by Rhonda Bowen
“So have you guys been waiting long?” Jules asked, looking back and forth between ‘Dre and Tanya, who were the only ones sitting in the main room. She raised an eyebrow questioningly at Tanya.
“Not too long,” Tanya said, giving Jules a look that said “don’t start.”
Jules rolled her eyes and took a seat on the couch beside Tanya. She didn’t care what ‘Dre said about not dating white girls—Tanya was different. And Jules was sure that if Tanya played her cards right she could have ‘Dre in the palm of her hand.
She and Maxine agreed that Tanya should start dropping a few hints of her own when she was around ‘Dre, just to get the ball rolling. Tanya, however, refused to get on board.
“Okay, so I guess now that everyone’s here, we can get started,” ‘Dre said, looking up from his laptop. Once everyone was settled, and Tanya had said a prayer to start the meeting, ‘Dre put the main item for discussion on the table.
“So you guys know we want to put out Truuth’s debut album early this fall. We already have been doing a few appearances around town, but we need a major publicity campaign to really push this.
“Jules, I know you and Maxine have been working on a media plan for the album release,” ‘Dre said, looking across at Jules. “Please don’t tell me I am going to have to sell a kidney to pay for it.”
“No, ‘Dre,” Jules said, laughing. “That won’t be necessary. What we’re thinking of doing is using mainstream media as well as viral marketing to promote Truuth’s album. You’re gonna have to shell out some dollars for advertising space for the media part, but the viral marketing shouldn’t cost us much. And of course we’re gonna use the Sound Lounge as our launching point for Truuth’s merchandise—hence the reason Germaine is here.”
“Do you really think the Sound Lounge is big enough to be an effective launch point for Truuth?” ‘Dre asked. “No offense, Germaine.”
“None taken,” Germaine said, with a quiet look of amusement.
“Actually, ‘Dre,” Tanya began. “Since Sam the Record Man closed a couple years ago, the Sound Lounge has been one of the more popular record stores in the city. You know as well as I do that there aren’t that many left anyway, and those that do exist are not as hot as they used to be.”
“And keep in mind that the package we are looking at includes in-store promotion as well as after-hours promotion through the Sound Lounge’s nighttime entertainment,” Jules added.
“Plus, thanks to Jules, we get the girlfriend rate,” Tanya said, grinning.
“Hey, it’s not that cheap,” Jules said dryly.
“Come on, Jules, you know it’s a good deal,” Germaine said from the love seat where he was sitting. “If you pitched that package to HMV or one of those other record stores, you’d be paying a lot of something for a little bit of nothing.”
“He’s right,” Jules said, refusing to look at Germaine, who she knew was smirking at her.
“Though most of the promotion will go through the Sound Lounge, the album and some promotional material is still going to be at HMV and other small retailers,” Tanya said, trying to appease ‘Dre.
The rest of them were usually pretty realistic about what could be done with Triad’s small budget. However, it was always Tanya who had to reel in some of ‘Dre’s larger than life ideas. But even though their projects rarely went as large scale as ‘Dre wanted, his vision for the business always helped make them work harder.
“All right, we’ll go with it for now,” ‘Dre conceded. “Any figures for me so far?”
“Better,” said Jules, well prepared for ‘Dre’s usual skepticism. “I have the entire media plan, including our expected budget,” she said, passing a slim folder to ‘Dre. “Let me just warn you, from now on, we’re basically going to be pushing Truuth and his music all across the city,” she said. “Big venues, small venues, churches, charity functions, everywhere they need a voice to sing, he’s gonna be there for the next couple months while the album is coming out. People have to know his name and his voice if they are gonna buy his music.”
‘Dre nodded as he flipped through the plan. “Okay, looks good. We can start with this.”
Tanya and Jules looked at each other. They knew what that meant—‘Dre would be making changes along the way based on the bright ideas he came up with in the middle of the night.
Jules couldn’t count the number of times ‘Dre had called an emergency meeting at eight o’clock on a Saturday evening because of a new vision he got for their project during the service that day. It usually meant they would have to spend hours revamping whatever plans they had, and when Jules eventually got fed up and left, as she always did, Tanya was the one who had to bring ‘Dre back in focus. There would be no working with ‘Dre for Jules or Maxine, if it wasn’t for the middle ground that was Tanya.
“So how long before the album is actually ready?” Germaine asked.
‘Dre looked thoughtful for a moment. “Technically, it’s already done, but Easy and Truuth are still doing some final editing on some tracks, and they’re thinking of maybe adding a bonus track. Everything should be wrapped up for sure in about two weeks.”
“So can I get some more definite information about the album? Like, how many tracks, the next single, and who you all collaborated with for it?” Jules asked. “I know for some reason you all were trying to keep everything hush-hush, but it’s kinda hard for me to attract fresh media coverage and put together a decent press kit without those tidbits.”
“You’re right,” ‘Dre admitted, popping up from his chair. “Let me get Easy, and he can get us all up-to-date on what’s happening.”
Once ‘Dre had disappeared from the room, Jules turned to Tanya.
“Have you talked to him?” she whispered to her friend.
“No, of course not,” Tanya whispered back. She glanced nervously over at Germaine who was skimming the newspaper.
“Don’t worry, I already told him everything,” Jules whispered, reading Tanya’s mind.
“You what!” Tanya hissed. “So what, now you’re telling everybody?”
“Not everyone, but he might be able to help,” Jules said. “We’re going to need all the help we can get, especially since you refuse to play ball.”
“Honestly, Jules, what do you expect me to say?” Tanya whispered. “Hey, ‘Dre, I’ve had a crush on you for years. Let’s go out and ruin our perfect friendship?”
“Don’t be silly,” Jules chided. “You can leave out the ruin-our-friendship part.”
Tanya groaned in frustration, just as ‘Dre and Easy walked into the room.
“Easy!” Jules exclaimed, beaming brightly at her friend. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
Of their small Triad team, Easy was the only one who didn’t go to church with them, and since he was often working in the studio with Truuth or some of the other Triad artists, Jules didn’t see him that often. She always went out of her way, however, to make time for him. Outside of Maxine and Tanya, he was one of her closest friends.
“Hey, what’s up, baby girl,” Easy said casually, as he gave Jules a quick peck on the cheek, and rested on the arm of the chair beside her.
He nodded to Tanya, and then for the first time seemed to notice Germaine, who was sitting on the other side of the room watching them carefully. The light expression that had rested on his face all evening had been replaced by a look of unease that Jules couldn’t quite read.
“Easy, this is Germaine, Truuth’s cousin; Germaine this is Easy, Truuth’s producer,” Jules said, looking back and forth between the two of them as she made the introductions.
If Germaine looked guarded, Easy looked downright hostile as he appraised Germaine. She had the distinct feeling that this was not the first time they had met.
The two men stared each other down for some time before ‘Dre broke the silence.
“Yeah, Easy, we all wanted some more information about the album,” ‘Dre said, clearly unaware of any tension in the room. “You
know, so Jules can have something for her promotional stuff.”
Usually Jules would have been annoyed at ‘Dre’s clear misunderstanding of the PR work she did for Truuth, but she was too busy watching the ongoing exchange between Easy and Germaine. She glanced back at Tanya to see if she knew what was going on, but the girl just shrugged, showing that she was just as confused.
Easy stuck a toothpick in the corner of his mouth, and kept his eyes fixed on Germaine for a moment longer before answering.
“Yeah. It’s got fifteen tracks, including the two singles and one bonus track. We’re thinking of leaking another single in the next two weeks to generate some buzz before the album drops, but I can meet with Jules and give her the information later.”
From the way Easy was looking at Germaine, it was clear that what he really meant was, he would not be discussing anymore album information in front of him.
From across the room, Jules could see the tightness in Germaine’s jaw. Despite his obvious displeasure, he remained completely calm, barely moving a muscle. His demeanor reminded Jules of the quiet before a storm. In fact, as she watched him watch Easy, she realized that beneath his refined exterior was something hard and dangerous that was carefully being kept in check.
With Easy and Germaine not talking, and Jules too distracted to ask any relevant questions, the meeting soon came to an end. As soon as Tanya said the “amen” for the closing prayer, Easy disappeared to the studio, and Germaine went outside to the car.
“What was that about?” Jules asked, as she watched both men hastily exit the room.
“They’re both your boys,” Tanya said. “You tell me.”
“Well, they might be my boys, but neither of them ever tell me anything,” Jules said.
She gathered her purse and coat and headed for the door.
“Honey, I’m gonna go before Germaine leaves me,” Jules said. “Looks like he’s in a mood.”
“Okay, love,” Tanya said, giving Jules a quick hug. “I’ll call you later.”
“Talk to him,” Jules threw over her shoulder as Tanya closed the door. She hoped her friend was listening.
“Okay, so are you gonna tell me what that was about?” Jules asked fifteen minutes later.
They were halfway back to Jules’s apartment, and Germaine still hadn’t said a word about the earlier exchange between him and Easy, although he was much quieter than usual. What’s more, he had turned on the car radio, and was all but ignoring Jules.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, his eyes fixed on the road.
“Um, you and Easy, and whatever it is that’s going on with you two.”
Jules waited, but still no answer. She realized that she was going to have to pull it out of him.
“Where do you know him from?” she asked.
Germaine shrugged. “I’ve seen him around.”
“Around where? I know Easy. He hangs out in some questionable places,” Jules said with a mix of skepticism and suspicion.
“We’re in the same business, Jules. We’re around a lot of the same labels and distributors at industry events,” he said, as he exited the highway.
Jules narrowed her eyes at him.
“So what’s your problem with him then?”
“I don’t have a problem with him, Jules,” Germaine said. But the tightness in his jaw told a different story.
“So why were you guys looking at each other like that? I thought I might have to jump between the two of you at any minute.”
“I don’t know, Jules, why don’t you ask him? You two look pretty close.”
Jules didn’t miss the suggestion in his tone, or the vein that was jumping at his temple. She felt her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She half turned in her seat to glare at him. “Is there something specific you want to ask me, Germaine?” She didn’t like what he was implying.
Germaine sighed heavily. “Baby, it’s been a long day. I really don’t want to fight with you.”
The tiredness in his voice hit a chord in Jules, and just as quickly as it came, her anger melted away.
She looked at him for a moment before sighing herself and falling back in her seat. She couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that something was off with him. She couldn’t recall him ever clamming up like this about anything before. He was always less of a talker than she was, and that was okay most of the time. But at that moment it felt like he was intentionally shutting her out, and he wouldn’t even tell her why.
Lord, don’t I have enough people in my life who have problems communicating? Mom, Dad, and now Germaine? I don’t know if I can deal with this. Tell me if I’m wasting my time.
Just as she was about to drift deeper into her own thoughts, she felt Germaine take her hand and thread his fingers through hers. He pressed the back of her hand against his lips the same way he had the night at Leroy’s.
“Look,” he began quietly. “I know you want me to be more …”
“Open?” Jules asked, supplying the word he was obviously searching for.
“Yes,” Germaine answered. “But that’s hard for me. I’m used to doing things by myself. I don’t usually have to answer to anyone, you know?”
“Babe, I don’t want you to feel like you have to answer to me. I just want you to let me in sometimes. You can trust me,” she said gently.
“I know,” he said. “It’s just … there’s a lot of things…. It’s going to take some time for me.”
He pulled up to the front of her building and shut off the engine. Still holding her hand, he turned to look at her.
“Just bear with me, okay?”
Jules met his eyes and felt her resolve breaking. She didn’t know if it was the dimness of the evening, or the quiet urgency in his voice, but something was playing tricks with her emotions.
“Okay,” she conceded with a sigh. She would cut him a break now, but it wasn’t over. There was something going on with Germaine, and she needed to find out what it was.
Chapter 7
“What you doing with that dude?”
Jules looked up from her laptop at Easy. She had come into the office to do some work on the campaign because she felt she would be able to focus more. She didn’t particularly enjoy working on Sundays, but after last Tuesday’s meeting she realized that she had a lot of work to do. With Truuth’s album launch coming up in the not-too-distant future, in less than three months, she needed to keep on top of things.
She hadn’t even known that Easy had been working in the soundproof studio downstairs until he appeared in front of her, in the mini-conference room.
“What dude?”
“You know who I’m talking about, baby girl.”
“Germaine? What’s wrong with him?”
“What’s right with him?” Easy asked. “I don’t want you messing with no corny brothas.”
Jules knew Easy was a little rough around the edges, which was why she let him get away with a lot of things—like the way he was talking to her. Growing up in a tough community where everyone knew your mother had abandoned you was no picnic. Even though his grandmother had done her best to take care of him, Easy had spent most of his teen years defending himself from the chides of others. And when he couldn’t manage that on his own, he had gotten mixed up with local gangs, from which he had barely escaped alive. Needless to say, the softer side of his personality had been sacrificed during the experience. But even now when he seemed a bit too aggressive for Jules’s liking, she knew it was only because he cared about her.
From the instant Jules and Easy had first met, they had just clicked. In fact, if he hadn’t been so raw and she hadn’t been what he called a “good girl,” they might have gotten together. But now as she watched his mouth curl in scorn at the mention of Germaine, she began to wonder if his overprotectiveness was not just a cover for some other feeling.
“What’s your deal with Germaine? He’s a nice guy.”
“He ain’t right,” Easy said, shaking his head.
“Why?”
Jules watched Easy clench and unclench his jaw. She could tell he wanted to say something but was holding back. She looked at him and tried to meet his eyes, but he wouldn’t let her. She remembered her concerns from a couple days earlier and decided that it was a good time to find out from Easy what was really going on.
“What do you know about him?” Jules asked.
Easy shrugged. “Some things I’ve seen make me wonder about him.”
“Wonder how?” Jules asked. “Did you see him with another woman? Does he have kids? Was he on America’s Most Wanted?”
Her tone was light, but she was only half joking. With the brothers she had encountered, anything was possible. Easy chuckled a little and shook his head.
“Talk to me, Easy,” she said softly, her eyes searching his face. Instead he took her hands in his and looked down at them.
“Just be careful, baby girl,” he said quietly, finally meeting her eyes. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Nervousness flitted through her chest, and Jules shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she realized how serious he was. She considered pressing him further about what he meant, but she suspected she wouldn’t get anything out of him.
“Well, how is that gonna happen if you’re breathing down my neck all the time,” Jules said, in mock annoyance.
After a moment, Easy cracked a small smile.
“All right, baby girl, I hear you. I know it’s your life; you ain’t gotta say the words.”
Jules laughed. “I know it’s only ‘cause you love me,” she said, pulling him down into the chair beside her and hugging him. “So where have you been anyway? I’ve barely seen you around these past couple months.”
“Been keeping it on the down low with my Grams. She’s been sweatin’ me about staying off the streets.”
Easy lived with his grandmother in Regent Park—one of the less stellar parts of the city. Jules couldn’t understand why he still lived there even though he could very well afford to be somewhere else. She thought sometimes, though, that he felt responsible for the younger guys he grew up with who still lived there. He probably thought leaving Regent Park would be like abandoning them.
