120. A Therapy Session 🩹

"I know I keep asking you this... but it's almost midnight."

I stopped him before he could continue. "Nope! Still not ready to go home unless you want me to."

Deonte smiled, "You can stay as long as you want, but I know you have a busy schedule."

I ran my hands along the edge of the pool table. "It's cause I'm not sleepy, yet."

"How late you trying to stay up?" He asked me.

I asked, "Hey, do you remember when you said you would tell me more about what happened with The CRU?"

Deonte smiled at me. "That's a long story."

I walked over to him. "I got nothing but time, sir."

We left the game room and went to the kitchen to grab snacks and drinks. Soon, we were back on the couch.

After gulping half of his drink, Deonte began, "Are you sure you want to hear about my group?"

I slid closer to him. "I'm all ears."

Deonte smiled at me. "One of our favorite movies was The Temptations. We used to always joke about who would be the David Ruffin of the group, but it was just jokes. After starting our group and practicing for a year, we went to every label for five years trying to get signed. Then, it happened. We spent three years with New Millennium Records, but our music wasn't really selling like it should've been. After our second album barely made the charts, we started to look at other record companies. At the same time, our label was going through a financial crisis. They were dropping artists left and right. Then, Unlimited Records called."

I was tuned into this story like a kid during story time on the reading rug.

Deonte continued, "We all showed up, sung for them, talked with them, ate with them. Then, they told my mom they only wanted to sign me."

I bucked my eyes.

"I couldn't understand it. I didn't even want to be there that day. Like, I was doing the bare minimum. Trenton and Jiles were more excited than I was about being there."

I asked, "Were you tired?"

Deonte smiled, "I was thinking about my girlfriend. I wanted to be with her instead of entertaining a record company. I was young, though. I should've put more effort into our performance. I believe if I would've done that, then Unlimited wouldn't have singled me out. We came into the industry as a group, and we said we would leave the industry as a group."

I nodded my head.

"We left Unlimited, and my mom was like 'I know you don't want to say anything, but you should tell them whether you take the deal or not."

This sounds like a movie.

Deonte sighed, "I told my mom I would, but the very next day, Unlimited called me and I took the deal."

My mouth was wide open.

"I know I was wrong, but I didn't have the courage to tell them what I did. A month went by, Jiles was asked to sing on a Disney song for a cartoon movie. He ended up doing the voiceover for the character. After the movie came out, he got an offer at E&M Records. His album came out and it was a success. At the same time, Trenton did a feature with an established artist and they put him on to their record label. Two years after that, I told them that I got a record deal with Unlimited, but I made it seem like it was recent."

At first, I was thoroughly entertained, but hearing the sadness in Deonte's voice made me empathetic.

He added, "While they were enjoying their careers, I felt like a liar. We were always honest with each other. I should've told them about the solo deal, but I didn't want to betray them." He heavily sighed, "I was the last person of our group to come out with a solo album, and it went crazy. Every song I dropped went straight to number one. I had two songs that wouldn't leave the top five for months."

All facts! I remember hearing his songs on the radio NON-STOP. #Annoying - in a good way of course.

Deonte grinned, "You know how fans over-analyze everything?"

I nodded my head.

"I was doing that. We'd all show up separately at award shows, and interviewers would always ask Jiles and Trenton about me, but they never asked me about them. It was like our group never existed. A few years ago, I thought I was mentally ready to catch-up with them and just tell them the truth, but that was the year that Jiles got in that bad car accident and Trenton got hurt playing celebrity basketball, and then I was just getting out of a relationship. The media wouldn't stop asking me about her."

I smirked.

"It's crazy how I can remember how I felt, but I can't remember who she was."

I smacked my lips. "The model Melanie P. Grier!"

Deonte chuckled, "That's right. I haven't seen her in a while. Anyway, that's the story."

Now that was too quick of an ending.

Our eyes met.

I told him, "This is just my opinion, but I feel like because you were the leader of the group, you gave yourself more of the responsibility."

"We didn't have a leader. Jiles led most of the songs. Trenton kept our harmonies tight. I was just hitting a high note when I could."

I giggled, "No. Y'all all could sing. I'm just saying... Okay, outsiders and fans pretty much made you the leader of the group."

"Yeah, I agree."

I added, "I think because you had all that load to carry that you probably made your solo deal bigger than it was. Not saying that you shouldn't be happy for that, but do you think Jiles and Trenton would've been mad at you for getting a solo deal?"

Deonte was quiet as he thought to himself. Then he said, "We were all young. I think they would've been mad, but then they would've celebrated with me that night."

"See there! You made something out of nothing. Now, all these years later, it's still haunting you. All you have to do is reach out to them, tell them what happened, and why you never told them."

Deonte sighed, "I wouldn't know where to start."

"Are you sure you've talked with your therapist about this?"

Deonte admitted, "Well, my therapist didn't look like you. I didn't tell her everything. Just what was bothering me at the time I did see her."

I pointed my finger at him. "I'm warning you."

"About what?" He asked me.

"Not expressing yourself enough. You told me that you've felt this void since you and The CRU broke up, but the story you told me was about you not telling them you got the first solo record deal."

"You are too good at this. Are you a therapist?"

"I was listening, sir. Your words did not fall on deaf ears."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Is that because you care about me?"

I leaned back. "Don't say it like that!"

We both laughed.

"I'm just saying. We've spent a lot of time together, and you gonna make me think you like me."

I smiled at Deonte. "I do like you... like a friend."

"I think you should be spending your time with the one you like more than a friend."

My smile dropped as I thought about A.B.

Deonte interrupted my thoughts, "Thank you for being here, though. I was sleep when all that happened went on. If you need an escort tomorrow, me and my security can be with you."

I declined, "Maximo already spoke with the Rivers on having security ride with us."

"Good. So, what's your future plans with RiSe Records?"

I confessed, "I'm suing them for stealing my song and passing it off to Aja with knowledge that the song was initially mine. I want to sue Ricky, too, but I think payback is already on him. I'm not gonna sue Aja, because she's more of a victim than a Villain."

Deonte immediately laughed, "Chill, Jamie! Don't use her song against her."

"Hey, if the shoe fits..." I smiled, "Thank you for sharing your story with me, Deonte. I'm ready to go home."

"Are you sure?" He asked me.

I nodded my head. "Yeah. I'm sleepy now."

Truthfully, I feel guilty. I need to talk to A.B.