He got up from his desk, rounding it, coming to the edge, crossing his feet at the ankles. That’s usually his closer when he was about to lay some shit on me that I didn’t fuck with.
“This is for billboards… for TV.”
“What the fuck’s wrong with my look?”
“Nothing.” He rested his hand on my shoulder.
I shrugged it off. “It’s for the image of the company.”
“Then they came to the wrong mothafucka.”
“Rayzor, you’re the newest face of heavyweight boxing. Everyone wants you. This isn’t something we need to throw away without thinking about it first.”
“Morrison, you ain’t new to this. I don’t need mothafuckas trying to change me.”
“And they’re not.” He paused. “They want you to be the face of their campaign. Men’s cologne. Not all of the tattoos must go. You’ll be covered up for the most part.”
“Then why the fuck are they worried about tatts?”
“We just need to get you in full makeup for your neck.”
I glanced back at the picture. It wasn’t me. I didn’t like the way they made my ass look too one-dimensional. Even my eyes were brighter. I hated how they altered looks and shit.
“What’s the number?”
“Seven million.”
I paused.
Seven was big. All of this was still new, no matter how often we had offers on the table. I wanted to remain who I was.
“So, they’re paying to change me?”
“That’s not what’s happening at all.”
“Then why all this shit?” I tossed the pictures then stood. “I already told you when you get these campaigns and shit to let them know I’m raw. We got the sports drinks and other shit where I can freely be me. I'm comfortable like that. It’s when you bend the knee and give these mothafuckas a few feet that they want the whole mile. I’m not letting y’all mothafuckas change me.”
“I totally understand, Rayzor. We don’t need an answer today, so please go home and sleep on it. I know you have that press tour coming up soon, so if you can, get back with me in a couple of days. No pressure.”
“If it ain’t no pressure, why the fuck you putting it on a timeframe,” I mumbled, grabbing up the folders with the contracts to take.
I walked out knowing he was smiling because he thought he planted a seed.
Seeds don’t grow where the sun don’t shine.
After leaving Morrison, I headed over to Eris.’ She’d been down with a cold, so she hadn’t been to work. I went by every morning to whip up breakfast and chill with her before leaving out and handling business.
She answered the door, bonnet on, wrapped up in a blanket.
Wrapping my arms around her, I tried kissing her.
“Gone now, baby. I’m not trying to get you sick, and the world be mad at me,” she whined.
I leaned in, kissing her anyway.
“If it’s gone make you better, I’ll take all this shit.” I kissed her again. “Let me get you back in bed.”
She didn’t argue. The moment we got to her room, she damn near ran underneath the covers. I tucked her in, hit the TV then I heard Levi. Turning around, he ran up to me, and I picked him up.
