“You okay over there?” Tony asked as he patted my arm.
“Yeah, I’m cool. Just thinking,” I said as I snapped out of it and looked over the office. After what seemed like an eternity the receptionist finally said, “You can come with me.” We both followed her down a long hallway.
The receptionist showed us into a meeting room with a view of the Manhattan skyline—big office buildings in every direction. We sat at a long pine table. There was a container of pencils and paper and a half-finished water bottle. Thomas came in. He was short and had a low haircut with a slightly pushed-back hairline. He was speaking to someone through his Bluetooth headset and typing on his BlackBerry. Tony got up and shook his hand. He said hello to me and sat down. But once he was seated, another phone started ringing. He took that phone out of his pocket, then he looked down at the screen and said, “Sorry. Excuse me, I have to take this call.” He appeared to be very busy.
When he walked out of the room Tony whispered, “This is your chance. You have to be great.”
His little comment made me scared. I knew what was at stake; I didn’t need him to remind me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes Thomas was entering the room again. “Okay, sorry about that.” He sat down, glanced at his notes, then looked up at me and said, “Ms. Kendra, I enjoyed your performance at the Sugar Bar.”
“Thank you.” I said smiling.
“Well, you can begin when you are ready.”
I stood up and placed my hands on my waist and began to sing Alicia Keys’s “If I Ain’t Got You.”
As soon I began he interrupted me and said, “Sing something else.” I could tell he was trying to make me nervous.
“Okay, okay.” I was nervous, but this was my chance. I had to sing. I had to prove to him that I was the one. I began to sing “Make It Happen” by Mariah Carey. I started off slow and then when I got to the end of the song I hit the high note and then brought it back down. “If you believe in yourself make it happen.”
When I stopped, he looked at me and said, “Very good,” and then he stood in the doorway.
I attempted to look at Tony to see what was going on as Thomas called two other people into the conference room. Was he happy? Was he sad? Was this a good sign that he was bringing other people in the room? It had to be a good sign, right? They both sat down. It was an older white guy with a gray suit and brown hair and a young black woman with big glasses and naturally bushy hair pulled back with a headband.
“Kendra, I want you to sing that song you just sang and do something else by Mariah Carey.”
I sang “Make It Happen” again and then “Dream Lover.” I looked over at Tony for guidance. I couldn’t read his face. After I finished I just stood there and waited. Then they started asking me questions.
“How old are you?” the woman asked.
“Twenty-five,” I said quickly, waiting for the next question. They looked over at Thomas and made expressions to him that I couldn’t determine if they were good or bad.
Shortly afterward they thanked us for coming in and said they would be in touch. I couldn’t tell how things had gone. But I know I felt lonely when Tony put me on the Greyhound bus home, even though he told me I did very well. He was staying in town for other meetings. He had some other business to take care of and he would call me. I rode home on the bus feeling defeated. If I was any good they would have signed me on the spot, I thought.
As I passed through the Lincoln Tunnel I felt like my dreams of being a singer were just that—dreams.
After a few days went by I knew they weren’t going to sign me I gave up home of them ever calling me. Tony told me labels generally sign on the spot or within a week if they really think they have something because they don’t want anyone else to take their find. So life for me went back to normal. I was so glad I hadn’t told Marcus or my family. I didn’t want them to be disappointed again. People who love you hurt when you hurt. The last time a record label didn’t call me back, my mom called me crying, telling me I was going to make it and to just believe in God. She said I was special and for me not to forget it.
I had been at this for a couple of months now and I was ready to give up. I mean, I didn’t know this shit was this hard! I don’t know how long you’re supposed to keep your dream alive without finally giving up and getting a real job. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll just do something elese. Only thing was I didn’t know what I that something was. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. But I did know I had to get up out of this restaurant. I was tired of my drunk patrons and the waitresses’ little attitudes. The waitresses were always taking down the wrong drink order and blaming it on me when I made their drink wrong.
Tonight it was the same tired shit and I was not in a good mood. This new waitress Adrian spilled her drinks and I had to make them over. Who told her dumb ass to try to carry all those drinks at once? I started wiping down the counter but all of a sudden heard my phone ringing. I looked in my bag. It was Tony calling me, but he could go to hell too! I sent him to voicemail several times. I just didn’t feel like dealing with anyone, but he kept calling, so I answered.
“Yeah, Tony?” I said.
“Where are you at?” he asked.
“At work.”
“Okay, so I heard back from Touchlight.”
“You did? What did they say?” I asked, suddenly all excited.
“Kendra, they are going to sign you for a two-album deal.”
“What? Oh my God! Are you serious?” I started screaming.
“Kendra, yes. You have a deal.”
“No, stop playing. Why you lying, Tony?”
“I just got off the phone with Thomas Reid. You know it doesn’t happen this fast. Most people be out here for years before they even get someone to listen them, but you got a damn good manager.”
“You are good! Thank you,” I laughed.
“Congratulations. I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you all the particulars.”
I contained my excitement and just sat down, ignoring the customers trying to order drinks. My eyes started filling with tears. I kept silently thanking God. I called my mom. As soon as she picked up, I screamed, “Mom, they’re going to sign me.”
“Kendra, I knew you were going to do it!” she shouted into the phone. Then I heard her yell to someone “Your sister got a record deal!”
“Thanks, Mom. I’m going to call you back. I have to call Marcus.”
Adrian ran up to me. She and the other waitresses had seen me crying and thought something had happened.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. I’m okay,” I said as I wiped away my tears. I was crying, but they were tears of joy. “My agent just called me and told me that I’m getting signed to a record deal.”
“I didn’t even know you sang.”
“Yup.”
I told one person and the news spread around the bar fast. Everybody started coming up to me congratulating me. Julius came over to me and said, “So I guess you leaving us.”
“Yeah, I think so.” I laughed.
I called home and told Marcus to come to the bar and that I had some good news for him. When Marcus walked into the bar my eyes were still a little puffy from crying,
“What’s going on, babe?”
“Tony just called me—I’m getting signed.”
He gave me a hug and said he knew it was going to happen for me. I told him all about the meeting and explained why I hadn’t told him. He was excited but wanted to make sure my paperwork was right. He called a guy at his job who knew an entertainment lawyer.
Chapter 13
Touchlight signed me for a two-album deal with a $100,000 living allowance and a $250,000 recording budget. The first thing on my list was to buy a new car for myself, and a new house for my mom. She had been renting the same house for all these years. It was okay, but she deserved a nicer neighborhood to live in. I want my mom to have a lawn and a back deck to go out to and just si
t.
“Can you believe that they are paying me all this money just to sing?” I said as I waved an $80,000 check at John. I had just received my advance, less the lawyer and manager fees.
“You deserve it,” John said as we drove me to Wachovia bank. I went inside the bank and cashed my check. Which took an hour for them to verify a check drawn on their own bank.
Coming out of the bank John asked, “So what’re you going to buy first?”
“I don’t know.”
“You need a new car.”
“A new car,” I said repeating him.
“Yeah, you are about to be famous.”
“What kind of car do you want?” John asked.
I had no idea. I never ever thought I would be able to afford a new car. I just wanted something brand new that didn’t break down, with front headlights that worked, and a nice stereo. We rode past the Acura and Honda dealerships and drove up to a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
“You think I should get a Benz?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t know. I never seen myself in a Benz.”
A Mercedes-Benz was for rich people, not for people like me. I thought that way but didn’t feel that way. He parked the car. I followed him. I tried to hold in my excitement and walk off the lot, but John was right—I deserved a Benz. Why not?
There were so many rows of nice shiny new cars. We started walking past multiple rows of cars, then I came to a silver CLK 500. It was perfect, and I wanted it. It was a convertible coupe with double oval-shaped headlights.
“You like this one?” I asked, standing in front of the car, eyeing it.
“Yeah it’s real nice.”
“You like the black one or the silver one?” I asked as I noticed a black one right next to it.
“I like the black,” John said as he walked up and looked inside the window. A salesman approached us with brown slicked-back hair, tan khakis and a blue shirt that read DONNELLY MERCEDES.
“What’s going on, guys? I’m Adam. Would you like to test drive this?”
“Yeah, she wants to see it,” John said.
“I’m just going to need to see your license and I’ll get those keys for you.”
I handed him my license and Adam went into the building to retrieve the keys. I peered through the window and saw the inside of the car. It had a gray leather interior that looked so soft, and there was brown wood trim on the console.
Adam came back with the key and gave it to me. I got in and inserted the key in the ignition and the whole console lit up with a bright white glow.
Adam got in the back and John got in the passenger seat. I adjusted the rearview mirror and turned the radio on to see how good it sounded, then I put my foot on the gas. Immediately I could just imagine myself riding down the street. I went two blocks and I knew I wanted to take it home. After my test drive I handed Adam the keys and walked around the car once more. It was nice. Adam walked away, allowing me and John to talk.
“I didn’t even look at the price. How much is this?”
John said, “It don’t even matter how much the sticker price is. As long as your monthly payment is less than a thousand, you’ll be good.”
“So how much should I put down?” I asked.
“Let me take care of everything. I’m going to talk them down for you,” John said as Adam approached us again and asked us if we’d come to a decision. In the middle of all this, Tony called and asked what I was doing.
“Nothing,” I said. I didn’t want to tell him I was out spending money already. He had told me to not make any big purchases until my album came out and I was able to go on tour. All I could say was “uh-huh” to everything he was saying to me.
“I want you to start thinking about your album. Make a list of dream producers and artists you want to work with.”
“Uh-huh,” I said again.
“Work on your songs that you were writing too. I already started booking your studio time.”
“Uh-huh,” I said.
“What are you doing? Do you want me to call you back?” Tony asked. I guess it was obvious that I was trying to talk to him and John at the same time.
“Yeah, I’m busy. I’ll call you back, Tony.”
I didn’t have much credit, but somehow the credit specialist at the dealership said I would be able to drive away with the car today. All he needed was to verify my income. I had to go home and get my contract. I also had to stop and get a certified cashier’s check. I put ten thousand dollars down and after hours of back and forth, I drove my first brand-new car off the lot.
I opened the sunroof up and put the air conditioner on. John was following behind me. This is the life, I thought. I was letting my arm hang out the window and dip in and out of the wave of wind. John called me on my cell phone. “So where you want to go next?”
“I don’t know. I think I want to stop and get Mommy something and surprise her.”
We went into the Cherry Hill Mall. I bought me a watch and a little pair of diamond stud earrings. John picked out a simple ESQ Swiss watch for Marcus for me. He wasn’t into all that, but I was sure he would like it. We went to the Coach store, and I bought my mom a Coach bag and put five hundred dollars in it.
We left the mall and went to my mother’s house. I called her to come to the door. Bubbles and Bilal were sitting outside. They began jumping up and down and going off when they saw me pull up.
“Oh my God, this car is so decent. Can you take me to school? People are not going to believe this,” Bilal said.
My mother came out. “Oh, this is nice,” she said, looking at the car.
I handed her the bag I’d bought her. “Mom, look inside.” She opened the bag and saw the money. She thanked me and said, “Thanks, Kendra, but I can’t take this.”
“Yes, you can, Mom.”
“Come on, y’all. Let’s go to dinner and I’ll take y’all to the mall,” I said.
“I know just what I am going to get too!” my mom said as she fanned herself with the money I’d just given her. They all piled in my car.
We arrived at the Springfield mall. My mom ran into Macy’s and got a dress she said she had been looking at for weeks. While we waited for her I gave Bubbles and Bilal two hundred dollars.
“Here! Y’all got thirty minutes. Go get whatever you want.”
Thirty minutes later Bubbles said, “I don’t see anything.” She was walking around bagless.
“You couldn’t find anything in this mall, Bubbles?” I asked.
“No, I didn’t see anything.”
Bilal came back with Aeropostale, Foot Locker, and Lids bags. He was not playing. Bubbles just wanted to hold on to her money.
We went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. We laughed and joked over bread and salads waiting for our meals to come. I ordered lobster tails and a big lime margarita.
Marcus called me. I had forgotten about him all day. He didn’t even know I had my check or that I’d bought my car. I didn’t want to tell him I was out to dinner. He would be upset that I forgot about him.
“Hey, baby,” I answered covering the phone trying to hide the noise.
“Where are you? What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m on my way there. I got a surprise for you.”
“What?”
“You’ll see. I’ll be right there.”
We were in the middle of dinner and John playfully got up, raised his glass and said, “To my sister. I am so proud of you. You had a dream and followed it. You’re really doing it.”
“No, we are doing it,” I corrected him, laughing.
Bubbles said as she stood up, “It’s my turn. I have something to say, okay? Kendra, I’m real proud of you. I want you to go platinum so you can buy me a car like yours. But until then can I have your old car?”
We all laughed. Bubbles was silly. I felt so good having all my family around. And I was able to do for them.
“Yeah, you can have it,
” I said as we finished our meal.
When the check came I didn’t even look at it, just paid and signed. We were all completely full. Everybody thanked me as we headed back to the car. I looked down at my phone. Marcus had called me six times.
I hadn’t even heard my phone ring. He was calling nonstop. I picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m on my way.”
“You said that like two hours ago.”
“No, sorry, babe. I got caught up. I’ll be right there.”
“What are you doing Kendra?”
“Nothing babe. I’ll be right there.”
I dropped my family off and went to go meet Marcus. I could not wait to show him the car. When I pulled in front of the door, Marcus was sitting on the steps looking like he was wondering who was in the car. I rolled down the window and once he saw it was me he shook his head, then got up off the steps and walked in the house. I parked and ran in the house behind him.
“What’s wrong with you? Come look at my new car,” I said catching up with him.
“You bought that car?” Marcus asked, shaking his head.
“Yes,” I said.
“Why didn’t you take me with you?”
“You were at work, so I just took John,” I said.
“So you spending your money up like you’re crazy. I thought Tony told you not to do that.”
“I needed a car.”
“You had a car, Kendra.”
“A Corolla. I’m giving that thing to Bubbles.”
“Why didn’t you call me when your check came or tell me before you went out and bought a car? A Mercedes-Benz at that. I don’t believe you!”
I stepped in front of him and said, “What else am I supposed to drive? I’m about to be a star. Stars have images.” I laughed and gave him a hug.
He didn’t laugh. Then I remembered the watch I’d bought him. I pulled it out.
“I bought me something, but I also bought you something,” I said as I put the watch on his wrist.
He barely looked at it. “Kendra, what’s this? I don’t need this. No, please stop spending money like you crazy, okay?”
All I Want is Everything Page 10
