Prologue—If I Ever Fall In Love
I can’t take my eyes off her as she sings the beautiful notes to I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston. She was auditioning for our band as we had tragically lost our former singer to a car accident. It seemed like she was heaven sent, her facial expression and body language matching the sweet sadness of the song. Once she is done, I stand up, applauding her.
“You’ve got the job…” I find myself saying, even though I have a dozen more auditions to go through.
“Really?!” Her gorgeous brown eyes light up. I nod.
“It was like Whitney herself was up there singing.” I smile at her.
“Oh, thank you!” She surprisingly hugs me which makes one of our security guys step forward. I shake my head at him, glad to feel her warm embrace. She has to be the woman I’m gonna marry.
“Come on, now. I’m not the affectionate type.” I laugh as she lets me go.
“I’m just so happy! I finally got my own practice, and now I have time to perform. It’s my first dream.”
“Practice? You a lawyer or something?” I ask. She chuckles, shaking her head.
“I’m a family practitioner.”
“Like a doctor?”
“Yes, I’m a doctor. That’s not a problem, is it?”
“Of course not. Your singing speaks for itself.” I take out my card and hand it to her.
“Can I take you out sometime?” She looks surprised.
“You mean, like a date?”
“Yeah, like a date.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea…I just joined your band.” I almost want to say fuck the band. If I had to let them go to be with her, I would in a second.
“Think about it and call me…either way.” She flashes that beautiful smile.
“It was nice to meet you, Angela.” I hold out my hand.
“Angie, please.” She holds my hand briefly before letting go.
“First rehearsal is Thursday night.” She nods, gathering her purse from the chair and almost skipping out of the studio. Raheim, our band’s drummer, gives me a suspicious stare.
“Man, if she would have stayed around any longer, her panties would have come off with that look you gave her.” He laughs loudly. I roll my eyes at him.
“She probably won’t even go on a date with me.”
“Keys, she’s gonna call you. I have a feeling she is just as enamored with you as you are with her.”
“And how do you know that?” I demand.
“Raheim knows.”
“You’re crazy.” I shake my head as he laughs again.
On Thursday, our band rehearses for a gig and Angie is a perfect fit. We end up singing a duet of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, and it was just as good as Marvin and Tammi. She was going to take this band places.
We all had 9-5’s: I’m a record producer, Raheim is an English teacher, our saxophonist, Melvin, is an accountant, and Kelly, our keyboardist, was a tattoo artist. We created the band as a way to use our creativeness somewhere other than our jobs. We weren’t expecting to become millionaires. We just enjoyed performing.
As everyone is putting up their equipment, I approach Angie. She hadn’t called me, and I was a little worried that she had rejected my inquiry about a date.
“So…” I start.
“Yes.” She interrupts.
“What are you saying ‘yes’ to?” I inquire with a grin.
“You can take me out, but no funny business.” I laugh lightly.
“No funny business.” We make arrangements to meet at the album release party for one of my artists. Something in me knows that I have to make this woman mine.
I never played around like my fellow producers. Even my best friends were terribly promiscuous with the exception of my friend, Gus, who had only recently settled down. That wasn’t me. I wanted that one girl, the one who spoke to my soul, and I knew Angie was it.
I get home around 1 AM and see that I have several messages waiting on me. I click the button as I undress, stopping dead in my tracks when I hear that familiar sultry voice.
“Keys…you could at least call me so we could talk” she says. It was my ex, Rasheeda. She called me all day, every day, even after I told her it was over. She just wasn’t a good match for me, and I had an inkling that she marveled at the amount of money I had. I didn’t feel like dealing with a gold digger, and that was exactly what she portrayed herself to be.
“So, tell me about this chick…” My best friend, Vince says over lunch the next day.
“I can’t even begin to describe the way she makes me feel, man.” I shake my head, downing the glass of whiskey in front of me. He shrugs. Vince didn’t believe in monogamy, he spent his time in the beds of models and businesswomen. It was impossible to make him understand why I wanted Angie.
“You’ve only met her twice and you’re already fucked up?” He scoffs.
“Trust me, when you know, you know. I’m not even convinced you don’t fully believe in love.”
“Love?! Ha! Nah, I’m about lovers.”
“I know, I know. Don’t you ever think that there could be a woman out there that you go insane for?”
“Never. You’re crazy!”
“No, you’re crazy, man. I’m telling you, one day, you’re gonna be as head over heels for some woman just as I am right now.”
“Wanna put money on that?”
“I sure will, a thousand.” He raises his eyebrows at me.
“A thousand?”
“Yep, if you turn forty and it ain’t happening, I’ll pay you. But…the minute you get married, I want my money.” He laughs.
“You got a deal.” We shake on it and resume our conversation about his recent exploits involving a certain intern.
Later that night, I get dressed for the album party and while looking in the mirror, I see a different man. I had been looking forward to this since Angie told me she would go out with me. God help me if she doesn’t fall in love with me.
Once my driver drops me off at the studio, I start to realize just how nervous I am. I’ve been dating for twenty years, and I’ve never been this anxious. I talk myself down, thinking that I just need to relax.
“Keys…” I whip around to see Rasheeda standing in front of me.
“Rasheeda.” I regard her coolly.
“Why haven’t you been returning my calls?” She demands.
“Because…we’re not together anymore.”
“Oh, come on, let’s spend some time together tonight.” I shake my head.
“Rasheeda, I don’t want to spend time with you.”
“Brandon?” Rasheeda and I both turn to see Angie, who is dressed to kill in a black dress that hugs her curves.
“Angie…” I smile at her as Rasheeda’s confused look almost makes me want to laugh.
“Angie this is Rasheeda.” Angie, being the polite person she is, grasps Rasheeda’s hand in a light greeting.
“Charmed…” Rasheeda gives her an envious stare.
“Come on, the producer can’t be late.” I take Angie’s hand and she smiles at me as I lead her into the studio, leaving Rasheeda and her bullshit behind.
The soft throbbing of the music from my new artist penetrates the studio as glittering celebrities and fans sit on the plush couches, drinking an assortment of top shelf cocktails.
“I have to go talk to my team for a minute, would you like a drink?” She nods.
“Cognac if they have it.”
“Of course. I’ll be right back.”
Once I’ve checked in with my team and hit the bar, I come back to see Angie sitting on the couch with Raheim who is probably engaging her in one of his Afrocentric philosophy conversations. I take my place beside her, handing her a glass of Cognac.
“I think I need a refill…” Raheim says, getting up.
“Thank you for the information, I’ll definitely look it up.” Angie gives him a glowing smile.
“Anytime.” He leaves us alone, and I look into her dark brown eyes.
“So…”she says, “tell me about Brandon ‘Keys’ Reynolds.”
We spend the evening revealing everything about ourselves, and by the end of the night, I’m even more sure that I need this woman for the rest of my life.
Six months later, I popped the question and we were married so quick, my head spun. Everything felt so right, though, and I’ve never been happier.
Chapter 1—Return of the Mack
I walk into the house, searching for the remote to our sound system. It’s sitting right on the coffee table, and I turn on a sensual jazz number. Our son, Riley, was staying at his grandma’s this weekend, and I wanted to take the opportunity to spend some much-needed quality time with my wife.
“I know you’re up to something…” Angie stands at the bottom of the stairs with her hands on her wide hips.
“Aren’t I always?” I give her a seductive grin. She giggles.
“We’re too old to be playing these games.” She walks towards me, unbuttoning the top buttons of my shirt when she reaches me.
“Aw, baby, we ain’t too old for shit. When the kid’s away, the parents should play.” She laughs again at my ridiculous attempt at a joke, reaching up to caress my face. I take her hand, bringing her closer to me, and I start to move to the music. Gazing into her eyes, I caress every part of her curvy body.
“You crazy…” she laughs.
“Crazy for you.”
“I know you are. I have the psych ward on speed dial in case you get any crazier.”
“Well, you better have phone in hand ‘cause I’m gonna drive us both insane tonight.” She laughs again as I lead her upstairs, ready to devour her.
Late the next morning, as Angie sleeps peacefully in my arms, undoubtedly tired from our rambunctious night, my phone rings. I struggle to grab it off the nightstand. Who could be calling me today? I told the studio I would be unreachable. The number shows up as unknown, so I reluctantly tear myself away from my wife to answer it.
“Yeah?” I answer, disgruntled.
“Keys! it’s Paris Jackson.”
“Paris?” I’m surprised. Paris Jackson was a producer at a record company owned by the infamous Moretti family. I usually don’t deal with her, but since the Moretti family helped Vince and his family a few years ago, I decide to hear her out.
“I’m sorry to call you on your day off. The studio said you weren’t coming in today.”
“It’s cool, what’s up?”
“I am so fucking excited about my new artist, Lady R.” I chuckle, I’d heard of the new trap sensation, though I hadn’t paid much attention to her. She was too raunchy for my taste but right up Paris’ alley.
“I’m sure you are. She’s already made it to the top of the charts.”
“Well, so has your new artist.”
“Which one?” I have a feeling about where this is going.
“Dante.”
“What do you want, Paris?”
“I want to do a collaboration. You and me, Lady R and Dante. You make the beat…I’m thinking a touch of the 90’s R&B with a little bit of today’s ratchedness.” I laugh again.
“Okay, okay. I like the idea. Let me see what I can come up with and talk to Dante.” She squeals in happiness. Jeez, she must have been up all night thinking about it.
“When are you coming back into the studio?” She asks.
“Monday, my wife and I are spending some time together this weekend.” She giggles.
“Oh, I guess the kid’s at grandma’s, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s a pretty good guess.”
“Well, give my apologies to your wife for…um…disrupting the loving.” I shake my head.
“I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“Can we meet Monday? I want you to meet Lady R, get her vibe. Let’s see if she and Dante are a match.”
“Alright, meet me at ten.”
“Why don’t we say eleven? You might need to recover from your weekend.” She laughs loudly.
“I’ll see you at eleven” I grumble before hanging up.
“Who was that, babe?” Ang sits up in the bed.
“Paris Jackson.”
“Really? What did she want on a Saturday morning?”
“She wants me to do a collab with Lady R and Dante.”
“Dante sings R&B…” she argues. I’d heard her opinions on Lady R and none of them were favorable.
“I know, she thinks it’ll be a good idea to combine his singing with Lady R’s…whatever you want to call it.”
“Are you gonna do it?”
“I’ll see what they’re talking about…but enough about that business. I got some personal business to handle.” I swipe the covers off her naked body.
“Brandon!” She scolds.
“I told you we were gonna play.” She shakes her head at me.
“See, I’m gonna have to call the psych ward for your crazy ass.”
“Later” I growl as I cover her body with mine.
On Monday morning, I sit with Dante in the studio to ask him his opinion on a collaboration with Lady R.
“I’m all for it, Man. You want me to write something up?” He asks.
“Well, let’s see how it goes when you meet Lady R.” He shrugs, indicating he’s cool either way.
As if on cue, my assistant brings in Paris and Lady R. My mouth drops to the floor, I can’t believe who is standing in front of me.
“Hey Keys…” she gives me a wide grin.
“Rasheeda?” I never thought I’d see her again. I guess she went to Paris with her raunchy bars and found her soulmate.
“I cannot believe you did this to me.” I glare at Paris.
“What? You two know each other?” She looks genuinely puzzled. Okay, so I guess this wasn’t a ploy to get me face to face with Rasheeda.
“Oh, yes…we have a history” Rasheeda says. Paris swirls around, giving Rasheeda a stare that could turn the Devil himself into stone.
“Did you trick me?” She demands.
“No! I genuinely wanted to work with Dante. Brandon was just…the icing on the cake.”
“You manipulative bitch,” Paris turns around to face me, “I’m so sorry, Brandon. I honestly didn’t know.”
“It’s fine, let’s just do this. It’s a good idea, and I don’t want anyone else to take advantage of it.” At that point, Dante jumps up.
“Keys, if you can do the beats, I gotta song I wrote a while back that would be perfect if Lady R will fit in her bars.” He pulls out his tablet and cautiously hands it to Rasheeda who eagerly takes it, studying the lyrics. After a few silent, awkward minutes, she looks at Dante with a smile.
“I’ve got THE most perfect bars for this shit, Man! Let’s get to work!” Paris breathes a sigh of relief, and I roll my eyes. My judgment has always been sound when it came to music, and I knew that this collaboration would make mad money. However, I wanted to know what Rasheeda was really trying to pull. She had to know I was married now: Angie and I have been in every gossip rag and social media post. She would have had to live under a rock not to see any of it.
As Dante and Rasheeda make their way behind the glass to get their song together, Paris sits down beside me, touching my arm.
“Hey, I’m sorry again. I should have asked her why she wanted to work with Dante so badly.”
“I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt right now. She seems excited to do this collab, so I’m not gonna break her spirit. But, Paris, if she gets out of line…”
“I’ll set her straight, I promise. Let’s hope that this is strictly professional.” I lean forward, playing with the mixers.
“We want to make it sound like the 90’s, but not so much so that the younger set can’t connect…” I tell her. She nods.
“What do you have in mind?” I click on the computer, scrolling through the catalogue of music. I randomly click on a tune I had played around with a few months earlier. Paris’ face lights up, and she immediately clicks the intercom for Rasheeda and Dante.
“Dante, listen to this and sing it for me” she commands, and she filters the music through the headsets. He starts to sing, and it fits so damn perfect, I almost jump out of my seat.
“We’ve gotta hit…” Paris’ smile is a mile wide.
“Let’s work on it all this week. We can get this to the radio stations as soon as we’re done.”
“Deal!”
That night, I come home, dreading the news I have to tell Ang. I had gone in depth about my relationship with Rasheeda before we got married. I know that she won’t be happy.
“Hey!” She and my son are sitting on the couch watching some kid show.
“Did I miss dinner?” I ask. She shakes her head.
“I mean, I fed Riley, but I saved our dinner for us. It’s in the oven.”
“Great…” I kiss Riley on the forehead, and he grabs the earring in my ear. Typical two-year-old.
“I’ll eat with you once I put him to bed” Ang says.
“No bed!” Riley argues.
“Yes, bed…” Ang says to him.
“No!”
“I’ll put him to bed, Ang.” I pick up my son as he continues to protest.
“No bed!” He whines, rubbing his eyes.
“Yeah, Young Man, you’re going to bed. You’re sleepy.”
“No sleep!” I have to laugh at his persistence as I carry him up the stairs. By the time I reach his bedroom, he has gotten quiet. Little man just couldn’t take the hard life of daycare, dinner, and a walk up the stairs.
After I tuck Riley in, I head back downstairs to the kitchen where Angie has warmed up dinner.
“You didn’t eat with Riley?” I ask.
“Nah, I wanted to wait for you.” She pours me a glass of whiskey and herself a glass of wine.
“How was the collab today?” She gazes at me.
“Well…” I start to feel a little anxious about telling her.
“Didn’t go as you expected?”
“Not exactly. Have you ever looked up Lady R?” I look at her.
“No. Once I heard her lyrics, I didn’t care to. Why?” I take a deep breath.
“Lady R is Rasheeda.” Angie drops her fork.
“Say what?”
“Rasheeda, my ex.”
“I know who you’re talking about! Why the hell does she want to work with you?”
“She claims that she really wanted to work with Dante.”
“That is bullshit Brandon and you know it!”
“Look, Paris is keeping her under control…”
“Oh really?! Like Paris can control someone exactly like her! She can barely control herself!”
“Ang, I dated her over ten years ago. I think she genuinely wanted to work with Dante.” She scoffs.
“You can believe that shit if you want to. I know how women like Rasheeda operate. There’s definitely an ulterior motive here.”
“Ang, we’ve been married for years. Do you really think she would wait this long to screw things up?”
“Hmph. People can hold grudges for decades. I don’t like this.” She takes a hasty sip of her wine.
“Ang. You know if she tries anything, I’m done. I think I owe it to Dante to at least see where this goes. He’s been working his ass off in the studio this year.” She smacks her teeth indicating that maybe she’ll go along with it but there’s gonna be some stipulations.
“You are not to be alone with her, you understand?” She gazes at me seriously.
“Why would I have to be?”
“I’m just telling you.”
“I hear you. I won’t be alone with her, Ang.”
“You better not.”
“You know me better than that.” I nudge her playfully, and I finally see a hint of a smile on her face.
“Be careful, okay?” She says.
“I will be, you have nothing to worry about.”
“You’re done with her after this?” She gives me a skeptical look.
“I can’t answer that…” I stare into my plate of fettuccini alfredo. She scoffs.
“Let’s not make this a habitual thing.” I hoped to God it wouldn’t be. I just wanted this one hit and for Rasheeda to go back into her world of trap music.
“I’ll try to make this a one-time thing, but, if Dante likes working with her, I’ll have no choice.”
“Well, I’m secretly hoping he hates her.” She stifles a laugh.
“You’re too much.” I look back up into her eyes.
“So are you.”
Chapter 2—Blessed
“Madeline! Will you slow down?!” I follow my wife’s quick footsteps with exasperation. I have never seen a pregnant woman move so damn fast. With the twins, she had no energy, and now she was ripping and running through the Baby Store, extremely pregnant with our third.
“You gotta keep up!” She scolds.
“Look, woman…” I start, and she looks back at me.
“Don’t tell me that my big, strong man can’t keep up with lil’ ol’ pregnant me?” She smiles and I shake my head at her.
“You’re almost nine months pregnant and running around here like you’re in a marathon or something. I’m not as young as I used to be.” She laughs.
“You better get some energy, there’s about to be three kids in the house, not to mention Faith.” We already had two toddlers and a dog, how the hell am I gonna survive this new addition? I’m already pushing forty. Jeez.
After Madeline has almost bought up the entire store, she and I sit down for lunch at a nearby steakhouse. Her eyes light up as they bring hot, buttery rolls to the table. She immediately grabs one and slathers it with butter. For a woman whose only carbs used to be in wine, she has been enamored with bread since she got pregnant.
“What?” she asks after swallowing her bite. I chuckle.
“You are some woman.” She laughs.
“What does that mean?”
“You’ve been really energetic this time around.”
“I know, right? I feel so great! This has been a glorious pregnancy compared to the last.” Glorious. Yeah, that was the word. She would work twelve hours, come home, put the kids to bed and have enough energy to work me more in the bedroom than the entire first year of our marriage, and let me tell you, our first year of marriage was extremely rambunctious.
“So, did you think about what I said?” I ask her.
“About the ‘babymoon’?” She says. I nod and she leans forward.
“If I get you alone without the kids, you’re done for, you know that, right?” Oh yeah, I knew it, which is the reason I wanted to go.
“Where do you want to go?”
“Wherever you want to go.”
“I would like a little beach vacay before we officially descend into the deep world of parenthood.”
“Hilton Head?” I suggest.
“Sounds good to me.”
Later that evening, Madeline and I are listening to the radio and a song I never heard before comes on. The tune and the lyrics are catchy but whoever the woman is that raps on it is beyond ratchet.
“My God! It was a good song until all that. Unnecessary!” Madeline declares rubbing her belly as if to protect the baby from the hideous rap. I chuckle.
“Yeah, she’s pretty raunchy. I think that’s one of Paris’ artists.” Madeline turns around in a huff.
“How do you know that?” I shrug.
“Listen to the words, that’s nobody but her.” She shakes her head as the song ends.
“That was the new hit, Tease by Dante and Lady R…we have none other than the producers of this hot new song in the studio tonight Keys and DJ Diamond. How’s it going guys?” I hear both Brandon and Paris’ voices respond to her.
“Well, I’ll be damned, it’s Brandon.”
“Brandon created that trash?” Madeline shakes her head.
“I think Paris created the trash” I laugh.
“I never knew he worked with her…” she says, thoughtfully.
“He never has, this is his first time that I know of.”
“Well, as raunchy as it is, it’ll probably make him some big money.” I scoff.
“Like he needs it.”
“I wonder how Ang feels about that song? I mean, it was pretty explicit, and that was the radio edit.”
“Ang knows the business.” She shrugs, finishing off her tea.
“Calling it a night?” I ask.
“Yeah, I’m a little tired.” I chug what’s left of my whiskey and follow her up to the bedroom. I stop in each of the kids’ rooms to check on them. Amelia is hugged up with the raggedy bear she’s had forever, and Andrew is sprawled on his bed, sleeping wildly. I pull the sheet over him and he stirs, turning to the other side.
I step into the bedroom where Madeline has already slipped into the bed.
“Kids okay?” she asks.
“Yeah, I think it’s time to get Amelia a new teddy bear.”
“Now you know that’s not gonna fly with her. She has a fit when Mrs. Lovett washes it.” I chuckle as I go into the closet, changing into my shorts. As I jump into the bed, Madeline groans in pain.
“What?” I quickly turn to look at her.
“Baby’s kicking. I thought he was sleeping.” I laugh.
“A look into the future.” I place my hands on her belly, feeling the strong pulses.
“Calm down in there.” I tell the bump. Madeline giggles.
“I don’t think he’ll listen to you just yet.” I chuckle, kissing her belly before bringing her close to me. She sighs into my arms, and before I know it, both of us are sound asleep.
The next morning, I wake up early to get some work done in the office. I had officially taken “paternity leave” as they call it, but I was still working from home when I could. It was my goal to get as much work done as possible before the baby was born.
As I’m looking through some of our portfolios, my videoconference app rings on the computer. I click on it, seeing Brandon’s face.
“Hey! Long time no see buddy!” I smile at the screen.
“Hey! I gotta know if you heard the new song.”
“Oh, yeah, we heard it” I laugh.
“And? What did you think?”
“Well, it was definitely…”
“A little raunchy, right?” He answers for me.
“Well, in your defense, the younger set will love it.”
“I thought Dante would make up for the ratchedness, but damn…”
“It’s already a hit though. You’re gonna make some major change.” Brandon chuckles.
“How’s the wifey and the bun in the oven?”
“She’s good, he’s good. She looks like she’s about to pop.”
“Man, I never thought you’d be sitting here with a wife, three kids and a dog. The old-fashioned American dream.”
“Yeah, yeah. I paid you my thousand. You were right and I was wrong.”
“I should have bet ten.”
“Then you wouldn’t have gotten it.”
“You’re the billionaire.”
“You’re close yourself.”
“Not by a long shot.”
“Well, how’s Ang and Riley? Are you two adding anymore to your bunch?”
“I don’t think Ang wants anymore. We’re happy with the one we have. He’s growing so fast.”
“Yeah, they do that.”
“Well, anyway, I was calling to tell you that the band is retiring soon.”
“Really? Are you ready for that?”
“I think we’ve reached our height. So, we’ll be doing a good-bye tour in all the venues that we’ve performed in.”
“Nice!”
“I’d like you guys to come to the last performance. It won’t be until summer, I figured you two would be ready to leave all the kids with their Nonna.”
“Oh, she’ll be ready for that.” My mother loved being a grandmother. Any opportunity she had to come visit, she took. Of course, we didn’t mind as she made sure to take the twins off our hands as long as she was there.
“I know she will be. She calls every day and wants an immediate heads up when the labor starts.”
“Sounds like Angie’s mom.”
“We’d be glad to come, Man. Do I need to buy tickets or anything?”
“Nope. It’s all on me, hopefully everyone can come. It’s been awhile since we’ve all been together.”
“You’re right, it’s about time.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Man. Call me when the little one arrives.”
“I will. Wish us luck.”
“Yeah, you need it.” He laughs.
“Bye.” I roll my eyes at him as he waves before disappearing from the screen.
“Who was that?” Madeline appears at the door of my office donned in some skinny jeans and her favorite UGA sweatshirt.
“Brandon.”
“Did you tell him how raunchy that song was?” I chuckle.
“He already knew.”
“How’s Angie and Riley?”
“They’re good. He told me the band is retiring. They’re gonna have a final concert in June. Want to go?”
“Of course!” she comes in the office and sits in the chair across from mine.
“Where are the kids?” I ask.
“Watching a movie with Mrs. Lovett while she folds laundry.”
“What’s up? Something on your mind?” I gaze at her.
“Yeah, I was thinking about my birthing plan.”
“What about it?”
“No C-section this time.” I nod in agreement.
“We talked about that.”
“No drugs.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” I sigh.
“What if you ask?”
“Say no.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“Whatever you say, Maddie.” She reaches across the desk for my hand.
“You getting nervous?” I ask.
“A little. Last time, I almost died.”
“That won’t happen this time.”
“What if it does?” she gazes at me seriously.
“It won’t, baby.”
“Just in case…I had Nathan draw up a will for me.”
“A will? Jesus Christ, Madeline!”
“You never know what will happen! I’m just trying to be prepared.” I sigh heavily. I didn’t like thinking about or even talking about death. Deep down, I knew everything would be fine, but Madeline’s fear struck a chord in me. Suddenly, I don’t feel so confident.
“Okay, Maddie. Maybe it is a good idea.”
“Also, when it’s over, I want you to bring me a big ass plate of fried shrimp from Ma’s Place.” She tries desperately to keep a straight face.
“Oh, you!” I exclaim. She bursts into a fit of giggles.
“It was getting too serious, but I do want my shrimp, though. I miss my seafood.”
“I know you do. So, I have to go to the hood to get you a plate.”
“You’ll be alright. Just lock the car.” I squeeze her hand and lean close to her.
“Everything will be just fine.” She smiles at me.
“I hope so.”
Chapter 3—That’s the Way Love Goes
“Okay, T, take five…” I say to T-money, who is recording his new album in the sound booth.
“How about ten? I need to smoke.”
“Fine.” I lean back in my chair and hear a knock on the door.
“Yeah!” I yell at the door, expecting to see Ang, who told me she was coming by today. To my surprise, Rasheeda walks in and she’s alone.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“Oh, I came by to thank you for the collab. The song’s been skyrocketing on the charts.”
“I know, I’ve been keeping up with it.” She sits down next to me and I cautiously move away from her.
“Look, Rasheeda. I promised my wife I wouldn’t be alone with you, and I’d like to keep that promise.”
“But we’re not alone…” she points to T-Money, who is smoking a blunt and paying us no mind.
“You’ve said what you need to say. Why don’t we leave it at that?” She smiles and before I know it, she pulls me towards her and kisses me. I struggle to get away from her, but she has me pinned.
“What the hell is going on here?!” I hear my wife’s voice very clearly. Finally gathering enough strength to push Rasheeda off me, I stand up to face my wife.
“She kissed me…” I start.
“I don’t want to hear it! I told you not to be alone with her!” She throws her phone at me which narrowly misses my head before she storms out.
“Ang…” I start to follow her and look back at Rasheeda.
“You need to get the fuck out of my studio.” I tell her before running after my wife.
When I catch up with Angie, she faces me angrily.
“I told you not to be alone with her!” She repeats.
“I wasn’t alone with her, I didn’t even know she was coming! Why won’t you listen to me?”
“Because I knew this would happen.” She punches me in the chest.
“Ang…please.”
“No…” she sobs backing away from me.
“Ang…”
“Leave me alone!” She turns walking rapidly away from me. Damn Rasheeda! Why didn’t I listen to my gut on this one! Now, she’s ruined my life.
T-Money, in his weed haze, stumbles out of the studio.
“Yo, mane, what happened? All this yelling and screaming and stuff?” He asks. I sigh shaking my head.
“Is she gone?”
“Who?”
“Rasheeda, you idiot! Didn’t you see her?”
“Ay, mane I ain’t seen nobody.” I stalk back into the studio and see that she’s gone. I turn back to T-Money.
“You really need to lay off the gas, bro. You didn’t see anything?”
“Ay, I told you I ain’t seen nobody, damn!” I swipe my phone off the desk and call Paris. When she answers, I almost can’t contain my anger.
“I need you down at the studio, now” I say before hanging up.
“You need five more minutes, mane?” T-Money looks at me with sympathy.
“Nah, T…I’ll be alright.” I sigh heavily, walking back into the sound booth.
“You know me and the squad got you. What you need?”
“T…” I turn to look at him.
“What is it, bro?”
“You ever get a gut feeling about a woman, that she’s up to no good?”
“Oh, hell yeah, mane. You gotta keep these bitches at arm’s length.” I chuckle at him.
“Now, my wife is mad at me.”
“Aw, now…” He pats me on the back.
“You and Ang go together like macaroni ‘n’ cheese. She ain’t gone be mad at you forever.”
“Dude, you really need to lay off the gas.”
“Naw, mane. That’s God’s medicine right there.”
“Get in the booth!” I shove him away playfully as he laughs hysterically at what he just said.
Just as I get settled at the mixing board, Paris comes flying into the booth.
“What is it? What happened?” She asks, frantically. I stare at her for a second.
“Your girl came in for an unscheduled visit.”
“What? I told her not to come here unless I was with her!”
“Well, she did, and she tried to kiss me. My wife walked in.” She gasps.
“Oh, Brandon, I’m…so sorry. I didn’t think she would do that.”
“Well, you need to handle her. I gotta big mess at home because of this.”
“I promise you, it won’t happen again. How can I make this up to you?”
“You can’t, Paris. I love my wife with every fiber of my being. My marriage is important to me, you understand?”
“I understand, Brandon.”
“I can’t have vindictive women in my life.”
“You shouldn’t have to worry about that.”
“Well, now I have to. Dante wants to do another collab, but she’s gotta know her boundaries, Paris.”
“Oh, she’s gonna know them. We can drop her any day if she can’t follow the rules.” I scoff.
“I don’t want you to do that. I just need you to keep her away from me.” I knew how hard Rasheeda had work to get a record deal, and I didn’t want to screw it up for her, even though she potentially screwed up my marriage.
“You’ve gotta better heart than most men I know.” She gets up.
“I promise you, I’ll handle this.” She disappears just as quickly as she walked in.
“Ay, mane, I’m waitin’” T-money tears me out of my thoughts.
“Sorry, bro. Here, try this beat…”
At about nine that evening, I drag myself home, wondering what kind of storm I’m about to walk into. Sure enough, Angie is sitting at the kitchen table with a full glass of wine. When I close the door, she regards me with an icy stare.
“Ang…” I go to her, putting my hand on her shoulder. She flinches away from my touch.
“I can’t believe you.”
“Ang, you know that I would never…”
“Brandon! The one thing I asked of you is that you NOT be alone with her! I knew she would do this!” She huffs, taking a long sip out of her glass.
“Baby, I didn’t even know she would show up! What do you want me to say, damnit! I was stupid, I couldn’t stop her!”
“Brandon…you are a grown ass man! You could have told her to get out! Did you even do that?”
“I tried…she ambushed me.” She rolls her eyes, shaking her head.
“So, what are you gonna do about this?”
“Look, if Dante wants to do another collab, it will have to be in Paris’ studio. Listen, Ang, you know I would never do anything to hurt you. I talked to Paris, she’s gonna handle it, but you have to trust me.”
“I don’t know…” She takes another long sip of wine, draining her glass.
“After ten years, you don’t trust me?” I plop down in the chair across from her.
“Do you know how much it killed me to see what I saw today? And you want me to trust you?!”
“Yes, I want you to trust me. You know what kind of man I am. You know I’m crazy about you!”
“Brandon, I was against this from the start…”
“I know you were.” She pours more wine in her glass, almost filling it to the brim before downing it completely.
“You’re in the guest room for the rest of the week.” She gets up, tossing the wine glass towards the sink. It shatters violently against the counter. I grab the wine and down the rest of it straight out of the bottle. The only thing I can do is respect her wishes even though I hate it. I grab my phone off the table and call the only person who might understand.
“What’s up bro?” Vince answers.
“Man, I fucked up.”
“What are you talking about? What did you do?”
“Rasheeda…”
“Rasheeda? The girl you dated ten years ago?”
“Yeah that’s fucking Lady R.” He’s silent for a minute.
“Did you know it was her? Before you agreed to work with her?”
“Naw, man! I didn’t know!”
“Okay, so what happened?”
“She ambushed me, Man! Came to the studio and started kissing me, Ang saw it.”
“Shit…” he sighs.
“What do I do, Man? She’s pissed.”
“Let her be pissed, you knew what kind of woman Rasheeda was.”
“I thought she was past all that! It’s been ten years!”
“Dude, stop acting like you’re in your twenties. We’re all old enough to know about vindictive exes.”
“How do I fix this, Man?”
“Angie is not about to leave you over this bullshit. Sleep on the couch a few days and let her process everything.”
“I guess that’s all I can do.”
“You’re damn right, but in the future, it’s not worth it. Let Paris deal with her ratchet ass.”
“I will.” I hang up, not feeling any better.
Angie took her grief to her sister, Mariah who has decided to take things into her own hands. Three days after the incident with Brandon, Mariah and two of her best friends pay Rasheeda a visit. As Rasheeda exits the studio, three masked women stand before her.
“What do you bitches want?” She asks with a scowl. They stand silently which creeps her out.
“Say something!” She yells. The masked women look at each other before grabbing Rasheeda and pushing her into a nearby alley.
“I’ll call the cops!” Rasheeda gets out her cell phone which one of the women takes and throws against the wall of the building.
“You ain’t calling nobody, bitch!” They all grab her, throwing blows to her face.
“Stop! Please! What do you want?!” Rasheeda screams. One of the masked figures leans down to the defeated figure on the ground.
“Know your boundaries, bitch!”
“What are you talking about?!”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about! Go find your own fucking man!” The masked figure gives her a final kick in the ribs, and as the ladies walk away, they remove their masks, not letting anyone know the heinous act they just committed.
Rasheeda lays on the ground, calling for help until a passerby notices her.
“Oh my God! Are you okay?” The man asks.
“I need the cops…” Rasheeda gasps. As much as she wanted to accuse Brandon’s wife, she couldn’t. None of the women were as fat as that bitch. Did Paris do this to keep her in her place? If so, she would leave the record company. She didn’t owe anyone shit. She just honestly didn’t know who beat her to a pulp.
As I’m in the studio, my phone rings and notice that it’s Paris. Maybe she’s giving me an update. I had been sleeping in the guest room for the past week, and I was ready to get back in my bedroom and in my wife’s good graces. I hope she put Rasheeda in her place.
“Yeah?” I answer.
“Brandon…”
“What is it, Paris?”
“What did you do?” she demands.
“What are you talking about?”
“Somebody beat Lady R so bad she’s in the hospital!” I’m shocked.
“What?”
“Did you do this?!” She asks, her voice rising a pitch.
“You know I wouldn’t do anything like that!”
“Who did, then?!”
“I don’t know!”
“Was it your wife?” I roll my eyes.
“Angie don’t fight. Are you crazy?!” I come to the sudden realization. She had to have called her sister, Mariah. I wasn’t gonna let Paris know that, though. Paris might have been a hitwoman in her lifetime, but she was no match for Mariah who was a body builder on the circuit. Mariah could kick anyone’s ass, and she loved her younger sister. She would do anything for Angie. I absolutely believe she did it. A smirk appears on my face.
“Paris, she must have pissed someone else off. I promise you, I had nothing to do with it. I’ve been spending the last week trying to make up with my wife! Why would I ever condone that?” Paris huffs.
“Somebody related to you did it!” She exclaims.
“How do you know that?!”
“Because she told her to find her own man. Brandon, I need you to be honest with me. Did you know this was gonna happen?”
“No! Damnit! It could have been anyone!”
“Alright, I believe you, for now.” She hangs up.
Later that night, I step into my house and hear loud music playing through the house which puzzles me. It’s undoubtedly Aretha Franklin’s Ain’t No Way. We never play loud music when Riley is asleep. That must mean he’s not here.
“Ang?” I call out before stepping into the living room. She sits on the couch with a glass of wine, quietly singing the lyrics.
“Hey…” I approach her cautiously.
“Shhh…” She says. I sit beside her on the couch as she sways to the music.
“Angie…” She turns to me as the song changes to Bridge Over Troubled Water. This must be her Aretha Franklin memorial playlist.
“I’m still hurt.”
“I know. Let me fix it.”
“I never thought you would do this to me!” She sobs.
“Angie…”
“And for the life of me I can’t figure out why I can’t stay angry at you!”
“Because you love me, and I love you. I love you so much, Angela.” She sniffles, drinking more of her wine.
“How could you do this to a woman you love?”
“Come here…” I take her in my arms as Oh Me, Oh My filters through the stereo.
“Forgive me, please?” I whisper in her ear.
“I don’t know if I can trust you again.”
“This will never, ever happen anymore. I need my wife back, please, baby.” Just as Dr. Feelgood comes on, she wraps her arms around me. It’s the best feeling ever, I missed her touch.
“Let me show you…” I say, standing up and pulling her against me. We start to move to the music as Aretha exclaims about “that man”.
“I love you, Angie…” I choke out, realizing how much I missed holding her in my arms…even if it has only been a week.
“I love you, Brandon…” she murmurs.
“Go upstairs with me?” I request, gently. She nods and I take her hand, leading her to our bedroom.
That Sunday, after we have fully made up, Angie tells me we’re going to church to hear her mother sing in the choir. I can do nothing but agree as I’m sure her mother has a message for me through song. I absolutely didn’t mind as I realized that Angie got her beautiful voice from her mother, Gloria. That woman could exorcise the vilest demons with her gospel songs. I was all in.
As I sit in the pews with Riley and Angie, I start to realize that music was my heart, but nothing was more valuable than my family—my wife and son. I smile to myself as Angie’s mother graces the crowd with her appearance. Sure enough, she starts to sing There’s Nothing Too Hard.
Angie stands, Riley in her arms, and she raises her free hand in worship as she sings along with her mother. I stand with her, my arms around her waist as tears roll down her face. The congregation is full of exclamations as Gloria’s voice roars through the church.
“I want to thank God for my daughter and her family coming to worship with us today…and I want us all to pray for them today” Gloria says. The pastor beckons us to come to the altar which I’m unsure about, but Angie pushes me forward. Gloria comes to us and puts her hand on our shoulders.
“Father God, I come to you today to pray for my daughter and her husband. Lord, whatever demons are out there, banish them! I pray your favor on their marriage, Lord! Protect them from heartache!” Her grip tightens on me.
“Give my son-in-law the discernment he needs to be the husband he was called to be” she whispers. A lump rises in my throat. I’m not a praying man, but I feel the spirit in that moment. I grab Angie and Riley close fighting the urge to break down in sobs. Maybe this was just what I needed.
As we retreat to our places in the pew, I keep my arms around Angie. She’s mine, my love. I could never imagine life without her or my son. Nothing at my job was worth risking if it meant losing them.
Chapter 4—No Ordinary Love
As Maddie and I serve our toddlers their dinner, I notice a pained look on her face.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah…I’m just…a little tired.” She groans softly, and I step to her, genuinely worried.
“Tell me the truth.” She gazes at me with uncertainty.
“I’ve just been having a little pain…”
“A little pain? Maddie!” Suddenly she grips my hands and her water breaks.
“Oh my God, your shoes!” she exclaims. I could care less about my shoes right now. She was officially in labor.
“Mrs. Lovett!” I shout. She comes running down the stairs.
“What is it?” She asks frantically.
“It’s time” I respond. She nods.
“I’ve got the twins, take her.” She scurries, grabbing my keys off the hook by the door.
“My bags!” Madeline says.
“Already in the car, Madeline…” Mrs. Lovett winks at us.
“Come on, Baby.” I lead Madeline to the garage.
“Please call my mom!” She shouts in pain.
“I’ll call everyone once we get to the hospital, Baby.” I make sure she is secured before taking my place in the driver’s seat. I call my security, Shane who answers immediately.
“Shane, it’s time…” I tell him.
“Got it, Boss.” Before I know it, my security detail surrounds my car, lights flashing. Madeline grabs my hand and I squeeze hers.
“It’s gonna be okay.” I speed up the interstate praying that I won’t run into the typical Atlanta evening traffic. Luckily, I get to the hospital pretty quickly. I pull into the Maternity ER where the nurses are ready to greet us.
“Hi there, honey!” A blonde nurse drawls when she sees Madeline. I realize that I forgot to time her contractions.
“I forgot to time them…” I admit to the blonde.
“Oh, darlin’ that’s okay! We’re gonna take good care of her!” They sit Madeline in a wheelchair and wheel her off. I look at Jillian who has followed me here.
“I’ve got your car, Boss. Take care of her.”
“Let’s keep the press at bay, huh?” I say.
“I’ve got you! Go on, now!” She pushes me towards the hospital entrance where the nurse points me towards Madeline’s room.
Megan, Madeline’s friend and doctor enters the room with a smile.
“Right on time, huh?” She slips a glove on her hand.
“Why do you always have to annoy me?!” Madeline shouts.
“Are we really gonna have to do this again? Look, do your breathing and you’ll be fine.” Megan winks at me.
“You want me to call your parents?” I ask, trying to calm Madeline down.
“Yes! I want my mom, please!”
“Okay, I’ll be right back…” I tell her. I call my mother-in-law who I think jumped into the car as soon as I called and my own mother who arranges a red eye to Atlanta.
I venture back into the hospital room where I’m surprised to see Madeline using her breathing exercises. I guess she really does want to do this naturally.
“Your mom’s on the way and so is mine…” I tell her.
“Good…” she breathes.
“You know, Baby, I won’t think any less of you if you just take the drugs.”
“Fuck no! I’ve been preparing for this!” She breathes in and out forcefully.
“Hey, easy…I’m here” I coax, grabbing her hand.
A few hours later, it’s showtime, and I’m not sure I’m ready.
“Okay, Maddie, you gotta push…” Megan says. I take her hand as she pushes with all of her might while the nurses count. She lays back in exhaustion after pushing for ten seconds.
“I want the drugs!” She shouts.
“No, Baby.” I tell her.
“It’s too late for that anyway” Megan says.
“Oh, will you shut up?!” Madeline glares at Megan who shakes her head.
“Come on, Baby, we’ll get through this” I tell her as the nurses beckon her to push again.
“I see the head! Come on, Maddie, I need all of your strength!” Megan says. Madeline squeezes my hand, whispering my name.
“You can do it, Baby.” She screams in pain, gasping as Megan squeals in happiness.
“He’s here!” She holds my screaming son in her arms before the nurses move in to take him. I watch in awe as they take him to the scale.
“You did it!” I whisper, kissing Maddie repeatedly. One of the nurses hands me a cool cloth with a smile, and I immediately put it on Maddie’s forehead.
“That feels so good…” she sighs. Megan brings our baby boy over for Madeline to hold. She starts to cry, as he is placed in her arms.
“You’re perfect…” she whispers to him before looking up at me. I can barely contain my emotions as I realize my third child has been born.
“Yes, more perfect than I ever could imagine.” Suddenly, I think of our three baby names and know the perfect one.
“Aidan?” I say, stroking his brown curls.
“Yes, Aidan…Aidan Marks” she agrees, kissing his tiny forehead.
“I love you, Maddie…” I say, choked up with emotion. Suddenly the tears come. I have never been as happy as I am right now. I stroke my son’s fragile curls, wondering how in the hell I got so damn lucky.
“I love you, Vince.” She smiles before kissing me. Suddenly, all of our parents burst in the room.
“Maddie! Maddie!” My mother-in-law exclaims as she runs to her daughter.
“Mama, look, I have another son…” Madeline looks at her mother who regards the tiny bundle in her arms.
“I know, Baby…he’s beautiful.” My mom gazes at my son with tears in her eyes.
“Another Bambino?” She asks, softly. We had purposely kept the gender of the baby a secret from everyone we knew.
“Yes, Mama. Another Bambino…” I tell her as she starts to cry.
“Aw, now, Cyn…” My dad puts his arms around her as she sobs uncontrollably with happiness.
“Come on, Cynthia, hold your grandbaby…” Madeline’s mother gently hands him to my mom.
“My bambino…” she says, softly, rocking him with tenderness. Madeline gazes at me with a smile.
“Don’t forget my fried shrimp…” she laughs. I kiss her forehead.
“I would never forget.”
The next evening, I bring my laptop to the hospital so that we could videoconference with all of our friends in New York and tell them the good news. Everyone’s faces appear on the screen, waving at us.
“Here he is!” I hold him so that everyone can see.
“Oh, Vince…he’s beautiful. Congratulations!” Emily exclaims.
“Carbon copy, man. He looks just like you” Brandon says.
“And I did all the work…” Madeline scoffs. Everyone laughs lightly.
“Mazel Tov!” Gus raises a glass of scotch…or at least it looks like one. In a sudden moment, all of my friends pull out cigars and light them. I start to laugh.
“You guys…” Madeline grins at them.
“We’ll see all of you soon…” I tell them.
“We’re gonna have a hell of a party!” Brandon says.
“I believe it…” I respond before they all disappear of the screen.
“Well…” I look at Madeline, “ready to go home?” She nods, taking the baby from me, speaking to him softly. I grab her bags and tell her I’m going to bring the car to the entrance. She nods, placing Aidan in his car seat.
Once we get home, Mrs. Lovett has the twins sitting at the table, ready to great us.
“Baby!” Amelia says, pointing at the car seat. Madeline.
“Yes, Amelia, this is your baby brother, Aidan.” Amelia hops out of her seat eagerly while Andrew looks a little apprehensive. He has been since Madeline told them that they were going to have a baby brother. I go over to him and pick him up.
“Hey, Buddy, you don’t want to meet your brother?” I ask him.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Baby.” He gazes at me fearfully.
“Yes, he’s a baby. Come on, let’s meet him.” Madeline takes Aidan out of his car seat and shows him to Amelia.
“Brother!” She exclaims and we both laugh. I cautiously carry Andrew over to Madeline so that he can see the baby. Aidan looks at his big brother, cooing happily.
“See? He likes you…” Andrew smiles at me.
“I think for now, they’ll get along” Madeline says.
“Yeah.” I put Andrew down who runs to his mom, leaning his head on her arm while continuing to gaze at the new addition to our family.
A few weeks later, it’s time for me to go back to work, but I am thankful that Madeline’s mother has decided to stay to help out a bit while I go. Everything had been great so far, even though we were in the sleepless stage in which our little guy demanded to be fed every two hours.
I kiss Maddie and the baby good-bye before heading out to take the twins to daycare. Mrs. Lovett helps me strap them in the car and hands me my bags.
“Have a good day at work, Mr. Marks…” she says in her heavy British accent.
“You too, Mrs. Lovett.”
Once I arrive at work, the office is bustling as usual, and I stop by my secretary’s desk.
“Mr. Marks! Welcome back!”
“Thank you, Mark. Everything okay here?” He nods.
“For someone who took paternity leave, you sure did get a lot done.” He laughs.
“Well, the little one supervised me while I got some work done in the office.”
“Training him up to be the next CEO already, aren’t you?” He says with a smile.
“You know it.”
“Well, you have nothing pressing for the day, just a call with the owners around twelve, but they said no rush.” I nod.
“Let me know if there’s anything else I need to do…” I tell him as I disappear into the office.
To get myself motivated, I decide to turn on some music. I click on the radio, and Al Green’s Love and Happiness comes through the stereo. I can definitely work with Al.
After a few hours, my videoconference app rings on the computer, and I see Madeline’s smiling face.
“Hey…” I greet her.
“Hey, I miss you already.” I laugh at her statement.
“I don’t feel like I was much help anyway. Between you, my mom, your mom and Mrs. Lovett, I was a sitting duck.” She giggles.
“Well, I don’t necessarily miss you because of your help. With my mom here, I don’t have to do anything but feed Aidan.”
“How is he?” I ask.
“Sleeping,” she pauses, “are you playing Al Green?” She smiles.
“You know it.”
“You are such an old soul.” She shakes her head.
“Hey, don’t knock my man. My parents used to groove to him back in the day.”
“I’m sure they did. So, I wanted to tell you that I was catching up on my gossip, and I saw where Lady R got beat up pretty bad.”
“Lady R? As in the one Brandon’s been working with?”
“Yeah, the police are not sure if it’s random or not. She couldn’t identify them.”
“Damn.”
“You don’t think Angie…”
“Absolutely not! Angie would never do anything like that!”
“I mean, she did catch them kissing.”
“I’d never believe for one moment that she could do that in good conscience. Maybe she told someone, and they took matters in their own hands.”
“Who would do that?” Madeline asks. I sigh.
“I don’t know, it could be any of her friends or family.”
“Well, I just thought you should know, maybe check on Brandon.”
“I’ll call him today.”
“Okay, are you gonna be home late?”
“It depends on my schedule. I’ll let you know a little later. Get some rest.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you too, Baby.”
Once she hangs up, I immediately call Brandon.
“Yo…” He answers.
“Hey, Brandon how’s it going?” He sighs.
“It’s going. I guess at the very least, Angie and I made up. I guess you heard about Lady R’s beating, huh?”
“Yeah, Madeline told me she saw it in those gossip rags she likes to read.”
“Well, they know Mariah did it.”
“Mariah? Angie’s sister?” I had met Mariah a couple times. I wouldn’t ever want to fight her. The woman could probably wipe the floors with anyone.
“Yeah, I had to pay them off…big time.”
“Like how big?”
“Like half my royalties on her collab with Dante big.”
“Brandon! You gave up your royalties?!”
“I had too, Bro. If I would have paid out of my bank account, Angie would have discovered it.”
“She doesn’t know? Brandon!” I knew how costly it was to keep secrets from my wife. Hopefully, Brandon faired better than I did. It almost resulted in the end of my engagement to Madeline which would have killed me.
“I don’t want her to know and neither does Mariah. As far as she’s concerned, some random thugs did it and I’m sticking to that story.”
“Still man, half your royalties. That’s a pretty penny.”
“I’ll make it back, don’t you worry. T-Money has a new album coming out, and I’m working with a few new neosoul artists. I’m good.”
“You sure there’s no other way?”
“No, there’s not. Look, I just want this all behind us, so I need your silence. Don’t even tell Madeline.”
“Fine. I won’t tell her.”
“Please, Man. For the sake of my marriage and her relationship with her sister.”
“You’ve got my word, Brandon.”
“Thanks, Man. I’ll talk to you later, my artist is back from her lunch.”
“I’ll call you guys this weekend.”
“Sure thing. Take care.” I hang up, shaking my head. I can’t believe Brandon gave up his royalties to that song. I knew it was going to be a hit. He was giving up a shit ton of money. I guess if that’s what he needed to protect his family, then had to. I could respect him for that.
Chapter 5—End of the Road
“You nervous?” Raheim asks me as we prepare to do our final set as a band.
“Not really nervous, just didn’t think this night would come so quickly” I respond.
“Well, we can always still get together like we used to back in the day. It’s not really over.”
“You’re right. Well…” I stand up with my glass of cognac, “guys, here is to our last night, but may we forever be the Soul Experience. Cheers, guys!”
“Cheers! Everyone responds, chugging their drinks before we hop onto the stage.” A round of roaring applause fills the room as we turn to face the crowd and I step to the mic.
“Good soulful evening, ladies and gentlemen! I know you guys are ready to get started and we will shortly. I just want to say that on behalf of the band, we are forever thankful to those of you who have followed us the past fifteen years. We wouldn’t have been around as long as we have without you.” The crowd applauds again.
“So, we’re gonna start with some of your favorite originals, then we’ll end the evening with some good 90’s R&B. Does that sound good?!” I get an enthusiastic agreement from the audience and take my place with my guitar.
After we’ve played our original songs, we take a short break and I secretly tell our instrumentalists that I want to sing one of Angie’s favorite songs, For the Cool in You. They all nod in agreement.
After our break, I tell the crowd that I am saving Angie’s voice for the rest of selections while I romanticize her with a little talent of my own. The band begins to play, and I sing the lyrics for her, taking her hand in mine. She blushes wildly, giving me that big, crazy grin I love so much. The crowd starts clapping to the beat as I dance with Angie on stage.
Later in the set, Angie, to my surprise sings Love is Stronger than Pride by Sade. I had no idea she was going to sing it and am stunned when Melvin grabs his guitar to play it. She must have told them it was going to be a surprise. I couldn’t have asked for a better closing act.
After we’ve performed and the DJ takes over, Angie and I sit at the table with our friends who are all just a little tipsy.
“Great show tonight, guys.” Vince slaps me on the back.
“Yeah, I don’t understand why you’re letting it go, Man” Kendall says.
“It was time” Angie responds before taking a sip of her deep, red wine.
“Well, what are you guys gonna do now in your spare time? Have more kids?” Vince asks. Angie and I both laugh.
“I think this is it for us, you know? The years will fly by and soon Riley will be old enough for school. We just need time to be a family. This band has been…one of the best things in my life” Angie says.
“Well, you got a husband out of it” Kendall jokes as the table breaks out in tipsy laughter.
“She sure did…” I plant a gentle kiss on her lips which makes the table groan in fake disgust.
“Angie, I loved your last song” Madeline comments. Everyone murmurs in agreement.
“I think every bit of it is the truth. I think we’ve all gone through some growing pains in our marriages, but as she says, ‘love is stronger than pride’” Angie responds.
“Word.” Kendall raises his glass.
“Truth” Vince says.
“Well, you go through those growing pains, and you realize that it’s a part of life. That’s the beautiful thing about it” Emily, Gus’ wife says.
“Sure, but you have to learn from them” Madeline pips.
“Of course” I reply.
“I think we have all learned…” Kendall says.
“You definitely have learned.” Vince shoves him with a smile.
“Yeah, I did, and so have ya’ll.” He looks around the table. We couldn’t deny that statement. All of us at one time or another have had rocky times in our lives and marriages. We got through it, no matter how painful it was.
“You’re right, Man” I agree.
“But that’s the beauty of it all! The ups and downs: the love, the fights. It’s all damned good” Vince comments.
“Damned good” Gus repeats with a smile as he pulls his wife, Emily close.
“It’s life” I say.
“Well, I think a toast is in order. To the band, to our families, to living life to the fullest everyday…” Kendall raises his glass.
“Cheers!” Everyone responds as we clink our glasses.
After we’ve had more than our share of drinks, we all take our designated taxis and limos home. As Angie and I step into the quiet of our house, I immediately click the remote and Prince’s Diamonds and Pearls comes through the stereo. I take off Angie’s jacket and mine, throwing them on the couch and hold out my hand. She takes it silently, and we dance…neither of us saying a word. I stroke her hair softly as we move to the music.
“Brandon?” she says, holding me tighter.
“Yes, Angie?” She stares into my eyes.
“I wanted to be angry with you…for months. I wanted you to feel the hurt I felt.”
“I felt it in a week.” She puts a finger to my lips.
“I want you to understand that I know how the business is, but I never expect that to be more important than us. I need you to do what Mama prayed for…have discernment. I don’t want to go through this ever again.”
“We won’t.”
“I need your word.”
“You have my word, Angie. I love you and Riley. Nothing is worth losing you two…ever.” I start to think about giving up half my royalties to keep Paris and Rasheeda quiet. It was absolutely necessary, and I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted my wife, my family.
“I love you…” she murmurs, laying her head on my shoulder.
“I’ve loved you from the first day I met you.” She scoffs.
“No, you didn’t.” I tip her chin up so that she can look at me.
“Yes, I did. I knew you were going to be my wife.” She chuckles softly.
“Well, now, you have to keep me.”
“Oh, I plan on it.” I kiss her deeply.
As the song ends, I take her hand with a smile.
“Come on, let me show you.” I lead her upstairs and she giggles as take her into the bedroom.
For the rest of the night, I make love to her, showing her that she was the only one that I loved, that I desired. Nothing would ever change that.
