#3 Turn Up for Real (10 page)

Sure enough after school, I came straight home. He was waiting for me. We took off. First stop: a place where cash overflows. When we actually went to the bank, I smiled so hard my smile stretched from the bank to our house. He was going to give me the money. We sat right down with the owner of the bank.

“My daughter wants some money to cut a record. She said she might want to start a business plan. Mr. Martin, could you talk to her? Should I give her the money?” My smile faded.

“First of all, how much money is she talking about?” Mr. Martin asked.

Gritting my teeth, I said, “Well, I haven't exactly figured that out. Whatever he starts me out with is fine.”

Mr. Martin showed no mercy. “What if it is not enough? Then you're going to come back and ask for more. We're supposed to just keep giving you more? Here's how it works here at the bank. When people come here trying to get a loan, usually they show us a business plan and show us not only how much money they're asking for, but also a plan on how they're going to spend the money and how they plan on making money back. If you're serious about what you're doing, then you need to show your dad a business plan. I'm recommending he sees it before he gives you a dime.”

The two of them talked small talk for a little while longer, and I had to sit there thinking through my business plan for a company that had just popped into my head. All I wanted was the money, and now I had to think deeper. That was frustrating.

Our next stop: the other side of the tracks. I wouldn't call it the ghetto, but it looked close to the projects. My dad wasn't turning back, so I guess I was in for another lesson.

“Dad, where are we going?” I asked.

When we pulled up at a trailer, he asked, “Do you remember the song, ‘Shake it, Break it'?”

“No.”

“Well, it was a hot song. YouTube it. M.C. Nails is the artist.”

That name sounded familiar. “Yeah, I think I remember him.”

My dad got out the car and motioned for me to follow. M.C. Nails greeted us at the door. My dad must have told him who I was.

“Nice to meet you, young lady. I just want to tell you if you're going to go into the record business, you need to be a smart business woman. I made so much money off of my first song, and then stupid me blew it all. The record business is more than just about the sound and the glitz and the glamour. It's also about dollars and cents. If you're going to go into it, be wise so you won't end up like me with nothing.”

He and my dad also talked a little business, and then we were off again. Last stop: Mundy Records. I couldn't believe I was sitting in Mr. Mundy's office. I just sat with him a couple weeks ago when he was at my school.

He said, “You want to have a record company? Well, I'm trying hard to keep my head above water. It's not an easy business to be in. I'm always trying to get the next hottest and greatest artist out there. Be sure you're ready.”

I responded, “Well, I just want to make one album, sir. I wasn't fortunate enough to win your competition, so I'm just trying to make my own way. I can't believe my dad knows you.”

“Yeah, we go way back, and I'd love to mentor you along the way. Though I've got to be honest, Stanley,” Mr. Mundy said to my dad, “I don't even know if I'm going to be able to keep my doors open, so helping your daughter right about now is a stretch.”

CHAPTER SIX

SCHEME

“So you still thinking about my kiss?” Avery seductively said to me on the phone.

Holding the phone between my shoulder and my ear, I looked up at the ceiling and had my hands raised. I don't know if I was trying to imagine him on top of me or if I was going crazy. Just talking to the guy had me spinning.

He purred, “You're not answering me, and you know I'm dying to see you again. My lips are dry. When can we connect?”

“It hasn't even been a week, and the last time I was with you I got in a whole bunch of trouble.”

“Wait, straight up, I'm being serious now,” Avery changed his tone and said. “Please tell me you hadn't been thinking about those guys. Again, I'm sorry. K.J. had no right to force himself on you like that.”

“No, no, no. You came in just in the nick of time. I don't have nightmares or anything, and you did a pretty good job of helping me forget the events of that day. When I think back on it, I'm definitely not thinking about him. I got in trouble with you.”

He let out a sweet sigh. “When can we see each other?”

“Well, you're not going to be the one to ask all the questions.”

“Okay, what do you want to know?”

“Have you settled everything with those goons?”

“Goons … that's a weird word.”

“Okay, creeps, jerks, hoodlums, guys that have no problem roughing up you, me, or your mom.”

Huffing, he sighed, “Okay I get ya. I got that. You don't need to worry about it.”

“So that's a yes?”

“Tell me about your business. You're going to start the record label? We gonna cut a demo? Did you and that queen form a group or what?”

“You're changing the subject, Avery,” I stated, a bit agitated.

“That's cuz I don't want you stressed, Slade,” he uttered back in his sultry and enticing voice.

“I like the way you say my name,” I said to him, getting myself off track.

Avery was a dream. He was so daggone hot that even through a phone his voice sent chills up my spine. I didn't even realize I was squirming in the bed and biting the blanket until the door abruptly opened.

My mother shouted, “Slade, what in the world are you doing?”

“Okay, I got to go,” I rolled over and said, as I quickly hung up on Avery, unable to even fathom an explanation that would make sense.

Irritated, she huffed, “What were you doing feeling all over yourself like you done lost your mind?”

I guess I had lost my mind. I didn't know if it was the porn, if it was the kiss, if it was just me growing or what, but I wasn't the same old sweet, innocent Slade anymore. Maybe some of the sexy music I was singing was making my hormones go crazy. Whatever it was, I had changed.

My mom and I had always been cool, so I sat up and said, “Can we talk?”

The way I said it let her know that I was serious. If she didn't want to know what was going on with me, then she needed to just say no because she wasn't ready to hear that her little girls were growing up. I couldn't speak for Shelby, Ansli, Sloan, or Yuri, but I for sure could speak for Slade. I really did need a cool mom to talk to about it all. She came over and sat beside me.

She took my hand, looked me square in the eye, and said, “Yes, for sure. You know it. You can talk to me. What's up?”

“It's this guy.”

Half joking, she gasped, “Not you too … are you serious? What is going on with you girls? You were playing with Barbies, and now you all want to play with Ken?”

“Ha, ha, ha, Mom.”

“No, I'm really serious. Who is this boy? Where'd you meet him, and how serious is it? I send you girls to public school, and all of y'all lose your mind. Only wanting to study anatomy or something.”

“Whatever, Mom,” I teased and nudged her. “Girls in private school are having sex too.”

“So you're having sex?” she snapped.

“Mom, I didn't say that! But I mean, if you're going to trip like this, then forget it.”

She got up and paced the floor for a minute, holding her head like she had a headache. I hadn't even really told her anything. I guess all the stuff she was imagining had her stressed.

“When did you lose your virginity?” I asked her, really wanting to know.

“Slade Sharp, don't make this about me.”

“So it was young then, huh?”

“I didn't say that.”

“Yeah, but you didn't say it wasn't. If it was a time frame that you thought was appropriate, you would be the first to blab it. Since you're holding it back, I know that means you don't want me to have information I could use against you. That's lawyer thinking,” I smiled and said.

“And you'd make a good one, it seems.” My mom scratched her head and took a deep sigh. “I made some choices that I'm not proud of. I made some mistakes I don't want you to repeat. I wish I would have waited. But can I live your life? No. Can I throw you in a convent and do away with the key? As your parent, I probably have that right, but what good would it do you? I want you to grow. I want you to make your own mistakes. Most importantly, Slade honey, I want you to be the smart young lady that I raised you to be. You got this company we were supposed to work on tomorrow. I got a lot of things lined up for you to get your ducks in a row. The last thing I want you thinking about is spreading your legs for some guy. I mean, what I just saw you doing on this bed, are you practicing or what?”

Embarrassed, I softly voiced, “I don't know, Mom. I wish I could explain what's going on with me. This guy, he's so hot, and he's seeping into my dreams.”

“Tell me he's in school.”

“Yes ma'am. He's a junior this year like me. He just doesn't go to Marks but another school in the city.”

“And his grades?”

I didn't really know, but I didn't want her worried, so it took me a second to answer. “Good.”

“You hesitated. Do you know what his grades are?” She's really good at her dang job.

“No, no, no, they're good. I mean, he wants to be a producer and singer like me.”

Throwing her hands up, she said, “Oh, that's just great. Don't you guys know that's a hard career to get into?”

“Yeah, Mom, but it's very lucrative, and we've got to chase our dreams. You followed yours, right?” I rationalized.

With a grim face, she took my hand and asked, “Honey, do I need to get you on birth control pills?”

“I don't think right now.”

“You don't think?”

“Okay, not right now.”

“But you promise me, if things change, you'll tell me? And don't tell your father. My goodness, he'll probably jump off a cliff,” she tried joking.

“We're growing up, Mom.”

“I know, baby,” she said as she hugged me. “And we've got to start having more talks like this because I've got girls, and I'm not trying to be a grandmother. Be ready early in the morning. Sharp Records…that's what your mind needs to be focused on.”

“But you aren't all for it,” I said, knowing deep down she wished I had a different passion.

“Well, trust me. A record company or a guy … your Sharp Records dream will win out every time in my view.”

The next morning she kept her promise. We were up early. We went to the Secretary of State's office and filed for a tax ID number. Since I wasn't old enough, my mom had to put down her information too. We filed for a trademark, and she showed me several business plans. We chose one that wasn't too cumbersome, and she had me sit down all day to put in my thoughts of what I wanted. I had to research companies that could make the DVDs for me at a minimal price but with good quality. Once all that was done and I had a great plan, she helped me present it to my father. I walked him through every aspect of what Sharp Records was planning to do, and he smiled. After that, my parents took me to open a bank account. I got a one thousand dollar loan to start my business. When I saw the balance in the account, my mom smiled and pinched my cheeks. I know what she was thinking. “See, look at you all proud of yourself. You put your mind into business, and you weren't even thinking about that boy.” And she was right. But I couldn't wait to tell Avery. So maybe she was wrong because he wasn't that far off my mind.