39. Party Conversations 🪩

When I went back to my bedroom, I opened the door to find Monica dancing to a song turned up to the max while trying on a dress.

"She rock her hips, she rock her hips, and wave and sip," Monica sang.

I walked over the dresser where her phone sat on a stereo that I hadn't seen before. I pressed the pause button on her phone.

Monica looked at me. "Girl, I've tried on about five different dresses and none of them are giving. Do you think Maximo will take us shopping?"

With my phone in hand, I called Zeke. Let's just say, Monica and I enjoyed our shopping spree. Several hours later, we walked behind Zeke into a massive mega mansion/hotel. After learning that Rickey's HAFH stood for Home Away From Home, I don't think it's fair to refer to it as a home. Also, it was super dark outside, so things may appear differently at night. The room we entered seemed to go as far as a football field, but it could be my imagination.

Not even five minutes inside, Zeke was greeting and taking pictures with some of everybody. Bridgette's voice seemed louder than ever as I thought about what she told me earlier today.

Monica snapped her fingers in my face. "Now is not the time to daydream," she told me. "We are around a lot of celebrities. We gotta fit in and look like we belong."

She shouted, "Oh, hey, girl! Good to see you!" Monica randomly waved at everyone who even looked in our direction or looked in Zeke's direction.

"Monica, stop it," I pleaded.

Nevertheless, I'm glad she's here with me.

"Jae A.B.!" Aja Frost walked towards me.

This woman was even prettier in person. From her long blond hair to her black high heels. Did I mention the only color she wears is black? That's why some call her "So Cold." She was short, too. Aja Frost leaned forward and hugged me. "Congratulations and welcome to the family, my love!"

Monica said, "Jae and I are your biggest fans! We love, love you, Aja!"

Aja Frost winked at Monica. "Thanks, my love!" She looked at me, "Are you ready to record together?"

Was that even a real question? "Uh, yeah! You're my favorite singer!"

She tapped my hand. "I can't wait to hear more from you. Are you ready to perform tonight?"

Monica gasped, "What will she perform in front of all these people?"

I began to silently panic. There's no way I'm performing tonight.

"Don't worry. It's just an introduction. I know you will kill it."

Monica gave me the side-eye.

"Have fun, my love. I'll see you in a bit." Aja Frost left us.

"We need a bathroom asap," I told my cousin.

Monica spoke to Zeke. He had a guard lead us to the bathroom and wait on us.

I sat on the lid of the toilet, fanning myself. "I feel like I'm going to faint."

Monica grabbed some cloth-like paper towels. "It'll be a quick. You can do this, cousin."

"A performance is what she said. That's not quick. Why is it so hot in this bathroom?" I asked as I removed my sunglasses and fanned myself.

"Because you're sweating and panicking for no reason," Monica dapped my face and neck with the paper towels. "Cousin, I need you to just breathe. You're not doing choreography or anything complex. Being that you'll be singing with Aja Frost, you already know what song you'll be singing. Just practice it while we're in here."

I smiled at my cousin as I took a deep breath. "Monica, as much as you annoy me, without you, I'd be going crazy, right now."

Monica threw the paper towels in the trash. "You know I got you."

"Thank you."

Monica took a step backwards as she pulled out her phone.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"I'm looking for the instrumental to your song so you can practice. Found it!"

Suddenly, the familiar sound of "California Love" began to play. I put my sunglasses back on as I moved to the beat. I closed my eyes.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, all these familiar faces were looking at me. I could hear Aja Frost singing. I looked over to my left to see her singing the hook to my song "Choose."

Then she said, "Everybody clap your hands for the writer and now singer of one of my biggest hits, Jae A.B.!"

They all shouted and applauded.

I began singing the first verse as Aja Frost turned into the hype man. It was cute and made me relax.

Monica was unavoidable as she tried her best to get my attention.

I chuckled unwillingly at the end of the verse.

Aja Frost picked it back up with the hook. "Don't make make me! Don't make me choose!" She looked at me.

I sang with her, "I've play this game before. I don't wanna play anymore!"

"I don't want to loose," Aja Frost shook her head.

I smiled as she let me sing the rest of the hook. I pointed at the crowd. "You do something to me. You mean something to me."

After singing, a man gave Aja Frost and I champagne glasses. Then, Ricky Santana stood between us. He spoke, "This was a historical performance. I know none of us here will ever forget it. Everyone raise your glass, and let's toast to signing our newest artist and songwriter, Jae A.B.!"

"Cheers!" Everyone toasted.

Aja Frost leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, "We're gonna be like best friends, my love." Little did she know, we were always best friends in my head.

As the night went on, I had lost count of how many people spoke to me. When I finally got the chance to breathe, I snuck away to dimly lit room where a woman was talking on her phone. She faced a window the filled the wall from top to bottom, displaying a view of a fountain waterfall. It seemed the only lights that were present in the that yard were the ones that lit up the waterfall. Then, I looked around the room and noticed it was an office. How did I end up in here? I tried to back track, but the woman turned around and saw me.

"I'm sorry. I was looking for another room."

She wore a long white sheer jacket with fur on the edges over a short white dress, and very tall white heels. She slightly smiled, "It's not like it's my bedroom or anything; however, you're not the first to come in here tonight. People keep coming in here trying to lay down or escape. Which one are you trying to do?"

"Escape," I admitted. "Does the door not lock?"

"Well, that's the problem." She shrugged, "You'd think it would have a lock, but Ricky doesn't believe in locking doors. He believes in having guards and guns. Now I recognize you. You're his new artist, Jae... You have a cute stage name. Many people won't expect you to be a girl." She walked over to me and held out her hand. "I'm Anaya Santana, Ricky's twin sister."

I shook her hand, trying my best to control my facial expressions. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. You are going to bring something special to RiSe Records. I just hope you're nothing like your boyfriend."

I arched a brow.

"I know you and Zeke Rivers have a quiet affair," she told me. "Ricky loves Zeke like a son, and he would've left RiSe Records to him if only Zeke's brother and father didn't interfere. Because of them, Zeke had left his dream of becoming an artist and chose other avenues."

News to my ears. "What do you mean you hope I'm not like him?" I asked her.

"Like I said, he could've signed with RiSe Records, but he let his family ruin that," Anaya folded her arms. "It was very smart of you to get your own lawyer. Shelly wouldn't've cared much for your royalties. As long as Zeke was compensated, she would've been satisfied."

I swallowed my saliva.

"I'm not telling you all of this to help you, because it's not going to help you. You should know this, anyway. This business is not for the faint of heart. If you can keep your private affairs out of the public eye, you'll do great. It's just best not to do anything that you have to hide, because the press always finds out."

I courageously asked her, "What do you do for a living?" It sounded better in my head.

"You're looking at the CEO of RiSe Records, girl."

I was shocked.

"Ricky is the President of RiSe Records." She said, "Jae, you're gonna have to work on your social skills, because as a new artist, hiding is not acceptable. You can hide when you can release music without promoting it."

I nodded my head.

"Now, go enjoy the party," Anaya smirked at me.

I quickly walked out the room. Where is Monica when you need her? When I went back to the main room where the party was still going, I located Monica talking to Deonte Way. Time to break that up.

I cleared my throat as I reached between the two to grab a champagne glass.

"That's mine," Monica told me. When she saw it was me, she chuckled, "Girl!"

I sarcastically laughed.

"Jae," Deonte Way said my name.

I looked at him and smiled.

"Congratulations, beautiful." He reached for a hug.

I hugged him back. "It's good to see you, again."

"Good to see you, too. Where is your wannabe thug boyfriend at?" He joked.

I chuckled, "He's around here somewhere."

"Cousin, you know Deonte Way?" Monica asked me.

"Y'all are cousins?" He asked us. "Let me guess, you got a man, too?"

"Yes, she does!" I answered for Monica.

She sat there with her mouth wide open. "I'm dating."

"You have a boyfriend, Monica. Don't make me call Tyrone."

Deonte Way loudly laughed.

Monica pushed me. "I'm so glad my flight leaves tomorrow." She got up from her chair.

"Where you going?" I asked her.

"Shut up!" She left us.

"Y'all are funny. You should go check on her, though."

I playfully rolled my eyes. "She is not hurt. Trust me."

Deonte patted the seat that Monica got up from. "While you hear, let's talk."

"Okay." I sat on the bar stool.

"Before we talk business, I have to know... do you have anymore cousins or sisters that look like you?"

What a question. I giggled, "No. It's just me and Monica."

"Man! Where you from, again?" He asked me.

"East Grove," I replied.

Deonte Way sighed, "East Grove. Well, let's talk business, now."

"I'm all ears," I told him.

"I've been going through writer's block when it comes to writing a song for myself, but these past few months, I've been writing for female artists. I was originally going to shop one of them to Aja, but I think it'll be a better fit for you, because you're new. Aja has been defined as an artist, and I think this song wouldn't work for her."

"I'd like to hear it, then."

Deonte Way smiled at me, "Really? Ok. Do I set the date with you or your manager?"

I need a manager? "Ask Zeke, and he'll set it up."

"Right, right," Deonte Way took a sip of his drink. "Your performance was good, too. Everyone could tell you were having fun up there."

"Oh, really?"

Deonte Way got up from his seat. "Yeah, I enjoyed watching you. Look, I'm gonna look for Zeke, but I'll be talking to you later, Jae."

"You, too." I watched him walk away as I sat alone. After all the conversations and complements, after all the celebrities I've met tonight, after my first performance of my first song, my mind still went to A.B. I took my phone out of my purse and called him.

When I heard his voicemail, my excitement went away. I hung up my phone and hopped off the bar stool. Before I could get too far away, someone wrapped their arm around me.

I quickly looked to my left to see Ricky Santana. I said to him, "I thought you were Zeke."

He chuckled as we walked. "You know you won't be seeing much of Zeke in the coming weeks? The reason why my artists are successful even years later is because I don't change with the times. Every new artist at RiSe Records goes through a 3-month boot camp. You're in the studio, you're working out, you're on a strict diet, and you're getting to know the business and your counterparts. You work, eat, and sleep your artistry. So that at the end of the 3 months, if you feel the business isn't for you, you can gracefully bow out. But if you continue the race, there's no escape."

Somehow we ended up outside in the dark. All I could hear were the critters.

"Look at the sky," Ricky told me. "Describe it. What do you see?"

I looked up. It was empty except for the moon, but was this one of those deep questions like when Zeke asked me about the pages of a book that one time?

"Go ahead. Tell me what do you see?" Ricky repeated.

I started to chew on my bottom lip. Then, I answered, "I see the moon and--"

"The moon! And what about the other stars? You don't see them. People barely talk about them, because the moon shines the brightest at night. That's what I can do for you, Jae. All I ask in return is your loyalty. Can you do that?" He turned and I knew he was looking at me.

I continued to look at the moon. "Yes, sir."

"That's my girl." Ricky rubbed my shoulder. "My assistant will be calling you tomorrow with more details. For now, let's get back inside and you enjoy the rest of your party."

I skipped back inside to the party room while Ricky stayed outside. As I looked around for Monica and Zeke, my heart kept telling me something wasn't right while my mind kept saying not to worry about anything. Right now, I didn't care about what Anaya, Ricky or anyone else had to say. If this is my party, then I'm going to do what I want to do, and that includes being in control of my career. This is Hollywood. I'm not dumb.