sheâd have a coronary that Gia and Hope didnât find her a hottie too. Her love life has been in total struggle mode since she found out her ex-boyfriend Linden was dating Meagan at the same time.
âWell, have fun, ladies, and donât do anything I wouldnât do,â I say as they prepare to leave.
âCan we be specific with that please?â Kevin asks. âNo fornication of any kind.â
Everybody, including Ricky, bursts into laughter. This makes Kevin even more irritated. He is clearly uncomfortable with this situation.
âDonât worry,â Rashad says. âI always treat Gia like the royalty that she is.â
âWell, letâs go!â Gia says.
Hope follows her lead as they rush out the door ahead of the boys. Rashad looks up at Ricky as if he wants to say something, but then he doesnât. After the door closes, Ricky crosses his arms over his chest and frowns.
âSunday, you do know that I love Gia, right?â Ricky asks. âWhy would you all encourage her to go out with that guy? I mean . . . anyone but him.â
âI had absolutely nothing to do with that! Talk to Piper and Hope.â
âYeah, but she listens to you,â Kevin says. âYou should tell her that kicking it with that guy is a bad idea.â
I stare blankly at Ricky and Kevin. I donât know why they think I have so much influence. And furthermore, I donât see anything wrong with Rashad.
âRashad seems all right to me,â I say.
âBut heâs not her true love,â Kevin says.
I just have to shake my head and walk away. Did this dude really just say true love like we are a house full of fairy tale creatures? I love Kevinâs innocence, but he just crossed some imaginary line.
I can hear him running down the stairs and following me into the family room, but I donât want to respond to what he just said.
âSunday! You donât believe in true love, do you? I do. I believe God has a soul mate out there for each one of us, and that when you meet them, you should hold on tight and never let go.â
âRicky broke up with her,â I say. âSo maybe he doesnât feel the same way you do.â
âOf course he does. He just wants it to be special.â
âWhat do you want me to do, Kevin?â
âBe her friend. Convince her to stop seeing Rashad. Itâs breaking Rickyâs heart.â
I sit on the couch and run my fingers through my hair. âOkay, all right. Iâll do it. But Iâm not making any promises.â
âThank you. Theyâre my two best friends, Sunday. It means a lot to me, and Ricky would never ask.â
What part of the landlord game is this?
6
T hereâs something about a tight drumbeat and a banging bass line that gets my mind right. I feel it right down in the core in my being in a way thatâs hard to explain. When the track is a perfect fit to my melody itâs like seeing a solar eclipse for the first time. Downright incredible.
The only thing making this setting less than rapturous is Sam staring me down. I have no idea whatâs wrong with him. Iâve let him back into my life, my music, and my studio. So, Iâm thinking he should be as chilled out as I am, but instead heâs sitting across from me on my red leather sofa straight up mean mugging me. I stretch out on my comfy armchair and roll my eyes at him while this track plays.
âWhatâs your malfunction?â I ask when he turns the track off.
âNothing. You like?â
I nod. âItâs perfect for the melody. I love it. Have you thought about that country melody I sent your way?â
âNah, not yet. I listened to it, but I have no idea what to do with it.â
âBut do you like it?â I ask, now feeling a little bit insecure about the sound of it.
âUsually, Iâm not a fan of country, but itâs nice. Itâs got your vibe all over it and
Michael Kranish, Scott Helman