“He definitely gives off the vibes that he’s carrying something heavy down there. I wonder if he plays for my team.” Dominique swiped his hand as if he was whirling his invisible hair behind him.
“Lord, please don’t do that to us. There are enough DL niggas in the industry. Save one for us.” Nova scoffed. I couldn’t contain my laughter as the two of them went back and forth.
The crowd grew larger as people filed into the lounge. I was grateful we were in a section because there were barriers between us and the next section. We were close to the stage, so I wouldn’t have to strain to see the artist. I glanced around the room, checking out the various outfits and hairstyles. People watching was a weakness of mine, and I couldn’t help myself.
My eyes scanned across the room, picking up on a few familiar faces. Que forced me to attend events, which gave me the opportunity to meet many people in the industry. Que stood next to a group of men, and I could tell he would be mingling most of the night. It didn’t bother me, as long as I could stay in my seat.
“Here you go, ladies. I brought extra cups and chasers. If you need anything else, flag me down.” The pretty waitress set our drinks on the table before switching away. I loved men, but I appreciated the physique of a woman. We all watched as her booty bounced from left to right with every step she took.
“Damn. Maybe I do need to get surgery because her ass looked good as hell!” Nova shouted.
“Girl, please. You can’t even handle getting your eyebrows waxed; you are not built for surgery. Besides, you have the perfect shape with the right amount of everything,” I pointed out.
“Exactly. You have the face and body of a model and the ass of a hood bitch. Hell, you and Ari have perfect builds. Y’all makeme want to get surgery myself, but I need a sponsor to pay for everything!” Dominique exclaimed.
“You and me both. I’m so tired of being an adult. These bills are out of control.”
I kept quiet because I couldn’t remember the last time I had paid a bill outside of my basic wants and needs. Que had his flaws, but he took care of our household and all the bills.
“Alright, let’s take our first shots so we can get this party started. Bankroll brought out some heavy hitters, and I’m trying to see who I can add to my roster. These niggas look like they have money.” Nova squealed. She wasn’t lying, because as I peeped the room, there was nothing but men and women dressed up in designer labels from head to toe.
“Yes, the ballers are in the building. After Bankroll Keyz takes the stage, I plan to do some mingling. You know the booty boys like to play shy, so I gotta make myself known.” I damn near spit my drink out when I heard what Dominique said. I shouldn’t have been surprised because he was always saying wild shit, but he caught me slipping.
“You are hell. I’m sure both of you can find some potential suitors in here. Hell, Que works with some nice-looking men. I’ll introduce y’all if he brings them over here.”
“I don’t know if I want to mess with a nigga in the music business. They be doing their women the worst. No offense, love. I know Que probably isn’t like that, but I’ve heard nothing but horror stories,” Nova reasoned.
“None taken. I agree with you completely. That was one of the reasons I didn’t want to mess with him when he first approached me. Those fools will chase you down until you give in, make you fall in love, and then embarrass you in front of the world. You remember the hell I took Que through when he tried to court me. If it wasn’t for him being such a nice guy, I’m not sure I would have given him the time of day. He isn’t perfect by any means,but I’m grateful that he keeps his hands clean. Or at least his dirt has never gotten back to me.”
It took a while for me to let my guard down when it came to dating. Outside of my childhood love, Keynauri, I never saw myself with anyone else. Then when he got locked up, it felt like my whole future had been stripped from me. It took a while for me to get over the way things ended with us and the baggage he left behind, but I refused to let it slow me down. I had something to prove and I couldn’t let myself or my family down. As a result of that, I decided to focus on building a legacy for myself.
Since skin care and fashion were both passions of mine, I began posting content of all the outfits I wore. The segments were mainly me posting cute outfits for college girls on a budget. I met a couple of girls on campus who were friends with Instagram models, and they loved my style as well. They would ask me to style the clothes they already had in their closets, and eventually, it turned into a hustle. When I decided to offer the service, I never imagined how far it would take me. By the age of 21, I began to book high-profile clients. That was how I met Que. His manager reached out to me for help because he needed an outfit for an award show. We kept in contact after I assisted him that night, and he refused to take no for an answer. It got to a point where he was sending flowers and gifts to my office daily. I finally gave in and agreed to a date after weeks of being blessed with gifts. I told myself I would grant him a date as a thank you, but he wasn’t having it. Que addressed my reservations, making it clear that he would take care of my heart. I decided to trust him and give him the opportunity, and we had been locked in ever since.
A few months into our relationship, though, Que voiced his displeasure with my styling business. He hated the way men fawned over me and the traveling I was required to do. Since he was paying all of my bills, I agreed to minimize my clienteleby only styling women. decided I wanted to go back to school to become an esthetician. After I finished school, I rented my own beauty suite, where I offer services to help women look their best. Que was gracious enough to invest in my business, and the rest was history. Being a young entrepreneur wasn’t easy, but I loved what I did. Plus, it afforded me a comfortable lifestyle.
Que came back to the section a couple of times to check in on us, but people were calling his name and pulling him in every direction. It made me grateful that Nova and Dominique were able to come with me. Otherwise, I would have been here by myself.
“Alright, y’all. I just got word that Bankroll is here, and he’s ready to give you what you’ve been waiting for. Now this is my homey’s first appearance, so I need y’all to turn up for my nigga. He’s about to bless us with some fire tonight, and we want to show out for him. Can y’all do that for me?” The emcee spoke into the mic. The crowd roared with excitement, including Nova and Dom.
“Alright. On the count of three, I need y’all to make as much noise as you possibly can. Alright? Let’s show big homey that his fans are in the mothafuckin’ building!”
The crowd was on their feet, so I joined in with everyone else. Que was nowhere to be found, but I figured he must have been somewhere with the artist.
“One, two, mothafuckin’ three! Make some noise!” The emcee screamed, inciting a loud roar that filled the entire building. It reminded me of the concerts we used to go to when we were teenagers, and I actually appreciated the vibe.
“Bankroll! The world is yours, my nigga! Let’s go!”
Music began to play as a group of men walked through the middle of the club. Lights were flashing everywhere, and there were people standing from wall to wall. The screams and roars continued as his entourage stepped onto the stage. I assumedthe artist was the one in the middle because they were still covering him. He wore one of those hooded robes like boxers on fight night. I thought the idea was cool. It only heightened the mystery surrounding his identity.
“Come on, baby! Let us see that face!” Nova screamed while standing on the seat in the booth.
“Lord, I hope he doesn’t look like a troll. That would be so disappointing,” Dominique countered. I laughed, thinking of how funny it would be if he turned out to be hideous. If we were being honest, it would have been on brand for most rappers. Most of the talented rappers were not the cutest to look at. Honestly, I couldn’t care one way or the other, but for my friends’ sakes, I prayed he lived up to their fantasies.
The emcee spoke to a couple of the men before they finally stepped away from the artist. He spoke into his ear before hugging him and handing over the mic. His head was angled down with the top of the robe dropping down. Two men walked up on either side of him as he finally removed the robe. The sound in the building was indescribable as my ears began to ring.
One of my hoop earrings snapped off from me shaking my head too hard, so I bent down to get it. Nova was shouting my name in a panicked voice, but I was too busy trying to find my earring with only the light from my cellphone.
“Ari! Ari! Bitch. Get up! You gotta see this shit!” I rolled my eyes because, of course, my best friend was being dramatic. Once I found my earring, I lifted back up from the floor. Que bought me those earrings for my birthday, and they cost a lot of money. I decided to take the other one off and place them both in my handbag.
