Page 23 of Intentional Foul
I powered down my phone to finish off my ice cream as I pondered Moe’s words. Malcolm needed to be stopped, but I didn’t know how. Anissa was the only weapon I had, and she’s proven not to hold much weight. I’ll keep running until it’s basketball season again. By then, I might even be on tour. Separation was the answer, at least I hope it was.
“KC, it’s me and you,”I sang into the mic in a low and soft voice.
Moe and KC slapped their hands. I smiled as Moe replayed the track in my ears. The partnership of his raspy voice and my soft tone spelled magic. Removing the headphones from my ears, I exited the booth.
“Jhae, I can’t wait to drop this. Your pipes are serious,” KC praised, and I blushed.
Moe replayed the track again, and we bounced to the beat, rehearsing our parts.
“This one gon’ be hot,” Moe said.
“I told you nobody could lay the verse but Jhae,” KC said, reaching for my hand.
The Kansas City rapper had been flirting with me from go. He found some small way to touch my hand or arm.
“I need some food,” KC said. “You down for some BBQ?” he asked me.
With those brown eyes, muscular build, and gold teething shining, I could always use some food.
“I’m down,” I said.
Moe stood and slapped hands with KC. “I’ll send the track over. Jhae, tomorrow?” Moe said and I shook my head yes.
I followed KC out to his black two door old school, and he opened the door for me. Resting in the passenger side, he climbed in and switched on the ignition. The pipes hummed as he revved it, and I bit down on my bottom lip. KC’s eyes scanned my body, and he winked before pulling off.
We pulled into what KC named the best BBQ in the Midwest, Char and Barrel. Stepping inside the crowded restaurant, I cuffed my arm in his as we followed the hostess. People turned intheir seats, whispered, and angled their phones in our direction. Char and Barrel held a nice vibe with its caramel leather seats, wooden tables, and low recess lights.
We landed at our table and KC, being a gentleman, encouraged me to sit in the booth. Before he could walk to the opposite side, I seized his hand, pulling him to me, and he smiled. Before we ordered food, he wrapped his arm around me. The cameras flashed, doing exactly what I needed them to do. Later tonight, the pictures of us should be viral.
“Damn L.A. gon’ lose this one. I rock with the twins,” KC said as the waitress placed the menus in front of us and I shrugged.
If this doesn’t get Malcolm to back off, I don’t know what will.
Malcolm
The media team ushered us away from the table after the press conference ended. Thankfully, Marquise overcompensated, pulling the attention to him because my mind was on Jhae. I couldn’t get a shot to go inside a swimming pool tonight. For the first time, I used Jhae’s spare key and combed through her condo to find it empty last night.
She wouldn’t respond to my phone calls or text messages. Marquise couldn’t get her to respond, either. When Mom called, accusing me of butt dialing Jhae, I gritted my teeth. She continued to use my mother to tame me, and it pissed me off.
Climbing in the back seat, I made a mental note to stop by Jhae’s condo. If she wasn’t there, I would have Ivey track her phone.
“Aw shit. I found Jhae,” Marquise said.
He turned his phone in my direction, showing a picture of my wife walking into Char and Barrel with KC, the rapper.I confiscated the phone from Marquise’s hand and scrolled through the comments.
Jhae you are cool but KC belongs to me.
I see y’all. Album gon’ be fire.
KC, you got to nail down Jhae’s fine ass.
“Pack your shit. We going to Kansas City,” I said.
“Why I got to go?” Marquise asked as I tossed him back his phone.
I glowered in his direction, and he chuckled. “Alright, I heard those Midwest women are thick, anyway. I’m sure Jhae is going to be happy to see us,” he teased.
Finding my own phone, I called my favorite hacker, Ivey.
