Untitled

by Jackie Chanel

  “Nope,” I shook my head. “There’s no way I can change people’s perception of me as a person. My music speaks for itself. I don’t make hip-hop or R&B music. I don’t make pop music. I make good music. I’m not going to allow anyone to put me in one genre or dictate the type of music I should be making. I write whatever the hell moves me. It makes me happy when people try to box me into something and fail.”

  “You’re a bit of a rebel,” Sonia joked.

  “I’m just me,” I answered. “Take it or leave it. I’m not trying to be one way or another. I’m not trying to sound like anyone else. If people stopped buying my music today, it doesn’t matter. I’ll still write and record whatever I want.”

  “Well, that’s it, ladies and gentlemen,” Sonia said. “That’s Aiden Tyler in a nutshell. His fourth album, Nothing But The Blues, is available in stores and on iTunes. Get it now, if you haven’t already.”

  ****

  “I can’t believe you said that about Mom and Dad on the radio,” Sara snapped as soon as I walked into the ballroom for the wedding rehearsal.

  “Why not? It’s not like I lied.”

  “Aiden, are you trying to make this weekend even more stressful than it already is? It’s bad enough that you and Dad aren’t even speaking. Now you embarrassed them on the radio.”

  “If they didn’t want to hear the truth, they should have turned the damn station,” I replied and walked away.

  I don’t care what my parents think about my interview. My mother should be happy that I’m even talking to her after what her husband said to me. She knows exactly what happened because my sisters told her. Not once has she called me to apologize.

  Delilah rolled her eyes at me when I sat in one of the chairs but she didn’t say anything about the interview. In fact, she didn’t say anything to me the rest of the night.

  Unfortunately, I was expressly forbidden to throw my best friend a bachelor party the night before the wedding so we had our fun the night before. After dinner, I was left on my own in my suite in boring ass Mt. Vernon. I could kill Delilah for wanting to get married here. Thankfully, Sunny and Summer are sharing my suite with me. However, when I finally made it upstairs from the hotel bar, they were sound asleep in the bed.

  So much for fun, I thought as I climbed into the bed next to them and switched on the television. Cartoon Network it is. How boring.

  Chapter 53

  “Hey Joey,” I called across the studio. “Erica just texted me. She’s coming over.”

  “What for?”

  I shrugged. I never know why Erica does what she does and over the years we’ve worked together, I’ve stopped asking. Erica does whatever the hell she wants to do.

  “I was thinking,” Joey said. “We need some new talent on the label. We should sign Erica.”

  “Sign her to do what?” I asked. “Get on our nerves? Drive me crazy? Because she already does that for free.”

  “Erica is talented,” Joey argued. “If she ever wants to go solo, she can do it. She’s been playing with you for so long, she’s probably bored.”

  I stared at Joey. He wouldn’t make eye contact with me. Something’s up.

  “What do you know that I don’t know?” I asked. “I know that tone anywhere. What do you have up your sleeve?”

  “Nothing,” he laughed. “I’m just speaking my mind.”

  “What does Erica want?”

  “I don’t know,” he howled. “Damn, Aiden, you’ve been working with the girl for almost ten years. You know her better than me.”

  “No, I don’t. She’s been your niece’s best friend for longer. Tell me,” I insisted.

  Joey laughed and lit a cigarette. “Erica wants to record a duet album.”

  “With who?”

  “You.”

  “Erica can’t sing.”

  “She doesn’t have to sing. But she wants to collaborate with you and do a guitar-saxophone jazz album.”

  “Under whose name?”

  “Both of yours,” Joey answered. “Think about it. She’s written a lot of songs and they sound pretty damn good.”

  His answer only confirmed what I already knew. He and Erica have already had this conversation.

  “So, she’s going to boost her career by using me on her album?”

  “Haven’t you done the same?” Joey asked. “Without that sax, some of your songs would be garbage and you know it.”

  “I don’t write garbage. Besides, Erica is a pain in the ass. I can’t even imagine being stuck in the studio working on some shit that she’s written. She’s already bossy enough with the songs I write.”

  “It’s called collaboration for a reason,” Joey reminded me. “You better get on board soon. She’s not going to take no for an answer and we both know that.”

  I sighed deeply. I hate that Joey is always right...always. There’s no way I can say no to Erica’s project. She’d have me castrated. An hour later, I couldn’t help but glare at her when she entered the control room. She smiled at me.

  “I guess Joey told you.”

  “Of course he did,” I said. “Why didn’t you ask me first?”

  “Because you would have said no,” Erica answered. “And you know this is a damn good idea. There hasn’t been one decent collaboration album this year. Let’s make a great one. It’ll be monumental.”

  “I just finished an album. What makes you think I’m ready to get back in the studio and record?”

  “Because that’s all you do anyway,” she answered. “If you’re going to be in the studio every day, we might as well do something productive.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Let me hear what you got.”

  Grinning, Erica pulled out her laptop and started to play a few song concepts. Joey was right. She has some good songs. The more I listened, the more I liked the idea of recording an album with her.

  For hours, we did exactly what we do when the entire band is in the studio, fool around with song concepts and occasionally write down something. I knew converting the pool house into a studio would be more useful. It was three in the morning before Joey decided to go home and another hour before Erica and I called it quits. At least we were productive.

  “What hotel are you staying at?” I asked her as we walked into my kitchen.

  “Chateau Aiden,” Erica answered.

  My head snapped back at her answer. “No, you’re not. Seriously, where are you staying and when are you going back to Atlanta?”

  “I’m not. I’m staying here until we finish.”

  “By here, you mean L.A, right?” I have a bad feeling about her answer.

  “Come on, Aiden. We both know we can finish this album quicker if I’m here. Why take six months to finish when we can do it in three.”

  “You want to stay here, in my house, the entire time? Have you lost your mind? We’d kill each other.”

  “I’ll stay out of your way,” Erica replied. “I won’t even interfere with your endless stream of groupies. I promise.”

  “No,” I insisted. “Get a room somewhere else. Stay with Joey. You are not staying here.”

  “Then I’ll leave tomorrow,” she answered. “My stuff is already in the guest room.”

  ****

  Tomorrow turned into next week and before I knew it, Erica had been living in my house for two months with no signs of leaving. After week three, I got tired of arguing with her. I’m actually cool with having someone in the house. Living alone in a mini mansion in the Hollywood Hills can get pretty boring. The best part about our situation is that we haven’t killed each other. At least I don’t have to drive her back and forth to a hotel every day.

  We were both taking a break from the studio, me on the couch and Erica was lying on the sofa, pigging out with a bag of Doritos while we watched Family Guy. My phone vibrated in my pocket.

  “What’s up, Sunny?” I answered.

  “Nothing much,” she said. “I was wondering what you have planned for your birthday. This is a big one.”


  I wrinkled my brow. Leave it to Sunny to remind me that my thirtieth birthday is three months away. I never thought I’d get any older than twenty-five. I’m not happy about turning thirty.

  “Why’d you bring that up?”

  “Because, it’s thirty, Aiden,” she answered. “It’s monumental. I know you aren’t tripping about turning thirty.”

  “I’m not,” I lied.

  “Whatever. So what’s the plan?”

  “Parties,” I answered. “In Vegas, Atlanta, New York, and L.A. Four big ass parties, one a weekend all month long.”

  “That’s not extravagant at all,” Sunny commented sarcastically. “You are so over the top. What happened to having one party like a normal person?”

  “I’m not normal.”

  “You can say that again,” Sunny laughed. “Have you started planning?”

  “Do I look like the type of person who plans their own birthday party? I have a manager, a publicist, and a bunch of other people to do that for me. All I’m doing is showing up.”

  I could feel Sunny’s disapproval through the phone. She hates what she calls my “superstar” mentality.

  “Besides, I’m still working with Erica. I don’t have time to plan parties.”

  “Erica is still in Los Angeles?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is she still staying with you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Really?” There was a hint of anger and jealousy in Sunny’s voice. I laughed.

  “Yeah. Does that bother you?”

  “Should it?”

  “I’m not sleeping with her,” I told her. “I learned my lesson.”

  “You never learn your lessons, Aiden,” Sunny stated in a huff. “I’ll call you back.”

  I laughed and slid my phone back in my pocket. Sunny will never forget that I slept with Erica. That was a long time ago, though, before I ever slept with Sunny. And once was enough. Erica was good, but back then, I barely knew her. Now that I do...no way is that happening again.

  “Was that Sunny?” Erica asked.

  “Don’t get any crumbs on my couch,” I answered. Her fingers were covered with nacho cheese dust and I know she’s going to wipe her hands on my couch. I just know it.

  “I’m a grown ass woman,” she answered. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

  But she wiped her hands on a napkin anyway.

  “Is Sunny still pissed that I’m staying here?”

  “I wouldn’t say she’s pissed,” I said. “Just a little bit agitated. She thinks we’re sleeping together again.”

  “Gross.”

  “You’re tellin’ me.”

  “You know you’d hit it again, if I let you,” Erica chided. “Don’t front.”

  “Not even with someone else’s dick,” I replied.

  “Oh, so I guess only models are good enough for you now that you’re a big superstar? Or is it just Sunny? Because I don’t recall you bringing any chicks up in here for the last two months.”

  “I’m working,” I told her. “Unlike you, I like to focus on one thing at a time. Once we finish, this place will be crawling with girls again.”

  “You really are going to catch something,” Erica muttered. “Watch.”

  “That’s what the bowl of condoms in the bathroom is for,” I reminded her. “Don’t act like you don’t know about that.”

  “I really don’t want to hear this, Aiden,” Erica said. “Don’t forget, I’ve been on every tour with you. I know how you get down. Slut.”

  “Hello, pot,” I said, speaking into my phone. “This is kettle...”

  Erica burst out laughing. “I am not a slut!”

  “Liar!” I shouted. “I’ve been on tour with you too. Don’t forget that.”

  “Whatever,” she giggled. “Let’s get back to work. We’ve only got three more songs to do and we’re done. I can go back to Atlanta and you can go back to doing...whoever.”

  ****

  Erica fidgeted with her bathing suit top and sarong. Then she nervously started fiddling with the food on the large buffet table until I stopped her.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you so damn nervous?”

  “People will be here in a minute,” she answered.

  I looked at her confused. “So?”

  “So, they’re going to hear the album for the first time. That doesn’t make you nervous?”

  I’ve never had a listening party, simply because I know that the only people who need to hear my music before it comes out are Sunny and Joey. Erica is the one who felt like we should invite people over to my house and let them hear the finished version of Indulgence. Now she’s acting like she hasn’t been performing for over ten years.

  “Why would I be nervous about that? It’s damn good music. Anyone who doesn’t like it is an idiot.”

  While the project is both of ours, I can’t say that it was completely 50/50. This is Erica’s show. She wrote eight of the twelve tracks we decided on. This is her album. For once, I’m backing her up. It feels kind of good to let her shine. I guess she should be nervous.

  I’m actually proud of her. She knew exactly what she wanted her songs to sound like. After spending so much time in the studio with me and Joey over the years, she’s learned a lot. She could have produced this thing herself. I barely had to do anything except play.

  When Erica’s guests started to arrive, I went back into the house to get Sunny. There wasn’t a question that she was going to fly out for this. There’s no way in hell she’d bail on Erica.

  Sunny was closing the door to the guest room where Summer was sleeping. She looked sexy as hell in her white and gold bikini and matching sari.

  “She asleep?” I asked.

  “Yes, finally. You know she doesn’t like to sleep when you’re around. She thinks you’re going to disappear or something.”

  “Never,” I answered. “Good thing she’s sleep. You’re presence is definitely needed outside. Erica is losing it. She’s nervous as hell.”

  “You couldn’t figure out how to ease her nerves?” Sunny asked.

  “I gave her a few shots of Patron,” I answered. “It didn’t work.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.”

  I ignored the jab and walked downstairs behind Sunny. I can’t believe she’s still making these stupid little comments about me and Erica. Nothing has happened between the two of us, except we made a damn good album. She has no right to be jealous. She made it clear that she doesn’t want me so who I’m screwing is no concern of hers and I’m not screwing Erica.

  Once the music started, the pool and the Jacuzzi started to fill up with people and it wasn’t long before we had a real party on our hands. It wasn’t what we planned but I just go with the flow. People liked the music. The sexiness of the songs put everyone in a friendlier mood anyway. Lots of alcohol never hurts either.

  “Aiden,” Erica slurred as I kept her from dropping the bottle of Grey Goose she was carrying over to the pool.

  “They like the album.”

  “Of course they do.”

  “Thank you so much for doing this,” she whispered and leaned against my bare chest.

  “No problem,” I answered.

  “You’re a great guy,” Erica slurred. “I don’t care what other people say. You didn’t have to do this and the fact that you did...well, it means a lot.”

  “We did it,” I reminded her. “We’re a team.”

  “Yeah, we are,” Erica smiled and threw her arms around my neck. She pressed her body against mine and I hugged her back.

  “We’re a damn good team,” she said.

  I caught Sunny staring at us with a severe frown on her face. I dropped my hands from around Erica’s waist instinctively and took the bottle from her before she dropped it.

  “Your girl is pissed,” Erica laughed. “Don’t she realize that nothing has happened with us in years?”

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with her.
”

  I looked at Sunny. She’s been watching me like a hawk and all I’ve been doing is talking to the people who we’ve always considered to be friends.

  I walked over to where she was sitting on the edge of the pool, nursing a beer, and sat down next to her.

  “What’s the problem?” I asked her.

  “I don’t have a problem.”

  “Then what’s with the evil eye you’ve been giving me all night?”

  “Don’t start with me, Aiden.”

  Sunny took another sip of her beer. She stared straight ahead like I wasn’t even talking to her. Maybe it was the liquor or maybe it was months of frustration, but her blasé attitude pissed me off.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” I yelled. “Why are you acting like such a bitch?”

  “What did you say?” she snapped.

  “You heard me.”

  “You’re drunk so it might be best if you didn’t say shit to me right now, Aiden,” she warned me.

  Sunny stood up and started to walk away from the pool. I followed her a few feet and grabbed her arm. She jerked it away and spun around.

  “I said, leave me the hell alone,” she yelled. “Go back to doing what you were doing. I’m not talking to you about anything when you’re this drunk.”

  “First of all, I’m not drunk,” I argued. “But you will tell me what’s got your panties all in a bunch? Is it the fact that I’m having a good time at my party and you have a stick up your ass? I want to know what happened to my friend who knew how to party. Being a mother doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, Sunny.”

  “This is supposed to be fun?” she asked, making a sweeping motion with her hands. “It’s supposed to be fun watching you get wasted and flirt with every bitch out here? Is that supposed to be fun for me?”

  “Why the hell do you care?” I yelled at her. “You made it clear in New Orleans that you don’t want to have shit to do with me like that. Why does who I flirt with or fuck bother you?”

  “So sleeping with my best friend shouldn’t bother me?” she asked calmly. “Well, it does. It bothered me then and it pisses me off now.”

  “I’m not sleeping with Erica!”

  “Yeah right!”