51. Surprise, Surprise 🫣

Paradise. Ocean. Vacation. Happy. Me and A.B.

It was all a dream. I finally opened my eyes and grabbed my phone that would not stop vibrating. I looked at the screen to see that I had eight missed calls. I quickly sat up. What's today?

Then, my bedroom door swiftly opened. Monica wore a mean mug as she stared at me.

I nearly gasped. "What are you doing here?" I asked her in disbelief.

"Oh, now you got amnesia, huh? How you gon invite me out here and leave me stranded at the airport? I've been calling you like crazy. I'm so glad I had Maximo's number so he could pick me up." Monica slammed my bedroom door.

"I thought you were coming next Monday not today."

Monica put her hands on her hips. "I thought you kept a calendar to keep up with your busy schedule?"

I rolled my eyes as I lied back down. She is not going to let me win.

"Get up, Jamie! I did not come out here to be a piece of furniture." She grabbed my arms, forcing me to sit-up. "It's still breakfast time. You think Bridgette will make me something?" She asked me.

I sighed, "Today is my day off. Can I sleep-in for the morning?"

"No!" Monica barked, "I'm not wasting this perfect outfit."

"Wear it tomorrow!" I picked up my phone.

Seconds later, a pillow hit my head. I quickly looked at Monica.

"I'm here for a week. I want to go places!" She whined.

"Ugh!" I finally got out of bed. "Let me get myself together."

"Good!" Monica placed the pillow neatly on my bed. "I'll be downstairs putting in our food orders." She left the room as fast as she'd entered.

First, A.B. Now, Monica. Who was gonna visit me next? My parents? Nah, I would really need my own place before they come to California.

Twenty minutes later, I made my way downstairs. In the kitchen, I saw my cousin eating.

"They always act like babies when they get sick." Jaylei chuckled as she ate her food across the table from Monica.

Jaylei?

"Right," Monica agreed. When she looked up from her plate and saw me, she said, "Look who decided to join us."

I almost gave her a look, but decided to sit down in front of the silver dome next to Monica.

"Good morning, Jaylei." I spoke.

"Morning! I haven't seen you in a while."

"It has been a minute since we saw each other," I told her. I think the last time I saw Jaylei was about two months ago. Was that the night we all watched Zeke's movie?

"Well ladies, I have a grown man to take care of." Jaylei stood up from the table. "Consider staying single, Monica."

Monica grinned, "I will."

Jaylei walked away, leaving us alone.

I glanced at Monica. "What we're y'all talking about?" I removed the silver dome to reveal my plate of french toast, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and grits. I inhaled it all before picking up my fork.

"I'll tell you later," Monica whispered to me.

I arched my brow before taking a bite of food. Whatever Monica had to tell me could definitely wait. I wouldn't be paying attention anyway.

Once we finished our food, we went back to my room. Monica grabbed the remote and turned on my TV, increasing the volume as we sat on my bed.

"What are you watching?" I asked her as I looked at the reality show that was giving me a headache with all the yelling from person-to-person.

Monica waved at me to come closer to her as she leaned toward me.

"I could hear you if you'd turn the TV down." I moved closer to her.

Monica took a deep breath. "First, thank you for getting me over 200,000 views on my review of your first music video. You know your video has over a million views now?"

"I didn't and I don't care to know." I folded my arms.

Monica lightly slapped my forearm. "Stop being like that. Social media is not the devil."

"It can cause anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem," I recited from an article I read.

Monica smacked her lips. "You mean it can increase it. Anyway! Anyway! I was going to the kitchen when I caught ya girl trying to get into Zeke's room."

My eyes bucked, "Jaylei?"

Monica nodded her head. "She tried to play it off, talking about Zeke forgets to lock his door sometimes and she was just checking it."

I tilted my head. That is very questionable. "Didn't you catch her in his room the last time you were here?"

My cousin clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes! Ohh, I swear I love coming here. I could start my own Unsolved Mysteries or detective kinda series. It would be a hit!"

I shook my head, "Zeke is in Atlanta, though."

Monica arched her brow, "Then we went to the kitchen together, and she came up with some story talking about how Zack was sick and called her over to nurse him."

I smacked my lips and tilted my head.

"Exactly!" Monica exclaimed. "Cousin, I think Jaylei is up to no good."

"Oh, I got something to tell you!" I informed her, "Yesterday, when I was walking down that hall - the one you said you heard someone following you."

"You heard someone following you, too?" Monica asked me.

"No. I heard Zack talking, but he wasn't anywhere near me. I was in the hall, and he was in that room with the chandelier and the tall windows."

Monica's eyes grew in amazement. "Do you think that room was designed that way for sound purposes?"

Why didn't I think of that? "Want to go test it out?" I asked her.

"No," she quickly replied. "I ain't ever going back there. Back to Zack. Did you know what he was talking about or who he was talking to?"

I shrugged. "He had to be on the phone, because I didn't hear anyone else. He was saying how he wouldn't betray his brother like the other person would, how he wasn't afraid of them, and he wasn't a puppet. He said he would get his lawyers if they were trying to expose him, and he blocked their number last time."

Monica pretended to eating popcorn. "I don't know about you, but this is some good tea!"

I chuckled, "This is not supposed to be funny."

"Jamie, I'm gonna say this one time and one time only. You need to get your own place."

Speaking of places. "My lease will be up soon." I thought about A.B.

Monica's brows met. "That's back in East Grove. I'm talking about here in L.A. Jaylei can't be trusted and neither can Zack."

"Would you be my roommate?" I asked her.

"Nope! I live the life of a retired citizen back home. I am not trying to live rich one year and be broke the next out here in L.A.," she admitted.

I sighed as I massaged my temples.

"Besides, what's the hold up on your album?" She asked me.

"There's no hold up. The label is trying to decide on a end-of-year release or new-year release."

Monica rolled her eyes, "If they were smart, they would drop your album before or the day of your first big performance. You said that's coming up, right?"

"Next Friday, actually. Have you been watching The Power House?"

Monica asked, "Have I? Girl, if Sasha, Larry or Avery wins - I'm happy!"

"Larry was my co-worker at Music Bravos," I told her.

"For real?" Monica pointed at me. "I'll give him an extra vote for that."

I smirked, "Well, I have the day off. What do you want to do so your outfit doesn't go to waste?"

"Umm... Did you forget your cousin loves a good bougie stroll?"

Destination - Rodeo Drive.

Maximo took us to Monica's aka his Second Sister's hotspot. Not even five minutes out there did something I never expected to happen, happened.

"Jamie, it's all over the internet."

I shook my head as several thoughts plagued my mind. How was I going to walk into the RiSe Tower tomorrow and face Ricky Santana after what I and the world just saw?