"Yeah, industry trap. They set up shop, bring in a bunch of hopefuls, and sell them a dream, only to make them sign their life away. I know a couple artists who are talented as fuck but ended up…"
"Like me," she huffed and he narrowed his eyes her way.
"Nah, worse than you. At least you got your album out. Did a tour, got to experience what it feels like to be on that stage. It's some shit you can never really understand. But them, all they got was signed to a label that locked them into unreasonable expectations where Cobra made money and they saw pennies."
"I'm not much different than them. If I can get away from Cobra, I'll basically be starting over."
"Starting over isn't all that bad, Samari. Sometimes it works out better because you've experienced how to navigate things to get what you want, not what you have to."
"Your career is good though," she said, knowing he had room to talk. She didn’t.
"It is, but that's not what I mean. I started over. The life I had before I picked up a mic gave me the patience and understanding about what I wanted for my future. What I came from isn't a place I want to return to. What I'm living now, how I eat, how I live? This is what I want. Back then, the life I had, how I ate, how I lived was based on circumstances. Dealing with Cobra was a circumstance. Letting me help you find your place, one that you own, is a choice."
He lifted and moved toward her, turning her onto her back. When he lowered and the weight of his body met hers, she exhaled all of her tension. "I want to be your choice, Samari."
A cocky smile tugged at his lips before they connected with hers. His dominance took over with every swipe of this tongue. He explored, tasted, and teased, enjoying the way her soft lips felt while he devoured her mouth. His dick came to life with the optimism of joining the conversation but that was shut down when Asao found his damn sense.
When he pulled away and extended to his full height, she almost protested. Samari wanted more and would have given more if he offered. Instead he extended a hand, helping her sit up.
"It's late. I need to get you home."
"I drove."
"Yeah, you did, but again, it's late, let me take you…"
She shook her head. "No, I can drive. I don't live that far and it doesn't make sense for you to drive me when I have my car."
"It doesn't make sense for you to be out there alone either."
"Asao, I'll be fine. If it means that much, you can walk me down and I'll let you know when I make it home." He looked like he was going to object again, but she shut that down. "I promise I'll be fine."
He reluctantly agreed and walked her to her car. Her entire drive she kept replaying the evening and his words in her head.
"I want to be your choice, Samari."
She refused to mix business with pleasure again. Her past had proven that was a mistake but she was hopeful Asao would be the one to help her get back some of what she’d lost and that would be good enough, even if she already knew she wanted more. She wanted him…
9
After Samari left last night,Asao stayed up for a few more hours writing. He revisited old tracks Dom made that he couldn't completely lock down until after Samari was gone. He could hear her voice before and after his, sometimes layered in the background. She was meant to be on those tracks, with him.
The late night meant he didn’t get up until noon and only then because someone decided to show up at his place unannounced. Once he dragged his ass off the sofa to the door, he groaned, realizing it was Niles.
As soon as he was inside, Niles’s first stop was Asao’s kitchen where he removed orange juice, which he opened and turned up, bypassing the glass.
"Bruh, can you at least pretend to respect my shit?"
Niles grunted and finished what was left, tossing the empty container. Asao left him there to take a piss and get cleaned up in the bathroom. Once the taste of wintermint coated his tongue, he found Niles’s big body with half his sofa caved in. Asao grabbed one of the kitchen chairs, turned it backward, and got seated, staring at Niles. If he was here, he wanted to talk business.
"What's up?"
"Did you see the email I sent this morning?" Asao deadpanned his boy and Niles grunted again. He was up before the sun, even if he stayed up all night. Asao didn't function that way. Never had.
"You need to look at it," Niles mumbled.
"What is it?"
"The contract to buy Cap out."
