19. Ginger Maree
“Girl, I’m telling you, I’m so sick and tired of feeling like I gotta fight for my fucking love with Ozy.”
Trinity laughed a little on the other end of the phone.
“Girl, what are you talking about?”
I turned into the massive parking lot of the studio and slowed down, looking around. It wasn’t as packed as it normally was. There were maybe twenty cars scattered throughout the lot, a couple black trucks, and then…
I squinted. Ozy’s car?
My eyebrows pulled together, but I kept driving until I found a spot closer to the entrance.
“That damn nanny he hired.”
“What about his nanny? I’m confused.”
“Girl, I low-key feel like they have something going on.”
I pulled into the spot and put my car in park.
“What makes you think that?”
“They knew each other from a while back when he had that stupid contest. You remember when our manager was pretty much trying to get Ozy to shoot that documentary and show his fans all the behind-the-scenes shit about his life?”
“Yeah, I remember that.”
“Well, she was one of the girls who won the contest.” I grabbed my bag off the passenger seat and started throwing everything inside that I needed. “What are the fucking odds that she turns up being the nanny of his nephew?”
Trinity got quiet for a second. “Okay…yeah. That does sound a little fishy. But why do you feel like they have something going on?”
I sighed and flipped my visor down, checking myself in the mirror.
“Just the way he looks at her. And vice versa, bitch.”
I grabbed my lip gloss and leaned closer to the mirror, putting some more on.
“Like, she’s a bigger girl. She has a lot more ass and titties than me, and I don’t know. He just looks at her…differently.”
“Okay, so what?” Trinity said. “You have the man, and you’re at his house more than your own.
You practically live there. You barely ever have to go in your wallet.
He buys you clothes, shoes, whatever you want, whatever you need, and he takes you on trips.
Girl, who gives a damn if he’s making googly eyes at some big bitch? ”
I laughed and shook my head. “You know what? You’re right.”
“I know I’m right.”
“But what I am a little confused about is why I see his car sitting out here.”
“At the studio?” She said it like I was slow. “I mean, that’s not uncommon, Ginger. He’s a singer.”
I sucked my teeth.
“I know that girl. Shut the hell up. I’m talking about he didn’t tell me that he was having a session today.” I looked over at his car again through my windshield.
“Sis…that man ain’t going nowhere, and you need to stop tripping on him too. Remember what happened last time when y’all were in that fake relationship? He was ready to end the contract because you were overdoing it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thank you for reminding me.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.”
“So, if you wanna keep him, you gotta fall back a lil’ more, sis. You know me and Montreal have been married for almost seven years now, so I know a little thing or two.” She snickered.
I sighed again and looked toward the entrance.
There were already paparazzi standing outside near the doors. A few of them had noticed my car, and cameras were starting to turn in my direction.
“Girl, you’re right. But let me get out and pose for these pictures real quick. I’m already a little late to my studio session, and I do not want to hear Derez’s mouth.”
“Alright, but Gin?”
“What?”
“Don’t be that man’s headache. A man like Ozy probably does not like all that nagging and checking up on him.”
I rolled my eyes hard. “Shut up. You don’t know what the hell my man needs.”
Trinity laughed. “I’m not checking for him, and you know that. Loosen up and lighten up a little bit. You’re Ginger Maree. That man knows exactly what he has. The biggest, hottest, most talked-about Grammy Award-winning pop singer out right now.”
I smiled at myself in the mirror.
“He better recognize.”
“There you go.”
“But for real, let me call you back a little bit later.”
“Alright, girl. Go make some hits.”
“I always do.” I ended the call, tossed my phone into my bag, and opened my car door.
The cameras immediately started flashing.
“Ginger!”
“Ginger, over here!”
“Ginger, look this way!”
“Is the new album coming this year?”
I stepped out and smiled, giving them a few poses like I wasn’t already behind schedule. I turned slightly to the side, popped my hip out, gave them another smile, then started toward the building.
My security was standing nearby and fell into step with me as I walked.
“Looking beautiful today, Ginger!”
“I know, baby. Thank you.” I blew the cameras a kiss and headed inside.
The second those doors closed behind me, my smile dropped.
I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and headed down the hallway toward my session.
Now, to get to my session, I had to pass the studio Ozy typically used whenever we came here. I figured there was no harm in me stopping in front of that door for a quick second because I wanted to peek in and see exactly who he had in there with him.
There was one of his security guards standing outside the door with his hands folded in front of him. He barely even looked at me.
I shifted my bag higher on my shoulder.
“Excuse me.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. Mr. Love doesn’t want to be disturbed.”
I stared at him.
“Okay…but do you know who the hell I am?”
“Yes, ma’am. I know who you are.”
“Okay, so move.”
He didn’t.
“Again, Mr. Love said he did not want to be disturbed by anybody.”
I sucked my teeth and crossed my arms, shifting all my weight onto one foot.
“Well, who the hell is he in there with?”
Nothing.
The man stood there looking straight ahead. His face didn’t even look familiar. He must’ve been new.
“Hello? Did you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“So, who is he in there with?”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss Mr. Love’s session.”
I blinked. “You’re not at liberty?”
He didn’t say anything else.
I leaned a little to the side, trying to see through the small window in the door, but his body was blocking most of it.
I reached toward the handle. His hand came out and gently moved mine away before I could touch it.
My mouth dropped open. “Did you just touch me?”
“I’m simply doing my job, ma’am.”
“Oh, you’re doing your job?” I mocked him.
“Yes, ma’am.”
I pulled my phone out of my bag and called Ozy.
It rang all the way until it got to voicemail, so I hung up and immediately called again.
He still didn’t answer, so my cheeks became hot with embarrassment.
I shot Ozy a text.
ME: I’m outside your session. Why is security stopping me from coming in?
I waited another minute or two, but still no response. I looked at the security guard again.
“I should have you fired.”
His expression didn’t change.
“Have a good session, Ms. Maree.”
I rolled my eyes and walked past him.
“Whatever.”
About an hour later, I needed a break.
Derez had given me three new songs to listen to, and we had been going back and forth over one of them because I hated the second verse and he swore up and down it was gonna be a hit.
I needed to use the bathroom, so I said, “I’ll be back in a few.”
My security got up and followed me out into the hallway.
I was stretching my arms over my head while walking when I heard laughter.
My man’s laughter.
I dropped my arms quickly. Ozy was standing a little farther down the hallway, and standing right in front of him was Noree.
Of fucking course.
She was laughing at something he said, and he was smiling all big in her fucking face.
My whole body got hot, and I started walking toward them fast as hell, face twisted.
“What the hell are you doing here with her?”
Both of them looked over at me confused, and Noree’s smile disappeared immediately.
Ozy’s did too.
“Is this who was in the studio with you?”
Noree didn’t say anything. She just looked me up and down. And I looked her ass right back up and down.
The fuck!
The bitch had on a yellow jumpsuit hugging all that ass, titties poking, pissing me off further.
“What you doing here?” Ozy asked.
I snapped my head toward him.
“Uh, hello! I have a studio session. You would know that if you ever paid attention to my fucking schedule. But you didn’t tell me you had one.”
“I didn’t know I had one until today.”
“So now you’re lying and sneaking around?”
“I’m not lying or sneaking around. I don’t have a reason to.” His face tightened. “Derez called me and asked if I wanted to come in today, even though he knew I was already scheduled later on in the week. I said fuck it. I been ready to get back in the stu.”
“Mmm.” I nodded. “Well, if that’s the case, why is she here?”
“We’re finishing a song. Why the fuck is you questioning me? You know I don’t like that shit.”
My eyebrows went up, ignoring him. “What song?”
“The one we started the weekend of the contest.” I stared at him for a second, confused. Then it clicked.
“I know you fucking lying,” I shouted, and he shook his head. “Me and you were supposed to be on that song. So, you’re telling me that you’re booting me off the song for her?”
“It’s not even like that.”
“Then what is it like, Ozy?”
“Her voice fits the song better,” he admitted.
I laughed because there was no fucking way. “Her voice fits the song better?”
“Yeah.”
“So, you think she sings better than me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“That’s exactly what you just said.”
“No, the fuck it ain’t!” He stepped closer.
“You already know how shit goes in this fucking industry. Don’t stand here and try to come at me sideways like you don’t.
Do you know how many songs I’ve been taken off of?
How many verses of mine got scrapped? A lot.
And I didn’t get upset about the shit because it’s business, Gin. ”
“I like her voice,” he continued. “I like how it sounds on the song. I also like your voice, and I like how your voice sounds with mine on other songs. It’s not a fucking competition all the goddamn time. You be doing too much.”
I stared at him.
Then Trinity’s voice came right back into my head. Don’t be that man’s headache.
I took a breath through my nose.
“You know what?”
Ozy looked at me.
“You’re right, babe. I’m sorry.”
His eyebrows lifted slightly like he hadn’t been expecting that. I stepped closer, wrapped one arm around his neck, and kissed him.
But the entire time my lips were on his, my eyes were open looking directly at Noree.
She stared at me for a second before looking away with a smirk.
I pulled back and smiled.
“You know what? I’m actually gonna leave you two alone. I’ll see you back at the house.” She went to walk past us.
Ozy reached out and grabbed her arm gently. “Wait.”
My eyes dropped straight to his hand. Then back up to his face.
Noree looked down at his hand too.
“We’re not done yet,” he said.
“Yeah, but it seems like you’re a little occupied.”
“Nah. We still got shit to finish.”
I felt my jaw wanting to tighten harder, but I forced myself to keep my face straight.
Keep it cute, Ginger.
Ozy let her arm go and turned back toward me.
“I’ll see you back at the house. Go ahead and finish your session, and I’ma finish mine.”
I blinked. “Really?”
“What?”
“You’re sending me away?”
“I’m working, bae.”
I stared at him. For a second, every petty bone in my body wanted to come alive. I wanted to tell Noree to get her big ass away from my man.
But I heard Trinity again.
I smiled. “It’s fine.”
Ozy nodded once. “Aight.”
I turned around and kept walking toward the bathroom. My security followed behind me.
As soon as I pushed open that bathroom door and stepped inside, my whole face changed.
I went into the stall, used the bathroom, then came back out and stood at the sink.
I washed my hands slowly, looking at myself in the mirror.
“She’s lucky I didn’t smack the shit out of her.”
I grabbed a paper towel and dried my hands. Then I stared at my reflection again. My hair was perfect, makeup flawless, outfit expensive, and everything about me screamed star.
And I wasn’t about to let some nanny make me act like I didn’t know who the fuck I was? Absolutely not.
I pulled my lip gloss out and touched up my lips.
“Yup. I’m gonna keep it cute.”
I smacked my lips together and put the gloss back in my bag.
I gave myself one more look in the mirror, pushed my shoulders back, and walked out.
Security fell into step beside me again, and I headed straight back to my session.
For the next two hours, I stayed busy. Derez had a few more songs he wanted to present to me, so I sat there listening, taking notes, changing melodies, arguing about lyrics, and doing what I did best.
Singing.
Every now and then, my mind tried to drift back down that hallway.
I had to figure out a way to get rid of her ass, and for the next couple of days, I was gonna be watching her like a hawk.