“Don’t worry about coming up with something,” Tracy sighed in defeat. “We’ll figure it out. Can we talk about something else, please?”
“Sure, we can talk about why his schedule is completely clear for a whole month after he gets back to LA,” Roxy said. “If Aiden isn’t working, he gets into trouble, Tracy. You know that.”
“Roxy,” Tracy said her name like a warning shot. “We work for Aiden, not the other way around. If he wants a few weeks off after his tour, we have to give him that. He has five things scheduled just today and tomorrow. Cut him some slack, Roxx.”
“Five?” Roxy repeated. “I only have four.”
“I’m playing a small show at Rabbit’s tonight,” I mumbled and waited for the backlash.
“No, you’re not,” Roxy said.
“Does Kat know you’re going to have her club overrun with your fans on a Friday night?” Tracy asked.
“It won’t be overrun. It’s not like I’m gonna announce it on Twitter. Rabbit’s can only hold about two hundred people.”
“And you’re not taking any of the door and she’s not paying you for this, is she?” Roxy snarled.
I glared at my manager. I don’t know why we have to go through this every time I come to Atlanta. Every. Single. Time.
“Roxx, it’s twenty dollars to get into Rabbit’s. Am I supposed to take fifty percent of that from Kat? What the hell am I going to do with $2500? I can’t even pay my electric bills with $2500. Get over it. It’s happening.”
“Fine. Whatever. Go change,” she said. “Shane is waiting for you at Lenox. You have a photoshoot tomorrow before the show.”
“Can we go?” Delilah asked.
Lenox Mall is Delilah’s favorite place in Atlanta. I nodded yes and she squeezed Mona’s shoulders.
“Shopping spree!” I heard her giggle to my assistant as I walked down the hall to my bedroom.
“What do you mean?”
“You get a shopping spree at the end of the tour,” Delilah explained. “It’s Aiden’s way of saying thank you for a great tour. While he’s shopping with his stylist, you and I get the Black Card.”
“You don’t get anything!” I yelled from my bedroom. “You quit! You’re Sunny’s assistant now!”
“I’m ignoring you!” Delilah yelled back and I laughed.
I really miss having her around. I wonder what it will take for her to work for me again.
Chapter 19: Atlanta
Four Days Later
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? I mean, what are you going to be doing in Atlanta?” Sunny kept searching in her bag for who knows what as she talked. “You just got back from Savannah and your tour is over. I don’t know, Aiden. You should probably come home and get some rest.”
I tuned her out as I whipped my Camaro smoothly into the HOV lane on I-75 heading south to the airport. Normally, I would take my time and we certainly had enough time so I didn’t’ have to exceed my speed limit but the sound of Sunny’s voice was grating my nerves and the sooner she was out of my car, the better for both of us. I’m trying to keep the peace and not blow up on her because she doesn’t even realize that I’m pissed, but she makes it so easy to just snap. Right now, no matter what she says, I just need her to go.
After four days in Atlanta, two big shows at Aaron’s Amphitheater, a small show at Rabbit’s, and four party buses to Savannah for an over-the-top wrap party, Sunny still hasn’t mentioned a word about our relationship to Jermaine and Peaches. They were at my show at Rabbit’s and my second night at Aaron’s. Nothing. I’m pissed and she needs to go back to LA and give me some space.
I could pop up in Decatur and spill the beans but I won’t. They’re not my parents so it’s not my place to tell them anything. I told my mother from the beginning. She’s cool with it. So what I’m going to do is stay here like I promised Kat, hang out with my friends without Miss I Don’t Party Like You Do and make sure I make the front page of as many blogs and gossip rags as possible. If she doesn’t want anyone to know about us after three months then I’m going to act like I’m a single man in Atlanta. What I’m not going to do is dwell on the relationship issues that will be waiting for me back in Los Angeles.
“Maybe I should stay.”
“No,” I answered quickly, maybe a little too quickly. “You should definitely go. Mom’s helping Sara with Baby Tyler so one of us needs to be in Cali. My mother’s not our babysitter.”
“Your mother asked if Summer could stay with her because she wanted to stay with Sara and the baby, remember? And I can always call Jess back.”
“You were going to do that anyway,” I replied. “Sara told me that you already told her that you were re-hiring Jess. Thanks for telling me that.”
“Boy, you are in a mood,” Sunny said as if she was just discovering this. “What’s wrong with you?”
“You should probably let that conversation wait until I get back to LA.”
“Oh God,” she moaned. “What now? I swear to God, Aiden, you are the most-”
“The most what?” I demanded.
“Dramatic man I’ve ever met, that’s what. Everything’s drama with you. So what that I didn’t tell my parents! Why does this bother you? I already told you that the reason I haven’t told them has nothing to do with you. I don’t feel like hearing Peaches lecture me over jumping into a relationship so soon. And I’ve never told my parents about the guy I’m with until I was ready. You’re no exception since they already know you. Good Lord! I’ll tell them when I feel like it.”
“I’m drama but you’re the one yelling. All I said was we’d have this conversation when I get home. And I meant it. So scream if you want to but I’m not talking about this right now.”
“And when are you coming home, Aiden?”
“When I come home.”
I swooped into the lane marked Arrivals/Departures and pumped the brakes so I wouldn’t hit the taxi cab in front of me driving as slowly as he possibly could. I leaned on my horn until an APD officer started to approach my car. We etched along at a paltry three miles per hour until we reached the Delta gate.
“That doesn’t work for me, Aiden.”
“I don’t care, Sunny. I’ll be home when I get home.”
“You can’t just say that and think it’s okay anymore,” Sunny griped. “You have a child and a girlfriend.”
“Somehow, having a child and being in a relationship only applies to me since you can do whatever you want when you want and no one ever questions you.” I stopped in front of a skycap waiting at the curb, popped the trunk, and unlocked the doors.
“Have a safe trip, Sunny. I love you.”
“Kiss my ass,” she grumbled as she opened the door.
I reached out and grabbed her shoulder. She jerked away with an angry scowl on her face.
“You better hope nothing happens to me or you and those are the last words you’ll ever say to me.”
The anger quickly disappeared from Sunny’s face, replaced with an apologetic realization that what I said was true.
“You’re right,” she said softly. “I’m sorry.”
She swung her legs back into the car and shut the door. As the skycap took her bags out of the trunk, she fingered my hair and leaned into to kiss me. Her lips were super soft against mine as we kissed slowly as if we weren’t arguing three seconds ago.
“I love you too,” Sunny said then opened the car door again. “Have fun while you’re here. We’ll work this out when you get home.”
I felt like I’d won some kind of sweepstakes while I drove north towards downtown. I don’t usually win fights with Sunny but I held my ground with this one. I only hope things change before I get back to LA because I really don’t want to have this conversation. Hopefully, being away from me will spark some kind of change and Sunny will start to work on her selfish ways before I have to tell her that all the problems we have start with her.
***
“Hey Aiden. You’re back so soon. Did
n’t you just buy a car?”
I flashed a smile at the cute and perky brunette standing at the reception desk at Global Imports. Catie’s good for business at the dealership. She remembers every customer’s name and that smile can light up a room. Plus, she’s smoking hot. A man in the middle of a mid-life crisis would have a hard time passing on any car that Catie showed him.
“It’s time to upgrade Miss K’s beamer. What you got for me today?”
“Oh, I have anything you want. Let me take this paperwork to my office and I’ll be right with you. Miss K, you are going to love our new arrivals.”
As soon as Catie was out of earshot, Kat elbowed right in my ribs and laughed. “You hit that, didn’t you?”
“Ehh, once or twice.”
“Not in my beamer, I hope.”
“Nope. In hers,” I confessed then started looking around the showroom floor.
I saw a few coupes that Kat might like but what really caught my eye was the alpine white 428i convertible. Sara would love this car! While we were in LA, she joked with Tahir about a “push gift” and Mom had explained that the husband usually gives his wife a gift after she delivers their child. I know the pink diamond and amethyst ring he bought set him back a pretty penny because neither of them are getting rich by working in the Emergency Room at UCLA Medical, although I do think that Tahir makes more than his wife because he’s the chief of surgery.
I led Kat over to the convertible. As soon as she saw it, she frowned and shook her head.
“You think I’m fixin’ to be flyin’ down the highway with the top down so my hair can blow off my head? You think my wigs are cheap?”
“I know how much your hair costs. I bought you three for Christmas, remember? And I’m not thinking about this one for you. Don’t you think Sara might like it though?”
“You want to buy your sister a $50,000 car? For what?”
“She just had baby.”
“So! She didn’t have your baby! How do you think her proud African husband is going to react to you buying his wife a $50,000 car because she had a baby?”
“Why should it matter? That’s my sister. If I want to buy her a car, I will buy her a car.”
All of a sudden, I felt Kat’s heavy hand against the back of my head. I jumped back and out of her range before she hit me again.
“What was that for?”
“You act so clueless sometimes. That’s that girl’s husband. You already got them living in your house. You think that doesn’t make him feel a certain kind of way. He’s a man. He’s supposed to take care of his wife and kids, not you. Do you ever think about how your need to be the provider and protector of your family actually affects your family?”
I hadn’t but why should it matter who buys Sara a car if she needs a car? That’s what I expressed to Kat. She reached out to slap me again but this time I ducked.
“What?” I laughed. “What did I say?”
“You are so absolutely clueless. You got Paulie and Delilah living in your old condo. You got Sunny and your mom living in the house you bought. And you got Sara, her husband, and new baby living under your roof. I know that feeds your ego and makes you feel like a man, but how do you think Paulie feels when you tell Delilah “it’s my house” or how Tahir feels when his wife jumps to your defense because you bought her a car? Your sisters know that you need to feel like you’re taking care of them so they’ll allow you to do that stupid shit but believe me, the black men you call brothers-in-law do not appreciate your so-called help.”
“They should appreciate it,” I fired back. “Neither Tahir nor Paulie are swimmin’ in dough. My sisters are used to a certain lifestyle-”
“No they’re not!” Kat interrupted. “Y’all weren’t rich! Y’all were a regular middleclass family living in the suburbs. Your mom probably drove a Prius. Your dad wasn’t buying them beamers and Benzes. What your sisters are now is spoiled. Both of them are grown women who make better than decent money doing exactly what they love. They can afford to live without your help. You just won’t let them and they’re used to that. Who would want to pay their own bills when their stupid ass brother is willing to do it for them? You need to let those married women take care of themselves. Your responsibility is to your mother and your child. Even Sunny doesn’t need your help financially. You don’t have to buy their love or support. They already love you, Aiden.”
“So, it’s no on the car?”
Kat sighed and shook her head. “If that’s all you got from what I just said, at least you got that part. No, do not buy your sister a car.”
I saw Catie approaching so I steered Miss K away from the convertible.
“If you got all the answers,” I teased. “Tell me why Jerry doesn’t complain when I buy you a new car? He’s a proud black man.”
“Because my husband is cheap as hell and there ain’t no way he’s ever gonna buy anything other than a Cadillac.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.”
Two hours later, we drove off the lot in a shiny new Gran Turismo with Miss Kat at the wheel. Catie had talked her into getting the bright red BMW but even Catie’s gift of gab couldn’t sway Kat into getting a more subtle color.
I buy Kat stuff as often as I buy my mother gifts but every time, she acts like it’s the first time I’ve ever gotten her anything. The smile on her face radiates for days and since she’s such a show-off, we had to stop by Rabbit’s and Miss Peaches’ house in order to show off her brand new ride. My child’s grandmother was her usual loud self as she gave the BMW a thorough examination. I was tempted to tell her that if she was my mother-in-law, she could get a new beamer too but I refrained.
After we left the Russell’s house, we headed back to Kat’s. I kicked off my sneakers and stretched out on the sofa that I just convinced her to take the plastic off last year and turned on the flat screen television that looked so out of place in the dated living room. The TV was actually sitting on top of a floor model television that hadn’t worked in years.
“Jerry doesn’t like too much change,” Kat had explained when I asked why she didn’t upgrade her living room décor. “He’ll have a conniption fit if he comes home from work one day and all his mama’s stuff is gone. I let him keep the living room looking like it did when his mama was alive and he let me redo my entire kitchen. You compromise when you’re married, Aiden. That’s what marriage is.”
Kat came downstairs after changing into another dress, her housedress as she calls it. I don’t question Kat’s clothes. She has more clothes than anyone I know, including Sunny. I’ve known Kat since I was nineteen years old and I’ve never seen her in the same outfit. She went straight to the kitchen then a came out a few seconds later tying the straps of her apron.
“I hope you know I’m not cooking a whole bunch of food. If you wanted all that mess, you can go to Rabbit’s and let Jo-Jo hook you up. I’m gon’ fry some fish and make a salad.”
“That’s fine with me. You want some help.”
“Boy, you know not to touch anything in my kitchen. You can come talk to me though. Ain’t nothin’ on TV now anyway.”
I sat at the counter and watched Kat season a bunch of catfish and clean some sort of fish Jerry had caught the last time he, Jermaine, and Joey went fishing. Kat cut the heads off and gutted the fish as if it wasn’t the grossest thing ever.
“That’s nasty,” I commented. “Why don’t you just buy the filets at the grocery store?”
“Because my husband likes to fish. When a man brings home food that he caught in the wild, the wife cooks it. Ain’t your dad ever brought your mother some fish or rabbits or deer to cook. Y’all white folks in the Midwest like to hunt too, right?”
“My dad didn’t hunt,” I told her. “I don’t think my dad ever shot a gun in his life.”
“He didn’t fish either?”
“No. The Tylers aren’t outdoor people. We like inside hobbies.”
“Well, you are in for a rude awakening,” Kat laughed. “W
hen you and Sunny get married, the first thing Jermaine’s gonna do with his new son-in-law is get you on that boat of his and take you fishing.”
“You think me and Sunny are going to get married?”
Kat nodded. “Eventually.”
“So why’d you say all those things in Rabbit’s the other day with Delilah?”
“Because it was the truth. You know I don’t sugarcoat shit when it comes to you and your girlfriends. I love my niece more than you do but I was speaking the truth. You know I was.”
“Sunny still hasn’t told her parents about us.”
“So? You got a problem with that?”
“Yeah.”
“Why? How is that any of your business?”
“Because it’s like she doesn’t want anyone to know. Why not? If she loves me, why wouldn’t she want people to know about us?”
“Because the world knowing about you isn’t going to make being with you any better or worse.”
Kat sat her knife on the chopping board and looked up at me. “Baby, you and Sunny don’t need public validation of your relationship. If y’all want to be together, be together. You don’t need to send out announcements. In fact, no one really cares. Everything you do isn’t a historical event. They’re not writing about you and Sunny in nobody’s history books. And you damn sure ain’t the first man who decided to love his baby mama. You’re so used to people caring about the insignificant shit you do that when something happens, your first instinct is to tell the world. You need to learn how to keep some shit private. You don’t have to live your life for the cameras. Just live your life.”
“My life is cameras. They’re everywhere.”
“So!” Kat said sharply. “If there’s a camera following you into Bristol Farms, you don’t have to talk to them. If other famous folk can live their daily lives without it being a photo-op, so can you. And you don’t even read what they put online with your picture so why do you even do it? I swear, you’re the only person I know who is on a first-name basis with half the paparazzi in Hollywood. That’s what bothers Sunny and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop it as soon as you get back to LA.”
Love Notes (Friends Lovers or Nothing Book 4) Page 16
