20. Drix #2
I leaned back leisurely with one hand on the middle of Myome’s back, my thumb tracing little circles while I looked out at the crowd and bobbed my head to the music.
People came up to the section to pay their respect and shake the girls’ hands and it was a good two hours into the event before Allison came to the section to get the women. Our section cleared out as we all followed them like we were their entourage.
Allison took them to the DJ booth and collected a microphone.
The music was cut and Allison did the talking, which I was thankful for because Myome looked a little buzzed and Charm was for sure rolling off whatever she’d taken.
Retta looked a fucking mess but I was almost positive that was just what her face looked like on the regular and I didn’t usually have any reason to look at it for longer than a few seconds.
When Allison finished her speech, the crowd cheered and the women left the DJ booth as the first song from Radiant Reverie’s album played.
I helped Myome and Charm to the section.
“Celebratory shots!” Alan shouted. “Let’s do it!” He clapped his hands.
“I can get behind that!” Rome nodded.
The two of them poured shots from the two bottles on the table and distributed them between us. I passed mine to Myome who took it without question. I was babysitting her and Charm tonight. I was chilling on that drinking shit.
Myome was fine with that though. She loosened up even more as the night went on and eventually she was dancing in front of me, her hands planted on her knees while she twerked to one of the faster songs on the album.
I smacked her ass then let my hand rest on the middle of her back while she danced.
Charm sat between Rome and Alan, an arm thrown over each of them while she swayed side to side and yelled the lyrics.
Both men were laughing while the women they’d brought to the section were damn near dry humping each other in front of them, grinding and running their hands all over each other under the guise of dancing.
When the song slowed, so did Myome. I lit my second blunt while she slipped into my lap and grinded along my front. Both of her hands went behind my head. I placed one of mine on her midsection and gripped the front of her throat with the other while I let her do her thing.
“Ay!” Dashawn yelled in my direction from near the entrance of the section.
When I looked, he waved me over.
My eyebrows dipped together but I tapped Myome’s thigh.
“Let me up, baby. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” She climbed up and yanked her skirt down then collapsed into my spot as soon as I’d climbed up.
I made my way to Dashawn and was even more confused when I found myself face to face with two men I was positive I didn’t know.
“They’re asking for ’Yome,” Dashawn said.
“What’s up?” I closed the space between us. “Y’all looking for my wife?”
“Oh. So you’re the dude married to Myome?”
“Yeah.” I hit my blunt and blew the smoke in their faces. “We got a problem over here?”
“Nah. Just get my sister.”
I looked him up and down. Now that he’d said it, I could actually see the family resemblance.
“A please is a good mothafuckin’ place to start with me,” I said plainly. “Yo’ parents ain’t tell you I don’t play that disrespectful ass shit your family likes to do, huh?”
“Oh. Our parents told us enough. Believe that.” The shorter one took a step toward me and Dashawn took one in response.
“You gon’ press me, lil Ross?” I chuckled.
“Don’t get knocked the fuck out on every tea page in this bitch trying to act hard,” I warned him.
“If you were really on that, you would have pressed me the day it happened. Don’t let these security guards fool you.
They’ll let me stomp your mothafuckin’ ears together, boy. ” I looked between Myome’s brothers.
From what she’d told me, I was guessing the taller one was the doctor, Major, and the shorter one was Zamir, the lawyer.
Besides the fact that I didn’t respect that either of them hadn’t actually pressed me behind their parents, I also didn’t like the fact that I’d been publicly married to Myome for months now but I’d never met either, not even when she’d gone through her health scare.
Zamir clenched his jaw and I looked back at Myome who had a bottle in hand and was now shaking ass on Charm who was on her feet leaning back while Rome held her up as she caught what Myome was throwing.
I looked back at Zamir and Major.
“I’m going to say this one time and one time only.
I don’t fuck with y’all. I want that to be clear.
I don’t think y’all stand for shit. Y’all didn’t stand up for your parents and y’all didn’t bother meeting me when you found out I married y’all’s sister.
Shit. I could have been in that house whooping Myome’s ass and y’all would have never known.
” I scoffed. “I don’t respect niggas who don’t stand for shit, but I love Myome and she extended this invitation because she wanted you both to be here.
My baby deserves to get whatever she wants when she wants it, so I’m going to hand out passes for tonight.
But I want y’all to know shit ain’t sweet and I hope y’all remember the last dream degrading ass shit y’all said to my wife because if I hear anything but praise coming from y’all tonight I’m laying shit down,” I warned.
“And it being two of y’all don’t scare me.
I have a brother too and we’ll knock y’all out cold if it comes down to it, so bitch don’t let it come down to it.
” I looked at Zamir. “And if you try to press me again, yo’ ass gon’ wish your brother went into dentistry instead of medicine.
” I moved to the side. “Now get the fuck in there.” I nudged my head toward Myome.
Dashawn and the security both took steps to the side to let them in. Dashawn and I watched them walk toward Myome. It took her a while to notice them, but once she did, she quickly hopped up, rushed over, and hugged them.
“You think they’re here to be supportive?” Dashawn asked.
“I hope so, for their sake.” I took a hit from my blunt. “I’m trying to keep things professional because this night means a lot to Myome and her girls, but if they play in my wife’s face, Chandler will be bailing me out of jail.” I exhaled. “Keep eyes on them.”
“I got you.”
I nodded and walked back to Myome who was introducing her brothers to everyone in the section.
“And this is my husband, Drix.” She gestured toward me proudly and I grinned.
“What’s up?” I nodded in their direction and they repeated the gesture.
Myome got to work offering them drinks and I took a seat to just keep my eyes on things.
Zamir and Major were funny if nothing else.
Once they got drinks in them, they had the section rolling.
There wasn’t any more drama throughout the night.
Once Radiant Reverie’s album finished playing, the DJ played the music of artists in attendance, and at eleven fifty-seven, Allison got the women back in the DJ booth so they could count down until their album release.
Myome slid to the edge of the DJ booth and I automatically reached for her waist to make sure she was stable.
“Our album is going to be out in seconds, Berlin!” she yelled.
I laughed and nodded.
“I know, baby.”
“Ahhh!” She screamed and jumped up and down, which just made me laugh harder.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” She shimmied then stood up straight and looked back at Charm, Retta, and Allison as they each grabbed microphones.
She took hers from the DJ. Flashes went off.
“Five… Four… Three… Two…”
Cheering echoed throughout the building. Radiant Reverie screamed as the first song on their album came on for the second time tonight.
Myome rushed back over to me and I plucked her down the rest of the steps. She threw her arms around my neck and I pulled her in so we could kiss.
“You can now buy and stream our album everywhere,” she said against my mouth.
“Mhm.” I nodded.
I didn’t bother telling her I’d preordered a hundred physical copies. I just took my phone out, went to the online music store, and purchased the album.
“Let me see,” Chandler called out.
I turned my phone toward her so she could see my purchased album downloading. Myome grabbed my face and kissed my cheek. Chandler snapped a picture.
“Congratulations, Myome!”
“Congratulations, Charm!”
Myome was slowly pulled from my grasp while she got hugged and dapped by our friends and family. Charm received the same welcome as she came off the stage and we moved out of the way so whoever was there for Retta could get to her.
Afterwards, the party went on for another hour before we headed out.
I loaded Myome and Charm into our ride then made sure everyone else was good.
Dashawn drove himself, Alan, and Hazel. Lee and Chandler were both sober and took Rome back to their place with them.
I called an iDrive for Zamir and Major. I dapped people as they exited the building and saw me standing there.
I didn’t know Allison well enough to know if she had a man in her life, so I walked her to her car too.
By the time I got back to Myome, she was knocked out in the backseat.
When we got home, I carried her tipsy ass upstairs. I peeled her shoes and clothes off and wiped her down the best I could before slipping a T-shirt over her head. I settled her between me and the counter so I could brush her teeth, then let her collapse into bed.
I took a shower and ran through my bedtime routine then climbed in beside her and texted Chandler.
Me: Send flowers to Myome’s label - Allison, Charm, Retta and their execs to congratulate them on the album please.
I tossed my phone on my bedside table with a yawn and was sleeping in what felt like seconds.
I woke up to my phone blowing up.
I grabbed it with my eyes still closed and grumbled awake. I had several hundred notifications and several missed calls from Chandler.
I looked at the time. It was nine in the fucking morning.
I called Chandler back anyway and she answered almost instantly.
“Berlin, we have a problem.”
“I figured. What’s up?”
“Check our text messages now!” she screeched.
I grimaced. “Inside voice, Chan. Inside voice.”
I pulled my phone from my ear and went to our messages. She’d sent several but I tapped the first one and a laugh of disbelief forced itself out of my body as I sat up fully.
“We have a problem,” I repeated Chandler’s statement as I put the phone back to my ear.
“Yeah. Radiant Reverie’s album just came out and this is going to outshine them for sure.”
“Fuck all that. Myome is going to kill that bitch,” I said seriously. “Get me a fucking lawyer on retainer ASAP, Chandler. This ain’t a drill or a joke.” I looked back at the text she’d sent and shook my head.
“Fuck. Okay. I’ll call you back.”
Chandler didn’t wait for a response. She just hung up the call.
Fuck.
Myome was going to dog walk Monica after getting on Skroll and insinuating I’d knocked her up the day Radiant Reverie had dropped their debut album.
Fuck.
I hopped from calls to my current standing lawyer to calls with Chandler to calls with blogs and publicists going back and forth and trying to figure out how to save Radiant Reverie’s release.
I’d just gotten off what felt like my tenth call and was finishing breakfast when Myome floated into the kitchen.
A smile crossed my face as soon as I saw her. I lifted my arm and she walked over so I could tuck her into my side while we kissed.
“Morning,” she said sleepily and rubbed her eyes.
“Morning,” I countered. “I’m surprised you’re awake this early.”
“Me too.” She gave me a small smile. “I’m too excited to sleep,” she admitted. “All I want to do is hear opinions on the album.”
“The album is good, Twin. You already know that. You don’t need anyone to tell you that.”
“Of course you’re going to say that. You’re madly in love with me,” Myome teased.
“You’re right. I am madly in love with you.” I kissed her again. “That’s why you should know I wouldn’t let you put out no bullshit.” I tapped her ass. “I’ve got ibuprofen and coffee at your spot to help knock that headache out.”
“Coffee?”
“Yep. Drink it black and follow it with water.”
“Ew.”
“You can fight through the headache if you want, but I figured you’d need to be productive on the first day your album is out.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Myome grumbled but took her place at our island while I plated the food.
“Greasy bacon, eggs, and fruit,” I announced as I slid the plate toward her.
“Thank you, baby.”
“Uh huh.” I leaned forward on the island and exhaled. “We need to talk, Yo.”
She lifted an eyebrow.
“We need to talk?” she repeated. “What the fuck does that mean, Berlin? I swear if you’re about to take today and come clean about doing some—”
My eyebrows knitted together and I pushed away from the island and walked around. I grabbed Myome’s jaw and turned her head toward me.
“I love yo’ lil pretty ass but watch how the fuck you talk to me, Myome,” I warned. “I’m talking to you calm and ain’t tripping so you shouldn’t be tripping either. Take a deep breath.”
She cut her eyes at me. “Okay.”
“Okay,” I repeated. I swallowed and decided to just rip the Band-Aid off. “Look, Monica announced she was pregnant and made a comment like I was the baby’s daddy.”
“You’re fucking kidding?”
“Nah. I mean, she didn’t explicitly name me but she made what she was trying to imply obvious enough to have people tagging me and shit.
” I sighed. “Chandler saw it a little while after it went up and after Monica’s label got a call from my lawyer, she edited the caption but we don’t really know how many people saw or screenshot it already.
What I do know is that no big celebrity blog is going to touch it. I made sure of that.”
“I’m going to beat the fuck out of Monica the next time I see her,” Myome said plainly.
“Look, we handled it and there’s nothing either of us can do at this point but I wanted to let you know before you even look at Skroll that I’m aware of what’s going on and I’m in front of the story.”
I watched Myome’s anger morph into sadness and she stuck her lip out only a moment before tears forced their way out. Myome wiped her tears and sniffled.
“Radiant Reverie just released an album and now this is the fucking story of the day.” She waved her hand around dramatically.
“I know it’s frustrating, Myome, but I’m going to take care of it.”
She nodded and wiped her eyes again. Then she closed them, leaned her head back, and took a few deep breaths.
When she looked at me again, she’d pulled her sadness in and the anger was back in place. She nodded despite me not saying anything, grabbed a piece of bacon, and took a bite.
“If you don’t take care of her, Berlin, I fucking will.”