Everyone in KC was somehow related by default, so she wasn’t overly surprised. When she and Zahir first got together, she had to make sure his rolling stone of a father didn’t have any kids that may have been her siblings.
“So, you’re in the music industry?” Zahir asked, switching to his professional mode.
“I wouldn’t say I’min it, but I have a nice fan base. I’m an R&B singer,” Orielle answered.
Sovanna smacked her lips. “Baby, she’s playing modest. She’scold.”
Najee smirked. “Thank you for not being the only one to say it. I keep telling her she needs to pop her shit.”
Orielle glanced his way and playfully rolled her eyes. “He does, but I’m just waiting on my turn. I know what my voice brings to the table.”
Zahir nodded, loving the confidence in her tone. “Yeah? I wouldn’t mind hearing what you got. Are you signed to anyone?”
Orielle’s brows dipped. “No, I’m independent, but I’ve been searching for an agent and a label. Are you a manager or something?”
Humbly, Zahir chuckled. “Nah. I’m an agent at MTA.”
Orielle’s jaw dropped. She claimed not to beinthe industry, but if you were and had done your research, you knew that Maven Talent Agency was one of the most established agencies in the country. They represented artists and a diverse range of professions throughout the entertainment world. Although Zahir’s expertise was music, he kept his hand in a few lanes. Orielle couldn’t believe her luck.
“Oh wow!” she exclaimed. “They represent some of my favorite and biggest artists.”
“We do. You could be one of them,” Zahir hinted, pulling his phone out. “I’m not always in search of new talent, ‘cause my roster is pretty solid, but gon’ head and put your number in here. If my Baby Dolls vouched for you, you must be something special.”
Too stunned to speak, Orielle grabbed his phone and shakily typed her number into the keypad, saving it underRielle Summers. She handed it back and smiled.
“Here you go. Don’t let it collect dust,” she jested, but was also serious as hell.
“I’m not going to let him,” Sovanna said.
Zahir smirked, knowing she would be on his head about Orielle. “I got you. You just be ready when I make that call.”
“I’ma make sure she is, bro. Good lookin’,” Najee said, and they dapped one another up.
“Always, family. We gon’ head up out of here. Y’all have a safe rest of y’all’s trip,” Zahir said.
“Y’all too,” Orielle said, waving.
She watched as Zahir guided a yawning Sovanna up the hall with a hand on her back. Turning to face Najee, she bunched her face in an overly excited manner.
“Oh, my gosh!” she squealed. “What the hell just happened?”
Najee chuckled. “You securing a mothafuckin’ agent, that’s what. And to think you were trying to convince me to switch our travel dates. Tell me, thank you for not listening.”
Orielle stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Thank you, baby. For everything. Tonight feels like I manifested it.”
Najee kissed her forehead. “You did, and you deserve whatever is about to happen. Now let’s go meet Jhené so she can rub some more good juju off on you. Shit, tell her we need a few million to fall out of the sky.”
Laughing, Orielle intertwined her fingers with his. She wasn’t sure what was in the air or what the future held, but it was looking brighter by the day.
12
“I KNOW THAT’LL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.”
His Aunt Joyce would probably think he was coming down with a cold if she could see him right now. If he were, Najee didn’t want any medicine to heal him. For once, everything felt right, and having Orielle in his space was the missing piece to the void he felt when he was first released.
His old home had nothing on his new crib.
His oldhoehad nothing on his new bitch.
