Chapter 11 #2
H ad he known that taking Orielle to one of her favorite R he knew she would.
It was a matter of whether she could get away.
He’d honestly gotten lucky because the clients she did have scheduled, surprisingly, didn’t mind rescheduling.
It wasn’t just her schedule that Najee had to worry about.
The conditions with his parole weren’t as strict as they could’ve been, but traveling to another state without permission was a restriction he wasn’t willing to violate.
It didn’t matter that his parole officer was proud of the progress he had made since being released. The system was still the system.
Thankfully, his PO wasn’t a hating ass man.
They’d only met in person three times over the months, and on his third visit, Najee asked for clearance to go out of town.
Najee didn’t think he’d been out long enough to get his conditions temporarily lifted, but closed mouths never got fed what they didn’t ask for.
Unless you were Orielle.
She didn’t have to utter a word for Najee to make shit shake for her.
When he told his PO it was to celebrate the partnership with Peace Haven, that wasn’t a complete lie.
Najee didn’t know if he’d approve a trip to Houston so his lady could sing and meet the woman whose songs she played and sang as if she’d written them herself.
That request may have been pushing it. By the end of the meeting, Najee finessed him into approving a three-day trip to Houston, with a check-in time of seven o’clock when he returned home.
That was just enough time for them to enjoy the city and for Orielle to enjoy the show.
She sang her heart out with Jhené Aiko as she flawlessly performed on the stage of the Toyota Center.
Najee’s first thought was to rent a suite, but then he thought about how Orielle would love the up-close and personal experience more.
So, he copped them floor seats in the middle and at the end of the row.
After watching her all night, singing every song word for word, and dancing in the aisle, he was glad he’d made that move.
“Babe,” Orielle hollered in his ear, with her phone held above them.
Najee grinned into the camera. She smiled brightly and recorded herself singing along to W.A.Y.S.
The song was so fitting for where Orielle was in her life.
No matter how many times she wanted to give up or how unfairly life had treated her, she was here for a greater purpose than to fail.
The same could be said for Najee, so she sang to him too.
“You have gotta lose your mind, just to find your peace of mind. You have got to trust the signs, everything will turn out fine, so...”
The lyrics were deep, and the way Orielle sang them, sounding as if she’d written them herself, made Najee a little choked up.
Her voice, the energy in the arena, and all he’d been through would make anyone emotional if you leaned into it.
Orielle had already cried twice since Jhené graced the stage and probably would when she met her.
There was healing and power in her music, and it was felt.
Najee found it to be smooth, sensual, spiritual, and soul-stirring all at once.
Orielle held his hand as the concert came to an end.
The entire arena glowed in a dark blue hue, while confetti dropped from the ceiling, and Magic Hour played in the background as Jhené gave her farewells.
Orielle’s voice was slightly hoarse from singing for three hours straight, but that wasn’t about to stop her from going backstage for the meet and greet.
Najee led them through the crowd with her close by his side, and a firm grip on her hand.
There were way too many people, and he didn’t need anyone separating them.
Not now. Not ever. They were about to turn the corner when a deep voice called Najee’s name.
He turned around, greeting Zahir with a head nod.
“Yo. What’s up, with it?” Najee said as they embraced, dapping one another up.
“I can’t call it. I ain’t expect to run into anyone from the city out here,” Zahir said.
Najee chuckled. “Shit, me either. Just decided to take my lady on a quick trip.”
“Same,” Zahir agreed, pulling Sovanna closer to him by her waist as people brushed by. “You know me, though. Out here on business, too. This is my fiancée, Sovanna,” he introduced.
“Hey. How you doing?” Najee said, while Orielle waved.
She stood by his side, admiring not only the handsome man but his woman as well. They complemented one another so well. Orielle spotted her protruding belly under the flowy lace shirt and smiled.
Sovanna waved. “Hey. I’m good and sleepy.” She chuckled, and her eyes landed on Orielle. “Your hair is so pretty.”
“Thank you. My curls finally acted like they had some sense in this weather,” she said, and then Najee introduced her.
“Aye, this is my lady, Orielle. Orielle, this is Zahir. A few of his clients?—”
Najee was about to explain how Zahir booked Echelon Express for some of his celebrity clients and artists, but Sovanna held her hand up, halting his words.
“I’m sorry,” Sovanna interrupted. “You can call me weird if I’m wrong, but are you also Rielle Summers?”
Orielle smiled and nodded. “Yes. You’re probably used to seeing me with my ginger hair.”
“I am. Oh, my gosh. I thought you looked familiar. Me, baby girl, and my friends love your music,” she said sweetly, placing a hand on her belly.
Zahir had flown her into town so that she could attend the concert with her friends who lived here.
“Awwww. Thank you so much. I know she had a time tonight.”
“Girl, yes. Just wiggling all on my bladder.”
The men grinned as they conversed, and then Najee mentioned a name they both knew.
“Saleem is her cousin,” he said.
“And Amira is my best friend. Wow. What a small world,” Sovanna concluded.
Everyone in KC was somehow related by default, so she wasn’t overly surprised. When she and Zahir first got together, she had to make sure his rolling stone of a father didn’t have any kids that may have been her siblings.
“So, you’re in the music industry?” Zahir asked, switching to his professional mode.
“I wouldn’t say I’m in it , but I have a nice fan base. I’m an R&B singer,” Orielle answered.
Sovanna smacked her lips. “Baby, she’s playing modest. She’s cold .”
Najee smirked. “Thank you for not being the only one to say it. I keep telling her she needs to pop her shit.”
Orielle glanced his way and playfully rolled her eyes. “He does, but I’m just waiting on my turn. I know what my voice brings to the table.”
Zahir nodded, loving the confidence in her tone. “Yeah? I wouldn’t mind hearing what you got. Are you signed to anyone?”
Orielle’s brows dipped. “No, I’m independent, but I’ve been searching for an agent and a label. Are you a manager or something?”
Humbly, Zahir chuckled. “Nah. I’m an agent at MTA.”
Orielle’s jaw dropped. She claimed not to be in the industry, but if you were and had done your research, you knew that Maven Talent Agency was one of the most established agencies in the country.
They represented artists and a diverse range of professions throughout the entertainment world.
Although Zahir’s expertise was music, he kept his hand in a few lanes. Orielle couldn’t believe her luck.
“Oh wow!” she exclaimed. “They represent some of my favorite and biggest artists.”
“We do. You could be one of them,” Zahir hinted, pulling his phone out. “I’m not always in search of new talent, ‘cause my roster is pretty solid, but gon’ head and put your number in here. If my Baby Dolls vouched for you, you must be something special.”
Too stunned to speak, Orielle grabbed his phone and shakily typed her number into the keypad, saving it under Rielle Summers . She handed it back and smiled.
“Here you go. Don’t let it collect dust,” she jested, but was also serious as hell.
“I’m not going to let him,” Sovanna said.
Zahir smirked, knowing she would be on his head about Orielle. “I got you. You just be ready when I make that call.”
“I’ma make sure she is, bro. Good lookin’,” Najee said, and they dapped one another up.
“Always, family. We gon’ head up out of here. Y’all have a safe rest of y’all’s trip,” Zahir said.
“Y’all too,” Orielle said, waving.
She watched as Zahir guided a yawning Sovanna up the hall with a hand on her back. Turning to face Najee, she bunched her face in an overly excited manner.
“Oh, my gosh!” she squealed. “What the hell just happened?”
Najee chuckled. “You securing a mothafuckin’ agent, that’s what. And to think you were trying to convince me to switch our travel dates. Tell me, thank you for not listening.”
Orielle stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Thank you, baby. For everything. Tonight feels like I manifested it.”
Najee kissed her forehead. “You did, and you deserve whatever is about to happen. Now let’s go meet Jhené so she can rub some more good juju off on you. Shit, tell her we need a few million to fall out of the sky.”
Laughing, Orielle intertwined her fingers with his. She wasn’t sure what was in the air or what the future held, but it was looking brighter by the day.