Encino-M.J

Get Out

"Oh, I can't decide. The peach is beautiful, but I feel like the yellow would really brighten up the room. What do you think, honey?"

Althea ran a manicured hand over the sheer silky fabric, her large engagement ring glittering under the lights of the department store. She smiled up at her husband waiting for his response but noticed his attention seemed elsewhere.

"Michael, did you hear anything I just said?" She frowned.

The mention of his name broke Michael's trance and he stared down at the fabrics, scrambling for an opinion.

"Just get both, baby. You can change them out in the spring," he replied.

The couple had officially closed on their new home and as thrilled as Michael was to be able to officially leave the nest, he couldn't compete with Althea's excitement. For the past few days, she'd had her head buried in home magazines and furniture catalogs, and almost any time they talked it was about some new interior design trend Althea had read about.

Knowing it made her happy, Michael would let Althea ramble about furniture until they were old and grey but he couldn't pretend that their minds were on the same track.

Michael was still reeling from the blow of having Whitney snatched off his roster. Whispers in the music industry had always said Jermaine and Joseph could be grossly shrewd but it was his first time being on the other end of it.

Michael knew it was payback for the fight they'd had over Althea. As livid as he was to have his first potential successful venture pulled from under his feet, Michael wouldn't take back a punch.

"I wanna know what you like, sweetie," His wife replied sweetly. "You've got to live in this house too,"

He sighed.

"It's only drapes, Thea. I honestly don't care what color you pick,"

Althea eyed her husband suspiciously. She knew him well enough to know when he became aloof and withdrawn that something was bothering him.

She grabbed hold of her husband's arm and guided him away from the selection of fabric.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Althea questioned.

Her warm, gorgeous brown eyes stared up at him and Michael could feel his troubles sweetly melting away like cotton candy on the tongue. Althea always had a way of making him feel more secure with just a touch or a look. No other woman had that effect on him and for that alone, he knew she was the one.

Michael settled in one of the velvet chairs on display with a heavy sigh and Althea settled in the other, crossing her legs in anticipation.

"I didn't wanna tell you this but since you asked," Her husband began slowly. "Whitney got removed from my roster,"

She gasped, her heart sinking in her chest. Althea knew how excited Michael had been to sign Whitney on and she couldn't help but feel as if she was at fault. Maybe Whitney was upset about her turning down her sexual advances and wanted to get back at Althea by discontinuing working with Michael.

"How? Why?"

Michael sighed again as he ran a hand over his chin.

"Jermaine," he grumbled. "Jermaine snatched her from my roster,"

Althea sucked her teeth feeling the annoyance bubble up in her chest. Jermaine's constant tormenting of Althea made an ounce of sense- she wasn't family- but Michael was his brother. She couldn't understand why he had it out for the both of them.

He had a warped, sadistic mind.

"He can't do that!" His wife protested.

All Michael could do was shrug.