“Make yourself open, it’s coming to you.”
38 /EMANI
“Oh,girl, your man is balling tonight,” Emani cheered, gently nudging Normani who was silently cheering for Tyris.
She offer Emani a faint smile. “I lowkey miss this.”
“What’s stopping you from having it again?” Emani asked. All the nights they’d spent in the studio together, she and Normani had conversations at length about love lost and could it be renewed. Normani revealed her pain of feeling like she’d lost herself in the light of who Tyris was. That was something they shared. Emani could relate all too well to the pain but she could also testify to what happened when you ran from the love designed for you. Everything was a dead end.
All that sharing translated to beautiful tracks. Now Emani was going to see to it that Tyris and Nomani’s love story continued to the next chapter and this wasn’t the end of their story. Normani’s groan could be felt.
“Fear,” she muttered and it was loaded.
Emani held her hand tighter and wiggled against her. “We can get into the fear later. Tonight, let’s focus on all the happy things. I mean look at you, face beat, new hair, ass poking out your dress. Yeah, it’s going to be a good night for you.
Normani couldn’t help but smile. Yes she had her sister, but in this industry, finding genuineness was difficult especially from women. She was elated to stumble across Haddon and Lucci but now, to have Emani too. She felt like things were turning around for her.
The game ended just like Emani expected it too. Jahlil put up fifty, Tyris put up forty and Waynesville fell short of the victory by twenty points. Instead of waiting through the press conference, Emani accompanied Normani to the restaurant Jahlil made reservations at prior to the game starting. They sat in the private room, sipped the signature cocktails and discussed the roll out for the EP.
“I want to recreate my mug shot. Like full glam, buss down wig, diamonds in my mouth. Savage season shit,” Emani shared, after taking a sip of her mango and crème martini.
“Ohhhh yess. That’ll be so dope with the charges scribbled on the wall,” Normani gushed. “Is Derrick doing the creative direction?”
“Yes. I know what he comes up with is going to be so amazing.”
Normani paused before starting, “I hate to even bring it up. But your old team, was this level of trust there?”
Emani shook her head. “No. This is the first time in my career I’m in control without having to micromanage or worry about how it’s all going to stay together. I guess the saying that it all falls apart to fall together is true.”
Normani smiled faintly and nodded in agreement. “I agree. I think that’s what’s happening with me. I want so much but I have to find me again first.”
“Aunt Violet told me I better not ever lose myself again. Not even behind no man I love. So I’m not and you aren’t either. You’re going to get yourself back and your man. But yourself first.”
The door of the private dining room opened and Jahlil and Tyris roamed in, both with a bouquet of flowers.
“How is it you played a game and I get flowers?” Emani cooed, giving Jahlil a triple kiss. “Thank you.”
“You looked damn good courtside. Had to chin one of those niggas but you looked great,” he muttered in her ear.
“I thought we agreed to no fighting,” Emani muttered back.
Jahlil kissed his teeth. “Nah, I didn’t agree to that. I told you no more. You order already?”
“Oxtail, curry goat, jerk chicken, rice and peas and cabbage. Oh and the mac n cheese bites,” Emani rambled off while Tyris and Normani sat in an intense silence. Jahlil cut Emani a low look and she returned the same.
“Nor…can we talk, please?”
Normani fidgeted with the flowers. “Are you going to beat on your chest and demand your way back inside or…”
“I’m going to listen,” Tyris shared. “I need to hear you this time.”
Emani watched Normani shift in her seat and she gently kicked her under the table. “I’ll have the kitchen pack this up. I’m tired anyway.”
Jahlil fake yawned and stretched. “You know what, Rose, me too, baby. Let me tell them we’re taking everything to go.”
Emani stood, grabbing her purse, drink, and flowers in the process. “I’ll come with you.”
She blew Normani a kiss and a wink on her way out the door ahead of Jahlil, hoping that they found their way back to each other sooner than later. With the food in tow, the couple headed back to the room and found themselves sitting on the floor, eating out of the containers.
