't break our eye contact as he rubbed the stubble on his face, licking his lips like he was cute or something. My head tilted when he shrugged and clasped his hands together. "So what I gotta do to get in that? I think I got the dancing down, maybe a lil better than you." I raised my eyebrows and he chuckled. "I'm just joanin' bro. But for real, I'm tryna become the favored dancer too."
I couldn't help but shake my head and blow a bubble with my gum, letting it pop before grabbing my crutches. I purposely pushed the arm part forward, hitting him square in the nuts. He groaned, dropping forward as I stood up. "First you gotta have balls," He glared at me as I looked down at him with a smirk. "I'm just joanin' bro." I said, reiterating his words before walking down the stairs cautiously, my pain pills making me sleepy and in need for a damn nap.
Once I got to the dressing room, I huffed and laid on the couch, not even carrying that my crutches fell and knocked some shit off of the table. I was tired. "You ain't even come say hi to me yet." I heard my girlfriend walk in and I groaned lowly in response, too tired to speak. "How was Aniya?" Welp, there goes the sleep.
I felt her scoot me over slightly before laying on the inner side of the couch and letting me rest my head on her chest. "She's pregnant." I said with no hesitation. Why wait, right? But, I realized I probably should've went more into detail before her breath hitched, her entire body tensing in seconds. "It's not mine, it's Keith's." I quickly clarified and she exhaled heavily.
"You should lead with that babe damn." I smiled softly and closed my eyes as she continued to scratch my scalp. "How's that make you feel?"
I shrugged. "I don't know.. weird. My ex cheated and is having a baby with who she cheated on me with. I mean damn, I ain't get nobody pregnant.. I don't think." She smacked my back and I smirked before huffing lightly. "I just hope she'll be good. She not letting me help with shit but she did say Keith was there so.." I shrugged again.
"She's a strong girl." She aided and I nodded knowingly, letting the feeling of her nails on my head relax me. "So, I was-"
"Hey." I raised my eyes to the door, both of us staring silently at Jamaal as he stood at the door with a frown which quickly turned up to a smile. Did he just... walk into my girlfriends dressing room without knocking? "The crew wants us to head to the stage for one more soundcheck." She nodded and he continued to stand there. "They said it's a time crunch-"
"I got what you said." She cut off and I couldn't help the smirk that covered my lips when he eyed me. Just as he went to leave, she called him back. "And Jamaal?" He turned back with a wide smile. "Knock next time, this ain't ya little brothers room."
His smile dropped fast as hell. "Yes ma'am." I watched him close the door with haste before snickering under my breath, my lips pressing to her neck.
"You really gotta go right now?" I whispered, trailing my lips up her neck before lightly kissing her ear. "I kinda wanna see what them hips do again."
A soft laugh left her lips as she hooked her leg around my waist. "Yes, now moove niggaaa." I huffed before rolling off of her and letting her get up. "You know what you can do?" I raised my eyebrows. "You can go grab my script and a cup of coffee from Jen."
I pulled my head back with a frown. "Do I look like ya damn assistant?" She grabbed her phone off of the couch before leaning down in front of me with her hands pressed against my knees, her lips pulled into a smirk. As soon as those green orbs looked down into my eyes, I just- "You want a mocha or cappuccino?"
Her smirk widened. "Surprise me." Her lips pressed to mine before she was already walking out of the room. The hell just happened? Swear she had me on some voodoo shit.
With a huff, I found her real assistant Jen and she handed me one of those thick blue report folder and a coffee. "I'm taking your job girl." I teased and she retorted with 'gladly' I didn't blame her. I was walking-slash-crutching to the stage when I looked down at the folder and saw in big bold letters.
Do Not Open-Confidential
Well damn, I wasn't until I read that.
So, naturally, I set the coffee down and flipped it open, reading the print in the middle of the page. "Ocean's eight?" I mumbled to myself in confusion, flipping again until I saw highlighted words. "Nine Ball played by.. oh that's cute as fuck." I said with a chuckle when I saw she was a hacker. My baby? A hacker? No damn way; she could barely work her damn phone. As I went to flip the page, the script was suddenly taken out of my hands.
"Did you know 'do not open' meant.. don't open? Thought Howard was for smart kids?" Jamaal.
I grabbed the coffee again with a huff. "Okay look, it was pretty funny to see you all drooling and shit over my girl but this too far, alright? Calm your twenty year old ass down." I went to reach for the script and he pulled back. "Jamaal."
He smirked and slid it under his arm before walking off hastily while knowing damn well I couldn't move as fast as him right now. "Fucking crutches." I hissed, following him as fast as I could. When we got to the stage, I saw him giving the script to Robyn who had her eyebrows raised in confusion.
"Saw her sneaking a peek and thought it was disrespectful as hell so.." I shook my head. He sounded like a damn teachers pet.
My girlfriend (which I already knew what I could and couldn't do) handed it back to me. "Do me a favor babe and highlight all my stuff please? Promise I'll repay you." She said with a wink and I nodded, accepting her kiss. She then pulled back with the coffee and looked Jamaal up and down with a 'this nigga' look before walking away to get her ear piece in.
He then glanced at me with a scowl. "Like I said Jamaal, calm down. She's my girlfriend. Stick to dancing because I'd hate.." I stepped forward and his blinking became faster. "..to make sure you know your place. You know?" I patted his shoulder before giving him a fake ass smile. "Good luck with the show!" I showed fake enthusiasm before dropping my smile and walking back off of the stage with the script.
I hated little ass light skin niggas.
-
"Imma just say it.. I don't like him." I smirked at James' words, my head down as I continued highlighting Rob's lines. "Do you know that everytime he stepped a foot ahead of me and tried to dance right next to Rih? Like it was their show- oh, I didn't tell you the worst part."
Once I got the last line, I closed it and gave him my full attention. "What's the worst?" I asked and he shook his head with a sigh.
"He asked Rihanna if he could dance with her during Work. The look we all gave his stupid ass." I shook my head softly and looked back down at the script because not gonna lie.. this movie looked to be good as hell. "You not gonna go beat his ass? I figured you'd be jealous or something."
"Nah, not yet." I mumbled before leaning back in my seat. "He's not a threat to me, nor is any dude. I mean.. I know Robyn, you know? I got her, she know she got me, what I gotta be jealous for?" His eyebrows raised up as I shrugged. "The only reason someone gets jealous is if they aren't secure in their relationship, I'm pretty damn secure."
"Damn see? Now I see the Howard in you, I see the smarts coming out." I flipped him off playfully before sliding the script into my backpack and sitting it on the table. "Anyways, yeah man, please hurry up and heal. Because I am secure in my dancing but still might knock a nigga out." We fell into a laugh just as a knock rang my door, making James get up to answer it for me. "Oh hey."
He stepped to the side and I grinned, standing up as Virgil walked through. "Hey man, thank's for meeting with me." I shook his hand and James motioned he was leaving so I gave him a thumbs up.
"No problem, after the emails we exchanged, I knew I had to fly out." Rihanna was extra as fuck and always got the hotel suite with a built in office. She used it probably for ten minutes every time we stayed but it wasn't my money. "So, I just wanna say, beautiful idea." He said once we sat down at the little table that was provided.
"Thank you, I appreciate that." I told him about my idea to make clothes that fit all shapes and sizes. Just because it's in the men's department shouldn't mean only five foot eleven, broad shoulder guys should be able to wear it. Petite five foot five girls should be able to grab it, and so should five foot four men.
"Hey- oh sorry." We both looked up and I smiled at Robyn who waved. "I'll be in the room." She said after giving Virgil a hug and after that, it was all business.
He pulled some draft plans out of his backpack and we started to go over everything. I didn't realize how much went into creating your own brand until now.. it was so damn much. We had to figure out the target audience, rather I wanted it to be a private brand that was distributed to certain stores or broadly projected. But the hardest part..
"Do you have a name in mind?" I puffed my cheeks as I exhaled heavily. Shit. "How I got my idea Off-White was the fact that I wanted to combine street wear with the vision of professional or premium fashion. It's the grey area, the Off-White." Nodding, I looked down at the plans, trying hard to come up with a name and..
"Yeah, I got nothing right now." He chuckled and patted my back softly.
"It's all good. I changed my brand name about three times so don't worry. It'll come to you."
With that, we spent the next few hours conjuring up ideas and he used some computer app to start designing with my input. It was all getting real as hell and I loved it, I couldn't wait to get my own brand up and running.
"Thanks again for everything man. For flying out and even taking a chance on me." Virgil nodded and shook my hand.
"Of course. Like I said, you have a gift Y/n. Dance is an art, fashion is an art, you express both insanely well and I can't wait to start this journey with you."
After he left, I turned around and saw my girl walking out of the room with a smile. "How was it?" She asked, sliding her arms around my waist. "Great." I mumbled and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "So fucking great, thank you for calling him." I pulled her into a hug and swayed us, sighing happily.
"Of course, I love you." I froze. My eyes widened as I came to terms with what she just said.. holy shit.
"Um.." Pulling back slightly, I looked at her and saw a smile on her lips.
Her head tilted as she poked my stomach with a small giggle. "Yeah you heard me." My mouth opened and closed like a fish until she cupped my face, pulling me forward as she whispered against my lips. "I love you, Y/n." I let out shocked laugh and shook my head in astonishment. I didn't care that she said it.. matter of fact, I wanted her to say it over and over and over.
"Say it again.. please." She leveled our eyes, smile growing.
"I love yo- Y/n!" She exclaimed in a laugh when I picked her up, legs wrapping around my waist as I carried her to our room. "Your foot." She chuckled but I ignored it until we reached the bed where I laid her. "Y/n-"
"Shh." I said and closed my eyes, my hands raising to cup the side of her face. I wanted to say it and mean it. I didn't want to mutter those words to her and not mean it so when I opened my mouth, eyes following, I said it. "I love you too." And I meant it.
Her warm eyes took me in silently as we both basked in the moment. Holy fuck- I just said I love you and I meant it. I could feel it in my body, it was like some sort of.. it was like when you drink hot cocoa on a cold ass night and you can feel the warmth spreading in your body. Yeah, it was like that and I love it. I love her.
"Come here.." She whispered through the silence and connected our lips and I was like putty in her hands. Her hands pushed me onto my back but she quickly followed, straddling my lap. "I still owe you for all that generous help huh?" Her hand then gripped the hem of her shirt as she pulled it over her head, leaving her.. well, bare. No bra, nothing. Just those piercings I loved so much.
I bit my bottom lip and ran my hands up and down her sooth sides, mentally thanking my blessings. Hallelujah.
___
Alright listen, I am incompetent when it comes to this shit so I need y'all help!
What do y'all want the brand name to be (or an idea of what it should be about?) IF YOU SEE SOMEONE PUT A GOOD NAME, COMMENT THAT YOU LIKE THAT NAME. I'll pick the three best (or most voted) and we'll choose it together via my profile page okay? okay.
Remember, this is a brand name for a broad spectrum of shit so no dick, pussy, ass- yes i'm talking to you annoying ass 'dabestboy' you shouldn't even pick a name with your wack ass prof name- anYWAYS! Yes, please be appropriate 😭😭
P.s, if you don't help out, I no longer consider you one of my pretty motherfuckers. js.