Chapter Twenty-Two
landon
New York
April 29
My heart swelled with pride every time I returned home. The one thing my parents had done right was choose New York to raise me. I loved this city. The hustle and bustle of its inhabitants didn’t bother me because I could disappear and reappear, take in a Broadway play on a whim, visit any of the museums, take a walk or a horse ride in Central Park, shop anywhere, and eat the best pizza and hot dogs the city could offer on a dime. Or take a stroll down the brilliantly lit Times Square. A car was an unnecessary expense with the massive train and bus system.
I tapped a beat on the window, smiling as the familiar, crooked skyline with the Freedom Tower touching the brightening sky appeared in the distance. Manhattan. In a city this large, invisibility was the norm unless you made an effort to be seen. I continued to tap a happy rhythm on the tour bus window as we drove in the wee hours of the morning. We would drive into Manhattan on a Tuesday morning as the April sun rose over the largest city in the United States.
The tour had been a certifiable hit. Every remaining show was sold out, and our names were everywhere. The Hollow Bones and Janae had become a trending topic, drawing the kind of attention we had once only imagined. Festival invites poured in. Club appearance requests filled our schedule. Del was even negotiating a performance slot for us at Austin City Limits in October.
After being on the road for half a month, we would stop in New York for twenty days to perform for two shows, the completion of our second album, and our collaboration with Janae. The Hollow Bones were still independent, and Janae hadn’t signed with a label since hers dropped her nearly three years ago. For now, we’d be producing the collaboration independently, releasing it as a standalone single.
When the rising sun greeted me as we rode onto the island, Janae snuggled deeper against my side in the primary bed on the tour bus. We had given her the largest area at the back of the bus, which definitely worked in my favor. Janae hadn’t liked being separated from me after Atlanta, and though I didn’t like being apart from her, I still needed solitude after being around so many people for most of the trip. In fact, Cedrick and Del had worked out the schedule so that we could spend a stretch in New York working on music, and so I could be in my own space and reset. It would also be the first time having someone stay with me in my home. My original reluctance had faded because I had grown used to sleeping beside Janae.
Her knee rose over my morning erection, and I didn’t move it, wanting to feel the pressure of her body on mine. I brushed my lips on her forehead and hugged her to me. Janae was a naturally affectionate person, and I believed that sometimes she touched me unconsciously. I’d become accustomed to and welcomed the feel of her hands and her body in the weeks we’d spent together. Now that I was on my home turf, the urgent need to be with her again overcame me. I placed kisses on her face, her cheek, and her neck. My hand drifted to her bare stomach, where her T-shirt had risen during the night.
I traced the stud that peeked out of her belly button with my finger. She moved my hand under her shirt and guided it toward her naked breast. I rubbed her soft, full orb that fit my palm while my finger teased her nipple. She moaned and writhed as she slowly awakened. I raised her shirt to suck on her stiffened bud and my slid other hand inside her panties, dipping my finger between her legs. Janae was so wet for me and moved against my palm urgently.
She pulled on my head until I released her nipple. I looked up at her. She said, panting, “If you don’t want to fuck me on this bus, you have to stop. And if you do decide to fuck me right now, I swear everyone on this bus will know.”
I chuckled, removed my hand from her panties, kissed her nipple, and then rested my head on her breasts. “We can wait until we get to my place tonight.”
We rode through the city in the quiet of dawn, her breasts my pillow as she caressed my hair. I inhaled her sugary vanilla scent, hoping she could accept me and that what we were beginning to have would never end. I closed my eyes, feeling so grateful for this moment with this beautiful woman. Suddenly, I couldn’t wait to make love to her in my space.
I murmured against her breasts, “Naw… we’re going to my house as soon as the bus stops.”
She ran her fingers through my hair. “We can wait. We’re here for a while.”
“I don’t feel like waiting. Once we get into the studio, we’re not coming out until we’ve finished your song and our album. It’s how The Hollow Bones operate. I don’t want to be distracted by the thoughts of how much I want to have you in every room of my home when I’m supposed to be focused on the music.”
Janae smiled wickedly. “Mmm… I hope you have a lot of rooms. I love the way you feel inside me.”
I kissed her nipple. “Yep, my brownstone is four levels.”
“Then I don’t want to wait either.”
I should’ve realized that my decision to ignore the schedule wouldn’t go over well with Cedrick. One of the reasons we worked well together was that we both believed in making and keeping routines.
Once the tour bus stopped to unload us, everyone gathered their belongings. We had cars that would take us to our various destinations. The cameramen filmed us as we stepped off the bus to record our various emotions and feelings about being in New York. For The Hollow Bones, it was home. For Janae, it was an extended stay in a beautiful city. Del had also told us to be open to any opportunity and to always be ready. With that in mind, Janae had asked her glam squad to remain in New York for the full stretch of our stay. Originally, they had planned to rejoin us the night before our first show, but now, they were here for the long haul.
As Janae packed on the bus, I pulled Cedrick to the side. “I need to push the schedule back a day. We can get together earlier than we planned tomorrow if you think that’ll work. Or we can chill today and hit the studio late for an all-nighter.”
He pulled his bag from underneath the bus. “What? We need to work on Janae’s song, and we have rehearsals and our own songs to record.” He placed his duffel bag down. “We still have promotional stops while we’re here. These days will fly by like that, and we won’t be back in the city until after L.A.”
“I know.” I ran my hands over my head and realized I’d forgotten to wear my hat. “Come on, Ced, I’ve never asked to alter our schedule. Give me a break.”
“So why are you now? Is something wrong? Are your parents okay?” His concerned eyes became annoyed when I didn’t answer. He turned his back on me. “You can fuck her later. We have work to do. You can have your version of Love & Hip Hop on your own time.”
“Don’t do that.” My blood started to boil. “Don’t make fun of us.”
He sucked his teeth and waved his hand. “I’m not changing the schedule for that bullshit.”
Incensed that he could be so dismissive of her and me, I pushed him against the bus. Though Cedrick was stunned, his hands became fists, and he swung and missed. Brian jumped between us. “Hey… hey… we’re in public. People see us. The cameras are on. Calm the hell down. Now.”
I immediately dropped my fists. I didn’t want to fight my best friend. “I never alter the schedule or ask to take a break. Never. All I want is today. Just a day. That’s all I’m asking. We can still meet tonight if you want. I just want to go home. My idea. My decision. Not Janae’s, before you start blaming her.”
My breathing became shallow as Brian looked at me with worried eyes. I turned to him. “I want to push the schedule back a day. That’s all.”
He frowned as Charles, who’d grabbed his bag from under the bus, shrugged helplessly.
“You have never changed the schedule. Never. I warned you she was trouble,” Cedrick spat.
“What trouble has she caused? In fact, she’s brought nothing but good attention to us. When it’s convenient for you, you can change the schedule, and I go along without any argument. When I say I want to change, it’s a fucking big deal.”
“Really? This is the only time? You missed out on a meeting with Del to go with Janae to her event in Atlanta,” Cedrick replied.
“ One meeting. But later that night, I was at the club I didn’t want to go to and stayed longer than I wanted for the group.” I shook my head. “I don’t have to explain myself. Fifteen years of going along with the group, and you tripping on one day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The guys stared at me, and I backed away.
I hopped back on the bus. “Janae, let’s go now.”
She was stuffing a bag with some of her clothes. “I know I should’ve packed up last night…”
“Leave it. We can get it later or arrange for someone to bring our stuff to my house. I just want to go.”
She finally looked at me, and her eyes widened. “Okay.”
Frankie and Jeri were silent as she quickly searched for and found her purse and phone. She hugged them both, and I reached for my guitar and her hand as we exited the bus. The guys silently watched Janae and me head to the curb like they were holding their breath, uncertain of what might come next.
“I don’t know what happened, but I’m sorry.” Janae pressed her head into my shoulder, her arms wrapped around my waist as we walked to one of the cars waiting to take us home.
“Don’t ever apologize to me about any choice I make,” I muttered as I tried to ignore the curious gazes and photographers snapping pics. I refused to look back at the guys as the car slid into morning traffic.
Why did Cedrick have to make such a big deal of my taking a day off? I gripped Janae’s hand tight throughout the silent, tense ride through the city. He’d wrecked my good mood. I could feel her questioning gaze, but I wasn’t ready to tell her what’d happened because it really was silly. I worked hard all the time, and I deserved a break.
I fumed. If I thought about all the times I’d been left alone at the studio working on music because they had women or family obligations, it would be absolutely laughable that any of them would dare be mad at me for changing the schedule for once.
We pulled into my neighborhood and then parked in front of my brownstone. I was proud of my home, especially because I had my own garage in a city where those were a luxury.
I assisted Janae out of the car and walked up the stairs. She stared at the house with her mouth gaped and wistfully remarked, “I already know I’ll love it. This neighborhood is how I always envisioned the elite and rich live.”
“You do know you’re considered the elite and rich too?” I smiled as I punched in the code for my door. “You also have fame that my neighbors don’t have.”
Janae scanned the community of brownstones and neatly manicured trees that lined both sides of the street. She looked back at me. “I’m always going to be that girl from the Third Ward of Houston.”
“That girl who probably has at least a million in her bank account,” I reminded her. She glanced around again with a furrowed brow, as if she didn’t belong in this neighborhood after being worth more than eight million when she was only twenty-four. Being stripped of her fame and most of her money had scarred her.
I asked as I opened my door, “You good?”
She nodded.
My phone chimed as we entered the cool air of my foyer and living area. I closed the door before I pulled my cell out of my pocket.
Charles had sent a text.
We’re headed to the studio to work on the album if you want to stop by later.
The gnawing started again. “They decided to practice without me.”
As she took my guitar out of my hand, Janae asked, “All these years and no one has ever missed practice?”
“They never practice without me.” I stared at my phone and then at her. “I’m the only one who’s never missed a session.”
She caressed my face. “It’s not too late to go, Landon. I’m not going anywhere. I can wait here for you or return to the hotel and wait for you. I can’t come between you and them. They’re your family.”
She had just entered my home, and I already knew I didn’t want her to leave.
I turned my head and kissed her palm. “What if I want you to be my family too?”
Her eyes softened as I swooped down to kiss her, capturing her tongue in my mouth as I lifted her enough for her to wrap her legs around me. I carried her up the stairs, wanting our first time in New York to be in my bed.