“According to the blogger I just punched in the face, he’s somewhere being a hoe,” Tyler chuckled as Aria helped her in the car.
“You wanna pull up?”
“No,” Tyler declined, shaking her head, settling into the passenger seat. “I want to go home, eat something greasy, and go to bed.”
“And where the fuck Bobbi lumpy booty ass go?”
“Hell if I know. I came back from the bathroom and that bitch was ghost.”
“I don’t even know why you went out with her shaky ass.”
“Me either, but it’s cool. Bobbi gone do what Bobbi do. I wasn’t expecting to end the night with her.”
“Mmm, cousin or not, her ass can get it. Shane sent me videos from her page, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think her slut ass was trying to embarrass you.”
“She probably was, but you can’t embarrass a person who doesn’t have anything to hide.”
“I hear you.” Aria twisted her lips. “I still don’t like it.”
“I know,” Tyler sighed, resting her head on the window. “I don’t like it either.”
???
Two days later, Tyler found herself in a funk that she couldn’t shake. The pills weren’t helping, drinking made it worse, and the only place she found comfort was in the booth. With a pair of headphones resting on top of her head, the end of an ink pen hung from her lips as her finger tapped on the notebook resting in her lap. That morning, she woke up with so much on her mind, but now that she was sitting in the booth, she was stuck. The words she hummed all night vanished. It didn’t matter that she was sitting in the booth with a beat playing in the background, she was still drawing a blank, and it was frustrating.
“Shit.” Tyler dropped her head, feeling defeated.
“You want me to restart the beat?” Her engineer, Kenny, asked, sensing that something was off.
Kenny had been there all morning, and he’d be there all night if she needed him. Tyler was the only person who could have him out at the crack of dawn while she sorted through her creativity. As long as Dexter wasn’t around, Kenny was all for it. Fucking with Dexter would have him sitting in a cell, and he wasn’t trying to go back there.
“Yea, play it back,” Tyler's voice lightly cracked, still trying to gather words she couldn’t find.
Kenny nodded and hit the button on the switchboard to restart the beat. The combination of violins, pianos, and light drums graced Tyler’s ears, and her eyes instantly closed. The beat felt warm and familiar. It reminded her of good times, fun times, times when she felt loved. The beat was nostalgic and reminded her of her mother. When Tyler opened her eyes, tears rolled down her cheeks.
“You good?” Kenny asked as she quickly swiped the tears away.
“Uh, yea, you know what? We’re good for the day.” Tyler cleared her throat. “My head is all over the place.”
“You sure?” He side-eyed her through the glass.
“Yes, thank you for coming out.” She exited the booth. “I’m going to go clear my head, get some food, and maybe we can try again later.”
“Aight, Cool. You know where to find me.” Kenny stood up as Carla strolled into the studio like she owned it.
It didn’t matter that it was almost ninety degrees outside, Carla was dressed in a navy-blue pant suit with a pair of cream Red Bottoms. Her hair was pushed back into a sleek ponytailthat touched the middle of her back, and a pair of Prada frames rested on her face.
“You don’t see me calling you?” Carla questioned rudely, removing her glasses. “And what’s the point of having an assistant if she doesn’t know where you are?”
“Hello to you, too,” Tyler scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“I’mma head out. Ty,” Kenny stepped around Carla, who looked at him in disgust. He wasn’t like the engineers and producers Oakwood hired. Kenny’s hands and face were covered in tattoos, he reeked of weed, and his clothes were the typical hood nigga attire.
“Thanks again, Kenny. I’ll be reaching out soon so we can finish this up.” Tyler reached over to hug him, and Carla rolled her eyes.
“Aye and stop stressing. You’re a natural when it comes to this shit. Don’t chase the words, let them come to you,” he told her before backing out of the door.
Carla twisted her lips at his little pep talk. She didn’t care what he was talking about. She was more concerned about why her niece was making moves she wasn’t aware of. Tyler being in the studio with another producer wasn’t a good look, and it had her wondering how serious she was about going independent. Examining her niece, Carla let out a deep sigh.
