I'VE GOT SO MUCH TO GIVE

by Will Brown

  As soon as Trey, JJ and Q pulled up, they gripped each other's hand, glad to see each other and began discussing business while walking up to T-Bird’s door. The moment they got inside she passed around bottles of beer, while Q lounged on the living room chair.

  “I never would've imagined things would be moving so fast, since my company started. I mean, I’m not complaining, but you know, I am tripping right now because it’s just amazing that we’re all sitting here, appreciating each other and enjoying the good life. We’re doing whatever man!”

  My Heart Is Yours

  T-Bird interrupted Q. “Yes, you are, and in more ways than one,” she said with a smile on her face.

  “I heard things are pretty hot between you and Desiree. Now don’t act surprised. Did you not think I wouldn’t find out? I mean that’s my cuz!”

  T-Bird just stood there with her hand on her hips while looking at Q’s expression. To say the least, he was speechless and all he could do was sit there, with his mouth open for a moment.

  “Ha, ha. Yeah, well, you know how it is. By the way, I do owe you big time, for you making things happen between us. The only issue I have now is that she’s too much like you. Now how can that be? I thought they broke the mold when they made you. But looking at her is like looking at you. I’ve never seen two cousins that look identical before. I mean this is scary. You even act the same. What a piece of work! And if it wasn’t for the color of your skin to set things apart I’d really be messed up..." He actually laughed before continuing.

  ".. I know I didn’t show much interest in the beginning, but I must admit that’s changed now.”

  Everyone looked at Q with sarcastic expressions on their faces, clearly showing their disbelief about him not being a player. They all laughed. He then tried to redeem himself.

  “Excuse me... but... uh, I mean, I didn’t say I was giving up my player’s card. I’m just checking things out right now. You know what I’m saying.”

  T-Bird stood there with her arms folded, challenging his comments about her cousin.

  “Oh really, you’re just checking things out? Okay, let me call Desiree and hear what she has to say about that.” Q realized he was about to put his foot in his mouth listening to T-Bird's reaction to his gesture and tried to save face.

  “Hey wait just a minute. I’m sorry, but I think you’ve made your point.”

  T-Bird then walked around the table with her hand on her hip. “That’s what I thought,” she responded, focusing her attention on Trey and shifting the conversation. “Well, well, so tell me about this bee that’s stinging you to death, this Miss Carlotta. That is her name isn’t it?”

  “It sure is and she’s gorgeous.”

  “Um hm. I heard you two really look like an item together. I just want you to know that I’m happy for you, baby. You deserve it. But you know when Octavia finds out, that hussy is going to trip! It will be just the medicine she needs to stop her thinking she’s all that.”

  JJ added his comments. “Hey Trey man, tell me what’s going on with you two? I thought you’d be dating other women for a while, before taking yourself off the market so soon. You’re serious about Carlotta, aren’t you? All right, now don’t get pussy whipped this time. This is crazy! I would have never thought.”

  Trey tried to maintain his composure. “You never thought what? That I’d find someone so beautiful, down to earth, and outgoing so soon? Or better yet, she wouldn’t be any better than Octavia? If that’s your analysis on what you think, try again. Octavia was not the jewel in my crown at all. Not to mention, all of you were glad when I ended our relationship and decided to go our separate ways.”

  JJ put his hand on the top of Trey’s shoulder. “Hey Trey man, I apologize. I didn’t mean to offend you about Carlotta. Like T-Bird said, you deserve to have a woman who can make you happy, no matter what. If she’s the one, then I have no objections and support you 100%. I’m just concerned and want the best for you, but it appears you’ve got things under control. If Carlotta is adding what’s been missing in your life, then have at it.”

  Everyone began to laugh, agreeing with JJ when Q interrupted.

  “Man, let me just say a king with an empty crown and no jewels, is a poor ass king!” Everyone laughed to the point that Trey fell on the floor from the couch. JJ gulped almost half his bottle of beer before burping and looking at T-Bird.

  “Okay, okay. You’re not getting off the hook that easy either. Why don’t you tell us what’s up with you and Mr. Darnell? I know you’re trying to hide something from us about you two. I knew something was going to go down the night you met him at your press party. It was all in your eyes and you asking me what I thought of him. I tell you what, I just don’t know what it is about Mr. Darnell, but something just doesn’t sit well with me about him. I’ll just tell you this, I think you should be careful. We don’t want you to get hurt. You’re just coming out of a divorce and you need time to heal..."

  "..You have everything going for you right now—a new album that’s tipping the charts and a tour. You’ve got to stay on top of your game, for the sake of your future. And concerning Darnell, good or bad, it will come out.” After JJ finished speaking, the room was dead silent.

  Trey cleared his throat with a couple of coughs. “You know JJ’s right. You’ve been through a lot to get where you are now. We’ve got your back, so give yourself some time to make the right decisions about Darnell. If he’s meant to be in your life, it will all work out.”

  T-Bird looked at Trey as if he was crazy because once again he was in no position to give her any advice after what he’d been through with Octavia. Q stood up and walked around the living room floor sipping his beer.

  “Well…since we can’t get past this, I have to admit, I did ask Desiree about him while we were together and the only thing she knows is that he’s a damn good journalist and a valuable asset to her team...Now she did say that if Darnell screws up by hurting you, your cousins in New Orleans would be all on top of him...”

  T-Bird had heard enough.

  “Okay, okay! Now I know everyone is concerned about me. Just remember all the mountains we’ve all climbed at some point or another. I am a grown ass woman. Okay? So give me a chance to feel things out. I love all of you, but there is such a thing as going too far. Do you think I would do anything purposely, to disappoint you? Come on.. just give me a break. I’m just trying to spread my wings a little. Okay babies? I know how to handle my business. Look, if it doesn’t work, I’ll just move on.”

  T-Bird stood her ground and made her point very clear about being able to run her own life, even though she was the only female among them; she appreciated the fact that all they were trying to do was protect her.

  They gave her a nod of acknowledgment, accepting she was able to handle their concerns. T-Bird has the personality and charisma; she could turn a rock into a honeycomb. They couldn’t help but love her, no matter the differences. She kissed each one of them before sitting down again.

  “JJ, now that you’ve got all your answers, what’s going on with you and Vivian?” Trey said. “It seemed you were quite excited when you called me earlier. So tell us the good news. How are things going?”

  “You know I can be stubborn, and in the beginning, after learning about Vivian embezzling the money to help her brother, it just freaked me out. But the two of us getting away for a few days was the best thing we could have ever done. It actually gave us a chance to connect and rediscover all of the meaningful things about our marriage. I know Vivian and I were meant to be together. This has been our test and we just have to get through this season and use it as a turning point to grow stronger, individually and together. I have the confidence that going through counseling will give us a chance to air our dirty laundry and get rid of all the resentment between us. Vivian has a lot of talent and she did help us save money by not getting an accountant and keeping the records in order for the foundation. I guess her financial background paid off in the long run
anyhow. I really want to be there to help support her career too. I really was shocked to know she’s in a new movie with my brother Maurice and working on a second. We have so much to look forward to by working things out. And, I can’t wait to get through this and start to make plans for a family. I really want to thank you guys for giving me your advice and helping me think rationally, especially at a time when I needed it.”

  Trey held up his glass. “Wait a minute. Come on. Let’s everyone join in and toast to JJ and Vivian. They are the only married couple between us and we have to help keep them strong, so let’s toast to their success and may they be the example of what we should follow when and if, we decide to go down that road to spend the rest of our lives with someone special. To JJ and Vivian, we love you guys.”

  After everyone drank the remaining beer, JJ stood up.

  “Listen guys I’d be doing them a disservice if I left out Vivian’s parents. They really made an impact on me. Their wisdom is priceless and what they shared with Vivian and I, truly made me think. Just to know how long they’ve been married has given me hope. Words cannot express how I feel about them. Most of all, to know I have friends like you, who showed me so much love and concern in my darkest hour is totally invaluable. I’m honored to have all of you as friends.” When JJ finished talking, T-Bird pondered over her thoughts. Did everyone try to help her and Shaun the same way and had she ignored the advice they were trying to give her to keep her marriage together?

  I know Shaun still loves me and is sorry for his actions as my husband and manager, but I can’t forgive him right now. He almost ruined my career with his gambling habits and tried to control me. If it weren’t for the guys, I wouldn’t be out of that contract right now. Could we have made it if we’d made the necessary changes and sacrifices too? Shaun’s a great man. He just has some major issues, but I guess it’s too late to be thinking of all that now. We’re divorced and I have to move on...

  She invited everyone to join her back at the dining room table to go over her itinerary. The tour was going to start in Chicago and end in Atlanta. T-Bird Robinson was headlining her tour with three new groups, Impulse, Cleave, and DDG, who were also making their names in the hip hop industry and establishing their styles with new albums under the same label. T-Bird wanted JJ to look over the contracts to make sure all the fine print was in order. The gross amount to be made was nearly $4 million. With that in mind, T-Bird wanted Trey, Q, and JJ to know she’d be able to repay them the money they’d given her to help complete her album.

  “Look, it’s not about you paying us back the money. It’s not about that. We just want you to be able to do what you do. It’s about pursuing your passion, that’s what’s important. I give you my blessing,” JJ said. “Now let’s talk about who’s going to be your new manager now that Shaun is out of the picture?”

  “I’m working on that. One of my dancers has a brother who just ended his contract managing a group and is now free for another assignment, so I want to check out his credentials to see if he’s really legit to handle my business.”

  Q stood up, “And if he isn’t, then what?”

  “I don’t know,” T-Bird answered. “I’ll just have to wait and see what happens before I can think of anything else. I just might have something to look forward to in the long run. I just need to wait and see how this all plays out. Do you guys remember Andre? He was Shaun’s partner. Shaun taught him everything and he’s always wanted to work with me. Maybe this will be his opportunity. I just need to be fair and check out the dancer’s brother first. All I know is, I need a good manager who will be able to look out for me and my money and take care of my crew.”

  JJ was always looking at the big picture so he asked, “What are you going to do with your earnings, after the tour?”

  T-Bird looked confused and didn’t know what to say. “I don’t know. I imagine the smart thing to do would be to save it for the next project.” JJ shook his head.

  “Did it ever occur to you to start a music publishing company so you can see more money from writing? You’ve been making hits for other people for a while now.” After thinking about what JJ said, T-Bird agreed it made perfect sense because she was seeing the proceeds coming in the mail in the form of royalty checks from all the work she’d done writing for several other artists.

  “In this business you have to make as much money as you can until you find your niche,” JJ said. “You need to set your sights on starting your own record company and sign your own artists. That’s right up your alley. Why do you want to be a slave to someone else? Just look at the benefits I’m reaping representing and signing all these new artist coming to me at the club and doing their showcases. And do you know who I owe all that to? You. I couldn’t have done it without you..." He paused long enough to add emphasis. "..I can’t believe your ideas are making me so much money. You need to allow your ideas to work for you and put some of that money right back in your pocket.”

  Once again JJ was thinking outside the box and gave T-Bird a lot to chew on. She’d given him so much help. Now it was his turn to give back, so he looked over the contracts before she signed them. “Okay, let's see, the contracts look good and I—say, if I were you, I’d take every opportunity to sign off on it before the promoters try to change the terms, once you guys start making money. I think it’s a good deal.”

  Hearing JJ give his professional opinion as an attorney, gave T-Bird all the reassurance she needed. She let out a sigh of relief.

  “Great, I’ll FedEx the papers in the morning. In the meantime, I’ll start setting up my rehearsals and I hope you all will stop by.”

  “Sounds good to me," Q responded, as his cell phone began to ring. It was his dispatcher telling him that one of his vehicles had been involved in an auto accident. “Well guys, duty calls. I need to make sure my driver is okay. I’ll give you a call later.”

  At the same moment, Trey also received a call from his office about a business matter. “I guess that’s my cue too, but before I leave I need to let you know that you’re all invited to have dinner with Carlotta’s mother and her friends, I’ll give you details later. I better get going so I can follow up on this call.”

  One by one they began to leave, when JJ received a call from Vivian. She was just finishing up at the studio and wanted him to come down to pick her up. He then walked over to T-Bird and gave her a kiss. “Look I guess we’ll talk later. There are still a few things I’d like to discuss with you regarding Shaun. Don’t you think you may need him?”

  She shrugged her shoulders in disgust as he left. Alone, she began to listen to some of the leftover tracks she was holding on to for her next album. Now her phone was ringing. It was Desiree.

  “Hey girl what’s up?” Desiree asked.

  “Hey cuz! I’m sitting here listening to these tracks, trying to decide which ones to use for my next album. I was just talking about you and yo boo.”

  “Oh really? And how’s he doing? I hope he doesn’t think that the cat can play ‘cause the mouse is away? Because you know I’ll make a surprise visit in a heartbeat.”

  They both laughed. “Girl you are crazy,” T-Bird said. “Keeping it serious, I was thinking about you and had to give you a call. So how are things with the album?”

  “Baby, it’s taking over the charts. I’m getting ready to start my tour and it’s going to be crazy like that!”

  “Really?” Desiree said. “So when are you going to come here? Now you know I already told you that the city is yours when you arrive. I have everything and everybody waiting on you. Atlanta is on fire playing your songs, girl. You are big here and haven’t even showed up yet! I’m scared of you. I love you so much!”

  T-Bird smiled. “I love you too, baby girl. We’re going to turn Atlanta out when I get there! But I have to put a hurting on our city back in Na Orleans. You know I got to see the family too. I want to bring our city to its knees. They haven’t seen me in so long. I know they won’t believe it’s me. I want them to b
e proud of Tamara Robinson girl. By the way how is my sweetheart Darnell?”

  “Um…Yes, Darnell He’s fine and doing an exceptional job for me. As a matter of fact, you just missed him. You know I need to talk to you about him.”

  “Wait a minute, cuz. Not you too!? I’ve already heard the Ten Commandments from the guys this afternoon, so if there’s something you want to say just get it over with so I can be done with it.”

  “Come on, baby, now you’re my cuz, okay?" Desiree responded. “I’m just making sure you’re good, that’s all. I don't need you getting hooked on a piece of dick right now. Baby you handle your business first. He may be fine and all that, but he’s still a man honey. Either way, I don’t want to be in the middle of no shit, if it doesn’t work out.”

  “Yeah well, maybe it will and maybe not,” T-Bird responded.

  Listening to the tone of her voice Desiree knew she was becoming frustrated over the idea that no one was willing to mind their damn business. “Well I’ve heard enough criticism for one day. What’s done is done, so please see this my way. He’ll do for right now. I feel alive again and if anything, he’ll help me get over Shaun.”

  “Mm, mm, mm. Poor Shaun,” Desiree said. "You still love him but are too proud to admit it.. Come on... you can tell me. You still love him don’t you?”

  “Cuz, you know I do, but I’m hurt by what he did to me and our marriage and I’m still angry.”

  "Okay baby. He just made a few mistakes he didn’t know how to get out of, that’s all, and neither did you. Patience can make or break you and remember what I said earlier, a man is going to be a man. Sometimes you just have to let him hang himself with his own rope and then you rescue him by taking it from around his neck. Remember something: Love conquers all things. Okay? It covers a multitude of sins and that man still loves you. Don’t take that for granted. I’ve heard of a lot of people getting divorced and then remarrying, so watch yourself now. What did Q and the rest of the guys have to say when you told them you wanted to divorce Shaun? Were they all for it? You know I told you to wait, but we won’t get into that right now.”