“And she has so much to do, Malik can wait,” Sandi buzzed.
“I’m just saying… that baby would be so cute,” Derrick gushed.
Emani’s eyes were back on her phone and a series of texts from Malik. First the apology for showing his ass all night into the morning robbing her of sleep.
Malik: baby I’m sorry. I was tripping.
Second, the balm to the wound.
Malik: after you shoot, bring some of that shit home. Let me take it off
Emani wanted to scoff and reply, take it off for what? Three minutes of huffing and puffing. She didn’t. While Jahlil danced in the back of her mind, Malik was who she was with. Malik was safe, enough.
Third, the recovery.
Malik: we’re doing dinner tonight, I sent Joanna with something
“Where does this trade leave Malik?” Micah asked the other cohost.
“I’ll tell you,” Ryan spoke up. “Riding pine. He’s been playing horribly.”
“Oh okay,” Joanna spoke up as if she were offended. The scoff of audacity left her lips and Emani and Derrick both stopped what they were doing to look at her. “Horribly?!”
Sandi cleared her throat. “We should turn this off, yeah? Joanna is about to show everyone how much of a super fan she is.”
Derrick grunted. “Even more than the woman fuckin’ the man.”
Emani: okay. Are you sending a car or…
Malik: I’ll be home to take you. I love you, E
Emani: Love you too
She locked her phone and watched Sandi turn the TV off and shoot a tense glance at her sister before turning back to Emani. “After the shoot, you have a radio interview. I have the studio booked for the rest of the night.”
“Malik wants to have dinner so you can tell the engineer I’ll see him tomorrow,” Emani replied. “I can be in the studio all day.”
“OSU called, they said they know it’s last minute but they want you to perform at homecoming in a week and a half,” Donnée excitedly spoke, walking into the room not caring who was in the middle of what.
Emani looked up, brows pinned. “What?”
“OSU wants E. Rose on stage to headline the Endzone Block party. I know, I know they should’ve had you on the schedule to begin with. I’ve already cussed them out for that. And I’ve told them yes, so scribble that down on your little iPad LaSandria,” Donnée said, flicking her wrist toward Sandi and her iPad.
“It’s Sandra. That weekend of homecoming is blocked out, she can’t do it,” Sandi spoke. “We’re in roll out season.”
Donnée curled her lip. “Homecoming season trumps everything else.”
“Excuse me, I’m sitting right here. I blacked those dates out so I can have some much needed me time while Malik takes his mom on her birthday trip. So I’m down for the homecoming concert, Donnée.”
She clapped her hands. “Good. Now what’s going on with you?”
Emani swayed her head. “I’m good.”
Donnée raised her brows looking at the cup of coffee, no food or water. The eye patches under her eyes and her face void of joy. “Did you sleep last night?”
“I didn’t sleep from midnight until,” Emani muttered lowly once Sandi walkaway to talk to Joanna. “He wanted to fight all fuckin’ night about this trade. Like I had something to do about it. In there pitching a fuckin’ fit.”
Donnée frowned. “He’s tripping about Jah coming back?”
