Lights Please II

1: It's Inevitable

Jermaine

I knew Tess weren't about to be happy about me goin on tour but at the end of the day it was shit that I had to do. Maybe I coulda waited for a better time to tell her to avoid any arguments, but whatever, it is what it is and I had to get to these muhfuckin meetings about the tour.

I drove down to our Dreamville offices in the city early af, so I asked Camille if she could get one of the interns to grab me some donuts and a coffee. I had to get rid of my assistant, Jasmine, a while ago cause she weren't bein too professional and she just liked the idea of working for Dreamville—I had to nip that shit in the bud before it could even get to Tess. I'd had one too many slip ups and I know my woman crazy as hell—she would literally fight any woman that she thought was remotely trying shit with me.

I got to the office, let the valet guy park my car before proceeding into the tall glass building. There was some corporate company we shared the building with—so middle aged white men in suits would all be downstairs and shit, I slid my phone into the pocket of my grey sweatpants and had my hood up on my nike hoodie. I usually got a couple looks from people, I didn't give a fuck though cause I could literally buy out this entire building if I wanted to.

I proceeded to the elevator to the 12th floor where our offices began. Some thing ain't feel right about me today though. Prolly the fact that me and ole girl had our lil disagreement yesterday so I hadn't talked to her this morning. I ain't really know what she was up to today either, I just caught her making Lex breakfast and was able to kiss my daughter bye before leaving for work.

Shit, you'd think after all these years together that me and Tess woulda gotten better at this communication shit. But we still the same people we were years ago when we started dating.

"Aye wassup boss man?" I heard a voice say before Ray proceeded to dap me. I had everyone who was involved in the tour flown out for this meeting today so we could all be on the same page and discuss the shit that needed to be discussed before I could go back to the drawing board with Ib and really get shit set in stone.

"What's good my nigga?" I chuckled, dapping him up.

---

Tess

My day had been stressful to say the least and it was barely 4PM. I started off bringing Lex to day care cause J had some meetings in the morning, followed by a run to the studio where I was able to get a couple hours in with Bryson before I had my own meeting at my label. That then led to me picking Lex up and taking her to the grocery store with me considering we were out of food. Nobody said being a boss ass bitch was easy, but shit, someone had to do it.

"What do you want for dinner, baby?" I looked back in the rear view mirror as Alexia played a game on her ipad.

"Ummmm can we has ice cwream and some donuts?" she looked up at me with a cute thinky face.

"Nah baby you gotta have real food." I shook my head trying not to laugh at her.

"Otay den maybe sum tater tots and sum chicken nuggets," her little voice went up at the end.

After buying the food we got back to the house and I let Lex down as she ran her tiny feet up the stairs to the door of our town house and I grabbed a grocery bag from the car. Speaking of which, I felt like we were growing out this place. Me and Jermaine had moved in years ago and yes, there was space and hella rooms but Lex was getting older, she needed a backyard and space to run around and play... that's a discussion for another day though cause there's no talking to Jermaine about moving out the city. When I entered the house, Jermaine was in the kitchen with Ib on their laptops probably going over tour stuff.

"DADDDDDDDDDDDDY--!!" Lex yelled as she ran towards him and he picked her up, leaving her kisses all over her face.

"Wassup babygirl? You miss me today?" he asked her as he tickled her before putting her back down and she said hi to her uncle Ib. There was still tension between Cole and I after our brief conversation about the tour last night, neither of us wanted to argue about it and at the end of the day I knew that this was something that he had to go and do so there was no use fighting about it.

"Wassup, Tess?" Ib asked me as I set down the grocery bag on the counter, yawning in the process.

"Hey douchebag manager that's taking my man away from me—" I said completely deadpan.

"You know that ain't on me," he chuckled. "you should chill with them insults-- you look a lil tired."

I frowned looking down at my leather leggings and oversized sweater and black mini uggs. I'm fucking exhausted Ibrahim thank you for pointing it out. "That's your way of saying I look like shit," I blinked at him unamused.

"Aye language," Jermaine said, barely looking up from his laptop. I just glared at him and didn't say anything as Lex was standing in front of him. "You got anymore stuff in the car?" he then asked as he shut his laptop.

I nodded, "There's three more bags in the trunk—I'm about to get started on dinner what do you want?"

He stretched before getting up, "I'm really feelin some steak actually—potatoes on the side too," he then proceeded to get the rest of the shit that I'd left in the car on the way in.

Tater tots and chicken nuggets for Lex; steak and potatoes for Cole and Ib. I made a mental note before I got started on dinner.

---

Jermaine

After bringing the groceries in I let Lex play in her play room while Ib and I went over logistics in my office which was the room right across. I wasn't tryna get in Tess' way while she cooked or nothing.

"So she took the news that bad?" Ib's hoarse ass voice laughed at me.

"Nigga you know how Tess is," I shook my head. "she says she's good and there's nothing wrong but she'll sit around bein passive aggresive as fuck—you seen that shit? She ain't even say hi to me when she came in..."

"Cole you ain't say hi to her either though, both yall are petty af," he continued to laugh at me while leaning back in the chair.

We finally drew up a rough plan of the tour and how we was tryin to set it up, we wanted three sets atleast that way in between the sets I could be home—I wasn't tryna miss Lex and Tess too much. I had to figure out a way to be flying back on off days as well. Once we were done with that Ib decided he had to go home to his woman and that he'd make the calls regarding the tour by tomorrow. Once he left, I went and I joined my baby girl in her play room where he was sitting at her table with some crayons.

"Aye cutie, whatchu doin?" I asked her as I sat on the floor.

"Jus makin a drawin.... Its me and you and momma... and our doggie—her name is fluffy," she grinned as she pointed out everyone she'd drawn.

"That looks so good baby," I kissed her cheek. "You really want a dog, huh?"

"Sosososososoosososooooo much daddy betoss Riley has one and when I go to auntie Leish's house den I plway wiff the doggie," she nodded getting louder with each word. Where the hell I get this hyperactive kid from?

Tess had said from the beginning she ain't want no dogs cause she wasn't tryna pick up any dog shit or whatever. But I grew up with pitbulls and my kid wanted one... I had to make this happen for her somehow. I guess you could say she was daddy's little girl or some shit—but I couldn't say no to her cute lil face. That was my baby.

"Aight mama, well I'll see what I can do okay?" I said and she nodded "Give me a kiss so I know it's real baby," I told her and she leaned in grabbed my head and gave me a huge sloppy kiss on my cheek.

"Hihi you gots pricklies on your face daddy," she giggled pointing at my beard.

"You on't like my beard?" I asked her, amused and she shook her head.

"No its tooo much you gotta do sum little bit less,"