Page 29 of Intentional Foul (The Complexity of Love #2)

Chapter Thirteen

Broken Strings

One Month Later

Jhae

I t’s always cold when Icey comes outside.

Tyrus and I both bobbed our heads to the new record he intended to drop this weekend.

I took a leap of faith with Malcolm’s coaching and money to sign my first artist. Jhae D Records paperwork was legal and technically operational, but we still had a few kinks to work out.

I reached out to Icey on social media, and he invited us down.

Mello Givens, better known as Icey, sat across from me. His best friend Charles’ face remained stoic as he sat next to Mello. He called him a businessman, but I knew a drug dealer when I saw one. Both were iced out in platinum necklaces with oversized charms.

“Icey, I’m not going to sugar coat anything. Jhae D Records is a new label, and I want to sign you to a deal,” I said.

He twisted his seat over to Charles and then back to me.

“Why would I sign with a label when I’m making money? Y’all new to the game at that,” he said.

Tyrus peered over at me and I smiled. This played out exactly how he said it would.

“We are a new label but my connections to mainstream media, overseas markets, and to the industry in general are well established. Mr. Givens, I’ve been in the music industry for a few years and the real money comes with diversifying your assets.

Use your music as a tool to get you into the important rooms. I’ve made more money from brand deals, performances for princes, and movies than streaming.

You made what .03 today on the streaming platforms,” I said.

My mentor and manager sat back in his seat without saying a word. He allowed me to take the lead selling the benefits from the artist’s perspective.

“Is that right?” Mello asked.

“Yes, Jhae D is a new record label, but we are a fair record label. I’m not trying to hustle you; I think your music is dope. I personally want a feature for my new album, and I want the world to hear you.”

Mello peered over to Tyrus, and he backed my statement with a head nod. I sat back in the black leather seat and pulled from Anissa. I’ve watched her negotiate on several occasions. She was straight up with people about their current trajectory and showed the vision of what they could have.

“A fair record label doesn’t exist. Jhae, you fine as fuck and I thought you were trying to get at me,” he said as he pushed his chair back to stand.

“Let’s be real, Mello. You know how the music industry goes.

If you don’t learn how to grow and pivot in this industry, you’ll be just another Houston rapper.

What is your brand outside of jewelry and women?

How are you going to grow your pockets? How will you elevate yourself to the overseas markets and go international? I mean. . . can you stay a local hero?”

Charles and Mello both glared at me, but I remained steady in my resolve. Both men retook their seats and Tyrus smiled.

“What’s your offer?” Charles said for Mello.

“A fifty-fifty deal on your masters with a reversion clause after fifteen years. Jhae D Records will have exclusive distribution rights for ten years post release. Publishing will be sixty forty in favor of the artist and a sixty-five thirty-five split in your favor for the media deals. If you sign today, you will walk away with $300,000 in advance money,” Tyrus said.

It didn’t take long for Icey to sign with Jhae D Records.

“Jhae, we need to hire someone to work on the backend of things. I’m going to have to outsource the social media page for Jhae D Records, but we need to hire someone.” Tyrus said.

I rested in the leather seats of the jet Malcolm chartered for us and smiled.

My dreams were coming true with the label, but the real catch was my husband.

He was my everything. Since we made it back from St. Thomas, we’d been in the honeymoon phase.

I wished I could wholeheartedly enjoy it, but the Anissa cloud hung above my head.

Malcolm has pushed me to tell her. . . he even named it Tell Day, but I just couldn’t do it.

“I can reach out to some old connections at Midwest,” I said.

“Are you sure about that? When I reached out to them for the rest of your publishing information, they sent me directly to MC. I don’t know what Malcolm did, but they don’t want any dealings with you,” he said.

I cackled at his comment until my phone vibrated.

Anissa

Okay, Jhae, something is going on.

Changing Anissa’s name was the only way I could return her text. The name bestie no longer applied to us.

Anissa

Your niece hasn’t seen you in weeks. Did I do something wrong?

I flipped the phone over as tears welled in my eyes. My heart ached to connect with my friend again, but I couldn’t stomach the guilt. With my head resting on the tan leather headrest, I allowed myself to grieve the coming loss.

“Jhae, are you okay?” Tyrus asked, but I didn’t answer.

He moved next to me and secured my hand, squeezing it to comfort me. “You can’t continue to move in the shadows. Tell her so you both can heal from this. This isn’t fair to you or Anissa,” he said.

With blurred vision and a panting chest, he pulled me in for a hug.

Everyone in my circle continued to give me the same advice.

What they failed to realize was that I was the one hurting a person who meant the world to me.

Life had its way of rewarding but punishing me on the same pathway.

I get to love an amazing man but break the heart of a person we both value.

“I can’t, Tyrus. I just can’t,” I wailed into his shoulder.

“She will forgive you but prolonging this isn’t making it better. Give Anissa the benefit of the doubt.”

I wished I could believe it but I knew Anissa almost better than Kahili. She won’t forgive easily, if at all.

Malcolm

I stepped into the bathroom to find my wife in a pair of pink silk pj bottoms and my t-shirt.

The white box with the red unraveled ribbon rested on the bed with the lid flipped off.

Earlier today I had a dress, shoes, and makeup team sent to Jhae to get her ready.

She touched down from Houston yesterday and I wanted to take her out.

My eyes darted from the bed to my woman standing near the sectional.

“Jhae, we’re going to be late. I have a surprise planned for you.”

She tangled with her fingers, alerting me an argument was heading my way. I moved closer but still allowed her space to speak freely.

“I’m not going. We are not going.” she said.

Since returning to L.A., Jhae has handcuffed us to this condo.

She refused to go anywhere with me alone.

If Marquise wasn’t involved, she wasn’t getting in the car.

It’s her way of protecting herself from my mother.

Things don’t look suspicious if we were all in attendance.

I made it very clear on the card that he wasn’t going.

“Jhae, I want to take my wife out to a nice dinner.”

She placed her hands on her hips as she stared at me. “We can have a nice dinner at home.”

“Bullshit, you’re hiding from my mother the same way you’re ducking her calls,” I said.

She pressed her fingers to her temples and rubbed small circles.

“So what if I am. My life is the one that’s going to change, not yours, Malcolm. I don’t want her finding out from some damn gossip blog,” Jhae voice elevated.

This Anissa argument was the only spot of tension in my marriage. It’s keeping me and Jhae from fully living.

“You wouldn’t let me tell her,” I hit back.

She lifted her hands in the air and dropped them. “Because you don’t understand the gravity of this, Malcolm. You think this is going to be one blow-up argument and everybody is going to be happy again. That’s not real life.”

“I thought you picked me, Jhae,” I said.

Jhae marched toward me, removing the space I purposely placed between us. “I did, Malcolm. I love you, but it doesn’t make this any easier. You cannot manipulate or control Anissa. When she finds out, you will see the part of her I know.”

“Manipulate.”

Jhae gave a controlled chuckle as she surveyed the room before returning her eyes to me.

“Yes. You sent me that beautiful dress to trick me to go out with you. This is L.A.; did you not think anyone would see us? Once the pictures are out, we are exposed and you get what you want,” she said.

I bit down on my lip as I absorbed her words because she was right. Waiting on Jhae to be comfortable enough to tell mom wasn’t going to happen. I wanted to force her hand to get this over with.

“I’m not going to live in secret much longer. I want to take my beautiful fucking wife on a date. You said you picked me, Jhae, and you knew damn well what that meant,” I said sternly.

Anger surged through me as I saw the fear and worry on her face daily. I stepped away from Jhae and flipped over the box and roses on the bed. After the gifts hit the floor, she stomped off to the studio. I immediately regretted my outburst after she slammed the door.

With my eyes closed, I patted the bed for my wife.

I forced my eyes open, allowing them to adjust to the darkness.

I knew she was in the studio, but she still placed her stuffed music note plushie on the pillow.

It’s her sign to alert me she’s in the studio.

Jhae records her music in the wee hours.

With the room being soundproof, we couldn’t hear anything.

I’ve caught her a few times sleeping on the couch or on the mixing board. The songs she played for me blew the Timeless Love album out of the water. Jhae found her musical spark again, going old school with a guitar and a tethered notebook.

I exited the bed, yawning on my way down the hall. Opening the studio door, I found Jhae in front of the mixing board. We glared at each other, not really knowing what to say. I know I owed her an apology.

“Baby, I’m sorry,” I said.

I stepped in, closing the door behind me and finding the couch. Jhae twirled her seat in my direction. Extending my hand to her, she took it and straddled me.