At first I waved him off, offended that he wanted to hire me for a music video and not to go in the studio and play my instrument. Then I realized he didn’t even listen to me play, he had not gotten past my looks and was just trying to spit some lame game my way, like I ain’t heard the record label script before.
I mean, I ain’t claiming to be the prettiest girl in the world, but I know I’m attractive. Men have been coming at me since I was like ten. So it was safe to say when you heard one pick up line you heard them all, but he insisted, showing me a business card with his label’s information on it.
At the time I was working two jobs as well as going to school so that I could help Sista Dinah and Brotha Abraham pay the rent. Brotha Abraham’s back pain prevented him from getting the hours he used to get down at the city dump, which meant Sista Dinah and I had to make up for the loss, so I really could’ve used the extra cash.
“How much does it pay?” I asked him.
“Two-hundred dollars a day.”
“How many days will I have to do?”
“One, maybe two.”
“Do I have to get naked or near naked?” He paused before he answered the question. At the same time his gaze raked slowly over my body. I could see that he was attracted to me and was trying to size me up and see what kind of girl I was.
Curious to see if this guy, who was not of my race could read what kind of woman I was, I kept my mouth closed. Slowly his eyes took in my natural hair that I wore pulled back into a pony tail and braided down my back. Then they lowered to my green tank top, then down farther to the army print cargo pants I wore, and then finally they settled on my Timberland covered feet.
I held up an eyebrow when his gaze finally made its way back up to mine.
He shook his head. “Naw, not a girl like you. If you agree to do this, I will make you the star of the video.”
I was impressed, so I agreed. True to his word, he was shooting a video. It was an artist I had never heard before, but the gig paid two-hundred dollars. After it was done he asked me out on a date and I agreed because he was treating me like a queen.
As the months went by, I would learn that he was a hard worker and very ambitious. He was building the record label from the ground up with no help from his powerful family. He carried feelings about that. To me it seemed as if he wanted to become a big name just so that he could say he was better than his older brother.
He believed Melech was trying to hinder his success, which was why when he went to him for money he refused. Apparently, Melech handled all the family’s business and had the final say on where any monies went.
“Look! He’s leaving!” Bria screeched from beside me, bringing me back to the present. I lifted the binoculars and watched as Michael stumbled to his car. The drug was working. Right then a horrible thought came to mind.
“Oh no! What if he tries to drive?” She and I both jumped out the car at the same time. Kidnapping is one thing, murder was a whole other ballgame. We hurried across the busy street to the restaurant parking lot just in time to see Michael sit down heavily in the driver seat of a car that looked like it came from another planet.
“Damn, that’s a nice car!” Bria said sounding winded. We slowed down to a walk waiting to see what he was going to do next. He never lifted his legs into the car.
“I think he’s out, come on!” Quickly we crossed the parking lot.
“Help me get his legs in.” I cried as I tried to lift them with no success. Bria went around to the passenger door and pulled while I pushed.
“You ladies need a hand?” A deep voice asked from behind us.
We whipped around to see a dark man in a cowboy hat that cast half his face in shadow leaning casually against a tree watching us. He looked like a bonified black cowboy.
“Ummm,” I opened my mouth to tell him this was my brother and he was drunk. But for some reason I couldn’t lie to him. It was something about him I couldn’t put my finger on. He straightened and came towards us. Bria and I moved out his way as he leaned in and effortlessly lifted the sleeping man moving him into the passenger seat.
“Thank you,” I told him when he stood back up out the car. He tipped his hat.
“You’re welcome, daughter.” He lifted one side of his lips in a smile before he just moseyed on away. Both Bria and I stood there for a second staring after him, astonished that the stranger had just made this kidnapping breezy.
“What the hell was that?” She asked after a while.
“A blessing!” I said snapping into action. “I’ll drive him, you take my car.”
“Wait!” She called after me. “How we gon’ get him up the stairs to your place? We couldn’t even get his legs in the car.”
“Larry should be there, he can help us.” She nodded before turning to head back to my car. I slid behind the wheel and for the first time in my life, experienced pure luxury. Don’t get me wrong, Mitch had a nice car, but it was nothing like this.
At first sight I thought it was a Jaguar, but now that I was in it, I saw that it was a Benz by the logo on the steering wheel.
“Michael,
