Page 66 of Intentional Foul
“Thank you. Oh, and Marquise, keep your dick out of my front staff,” Nia said.
Marquise lifted his hands in a surrendering motion and smiled.
“Ariel was late for work this morning,” she said.
“No, ma’am. I don’t do overnight guests. Maybe she was somewhere else,” Marquise said.
Nia cut her eyes at him before leaving the table. Shortly after, our food came out.
“How long are we in Chicago?” Marquise asked.
My eyes toggled over to Malcolm. He bit into his omelet before answering.
“One more day, for sure. Jhae and I have plans tonight,” he said.
Marquise nodded his head and said, “me too as soon as the server comes back.”
“Where are we going?” I asked Malcolm as I sat next to him.
He kissed my temple. “It’s a surprise, but I think it might help with your writing problem.”
He squeezed my hand a few times and shimmied, causing us both to smile. The Chicago city lights are unmatched. Surrendering my heart to Malcolm has put me at ease. After breakfast this morning, we laid in bed and did nothing. Being wrapped in his long muscular arms while he kissed me was a dream I wanted to remain on repeat. The driver pulled in front of the building with a neon sign: The Brass.
I followed Malcolm inside. We weaved through the tables of the small venue. The energy of people talking, eating and the sounds of actual live bands fueled me. We found the perfect seat in the back right corner. The lighting was low, but bright enough for us to see. Using the QR code, we ordered wings and mocktails. Underneath the table, Malcolm secured my hand within the smooth texture of his skin, warming me.
“Coming to the stage is the up-and-coming artist, Raven,” the guitarist said.
A young woman stepped on the stage with wild curls, wearing a mixture of non-matching fabrics and colors. The spotlight highlighted the brown hue of her skin. People clapped, giving me chills of anticipation.
“Call me crazy, but I turned down a record deal today. The executives tried to change me. My music and identity are one. I told them I didn’t need the lights and extras they were offering. I’ll keep walking on this stage with bare feet until you guys tell me to put on shoes.”
The crowd laughed and clapped for Raven. The sound of the bass guitar and keyboards electrified me. I swayed my body from side to side, bouncing my shoulders as she belted with a sultry but powerful voice. Chills aligned my arms, and her voice raced through my core. She was feeding my empty musical cup.
By the third song, tears adorned my face as she came to terms with me. “A Timeless Love Can Wait” resonated with people because it was raw. I didn’t have a top dollar producer in Anissa’s backyard. My emotions were my producer. They fed me the beat and wrote the song. I had lost myself behind the machine this very artist spoke about. My writer’s block had everything to do with me abandoning the basics. It wasn’t until Malcolm pushed me into a place of being uncomfortable that I was able to put pen to the pad again.
“Music Note, welcome back,” Malcolm whispered in my ear, following it with a hand kiss.
“How long have I been gone?” I asked.
He gave a light chuckle. “Too long.”
I sat next to Malcolm, and he became my muse as the words flowed through me. We stared into each other’s eyes as the music disappeared into the background. I was searching for a source of love to write about, and he was sitting in front of my face. Our developing love story already had lyrics and a beat.
Chapter Eleven
A New Beat
Malcolm
Jhae laid in my arms, outlining my face with her index finger.
“I want to sign her,” she said, and I nodded in agreement.
Raven was a dope-ass artist even without the knowledge she ushered life back into my Music Note. She took her back to her roots, and the hunger returned.
“I think it’s a good idea. Tyrus sent the paperwork over to our lawyer. After the LLC and legal stuff are sorted out, things will be ready to go. My lawyer said Tyrus’s paperwork is legit.”
Jhae shook her head in disbelief, but I didn’t care. I trusted no one with Jhae’s career. She would not be attached to any scandals or be swindled out of her money.
