by Nako
“How you feel about that?” Juice wondered, knowing that him and Yara weren’t exactly buddy buddy anymore.
P sat back and relaxed in his seat. “Business is business. They know what they’re doing. I’ve done all I can do for her, plus I’m tired of arguing about her shit…I’ll let someone else catch that headache,” he admitted.
“Oh okay.” Juice wanted to know where the hell that left him being that he was quite expressive about really wanting to be hands-on with Mahogany’s career. He was aware that his degree had nothing to with talent or management, but he didn’t care. Experience was the best teacher.
“I know you probably waiting on me to get on to it,” P said that while glancing at his watch.
Juice chuckled, “Uh yeah…”
Porter looked at him. “The deal today was a good one, there were some things that she wasn’t budging on and the main one was that no one could manage her other than you.”
Juice eyes bucked, and his mouth dropped. “ON GOD?” He banged his hands on the table happily.
Porter nodded his head. “Yeah, and I trust you…with her career and her life,” he wouldn’t tell any ole body that.
Juice was honored and humbled. “I won’t let you down, P,” he promised.
The waitress returned with another round and they celebrated.
“Man, this shit really happening for a nigga.”
God was good.
“Yeah, so let your girl know that you was busy before, but it’s go time now.”
She either was gon stay down or not. Juice wasn’t thinking about that right now, he was happy as hell.
“Who are you going to get to replace me?”
That wasn’t anything he had to worry about. “Somebody, I don’t know. You worry about Mahogany and keep your eyes open for any flaw shit. She’s new to this and I won’t be there to hold her hand or guide you either.”
They were officially on their own.
Juice understood completely and was ready for the task.
“Best news I got in a long time.”
Whew, he couldn’t wait to call his mama.
Porter pulled out a contract from out of nowhere.
“You’re starting off at 200k, along with 15% of show money, 5% of album earnings and merch if we go on tour. You can negotiate the contract if you want. It’s for three years.”
Juice was thankful. “P, I want to let you know that none of this would be possible without you. Man, I appreciate you for taking a chance on me,” his heart was full.
Porter saw something in him a long time ago. He was a beast.
“You’re well on your way to the top, right along with my girl,” he said, confidently.
They dapped up and enjoyed their hibachi experience. After they went their separate ways, he Facetimed Mahogany, “That’s why you weren’t texting me back earlier,” he said as soon as she picked up.
She laughed, “P told me he wanted to be the one to tell you!”
Juice was cool with that. “So you ready to this? I’m about to be on yo ass!”
Mahogany rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah, nigga whatever.”
“Love you, sis.”
“Love you more, see you tomorrow. We going to the booty club to celebrate.”
Juice was cool with that. His mom was sleep when he called her, so he’d hit her again in the morning. The last person he had to tell was his girlfriend and he prayed that she was happy for him because if she gave him any other vibe besides joy, he would have to let her go. Juice needed all the love and support he could get right now. He couldn’t accept anything less than that.
η
The meeting was long and tiring. She could tell that things over at YQ Recordings would be a totally different ball game and she was here for it. There were folders, an agenda was sent the night before, PowerPoint presentation, catered breakfast and an entire team introduced themselves to Mahogany. She was ecstatic. For almost a year it had been her, P, Juice and Munch getting by. YQ Recordings was an actual label, a money-making label with hits and big timers under their belt. In less than twenty-four hours, she’d received an assistant, PR, road manager, glam squad and two burly security men that Porter sized up.
Mahogany told Quentin, “I can fight, we don’t need no security.”
Yara quickly let her know, “Yeah boo, your fighting days are over.” She was an official artist under YQ Recordings and that kind of behavior wasn’t tolerated.
Mahogany was looking forward to beginning the promotional tour that would consist of the major cities to create a buzz for the album. In each city, she would do four interviews at the radio stations, hit the local college, mainly HBCU’s and a club. In and out, with one mission in my mind – spread the news. A street team was being put in place to paint each city with posters and marketing items. She was excited about all of this.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who put all this together. I promise not to let anyone down,” she said in short once the meeting concluded.
Her and Porter left the meeting hand in hand and she asked him as they stepped on the elevator, which led to the parking garage.
“You and Yara good?”
“Yeah, long as they make sure you soar.”
Porter didn’t plan on stepping in if he didn’t have to. That was the agreement that he’d made with her and QB. He didn’t play about the well-being of Mahogany and made that clear.
“Wanna get something to eat?” He was hungry and hoped that she was too.
They made their way back to her new favorite place, same booth and all. She damn near sat in his lap, nestled up under him as he texted and handled business on his cell phones. She kept her phone on silent for the most part of the day, not wanting to be bothered. If it was important, people knew to hit Juice.
“Did you decide if you’re taking Reem with you?”
She nodded her head. “Yeah since this court shit is still in the air.”
Porter knew that now was the time for him to let her know.
“Or I can bring him when I come to see you,” he said, slowly.
Mahogany lifted her head. “What you mean?”
“Juice is your manger now, it’s no need for me to go on tour with you.”
The look on her face told her that she didn’t agree with him.
“Oh, so now what? I still need you, P.” She was angry.
Mahogany slid away from him, which he didn’t like.
“Come here man, don’t start.”
She was actually ready to go and had lost her appetite.
“Porter, leave me alone. It’s cool. Live your life.” She rolled her eyes.
“Why are you acting like that? I did everything I told you I was going to do, baby, we talked about this,” he reminded her.
Mahogany snaked her neck in his direction. “At what point did we discuss you not coming on the road with me?” she was surely confused and knew that he didn’t tell her that beforehand.
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” he threw that out there and laughed. She didn’t find anything that he said funny.
“I’m only playing. Relax. it’s all going to work out,” he wanted her to stay focused. She was in good hands with YQ and she also had Juice. Porter’s job was done.
“Can we go home?”
He shook his head, she was so spoiled.
“Why?”
“Because I got a plan, let’s go.”
Mahogany didn’t let him get a word out once they pulled out of the parking lot.
She was all in his business; physically.
“What you doing?” he murmured.
She ignored him as she unbuckled his Ferragamo belt and pulled his penis out of his Armani boxers.
Porter reclined the seat at the red light and turned the music up, luckily, he was vibing to The Dream’s latest mixtape, which included three different sides of nothing but foreplay music to get your rocks off.
As he crooned about getting inside of his Challenger and her ri
ding him for the next four minutes, his lady slipped her tongue down past his belly button and around the mushroom shaped tip of his limp dick. He would harden with a few more deep breaths, licks and slurps.
One thing that he never had to question when it came to her performance skills was how she sucked him up. Mahogany was an intense woman, she never boasted about what she was going to do or what she could do, she did it.
She loved him so much and it was always obvious, not just with her words but with her actions as well. There were a lot of lousy lovers out here and his baby wasn’t one. She didn’t let up in the bedroom, she always kept him satisfied. His balls tightened as she went lower and lower, taking all of him into her mouth. Such a big girl, he praised her efforts, “Right there…ooh baby,” he moaned loudly.
Porter wasn’t one of those singing ass niggas while he received sloppy toppy, but his baby brought it out of him.
She devoured his dick as if she hadn’t eaten in forever and he encouraged her.
“More spit.” He loved when she sopped him like a biscuit covered in gravy. Mahogany placed her arm on his lap as he moved his hand to steer them home, safely. She wasn’t as comfortable as she knew she could be if she would have waited until they made it to the crib.
Porter tasted so sweet, he always smelled so good.
“Hmm, you like it?” she cooed in between slurping his dick.
“You know I do.”
She didn’t even have to ask. He was in heaven.
Porter pushed her head back down onto his shaft, not wanting her to stop until he told her too.
When they made it home and into the privacy of their bedroom, she was a woman on a mission.
“What’s gotten in to you?”
She ignored him and stuck her tongue in his mouth which he allowed her to do and when he pulled away, he asked her, “Baby, talk to me. What’s on your mind?”
“I’m trying to convince you to change your mind,” she said, sheepishly.
Mahogany didn’t want to spend days without him.
His lil’ baby…was a mess.
“Oh, this was your plan?”
Why did he not know this already? By now, he should’ve known her intentions. Mahogany didn’t say anything, so he felt the need to reassure her.
“As good as you make me feel, trust me baby, my mind is already made up. We focused, we got this. Right?”
He looked into her eyes, needing her to understand that he was only doing what was best for her.
That was always his goal.
“Yes,” she exhaled.
“I need you to do one thing for me.”
She’ll do anything for this nigga. “What’s that, P?”
She peered deeply into his stormy orbs. She saw happiness when she glanced at him. Lord knows, she’d been praying for her baby. Wanting him to receive all that he constantly poured out to others, including herself. Porter seemed to finally be at peace. That stress was off his shoulders, whatever he’d done since she’d last seen him clearly was needed. Mahogany wrapped her arms around her waist and inhaled his scent.
“Love me. Unconditionally.”
He needed that, always wanted that. From a lone child who was picked up as an infant, he wanted to belong to someone, or hell, something. Porter was thankful for everything that had happened to him during his matriculation. For every minor and major setback, for every loss that brought him pain and the disappointments that caused him to suffer. He was even thankful for the two years he forced himself into solitude. It was a lesson that he needed to learn.
And now, all he desired out of life was for her to love him. Porter yearned for something that would last. An infinite commitment that he never had to question. He wanted trust, he wanted conversations that weren’t hard to have. Everything about his Queen was what he’d prayed for, now, all he needed her to do was promise that she’ll remain his forever.
Loyalty came without hesitation. He changed her life, molded her into an amazing woman, gave her son the love he needed, talked to her brother like he was a man and not some hoodlum off the streets. Mahogany would love Porter Bavay until the end of her days.
E P I L O G U E
Are you in happy in this modern world, only you need more. Is there something else you searching for – Bradley Cooper
One Year Later…
Multi-Millionaire
2 #1 Albums
7 Grammy’s
4 American Music Awards
Billboard Break-Out Artist
Crossed over and had a sold-out World Tour
She is the first female rapper to close out the International Music Awards with standing ovation.
The People’s Choice.
Mahogany beat out every other artist, even Michael Jackson & Beyoncé, with the longest stay on the Top 100 Billboard Charts.
However, her greatest accomplishment to date is being the wife of Porter Bavay.
She stared out at the crowd with tears in her eyes, it was the last night of the tour and she decided to end in her home state of sunny Florida. Porter tried his hardest to get permission for her mom to be there, but it wasn’t possible. Mahogany told him that it was okay, she appreciated the effort. Seeing Genesis up top in a suite, alongside the love of her life was enough for her.
The crowd screamed her name over and over again. The feeling was indescribable. She was sweating profusely, her body was tired, she was drained and was looking forward to flying to Aruba in the morning for a much-needed getaway.
“I wrote this song almost two years ago…I was losing a custody battle over my precious baby boy and this song…it was my peace in the midst of a storm. I took pieces of all of my favorite Gospel songs and compiled them together. This song was my saving grace. For months, I went through a dark depression. My husband tried to love it out of me, my team tried to keep my busy, but nothing worked. I wanted my son back. Nothing that happened to me felt good because I didn’t have him with me.”
Losing Kareem was the hardest pain she ever endured in her life.
She cried day in and out for months. Mahogany never thought that she would get out of bed and press through again, but she did…
Here she was, today….an international superstar. Although, she hadn’t seen Kareem only twice since his grandmother won custody of him, she was doing okay by taking every day one at a time.
“I want you to all know that none of this would be possible without the man upstairs.” She pointed to the ceiling of the dome, where the sold-out concert was held. Almost ninety thousand seats were filled with people from all kinds of walks of life and nationalities. Rapping and singing along with her was an experience. She’d grown tremendously from that raspy girl who yelled in the microphone, anxious to record a track.
They continued to scream her name. She gave them a warm smile as her band began to cue the song that she ended every performance with. She’ll forever give her all at every show to Kareem. Mahogany prayed that he never forgot about her.
She arrived in Florida before her husband and Genesis did, just her and Juice, her roll-dawg, manager and her right-hand man.
“You sure about this?” he asked her.
She was a lil’ nervous, but this was something she had to do. Closure wasn’t always mandatory, however, in her case, it would be a breath she’d been holding for far too long.
“Yes, I won’t be in here forever though,” she promised.
He didn’t have to remind her about the radio interview, sound check or the VIP hour that she was mandated to do, she was quite familiar with the process of every show in every city and state.
Mahogany hopped out of the black Escalade and walked into the side entrance.
P didn’t know about this visit and Juice had to pull some strings by promising the guards of the federal facility that they’d have front row seats if they got Mahogany in and out.
A few months ago, Raheem was found dead in his cell. Porter swore that he didn’t have anything to do with it, but for the life o
f Mahogany, she didn’t believe him. It was ironic that days after she finally shared with him that he constantly called her, the nigga died. Porter rushed her off the phone, claiming he was walking into a meeting. He refocused on his business and his brand after leaving Mahogany in the hands of a few trusted people. She signed with YQ Recordings and he was pleased with the work of Yara and Quentin thus far.
“You better be glad I told them I’ll meet with you,” Neka told her as soon as her eyes landed on Mahogany.
She didn’t bother telling her that she was aware that she bribed them by asking for extra food, more time outside and a loaded commissary. One thing she learned over time was that some things were better left unsaid.
Neka took her former best friend’s appearance in and hated to admit that Mahogany had bossed the fuck up. From her shiny ears to her blinding neck and she wouldn’t dare give the glacier on her ring finger a second look. She heard that she had married the fine ass nigga that discovered her.
Lucky bitch, she thought to herself.
“I won’t take too much of your time,” Mahogany told her as she took a seat and sat up in her seat.
Since she was fresh off the jet, she was dressed casual in olive green joggers, a white V-neck shirt, distressed denim jacket and Gucci sandals with a matching head scarf tied around her edges. With or without makeup, she was beautiful.
Prison had hardened Neka, her skin was blotchy, hair thinning, and scars were evident on her neck and hands.
“Bitch, what you want?”
At one point, they were two peas in a pod. Mahogany now had the world’s greatest friends. Her tribe kept her motivated and accountable. She was told that the first year of marriage came with many test, trials and tribulations. And that was the truth. Distance wasn’t P and Mahogany’s friend. Often, she wanted her man with her on the road, but he had work to do. They found their strength in other areas but still, it was hard at first. Currently, she was on cloud nine. Especially on today.
“I’m pregnant.” Neka was the first person she told. Porter would be second.
From the doctor to the jet, to the jail, to her show…that was her schedule for today.