At First Kiss

by Gwyneth Bolton

  “Kayla Kay, huh? She’s popping up on mixtapes everywhere nowadays. What’s she like? I’ve only seen her a few times when she attended different industry events with her parents.” Jazz had actually met Kayla several times at various events that Alicia and Darren had held, so she really didn’t need to ask Deuce for any information about her. She was just trying to get him to talk.

  “She seems like she has a level head on her shoulders. I mean she’s essentially hip-hop royalty with parents like Flex Towns and Sweet Dee…” Jazz let her words trail off, thinking maybe she could get Deuce to give her the scoop on him and Kayla after all.

  Deuce gave his sexy little trademark grin. “She a nice girl, real sweet girl.”

  “So what was it like working with Kanye? Any temper tantrums in the studio?” Troy cut in before she could ask her followup question about Kayla.

  She kept a smile on her face even though she wanted to wring Troy’s neck. Cohosting sucked for that reason. Sharing the space meant she didn’t always get to take things where she wanted to take them.

  Deuce laughed. “Kanye is cool. He’s the number-one creative genius of our times.”

  Troy laughed, too. “Yeah, according to him.” Then he turned to the camera in mock seriousness. “But you know we love you here, Kanye. And your genius is welcomed here at Detroit Live anytime.” He turned back to Deuce. “So you’re going to stick around and perform your number-one single for us, right?”

  “Of course. Of course.” Deuce shook Troy’s hand and gave Jazz a hug.

  “We have to go to commercial right now, but when we come back, Deuce Songz will perform ‘Who You With?’ And he might even have a surprise guest,” Troy said.

  Jazz perked up. Deuce would be singing the song from his latest album that he did with Kayla. She wondered if Kayla was the surprise guest.

  And she wondered why no one had told her. The producers were good for keeping little surprises from the hosts because they thought it helped get a more sincere reaction from them. But she wouldn’t have wasted so much time grilling Deuce during the pre-interview and would have grilled them both after they performed if she’d known that Kayla was going to be there, too.

  “Hey, Hubby, who’s performing with Deuce?” she asked Troy after Deuce made his way backstage to get ready.

  “It’s a surprise. I don’t know. Carmen just said that Deuce had a surprise guest who would be coming out during his performance.

  “Do you think it’s Kayla? Did Alicia or Darren say that Flex and Deidre mentioned anything about Kayla being in town to perform with Deuce? Alicia didn’t mention it to me.”

  “Trust me, if it is Kayla, Flex and Sweet Dee have no idea. Last I heard they didn’t even want her rapping or pursuing a career until after she finished college, and it’s just her second year. She’s been doing the underground mix-tape scene and keeping a low profile while she defies their wishes. But her doing that track with Deuce is going to change all that. And if she and Deuce are dating…” Troy shook his head in mock sympathy. “Flex is going to kill somebody.”

  “And our show is going to be a part of it.” Jazz almost jumped up and down with glee. “Hey, do you think that we’ll have time after he performs to question both of them? At least talk to Kayla a little? I think I could make her crack for sure.”

  “There won’t be time. And maybe that’s a good thing.” Troy nodded at Carmen, who was counting off to let them know that they were about to come back from the commercial break.

  “Welcome back, Detroit, to where we keep it all the way live. Taking us home today is Deuce Songz performing his new single, ‘Who You With?’”

  The curtain opened and Deuce and his band started singing the upbeat love song about love blossoming between two people no matter what life threw at them. The beat and the lyrics showcased the sweet, fresh and new feelings that went along with young love. It was a real feel-good song, and Jazz knew Deuce had another hit on his hands. And when super-producer Flex Towns’s college student/up-and-coming-rapper daughter took to the stage, Jazz knew the scandal of those two really being involved was enough to push that song all the way to number one.

  Kayla Towns—also known as Kayla Kay—came out rapping her hook and strutted across the stage and around Deuce like she was a seasoned artist. And Deuce couldn’t take his eyes off her. Even if he wouldn’t give a straight answer to Jazz’s probing, it was clear there was more going on there than met the eye. The chemistry between the two of them was palpable.

  While she swayed to the rhythm and tried to figure out how she could get them to fess up on camera, Troy pulled her into his arms and they moved together to the beat. Tingles coursed through her body, and for a minute she forgot all about everything but how it felt to be in his arms, to be one with him.

  Deuce started singing again after Kayla finished her rap. But Kayla didn’t leave the stage. She stayed out there and swayed to the beat and Deuce’s smooth vocal stylings.

  Once they noticed Carmen giving them the wrap-it-up signal, Troy started his signature sign-off. “So, Detroit, this is your boy Troy signing off—”

  “And this is your girl Jazz, and we want you to remember to keep it fresh, keep it funky and keep it all the way live! See you tomorrow, Detroit! Stay peace.” Jazz chimed in and finished their goodbyes, all the while moving in time with the music and her man.

  As soon as the camera light went off, Jazz broke free of Troy and went directly over to the stage.

  “Kayla, do your parents know you’re here instead of in class on the University of Michigan’s campus?” Jazz put her hands on her hips in a mock scolding manner. Jazz had known the super-producer Flex Towns ever since she was in college and he’d dated her best friend, Alicia, for a while. That was before he found out he had a preteen daughter and reconciled with the true love of his life, former rapper Deidre “Sweet Dee” James. Since it was Alicia’s big mouth that told Flex to watch the television program that outed Deidre and her secret love child, the couple made Alicia and Darren the godparents to their second child, Kayla’s little brother.

  “Hey, Jazz.” Kayla hugged her and then she hugged Troy. “I was hoping we could just keep this our little secret. I mean it’s not like Mom and Dad can pick up the show in Minneapolis. And it probably won’t be picked up by any of the bigger media networks.”

  “Hey, I’ll have you know that our show is reaching further and further across the Midwest,” Troy said with mock sternness.

  “And today’s show might have been picked up in some national outlets if I had gotten your boyfriend to admit on air that the two of you are an item,” Jazz teased.

  Kayla laughed. “I was watching that back in the green room. I don’t know where you guys get this crazy information.”

  “It’s not that crazy. And you need to be more careful, young lady. If you really don’t want your parents to know, rapping on Deuce’s album was probably not a good move. The song is hot and it’s going to be a hit. Your parents are about to find out.” All the playful sternness in Troy’s voice had been replaced with the real thing. “And when they find out that you’ve been globetrotting around the country with Deuce instead of taking your behind to class—”

  “Is everything okay?” Concerned, Deuce came over and put his arm around Kayla.

  “Everything is fine. We’re friends of Kayla’s parents and just making sure her head is still on her shoulders tight.” Troy barely spared Deuce a glance and kept his eyes pinned on Kayla.

  Jazz had to admit she kind of liked the protective stance in Troy. It made her imagine what he’d be like with any daughter they might have. And then she wondered why the heck she was wondering about that when they would probably only be married for two years tops…

  “Okay, well, I guess that’s my cue to make it back to Ann Arbor…” Kayla backed away. “It was good seeing you guys again. Tell Alicia and Darren I’ll try and stop by in a few weeks to see the new baby. And please tell Alicia not to tell my dad that I was on the show.�
� Kayla got a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression and shook her head. “Although if Alicia watched, I’m sure she’s already telling my father as we speak.”

  As if on cue, Kayla’s cell phone started ringing. She looked at it. “Great, it’s my dad!” She didn’t answer it and it stopped. As soon as it stopped it started ringing again. She looked at it again. “Great, it’s my mom!”

  “I’ll give you a ride back to Ann Arbor, since we sent the car for you today,” Deuce said. He looked like he wanted to wrap Kayla in his arms, but he refrained from doing so.

  Kayla put her phone in her pocket and smiled at Deuce. “Cool. Can’t worry about my parents’ reaction now. What’s done is done.”

  The two lovebirds barely waved goodbye to Troy and Jazz as they walked off together.

  “Oh, to be young and foolish and in love…” Jazz said as she shook her head.

  “Yeah. Must be nice,” Troy agreed as he pulled her close. “Must be nice.”

  Chapter 9

  Most Valuable Player

  The drive down I-94 West from Detroit to Kalamazoo was about two and a half hours. They could have taken a short plane ride and then rented a car. But Troy wanted to spend the time one-on-one driving down with Jasmine. He was finding that he wanted to spend more and more time with her, even though they worked together all day and spent their evenings together at home.

  His father had let them know before they left to judge the step show at Western Michigan University that Jasmine was now four percent ahead of him in the polls. At first he let the information get to him. And they’d spent the first half of the ride to Kalamazoo in silence.

  They had developed a somewhat easy flow of conversation when they started talking about things they both liked: music, movies, plays, art and the like. As long as they kept the conversation away from work, the stupid contest his father had started or anything even remotely involved with it, they were fine.

  “So do you miss Boston?”

  “Kinda sorta… I grew up there and spent my entire life there except for the time when I was born until I was around two and then when I went to Mount Holyoke for college. I’ll always love Beantown.”

  Troy nodded. “Hopefully you’re falling a little bit in love with Motown.”

  “Yes, but I’ve always loved Detroit. From the first time I visited when I was in Alicia’s wedding I’ve loved it. I remember looking out of the car window when you picked me up from the airport and feeling like, I don’t know, this sense of rightness, you know. I always feel at home here, too. That’s why I was so glad when your father—” She cut herself off as if she didn’t want to ruin the mood.

  “When my father offered you the job.” He finished her sentence.

  “Yeah,” she offered hesitantly.

  He just nodded and let it go. The last thing he wanted to talk about was the job. “So, I figured we could check out the hip-hop show they’re having on campus tonight to kick off their weekend. They have several new underground and local artists opening up for Drake.”

  “Yeah, he’s been heralded the second coming of Kanye West, or Kanye without all the drama and theatrics.”

  “We’ll see. The last time I saw him perform he just stood there rapping. He didn’t have any stage presence. No swagger. No umph.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. He’s kind of low-energy. So, if the show is wack, I’m sure we can find other things to do…”

  He chanced a glance at her to see if her “other things” was anything like what he had in mind. She licked her lips and winked at him.

  He smiled.

  He didn’t know what he was going to do when she got her inheritance and wanted to end things. She had somehow managed to work her way into his system, and he couldn’t imagine what it would be like not having her around.

  He liked being married.

  He liked being married to Jasmine.

  Go figure…

  It didn’t seem like Troy wanted to talk about what might happen if she was offered the solo host position and he wasn’t. And she could understand why.

  After all, she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she was slowly developing feelings for him and he should have been her biggest rival at the moment.

  “Are you sorry we got married?” Way to go, Jazz! Go from one awkward conversation to another.

  He was silent for several long moments, and her heart started to pound so erratically that she felt like she could hear it. “Honestly?”

  “No, I want you to lie to me,” she quipped sarcastically. “Of course honestly. I mean, given everything that we have going on with you know…everything. Do you regret being my knight in shining armor? Do you wish you had left my ass in the Barbados airport and gone on about your business?”

  “No. I don’t regret marrying you.” He gave her a quick glance that held so much heat that in that brief moment she felt it overcoming her body.

  He sighed. “The only thing I regret is that we did it for all the wrong reasons and put too many limits on it before it even had a chance. Because I honestly think I could probably stay married to you for more than a couple of years. And I keep having these wickedly intense desires to see you pregnant with my child. If you weren’t the girl who worked my last nerve for the past ten years and was currently trying to steal my show, you would probably be the perfect wife for me.”

  Would probably be the perfect wife…

  How did she even begin to tell him that there was no probably in it for her? He was the closest thing to a perfect husband as she would ever get. She knew that now deep in her bones. But she couldn’t tell him that. Because she wasn’t what he really wanted. And clearly he was counting the days until the two years were up.

  She swallowed back all of the things she wanted to say to him. “You know, we haven’t been using any protection, and I’m not on the Pill or anything, so you just might get your wish of seeing me pregnant with your child.”

  She could feel him staring at her and she turned around. “Eyes on the road.”

  “Sorry. I just… You know, I just assumed… Wow.”

  “Yeah, I think each time we got so caught up. And then there’s the fact that we are married. So…yeah… How would you feel about that? You know…if I were…”

  “Pregnant?” He let out a slow whistle. “I think that would be great. When you think about it, neither one of us will probably get married again. And I’ve always wanted kids. I just never saw myself settling down. If you were to have my child, that would probably make me the happiest man in the world.”

  “Happy enough to give me Detroit Live?” she joked.

  He laughed. “Would you be happy to give me Detroit Live if I did happen to give you a child and you’re pregnant right now?”

  “I don’t know. I guess we’d have to see.” She touched her stomach.

  There was a time in the not-so-distant past when she would have had a panic attack at the thought of possibly being pregnant.

  She smiled. She didn’t feel any of the anxiety. In fact, she felt a longing so intense it made her chest ache.

  “Do you want to start using protection?” Troy’s voice cut through the longing she felt.

  She let the question hang in the air for a minute. Nothing would have made her happier than to be pregnant with his child, other than being pregnant and being in a real marriage with him as a husband who loved her.

  She shook her head. “No.” I want you to be the father of my child or children, if I ever have any.

  He nodded.

  When he pulled up to the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center, they had the valet park the car and let the bellhop handle their luggage while they checked in.

  Jazz wasn’t any more certain about where they stood in terms of their growing feelings than she had been when they left Detroit two and a half hours ago, but she figured she’d let the heavy conversations rest for the weekend at least.

  “Dang, Troy, your frat brothers are doing bad! I’ve never se
en Kappas dropping canes like this before. And that one keeps dropping his on the most basic of steps. It’s not like he’s trying to catch one or throw one.” Jasmine looked a little bit too happy about his fraternity brothers’ glaring missteps.

  They were sitting just off-stage in the big Miller Auditorium on Western Michigan’s campus with two other judges. Carmen had sent one camera guy down for the day taping the step show so that they could show some clips on Detroit Live next week.

  “So, your sorors weren’t all that great.”

  “They worked those canes better than your boys are working them right now,” Jasmine said, laughing.

  He had to admit that when the Deltas did their little tribute to all the fraternities and did each frat’s signature step, they were really good with the Kappa canes.

  He gave her a mock frown. “Stop interrupting me. I’m trying to pay attention. Unlike some people, I take my judging duties seriously.”

  “Yeah, whatever, since the Kappas are the last frat to step and the sororities already went, I’m pretty sure you can stop paying attention now. The Kappas certainly aren’t in the running.”

  “I’m keeping hope alive,” Troy deadpanned.

  “Yeah, you do that. In the meantime, I think I’m going to start filling out my score sheets. I know who is in last place.” She cut her eyes at the cane-dropping Kappas.

  Troy shook his head. “You’re supposed to be unbiased, Jasmine.”

  “I am. It’s going to kill me to rank your frat brothers dead last, because you know I love me some Nupes.” She winked at him for emphasis. “But alas, this step team sucks to the highest of suctivity and I must do what I’ve been charged to do.” She placed her hand over her forehead and feigned distress. “And just to be sure that I’m not being biased in my thinking that the Deltas killed it in this step show, I’m going to deduct three points, my line number, from their final score.”