Push

by BLMorticia

  Once his bandmates left, Seth made sure the living room was in order. He’d sprayed extra air freshener, vacuumed the rugs, dusted off the tables, and fixed dinner for his hardworking mother. They were living on her paycheck, struggling to make ends meet. His pizza job didn’t really contribute anything to the household, but at least Mom received the house as part of the divorce settlement, so they had no house bills.

  Just as he finished running around the house, Seth heard the door creak.

  “Seth, I’m…. Didn’t I tell you not to smoke in here?”

  Seth rolled his eyes and shrugged. He tried his best to mask the smoke, but his mother had superhuman smelling abilities.

  “Sorry. I tried to get the smoke out as best I could. You know I clean better when I’m smoking.”

  “Mhmm.”

  Seth looked up, and his mother came into view.

  “Wha…. What’s this?”

  Seth smiled. “Dinner. It’s, um, appreciation for putting up with me. I hope you like it. Got some fish and chips from the market, and….”

  Seth’s mom smiled wide. “Well, how bloody thoughtful of you, Seth. And here I thought you didn’t appreciate me.”

  “Why wouldn’t I? You are my mom.” Seth walked over and took her hand. “Now come on over here and have a seat.” He guided her to the chair.

  She sat. “Seth, this is… wow. I’m chuffed.”

  “Mom, c’mon now. Enough with the surprise, all right? When I’m not pissed drunk or with the band, I know how to do good things.”

  “Yes, that’s true, but… is it also because—”

  Seth stopped moving and nodded. “Yeah. I know it would’ve been your wedding anniversary, but that fucktard left you. The one good thing that came out of that marriage was me. So I figured why don’t we celebrate it together?”

  Seth’s mom shook her head, apparently amazed. “I raised such a good boy. And let me tell you, you’re right. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Seth grinned, then leaned down to hug her. “I love you, Mom.”

  “Love you, too.” She moved back and wiped a couple of tears from her face.

  Looking at her, Seth fought off the urge to cry too. “Dammit. You’re gonna make me do that?”

  Seth’s mom laughed. “I s’pose I am. I love ya to bits, no matter what.”

  “Same here, Mom. Same here.”

  After they finished dinner, Seth joined his mother to watch television reruns. They shared a love of Doctor Who as well as some classics like Mr. Bean and Kavanaugh QC. Despite wanting superstardom, Seth always tried to make time for her. She wasn’t the type who dated, especially since working full-time didn’t allow for it. Besides that, she’d resorted to thinking his biological father, Harry, was the best she could ever do. Seth attempted to convince her she was wrong, but she never listened, and he gave up trying.

  She laughed at the last of the variety show on the television and patted his lap. “So, Johnno’s mom stopped me on the sidewalk before I came in. You guys had a row?”

  Seth grimaced. He knew she’d probably bump into her on the way in, but he’d hoped they’d miss each other. “Yeah, but he’ll be back. If he decides to play in another band, then I wish him the best.”

  “You gotta let up a little, you know? You can’t let this band thing destroy a good friendship.”

  “It’s more than a band thing, Mom. I want to make it in this world. I see a lot of bull… you know, out there, and I figure if they can make it with no talent, I can too. I’m better than most of the guitarists out there. I was studying, working hard on this dream, and it’s gotta happen. We got followers all over the world that want us to play somewhere. All we need is someone to believe in us and get the ball rolling.”

  “I agree. While harder music ain’t my cuppa, I know you’re talented. But don’t forget your friends. You and Johnno have known each other too long to allow a little pettiness to get in the way. Try to mend things before it’s too late.”

  Seth looked at his mother and nodded. “I promise you, I will. Now, do ya wanna see what we did? It’s freaking amazing. We rocked out like the Pistols.”

  “Ya did? I wasn’t a fan of them. Actually, I loved Duran Duran, but… hey, I’ll have a listen.”

  Seth shrugged. “Well, I love you, Mom, but I don’t share your affinity for the tarts. It’s cool, though, I still love ya.”

  “Still love you too, Re-Re. Go on and pull it up.” Seth’s mom called him Re-Re, short for his nickname, Reaper. Being a God-fearing woman, she hated saying that and shortened it instead.

  She pinched his cheek.

  Seth smiled and rubbed his face against her hand like an affectionate dog. He plucked his phone from his pocket. He’d been checking the views for the video for the past hour and noticed they were steadily climbing.

  “Whoa. We got over a thousand views already. We’re gonna be big soon, I can feel it.”

  She sighed and gripped his shoulder. “Yes, you will, Seth. You all will.”

  Chapter Five

  “MALAKEI? YOU aren’t touching your food,” Malakei’s friend, Sheena, said to him.

  Malakei shrugged and pushed his plate away. Malakei had invited Sheena out to lunch at their favorite restaurant. “Sorry. I was thinking about what Barry said yesterday.”

  “Oh? What did hunkalicious say?” Sheena batted her eyelashes.

  Malakei smiled at her and nodded. “You need to ask him out. He’s available.”

  “Nah. We’re all friends, and the two of you work together. I don’t want him talking about me at the studio.”

  “Um, even if he did I wouldn’t listen. I don’t want to hear about your sex life.”

  Sheena paused. “Who said he’d be talking about that?”

  “Okay, well, about anything. Maybe you’re right, because if things go sour, I would choose you over him any time, and that would make working conditions difficult.”

  “See, now you’re thinking. And anyway, I thought you might want him for yourself?”

  “Didn’t I just say I didn’t want to complicate things? If Barry and I….” Malakei looked from left to right, then cleared his throat. “If we dated,” he mouthed. “It would make things too weird. I don’t do boss and employee relationships.”

  Sheena exhaled. “Okay, fine. What did he say?”

  Malakei relayed the information in a lower voice so no one close to them would hear.

  Sheena plunged her fork into her gourmet salad. “He’s right, you know. Kei, you need to live your life. I’m ready for you to settle down and have babies.”

  “Believe me, I want to, but….”

  “No buts. You’re good. More than. You need to let go of those insecurities. Do what’s best for you. At nearly thirty, you’re a multimillionaire. Share some of that wealth with someone special other than me.” She winked.

  Malakei grinned at that and sat up straight in his chair. “You are my bestie. And no worries, I love spending money on you. I told you, the minute I made it, I’d take care of you.”

  “And you did that. More than you should’ve. You paid off my student loans; you moved me to New York, and helped me start my fashion boutique.”

  “You’ve been by my side every step of the way, so of course, I’ll support you.” Malakei cut his chicken into pieces.

  “Thank you. And I will continue to do that. But I want you to find someone. You’re a great guy, handsome. If I didn’t know better, I’d be all over you.”

  “Ick. We’re best friends. Talk about complicated.” Malakei groaned.

  Sheena chuckled. “I know. We’re like brother and sister, so that would be weird. I adopted your parents, so that would be incest.”

  “And to each his own, but I don’t go down that route,” Malakei added. “Anyway, Barry is right, but I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

  “Why? You’ve done enough in hip-hop to leave it behind completely.”

  “Yeah, but I’m still working with plenty of
artists. I didn’t tell you about the group Greg asked me to help yesterday. Them cats.” Malakei frowned.

  Sheena cocked an eyebrow. “That bad?”

  “Honestly, their beats were tight. Then they spewed the homophobia and misogynistic crap, and I was done.”

  “Mhmm. As per usual. That’s why I don’t like rap. I’m really glad you’re not like that.”

  “I couldn’t be. My conscience wouldn’t allow it. Besides, if my mother heard me say things like that, she’d have my head.”

  “I know, and Jeremiah don’t play that either. That’s what I mean.” Sheena reached across the table and grabbed Malakei’s hand. “You’re different because of what you stand for. It’s time to stand for your community too. Forget them suckers and do what’s best for you.”

  Malakei nodded. “When I find a partner, I think I’ll be ready. Not that you or Barry aren’t encouraging enough, but I need someone to give me the push.”

  “I feel ya, bro. Nothing like having that special someone on your side, cheering you on.”

  “Exactly,” Malakei patted her hand. “Now, if only I could find that someone.”

  “Dating apps?”

  Malakei made a face and toyed with his food. “Uh, no.”

  Sheena giggled. “The personals?”

  “Nope.”

  “Good old-fashioned meeting and greeting?”

  “But where?” Malakei inched in closer so only she would hear. “I don’t need a brother in the closet. That wouldn’t give me any more courage.”

  “Who said it had to be a brother?”

  Malakei nodded. “Well, me and… you know. Not that I have a thing against it….”

  “But you prefer?”

  “He’s just gotta be the right guy for me to step out like that,” Malakei whispered.

  “I get it, but don’t limit yourself. I know I don’t. Availables come in all different colors, shapes, and sizes. As long as he’s intelligent, I don’t give a damn if he’s purple.”

  Just as Malakei was about to reply, the waiter stepped in, clearing their table. He flashed a smile at Malakei and then at Sheena.

  As he walked away, both ogled the man’s backside.

  “Uh…,” Sheena said.

  “Yeah, go on ahead and get his number.”

  Sheena looked back at Malakei as if to say, You sure?

  “Yes. Have your fun, girl. I think the smile only acknowledged who I was. Nothing more.”

  “Might’ve been, or he liked what he saw.”

  Malakei took a bite of his food. “Even if he did, this is the wrong place to make a play. I’m in public, and if anyone saw that, it would be in the gossip rags tomorrow.”

  After lunch with Sheena, Malakei returned to his condominium. Since this was the weekend, he partook in his favorite downtime activity… watching videos on YouTube.

  Even when Malakei was supposed to relax, he was still working. If his eyes weren’t too tired, he’d watch a little porn to rub one off before bed, but that hadn’t happened as of late.

  Once he changed out of his suit, he threw on some sweats and made a milkshake as a treat. Although Malakei liked the occasional alcoholic beverage, he hated to drink alone. Sheena and Greg both accused him of being extra boring, but Malakei didn’t care. To him, drinking liquor was to celebrate something in the company of friends. After watching one of his uncles have problems, he decided long ago to keep his liquor consumption low.

  Besides, Malakei loved sweets, and chocolate milkshakes were the way to feed his addiction without completely ruining his teeth. He only had one every weekend. There were also breakfast shakes with vegetables. Being so health conscious, he had to have a few indulgences, so he afforded himself this one to curb his cravings.

  With his Friday delicacy in hand, Malakei plopped on the couch and fired up his laptop. He always went to the trending videos tab to find anything he hadn’t seen. Scrolling through the clips, he saw nothing he cared for, so he fiddled around with the recommendations instead.

  Lately, he’d been scrolling through heavier music channels to see what was hot. The last couple acts who’d booked his studio were hard-rock musicians, and Malakei wanted to see what was out there. Knowing Pete favored heavy music, Malakei kept his focus on that.

  Who knew what kind of interesting things he’d find?

  After listening to Sway and Jet the other day, he’d decided he’d change genres for now. Even Greg wasn’t doing anything special. Perhaps when Malakei went back to it, something in the rap game would strike a chord with him again.

  Flicking through several videos, Malakei saw a few he liked, but some were already contracted with a company. Then one popped up that Malakei could’ve sworn was recorded with outdated equipment.

  “Hm, what’s this?” Malakei pressed the Play button, and a tall, lanky guy with blondish-brown hair appeared. Instead of introducing the band, they just played.

  What Malakei heard made him pause. He put down his shake and lifted the computer to sit on his lap. Watching the video unfold, Malakei stared, amazed by the three-piece. Their sound and presentation was rough, but with a little of his magic, they could become something special.

  And the lead singer is hot!

  Malakei shook his head to get out of the fog. The guy in front was very attractive. Long, stringy brown hair that ran past his shoulders. Lanky arms filled with colorful tattoos and a nose ring that gleamed under the poor lighting. Along with black jeans that slung low on his hips, he wore the classic metal tee that Malakei himself owned. Malakei was such a huge fan he had a small shrine to the lead singer of that band in his office.

  “Whoa.” Again, Malakei tried his best to not focus on the tastiest part, the singer, but once he got into the pleasurable racket, the video was over.

  “What? Wait.” Malakei grabbed his milkshake, then pressed play again so he could get the sense of the High Stakes tune called “Finders Keepers.” He loved the name of the band, hated the song title, but after he’d watched it three more times to get a sense of the lyrics, he figured out why they’d named it.

  On the fourth go-round, Malakei was convinced this band needed his help. They were solid, but they could use some of his techniques and, even more so, his studio to preserve the rawness, but make it clearer for an audience. It sounded like it had been recorded in a tunnel, but Malakei figured it was because of the location. He also knew many of the DIY bands desired that sound to give themselves more credibility as an independent. To him that was preposterous. Sounding the best you could should be more important. He admired the indie spirit, however, because record companies weren’t what they used to be.

  “Damn. Well… um….” Malakei hovered over the name of the band and clicked on the name to get the information. He read it to himself, gathering that the lead singer’s name was Seth “Reaper” Davies, along with the other guitarist, Johnno, drummer, Gio, and bassist, Morty.

  “There was no other guitarist,” Malakei said aloud. He finished his drink and started to message who he hoped would be Seth about a meeting. Just as he completed the first sentence, his phone rang a familiar tune. He plucked his cell from his sweatpants pocket and swiped the screen. “Hey, Pete.”

  “Malakei, are you on the computer? I sent you a link with a band called Hi—”

  “High Stakes,” Malakei finished for him. “You saw it too?”

  “Yes. The guy is hot, isn’t he? He’s got stage presence and he can play.”

  “Yeah, he can. That’s why I’m reaching out to him.”

  “For us, right?”

  “Sure, but I won’t lie. I might want him for myself… in more ways than one,” Malakei added with a grin.

  Peter snorted. “You wouldn’t. Don’t you still love me?”

  “I’m joking about the last part, Pete. However, when it comes to new talent, I might have to be stingy.” Malakei put Peter on speaker and placed the phone on the couch. He typed a message, asking Seth to call his business phone number.

&nb
sp; “Malakei?”

  “Jesus, Pete. Let’s see how it goes, all right? I know I agreed to do this with you, but I see someone I’m really into. They’re rough, but… oh, did you see a second guitarist?”

  “Nope. You need your eyes checked,” he chuckled.

  “No, my eyes are fine. The bio says it’s a foursome. Maybe the guy wasn’t there. Anyway, let me do the footwork, and I’ll get back to you.”

  “Are you going to ask him out?”

  Malakei shook his head, grinning. “Not now, but let’s just say I have this band and the lead man in my sights.”

  Chapter Six

  “ALL DAY…. All night. Gonna getcha by my side. All dayyyeee….” Seth strummed his acoustic guitar, while he played the new tune he’d been working on. Though he did hard rock, he had a soft side he rarely unleashed on anyone. The tune was more romantic and sexy, something he thought he’d play for a man when he found one. He’d probably never record it, but it might be a nice idea to hold on to if he wanted to serenade.

  “Seth! Oh my God, Seth!”

  Seth stopped playing and put down his guitar. “What, Morty? Have you gone downright barmy? Why are you screaming your head off?”

  Morty walked up the stairs and into the attic space Seth called home. “Dude, did you see who messaged us on YouTube?”

  Seth shrugged. “No. It got kind of boring looking at the numbers, so….”

  Morty shook him and smacked his head. “You fucking wanker, we got a message from Malakei Oakley. You know, as in M. Prophet?”

  Seth gasped and cocked an eyebrow. “The hip-hop artist?” The very attractive rapper who looks great in a suit?

  Though Seth wasn’t clued in to the world outside of rock music, he had a huge crush on M. Prophet, aka Malakei Oakley, that he’d kept under wraps. Never mind that Seth followed all of his social media, and kept up with everything that had to do with the world’s top hip-hop mogul.

  “Yeah, dumb arse. He wants to talk this afternoon some time. Man, when you said….”

  Seth held up his hand. “Hold on. It might not even be him. And if it is, what would M. Prophet have to do for us?” I know what he could do for me, but….