"Six, what the hell?" Samari laughed at the thought because there was a little too much detail connected to this s- called hall pass.
"Okay, so maybe he wasn't that specific, but the club closes at three. That gives us time for a really greasy breakfast before I have to be home and resume my boring ass life."
"I'm not staying at no damn club until three in the morning, Ree."
"Ten. I'll see you at ten and dress sexy. My version of sexy, Mari, not yours. You're long overdue for something long and hard."
"No, that is not what this is…"
"Love you. Ten. Be ready by ten." Sheree cut Samari off and ended the call.
Samari groaned through her frustration and anxiety. She hated clubs with a passion. She hated everything they represented and they reminded her of what she was missing most in her life. Every shitty ass, auto-tuned track that played clashed with her soul, taunting her because the talentless individuals they kept in rotation had something that had been snatched away from her.
The one good thing about a club was it would be dark and crowded. She would blend with the sea of bodies and faces undetected. She could keep a low profile, drink, dance, and just be with her girl. She needed it. Samari needed something, so she was partially looking forward to it.
3
His body felt weighted,and the more his phone vibrated next to his head, the more he willed his eyes to open so he could grab it but it wasn't happening. He was exhausted. According to his body's calculations, he hadn't been asleep for long, which wasn't helping his mental state. He managed to lift his arm and pat around his pillow in search of the nuisance that had his temple pulsing.
"Yeah?" His naturally deep voice was a few octaves lower than usual and clearly expressed his lack of sleep.
"Asao." His mother's voice was always light but demanding. One word, his name, was enough for him to hear it. "Are you asleep? It’s three in the afternoon.”
"Late night, Ma. I had my last show then I worked on new stuff. I'm about to get up." At thirty-three years old, he felt like a child. His mother was the only person who had the ability to make him question his life choices. Even one as simple as sleeping in because he had worked his ass off through the night and early morning.
His mother didn't give a shit about his music. She was proud of him, appreciated that what he did paid the bills and kept him out of the streets he used to live for, but that was as far as it went. He could record until five in the morning and she would still expect him to be up at a “decent hour”.
Sleeping all day showed a lack of discipline and responsibility in her eyes. He rolled onto his back, eyes still closed. His free arm bent at the elbow and covered his face while he considered taking the entire day. He was positive that once he ended the call with his mother, he could shut down and fall right back into a coma type of sleep within a matter of seconds. The past three months had been a lot and he needed the rest.
"Come home soon. I need to see you, Asao."
"I will. Give me a few days. You good?"
She scoffed lightly, pausing for an extended period. This was her way of speaking to him without words. His mother was always good. She was content with the small, ranch-style house she hardly ever left. Necessities were provided on his behalf so she didn't have to. As the only man in her life, he took care of his mother and would give more but she refused. All she wanted most days was to lay eyes on him. Put her hands on his face to physically know…
Once her heart was at ease, she would prepare a meal that would have him kicked out on her sofa, lazy and full. Kendra Delane only needed her son.
"Soon, Asao."
"Aight, Ma. I got you. I'll see you soon. Love you.”
"Love you too. Soon and I mean it.”
Her words were clipped and very dry. He smirked from under his arm, knowing his mother was in her feelings. He hadn't seen much of her while he was touring but he made sure to call and check in.
She knew his lifestyle, or his past, and no matter how many times he expressed that things were different, she still felt as if he was walking on the wrong side. Memories of his ill deeds and consequences were ingrained in her pretty little head, so it was hard for his mother not to worry.
As proud of him as she was, she was still disappointed in the course his life took. Failure on her part, as she always reminded him. His life choices had nothing to do with her. He craved a type of recklessness that could only be found walking a path littered with uncertainty. Still, she blamed herself for not keeping her son from the danger that kept him in the streets. That hurt but he couldn't change her views. The values she carried wouldn't allow her to feel otherwise.
It was time for him to get up and try to salvage something out of the day. His stomach was a deciding factor because it was empty as hell. Willing his body to move, he sat up and planted his feet on the floor.
His eyes traveled around the dark room while he recalled parts of the hours leading up to crashing on the sofa that lined one wall in his guest room. The tracks he laid had already been sent to his phone so he could listen to them in a full run at some point during the day. But right now he needed to shower and head out to find food.
With a new perspective and clean clothes, he unplugged both of his phones before heading to the door. On the elevator down, he checked messages, noticing he had several on his business line about club appearances, interviews, and folks who wanted him to do features.
Niles handled Asao’s affairs, but with him needing to be hands on, everything that moved or was presented Niles made sure Asao was copied on. He pretended that was just the flow of things, but Asao knew him, how he thought, and how he moved. Niles never wanted Asao to feel as if anything he did wasn't on the up and up. Not that he ever would, but he made sure to keep that solidified by placing Asao in the middle of everything that involved his money.
As soon as he was in his car, Asao hit up Dom. According to his social media, he had been out all night blowing money and killing brain cells. The tour was over and he’d worked just as hard as Asao, so last night was his release. They all needed a minute to unwind. However Asao’s was just a little more structured than Niles and Dom's.
