Chapter 22
“Okay, Lyric. I need you to walk into the club and head to the bar. The men are gonna grab your hand to try to get your attention, but you’re gonna curve all of them and take a seat at the bar.
You’ll look into the camera, and then that’s when YN Leechie will come and start rapping his verse,” the director called out.
I nodded in understanding, trying to get my nerves under control. This was my third music video, and I still got nervous when it was time to get in front of the camera.
Once the music started, I got into character.
When they gave me the signal, I stepped into the room and whipped my hair over my shoulder.
One thing I loved about these video shoots was the free hair, makeup, and designer wardrobe.
It was like playing dress up as an adult, and it excited me.
I looked like the bad bitch I was, and I made sure to show it on camera.
YN Leechie was a rapper under Mendeecees’s camp who was born and raised in New Orleans.
He was an up-and-coming artist, but I had no doubts he was going to do big things in the industry.
His sound was unique, and you could hear a little Nola twang when he rapped.
Mendeecees put me on to his music, and I fucked with it from the very first track.
He was young, talented, and hungry—all the ingredients for a superstar.
“Alright. In the next scene, the two of you are going to bump into each other on the dance floor. Lyric, I want you to turn around and face him. Look at him as if you are completely infatuated with him as he does his next verse.” The director gave out a few more instructions, but I was no longer nervous.
YN Leechie was a funny guy, and he made me laugh in between takes.
We shot a few more scenes until the director called it a wrap. Since we were ahead of schedule, we were able to get the rest of the scenes completed.
“Good looking out, RiRi. I appreciate you coming through for ya boy.” YN Leechie thanked me, wrapping his big arms around me.
He smelled so good, I took a big whiff, and I heard him chuckle.
He was a heavyset man with rich, brown skin and tattoos littering his body.
He was a handsome man with alluring brown eyes, deep dimples, and his hair was in locs in a bun.
When he smiled, you could see his gold grill, and I knew without a doubt he was giving some poor girl the blues.
“It’s no problem. I had a lot of fun on set, and this song is a hit. I know you’re gonna have so much success.”
“Thank you, lil’ baby. I want everything to be perfect, and you doing this video is about to take things up a notch.
You’re one of the baddest women I’ve ever seen, and I’m not cappin’.
I used to think we had the prettiest women down South, but the North has some real pressure out here.
” YN Leechie rubbed his hands together as I blushed.
“Aye, back up a little bit, bro. You and my little shorty are a little too close for my liking.” Mendeecees interrupted us, moving me behind him.
“Aww, come on, bro. You already know I’m not on that type of time. I was just thankin’ my homie for coming out and doing her thang. No need to grab ya nuts, lil’ one. I don’t want no smoke witchu, ya heard me?”
“Yeah, I hear you. I also know how you get down. Sneaky-ass nigga.”
YN Leechie smirked at Mendeecees, and the two of them shook hands.
They talked about business for a little while, and then Leechie walked away.
Mendeecees looked deliciously good dressed in Gucci from head to toe.
I loved the way he carried himself, even though he was an arrogant mothafucka.
He commanded every room he stepped into, and it made my coochie jump.
“You ready to get out of here?”
“I’m on your time, boo. Whenever you’re ready, I’m ready,” I answered. Mendeecees paid for my flight and hotel room when he hired me for YN Leechie’s video. I was picked up by a car service when I landed and had been treated like a princess the entire time.
“I like the sound of that. I’m about to check in with Paul and nem, then we can head out. You did a great job today, lil’ mama. I don’t think you fully understand the kind of beauty you possess and what it can do for you.”
Mendeecees had been on me about my future and trying to figure out what I wanted to do.
He thought I should look into doing more videos and modeling.
A few clothing and makeup brands had reached out to me over the last few months, looking to collaborate.
I had been more intentional about my content creating, and it had paid off majorly.
After my video with Mendeecees, my following went up like crazy. There was immediate speculation that we were messing around, but I never addressed any of the comments. The last thing I wanted was to be caught up in some drama.
“Alright, lil’ mama. I’m ready. I know they fed y’all earlier, so I was thinking we could slide to the mall and grab a fit for dinner tonight. The fellas and I are celebrating Geno’s album going platinum, then we’re gonna head to the club to turn up. You down?”
“It’s your world, boo. I’m just living in it.”
I wasn’t paying for anything, so I didn’t care what we did. My flight wasn’t leaving until tomorrow afternoon, and I wanted to see what the city of LA had to offer.
“Yeah, alright. I hear you, lil’ mama.”
Dinner was incredible, and I was mad I hadn’t taken any to go.
We headed right to the club after dinner, but I knew I would be hungry later.
I smirked at the thought because East stayed calling me greedy, and he wasn’t lying.
I might have been skinny, but my appetite was like an overweight truck driver.
“You good, lil’ mama?” Mendeecees whispered in my ear.
“I’m perfect.”
“Yes, you definitely are.”
Thank goodness for the darkness of the club because I knew my cheeks were red.
We were sitting next to each other in the section as everyone turned up.
The vibes were everything, and I was beginning to picture myself in Mendeecees’s world on a more permanent basis.
He wanted us to see where things could go, but I found myself holding back.
I didn’t have to wonder what was keeping me from fully committing to him, because I already knew.
East sent a message wishing me safe travels, followed by a deposit of twenty thousand dollars. I thanked him but didn’t say much more. He knew I was out of town for a video shoot, but I didn’t want to run the risk of him asking more questions.
Things between East and I were so awkward, and it only added to my confusion.
I wanted to be with him, but after everything went down with Valor, our relationship was never the same.
He still looked out for me like he always did, and he was the best daddy to Symphonee.
However, there was a wall up where I was concerned.
He would flirt with me, but he never made a move to try anything.
He spent plenty of nights at the house whenever Noodle wasn’t ready for him to leave, but he always slept on the couch or the guest room.
I was too prideful to make the first move because the rejection would be too painful to handle.
Instead, I found myself questioning where I stood in his life, and it drove me crazy.
Mendeecees was rapping and playing around with his friends, so I pulled out my phone to see what was going on back at home.
Keynauri never posted on IG, but I knew Logic’s wild ass would have something on his story.
When I clicked his profile and went to his story, I laughed because it had at least ten clips already posted.
It looked like they were at a club as well.
The first couple of slides were of Logic showing his new diamond grill, along with his ‘slime city’ chain.
My unofficial brother was handsome but toxic as hell.
When he panned his camera, I realized he was at a popular strip club in another city.
I wondered if my brother was there, but my question was answered when the camera landed on him coolly rapping lyrics to a Future song.
There was a cigar between his fingers and a glass filled with dark liquor in the other hand.
I would never get tired of seeing him smile.
My nosy ass continued to watch all of Logic’s stories, laughing as he danced and harassed the dancers.
They were all laughing and twerking while he threw bankroll after bankroll at them.
I heard him telling someone their lace was crunchy and knew it was time for me to log off.
When I got ready to exit his page, something caught my eye. Essex.
I held my breath as I zoomed in on the video to make sure I wasn’t tripping, and my little heart crumbled into pieces.
A pretty, thick woman with rich mahogany skin was sitting on his lap while he smiled like a Cheshire cat.
She wasn’t dressed like a dancer, which made the scene even worse because she wasn’t there for entertainment.
The two of them seemed to be in their own world, talking and laughing with one another.
Essex hadn’t mentioned anything about him dating, but there was no way they had just met each other.
The chemistry between them was obvious, even through the phone.
When the next video played, I wanted to cry.
The two of them were dancing to a slow jam, and her backside was pressed against him.
I hurriedly got off Logic’s page and put my phone in my lap.
“What’s wrong, lil’ mama?”
Mendeecees’s voice startled me, but I did my best to conceal my emotions.
“I’m great. I think the drinks are catching up with me, so I’m vibin’.”
It wasn’t a complete lie, because the two drinks I had mixed with the shots of tequila had me feeling good. My heart was shattering inside my chest, but I was slightly tipsy as well.