by Nako
She dropped her head. “Never mind.” She didn’t want to talk about it anymore. It probably wasn’t possible anyway.
“What’s up with you today?” he was utterly confused.
“Nothing,” she started to make her way of the bed which she should’ve known he wasn’t going to let happen. Today was an off day for the both of them and they would be spending it together in bed, doing absolutely nothing.
“I can’t read minds. You want your mom to come home?”
She looked at him as if he had two heads. “Uh, of course I do. She’s been locked up since my brother was a jit.”
Her and that Florida lingo, he could barely keep up.
“What were the charges? How much time does she have left? Is she up for appeal?” He had questions that he was sure any attorney that he phoned to look into the case would ask before even taking his money.
Mahogany spit out the few details that she knew.
“She killed four men?” He was baffled.
Mahogany said in her mother’s defense, “They were trying to rob her.”
“Oh okay… well, I’m going to see what I can do. Not making any promises though baby.” Florida’s judicial system was considered racist and murder…that’s a lot. But he would try his best.
“That’s all I’m asking, P.”
She’d been doing some research on how the influence of celebrities and their voices were positively aiding in high-profile cases such as Jay-Z serving as an advocate for Meek Mill and how he donated to the Baltimore Bailout. Jay-Z really was her idol. On top of being one of the world’s greatest rappers, he was passionate about the community and the well-being of African American people. Her heart swelled when she did some research and learned that he set up a trust fund for Sean Bell’s children, along with sitting on a panel to help bring reformation to Eric Garner’s case. Another person that she was surprised to hear about doing so many things great behind the scenes were the late Aretha Franklin. She would’ve never known that she was an activist and feminist. Mahogany needed someone to step up for her mama. She wanted her home to see her glow up.
“I got you, baby. Now, can you tell me what else is bothering you? Because I know that’s not it.” He could’ve been wrong, but something was telling him that he wasn’t. He knew her well enough at this point to be aware that her mind was boggled.
She shook her head, keeping the conversation that she had with Yara to herself for now. She was quite sure that he would feel betrayed and she honestly, wasn’t in the mood to be arguing with her baby.
“I’m good, just tired. Can we take a nap?” It was still bright and early in the morning and this was the first time in a long time where she didn’t have to rush off to the gym, or to the studio, or an interview training session. She wasn’t taking this day off for granted because was unsure when she would get another one.
He pulled her close to him and rubbed the perimeter of her head. “I’m here, no matter what it is.” They were more than lovers, more than partners in this music industry shit. He cared about her a great deal and wanted her to know that.
“I know baby.”
She closed her eyes and right before she drifted off to sleep, she remembered the intimate moment from yesterday’s event.
“Me and Carmen talked, and I apologized. Then we hugged.”
Porter was elated. “Swear to God?” He didn’t believe her.
“Yep, she’s cool as fuck. I think we got off on the wrong foot,” she admitted.
Carmen was good people and he wanted his lady to be surrounded by a group of women that he knew would only love, uplift, encourage and push her onto better ground. Carmen and her tribe would openly welcome Mahogany into their fold.
“Everybody isn’t out to get you, I promise you that.” His statement caused her to reflect once more on what Yara told her about not trusting so easily and keeping her eyes on her money…
“I know you love him…but don’t be no fool.”
Porter nudged her. “You hear me?”
“Yes baby.” She closed her eyes once more and prayed that things worked out in her favor and that God sent her like-minded people and not the evil ones that Yara swore she’ll soon encounter once she got famous for real.
η
Interviews were the devil if you asked Porter Bavay. He got damn hated em’. Playing the background was cool with him. He didn’t need the limelight, never desired to be the star. Wealth was quiet, rich was loud; that’s how he lived his life. But before he let an unknown, broke and most definitely irrelevant ass hoe disrespect his late wife’s legacy while simultaneously attempting to tarnish Mahogany’s upcoming stardom, Porter would take the mic to set the record straight. For once and for all. After this interview, he would gladly go back behind the curtain and play his role, as he’d been doing his entire career.
Clad in a motorcycle jacket, white button down, Gucci cufflinks, black faded skinny jeans and a pair of aviator shades covering his low and red eyes, he sat comfortably in a rolling chair waiting on the interview to begin.
He had shit to do today and decided to do one interview knowing it’ll be all over the blogs by noon.
“Thanks for coming in today. Man, you are extremely hard to get in touch with,” the interview had commenced.
He laughed coolly into the mic as he took the gum out of his mouth. One of his biggest pet peeves was watching an anticipated interview and a damn celebrity was popping gum the whole time.
“I be all over the place, but I’m here now. What’s up? Good morning. Let’s get into it!” He wouldn’t be on here all day.
“We jumping right in?” the DJ asked.
He nodded his head, “Yep. I ain’t holding nothing back,” he said straight up.
“Word on the street is that you and Kim were in an open marriage. Can you speak on that?”
He had no choice, simply due to the threats that came from her very religious mother. She wanted her daughter’s name cleared up. Immediately.
“First and foremost, moment of silence for my late Queen, hope she’s resting beautifully along with our children that I miss each and every day,” he stated respectfully.
“I loved my wife until the day that she passed away and we were no shape or form in an open marriage. I was raising daughters and no disrespect to anyone out there that are swingers and shit, but that’s not how were moving. Was I perfect? Heck No. Was she perfect? No. Did we love each other? Yes. Did we honor our vows every single day? No. Marriage isn’t perfect nor is it easy.”
Jillian, who was listening in from home, said aloud, “Great answer. P.”
“This chick… is it your baby?”
As of yet, the DNA test hadn’t come back, so he couldn’t speak on that nor had he had that conversation with his girl. His response was, “No.”
“And is it true that you’re dating your new project?”
“Project? She’s a person…Yeah, we’re dating. Exclusively,” he added since all these hoes wanted to come out the wood works claiming that he loved em all. No, he fucked em’, it was a big difference.
“Exclusively?”
“Yes. Me and her. No one else. Committed relationship, something that I haven’t been in since I was married,” Porter clarified.
“I dig it. Happy for you, big dawg. Porter, you’ve always been well-respected in the industry and you’ve been low-key for so many years, keep it one hundred with us today. How do these rumors make you feel?”
“Exactly, I’m a private man. I live my life according to how I see fit. Rumors are rumors, a lot of noise. No facts.”
Screenshots or not. He wasn’t tripping on them hoes.
“So, you’re not acknowledging the pictures of you being asleep in the bed with these chicks or you buying them stuff?”
Porter said loudly into the microphone, “NOPE.”
“Do you have a type? They all kind of lookalike with the exception of your girlfriend.”
“Hey man, I used to stick to the models
like Future said, but I’m with someone new and this is the happiest I’ve been since I lost Kim. I stepped out of my comfort zone and I’m not looking back.”
“The girl that’s claiming that you loved her and shit? Is she lying?”
Porter looked behind the glass window and Casey shook his head, signifying him to not speak on too much.
“At this time, I can’t really go into that. But I will say that she’s looking for a happy meal.”
First, she tried to sue him for sexual harassment and now she was saying she had a kid by him...the hoe needed to pick a story and stick to it.
“Have you heard the rumors of Kim dating Matthew Townsend?”
Now, that question came as a motherfucking surprise.
Every one that was listening, his close friends and family were instantly flabbergasted.
“Huh?” Porter was so shocked that he couldn’t play it off if he wanted to.
“The baseball player, you didn’t see the post he made after her death?”
Jillian called Casey’s phone, “GET HIM OFF THE AIR.”
Casey ran into the room of the recording and pulled the mic from Porter.
He was clearly not expecting to hear that. “What the fuck, dawg?”
The interviewee held his hands up. “My bad bro. I thought you already knew or at least heard about it.”
No one had told him anything about a fuckin Matthew and Kim.
She cheated on him? This had to be a rumor.
Porter seemed taken back and quite devastated at the news.
Casey was unaware as well, that was such a troubling time for their immediate circle no one was sitting on social media looking for tea. They were grieving multiple losses at one time.
“Let’s go,” Porter croaked. He could barely talk or blink without a tear coming out of his eye. Thank God, he still had his shades on….
On the elevator, he fucking lost it and all his best friend could do was stand by while he let that hurt and pain go. The agony…
“Fuck man, fuck!” he panted as he finally caught his breath.
Yeah, he was doing his lil’ dirt, but to hear that she was doing it too sent him overboard into a wave of emotions.
C H A P T E R 20
I was born to flex. Diamonds on my neck – Cardi B
For the past two days, Porter hadn’t been himself. There wasn’t anything that Mahogany could do about it other than give him some space and send her love via text message. She missed him, and Kareem did too. There wasn’t a book or warning label that came with dating a widow. No one told you that mood swings were likely, or that certain holidays brought good memories yet produced ill emotions. She didn’t know how to handle him in this way and wished that she did. Homegirl was up in the midnight hour searching Google for an answer, while Genesis and Kareem played the game.
“Should I send him some roses?” she asked aloud, as if these kids knew what to do.
“Why can’t you just give the nigga some space?” Genesis thought it was simple.
She threw a pillow at him. “Because when I’m sad he doesn’t leave me alone until I feel better,” she told him.
“Y’all some clingy ma’fuckas.” They both were too old to be so sprung.
She yelled at him, “Stop cursing in front of my lil boy.”
Kareem looked back at his mama and smiled. He loved when she called him that, lowkey.
“Is P going to be okay?” He was worried about his favorite person.
“Yeah baby, he’s sad right now. Maybe we should go over there and cheer him up,” she suggested.
Genesis groaned, “Noooo, that nigga’s wife died. He don’t wanna see his new girlfriend and her kid right now.”
“She died two almost three years ago,” she reminded him.
“Niggas be wanting space. He’ll call you when he wants to talk. Trust me. I’m a playa.”
Mahogany wasn’t stunting nothing he was saying. “Kareem put your shoes on, we’re going to take P a salad and some ice cream.”
He loved a good salmon salad and she hadn’t been to the diner in a while, she missed them anyway.
“You about to drive all the way over there and then back uptown?”
That was the dumbest plan in the world if you asked him.
“Leave me alone Genesis.” She would do anything to cheer Porter up.
It took her almost two hours to complete her mission, but when he buzzed her up to his Penthouse and her and Kareem stepped off the elevator, the house was dark. A few candles were lit, and he had Tweet’s, Smoking Cigarettes playing on low. He confessed to her a few months ago that he had a big crush on her and loved her soft soprano voice.
“P!” Kareem shouted for him.
“Shhh,” she hissed at her son.
“Why are you telling him to be quiet?” He appeared out nowhere in nothing but a pair of shorts. His chest was bare and so were those long toes that she would gladly suck if he asked her. That’s how precious he was and every part of him was beautiful.
She smiled in his direction, hoping that she didn’t appear too happy to see him. But lord, she had missed this man so much. Forty-eight hours was far too long to be without each other.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Come ere,” he wanted her and needed her. He was glad that she came. Porter didn’t have the energy to text her back or pick up the phone and verbally tell her of his desires. His emotions were bottled back up and it would stay that way until he could responsibly deal with the reality of Kim being with another man. It didn’t make it any better that his surprised response was now another story for the tabloids.
Kareem ran into his arms, assuming that he was who Porter wanted and he scooped him up.
“What up big man?”
Mahogany followed them into a room that she’d never entered while being over his place.
“I didn’t know you had a movie theatre in here.”
He nodded his head, “Barely use it. What y’all wanna watch?”
“Friday,” Kareem mentioned his favorite movie.
“Now why does a five-year-old know about the movie, Friday?” Porter chuckled.
This is exactly what he needed, laughter was the best medicine. He was elated that they stopped by.
“Blame Genesis,” she said as she plopped down on the bean bag in the middle of him and Porter.
“Come closer...” he wanted her in between his legs.
Massaging her scalp when she didn’t have them stupid wigs on was more therapeutic for him than it was for her. She did as he asked, and they found Friday on Netflix and all grew comfortable.
Kareem was out like a light before Craig got high with Smokey.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
He nodded his head and reached down and kissed the side of her neck. “I wasn’t, but now I am.” She was heaven sent and truly his good luck charm.
η
“Number One Bitchesssss,” was the caption she typed out for her Instagram picture, as she blew the single candle on top of a hot pink cupcake. It was one of the hundred that the office ordered for her.
“This shit don’t even feel real yet,” Juice told Munch as they watched everyone love and hug on Mahogany.
Munch shook his head. “Facts, G. I’m probably going to cry when I get home, real shit.”
Everyone that played a vital role in getting her to that number one spot was joyful on today. She dropped the phone when Porter called her telling her the charts updated and she slid right into number one.
She screamed so damn loud in the nail shop and ended up leaving with only hand of her fingers painted. She had to pull up on her nigga and tongue him down. He told her it was going to happen, and it did.
That was yesterday. Today, she was more prepared, and her nails and feet were done. Her makeup was laid, her outfit was cute, and she was celebrating with her team all fucking night.
Number one? What an accomplishment. She’d only dreamed of this happening to her. It made th
e late nights worth it. She was prepared to work even harder to keep the good news coming. She could get used to days like this.
After she uploaded her picture, she gave Juice her phone and went to party with everyone. Porter was sipping on wine, refusing to do any shots of Patron with her ass tonight.
“Come on, just one…” she pouted.
He shook his head. “We got a busy day tomorrow man, I’m not about to even let your ass get drunk, so don’t even try it,” he warned.
Mahogany mumbled under her breath, “Shitting me.”
She left her grumpy man in the other room and went back to kick it with Juice and Munch.
“P so boring. Y’all wanna take some shots?”
Juice shook his head. “We got Breakfast Klub in the morning, you tripping.” That was a big fucking deal.
“Really? You need to go home and turn up with Kareem, y’all can toast with Capri Suns,” he suggested.
Munch busted out laughing, “Yooo… this nigga Juice is funny as fuck.”
They were all being party poopers.
Mahogany asked for her phone back and took a seat. She shoulda smoked before she came to her own party. They were all so laxed, she was hype and ready to dance.
Porter came looking for her about twenty minutes later, stifling a yawn. “You ready to go?”
“Huhhhhh?”
“You not ready yet? Alright, I’ll see you at the house.” He kissed her cheek and dapped everyone around them up.
Mahogany was on the verge of crying.
Why was everyone being so dry, like this shit happened every day for a bitch like her?
An hour later, she departed. When she made it home, it took her so long to walk in the house because nine times out of ten Porter and Kareem was already sleep. She trekked the long hallway from the garage door to the front of the house and when she flipped the light in the living room a loud, “CONGRATSSSS!” from what sounded like a lot of people scared the hell out of her.
There was her son holding a handmade sign, Genesis with roses in his hand, Juice, Munch, Porter, Carmen, Casey and a few more of Porter’s friends.