Diamond Revelation (7 page)

K
yle rolled over and reached out for Nina, but she wasn't in her spot next to him in their California king-sized bed. He groaned and dragged himself into the Italian marble bath, but she wasn't there, nor was she downstairs in their office on the computer. “Where the hell is my woman?” he grumbled out loud. “A brother is in need of some loving.”

Niki's room was also on the second floor of the Malibu tri-level oceanfront estate. He peeked inside and smiled when he saw that she was still asleep. He looked at the digital clock on her wall and was shocked when it displayed that it was almost noon.

“What the hell?” Kyle went down another level to the family room, expecting to see his wife stretched out on one of the sofas in front of the big-screen TV, but again he was disappointed because there were no traces of Nina anywhere. As a last resort, he checked the five-car garage for her Bentley. It was parked next to his, but when he saw her Range Rover was missing, Kyle realized that she never came home.

“She didn't call, send a text message…nothing.” He scrolled through his BlackBerry one more time before he angrily typed, “Where are you?” He pressed Send and tried to be patient while he waited for her response.

In the kitchen, he poured the last drops of his favorite apple cranberry juice into a glass. He searched the fridge and the pantry for another container, but there was none. Now he was pissed…and there was still no response to his text message, so he typed another. Before he could put the phone down it vibrated, alerting him that there was a new message. “That better be her.”

“In the studio, baby. Been here all nite.”

“What?” Kyle yelled.

“Why are you yelling, Daddy?” Niki came into the kitchen wearing her school uniform.

“Good morning, baby.” Kyle scooped the little girl up and gave her a big kiss until she giggled. “How's my favorite girl?”

“I'm fine, Daddy. Are you taking me to school today?”

Kyle glanced at the clock again. It was almost one. “No, baby, because by the time I get you to school, it'll be time for you to come home. So you and I are going to have a special day together. Let's get you out of this uniform and into something beautiful first.”

“Okay, can I wear my pink dress, please? Please, Daddy?” When Niki fixed her huge golden eyes on her father and smiled, he felt his heart melt.

“Sure, Princess.” Kyle took Niki up to her room, found her favorite dress, and ran her bathwater.

“I want bubbles, Daddy.” She hummed as he poured in her favorite coconut lime fragrance. He set out pink fluffy towels and body butter, and he put toothpaste on her Barbie toothbrush. He came back into the bedroom and put the pink dress, underwear, a sweater, and sandals on her bed.

“Okay, Niki. I put everything out for you. I'm going upstairs to check Mom's fridge for juice. I'll be right back.”

“Daddy, you forgot my music,” Niki yelled as she splashed around in the bathtub.

“No, I didn't. I'm turning it on now.”

Kyle shook his head as he pressed the power button on the player and Sabre's latest flooded his ears. “This is what I get for being such a womanizer,” he mumbled to himself. “I'm surrounded in a house of divas.”

“I'm so sexy.” Kyle heard Niki singing along with Sabre.

“I know one thing we're going to do today is buy you some new gospel CDs. I can't take too much of that crap, and I definitely don't want you singing it.” Kyle was talking to himself again.

He dashed up the stairs to the office that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. The swimming pool and Jacuzzi were sparkling. He could see the pool man loading his chemicals and equipment on the back of his pickup. The large cozy office had a fireplace, a big overstuffed sofa, a 27-inch flat screen, and his-and-her desks that faced each other. Special built-in bookshelves filled with all types of books lined the walls. He, Nina, and Niki frequented the Barnes & Noble in the Malibu Colony on a regular basis. He opened the mini refrigerator and spotted an unopened container of juice. “Thank God for small favors.” He grabbed it and headed back downstairs to his daughter's room, where Niki was still singing in the tub.

“Okay, Niki. You need to come out and get dressed, so I can get dressed, and we'll go have lunch.”

Niki climbed out of the bathtub and wrapped herself in the towel. “You didn't heat my towel, Daddy.”

“I know, baby. It's warm outside. I heat your bath towel when it's chilly so my little princess can stay warm.” He cuddled her in the towel and dried her off. “You smell like coconut.”

Niki giggled and began rubbing the body butter into her skin. “Go get dressed, Daddy, so we can go eat. I'm hungry.”

“She's getting to be a bossy little thing, just like her mother. The Lord knows He's paying me back for being a ladies' man.” Normally, he would have shared his thoughts with Nina, so he had no choice but to talk to himself.

Father and daughter were finally dressed and on their way in Kyle's Bentley. It was time for a late lunch when they arrived at the Chart House. Kyle ordered grilled fish for himself and shrimp scampi for Niki.

“Daddy, I miss Mommy. Can we go see her at her job?” Niki finished the last of her seafood.

“That's a great idea, Princess.” He took out his BlackBerry and sent Nina a message before he cut into a huge slice of strawberry shortcake. “I have to find out where Mommy is working,” he explained. Moments later, the phone beeped.

“Can I check it, please?”

Kyle pushed the BlackBerry across the table to Niki.

“Come on by. We're at…” Niki gave the phone to Kyle. “What's that word, Daddy?”

“Larrabee Sound.” Kyle signed the credit card slip and scooped up Niki. “Let's roll, Baby Girl.”

They arrived at the studio about forty-five minutes later. Nina was sitting behind the mixing board between the engineer and a young hip-hop producer, who was in his mid to late twenties. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw Kyle and Niki.

“Hi, honey.” Nina grabbed her husband and daughter and kissed them both. “Come on in, you guys.” She picked up Niki and carried her back to her chair. It was then that Kyle noticed his wife was wearing low-riding jeans with a red halter top and stilettos. He couldn't help focusing on her tight little butt and slim hips. There was a tattoo of Minnie Mouse at the base of her spine.

“Nina,” Kyle whispered angrily.

She whirled around, completely surprised, because he rarely if ever called her by her first name or spoke to her with that tone.

“I'd like to speak to you privately, please.”

“I can't talk right now. You'll have to wait until we take a break.” She sat down in her chair, pulled up another chair for Kyle, and sat Niki in her lap. She patted the chair seat and looked up hopefully at her husband. He sat down, but she knew he wasn't pleased. Nina did her best to refocus on Sky, who was in the recording booth.

“Sky's showcase is in a few days. We've got to nail these tracks ASAP so she can begin rehearsal,” Nina explained to Kyle.

“I'm the co-chief executive officer of this label and I don't know anything,” Kyle practically yelled. He was angry with Nina for a slew of reasons.

“I'll be back in a few,” Nina whispered to the producer. She sat Niki in her chair. “You sit in Mommy's chair and watch Sky sing while I go outside and talk to Daddy.”

Nina took Kyle by the hand and led him out of the studio into the break room.

“You passed on your cousin's project to sign Sky?” Kyle fired at her.

Nina opened her mouth and closed it. “How did you know about that?” she finally said.

“Germain told me. You know he is my best friend.”

“Things have been absolutely crazy ever since I heard Topaz's music. I didn't think it was right for her image. Sherwin has been on me to sign new talent and generate income. Sky fell into my lap. I was able to get her in with Jermaine Dupree, but I had to move fast. Producers like these are booked months in advance, so when I had the opportunity to get Sky's project going so quickly, I had to take advantage of it. Didn't Sky sound great?”

“Not really.”

“I think she has everything these kids want. Sky's the total package. She's gorgeous, she can rap, and she has a great body. Plus she can sing. And with the right music, that means lots of radio play and sales,” Nina defended.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Her outfit was probably bothering Kyle more than anything.

“Jeans and a halter. What's the big deal?” Nina looked down at her pants expecting to find a rip or a soiled spot.

“The problem is you're practically naked in a room full of men.”

“Naked?” Nina looked at her outfit and laughed. “No, I'm not.”

“I've never even seen you in those jeans or that top.”

“But they look good on me, don't they, baby?” Nina stroked his face and laughed, doing her best to lighten the moment. “I had Anita pick up a few things for me from Fred Segal. My wardrobe has become really conservative. I wanted the guys to be comfortable with me while we're in the studio.”

“They might get a little too comfortable if you're wearing that.”

“What are you trying to say, Kyle?”

“You look like a hoochie. I don't want my wife going around looking like a hoochie.”

“A hoochie?”

“You heard me.”

“I dressed this way when you met me.”

“No, you didn't, because women weren't wearing jeans with their thongs hanging out.”

“My thong isn't hanging out.” Nina felt the back of her pants just to be sure. “I would never wear anything that exposes my underwear. I'm nobody's skank. You know me better than that.” Nina looked like she wanted to cry.

“You certainly don't look much like a wife and mother either.”

“Did you come down here to fight with me? Because I don't have time for this now. We can fight when I get home.”

“You plan on coming home tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Niki didn't get to school this morning because I overslept.”

“Where was Rosa? She should have gotten Niki up and off to school.”

“She's off on Wednesday. I reached out for you this morning and you weren't home. Never came home and you didn't even bother to call.” He had finally said it.

“I'm sorry, baby.” Nina pulled Kyle into her arms, but she could feel the resistance in his body.

“If I had known running Jamil's label would be like this, I would never have agreed.”

“You don't tell me anything. You don't ask my opinion. You rarely see me or Niki. What am I in this partnership? Your live-in babysitter?”

“You know I don't feel that way,” Nina replied quietly. “I just know more about the music industry than you.”

“You couldn't take the time to teach me?”

“No. I had to get things rolling. Sherwin wanted to replace me.”

“You never told me that.”

“I was too embarrassed to tell anyone.”

“I'm your husband.” Kyle looked at Nina as though he were seeing her for the first time. “We should be able to tell one another anything.”

There was an uncomfortable silence between them as Nina stood there staring at the floor and Kyle stared at Nina. She knew he was looking at her, but she couldn't meet his eye. This was something she had to do alone. He would never understand her reasoning.

“Could you go get my daughter, please? There's nothing here for us.”

Nina turned and walked out of the break room without another word. When she returned to the studio, Sky was sitting in her chair playing with Niki. The producer and the engineer were reviewing a portion of the track.

“Hi, Mommy.” Niki looked up and smiled. She was delighted to be with her mother and to be around the music.

Nina sat in Kyle's vacant chair and lifted Niki into her lap. “Baby, Daddy's waiting for you by the door.”

“Mommy, is Daddy in trouble?”

“No, baby. Daddy's just ready to go now and you have to go with him.”

“Are you coming with us?”

“I have to work, Niki.”

“Are you coming home tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Can I stay with you?” Niki fixed her golden eyes on her mother.

“No, sweetie. It will probably be very late by the time we're done. Sky has to finish this song and then she's going to start another one. We have to work really hard while the guys are here to work with us.”

“But I want to stay, Mommy. I'll be a good girl.” Niki started to cry.

“I know, baby.” Nina rocked her daughter in her arms and kissed her. “Niki, if you don't stop crying, I'm going to cry too.”

“But I want to stay,” she wailed.

“I know, baby, but if you stay with me, then Daddy's going to be all alone. You don't want that, do you?”

Niki buried her face in her mother's red top. “No.”

“Good. That's Mommy's sweet girl.” She kissed her again and carried her to Kyle, who was waiting by the door. He looked at Niki's face and gave Nina a look-what-you've-done-now look.

Nina ignored it and tried to cheer up Niki. “You can sleep in my bed. When I come home, I'll put you in your bed. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Nina handed the little girl to Kyle. “Why don't you guys go over to Aunty Jade and Uncle Sean's for dinner? Then you can make it back out to Malibu after the traffic dies down.”

“We'll take that into consideration.” Kyle shifted Niki in his arms. “Tell Mommy good-bye.”

“Bye, Mommy.” She allowed Nina to kiss her and then rested her head on Kyle's shoulder.

“See you later, okay?” Nina kissed Kyle on the cheek, but she knew he was even angrier with her now because Niki was upset. “I love you guys.”

“Love you, too.” Niki waved as Kyle carried her out of the studio.