Page 102 of Just Like Summer

She groaned to herself. “Tell him after you get him to sign.”

He could hate her, be a good father, and still get to live out his dream. That was the point. However this turned out, he had to live his dream. Her failure to listen already stole five years from him. Regardless of how he handled the aftermath, everything she’d done from that point to now was for him to live. She was indebted to him in that regard.

After she ate and checked in on Kairo and Fredo, she was back in her cabana-styled section, listening to the producer teams on stage. Cairo eased into her space with a bottle of water and a snack box.

“They just got this shit everywhere, and I know you haven’t been drinking enough water,” he lowly spoke, honoring her request about attention and the cameras.

“Thanks. You having fun?” she asked. “With a side of thrills?”

“I don’t get a thrill out of another nigga in your face,” Cairo stated, his eyes on the stage and not dancing over her. “Especially not one who can’t protect you. Can’t seem to understand why you ever chose him.”

She opened the bottle of water and took a swig. “I wasn’t left with too many options, but you forced my hand. I’m not doing this here. Let’s keep it business.”

“Alright, then keep it business. I want that spot at El Jefe. I’m not signing a 360.”

“I would never ask you to do that. If anything, I’d want to contract you out for a couple years and give you the option to renew. But the artists are mine. You can work with them after your contract if you choose not to renew.”

He grunted. “The ask is what?”

“Points. Any artist not with El Jefe, we will want points and/or a studio fee. Unless, at some point, you branch off and get your own shit. If under contract, we will cover the overhead for a fee.”

“If I don’t want that?”

“Then you handle your studio and we just take points and collaborate. But right now, out the gate, being a contracted producer is going to get your portfolio up. What you did with Ekho⁠—”

“We,” he spoke, cutting her off. “What we did with Ekho.”

“There’s no proof I was there. So like I was saying, what you did with Ekho is amazing. It’s why everyone here knows you. It’s why my artists are beating down my door to work with you. I say contract for two years and if you want, steal your moon. But I’m keeping East.”

“You can have East and I might have Ekho for you. But when it comes to the moon, we’re still locked in to steal it,” he stated. “And you know it.”

A half nod is what she gave him. “You need to get a lawyer to look over the terms legal will send you in a week or two. Once you sign, we’ll have a meeting. Sound good?”

“Sounds like you got all this shit figured out,” he grumbled. “So riddle me this.”

“What?”

“Where do we stand in this?” Cairo asked, finally looking at her. “After last night.”

“I was drunk. I shouldn’t have went there with you. There’s years of separation—forced by the way—and if I’m honest, I’m still really sore about it. So this is where we are. Two professionals,” Kamilla stated.

Cairo scoffed in laughter. “Professional my ass, K. You still fit me like a glove. You’ve been waiting on me.”

“And in your arrogance, you think that I should fall back into your arms like nothing ever happened?” she quietly scolded. “Shit has happened. Shit I can’t even tell you about.”

“Tell me,” he pressed.

She spotted media out the corner of her eye and smiled. “No. You can’t fuck me and bulldoze your way back in. That’s not how this works.”

“Aight. Then I should let you know something, baby,” he spoke through a smile, throwing his arm over her shoulder for a picture. “Your nigga isn’t making it if he so much as breathes your air. I’m not going to fuckin’ stop until you’re back where you’re supposed to be. And that no shit from you turns me into a savage. Remember what I’ve done to get you. I’ll do it ten times over to keep you.”

Her phone rang out, drawing his attention from the cameraman to Fredo’s name.

“Fredo is calling. Again.”

She snatched her phone off the cushion before he could and stood. Smiling at the photographer, she said, “He’s free for an interview. Ask him about his next steps in producing.”

Now that Cairo was tied up with a barrage of questions from nosy media members, she scurried off to answer her phone.