Extraordinary Love

Chapter 27

Song: Take Yo Man by City Girls

Christopher

Chris felt good walking out of his meeting with the talent manager that Derek had recommended. That woman was something. She was in her late forties, with warm tanned skin, light caramel hair and unnaturally green eyes. She gave off strong cougar vibes and often Chris couldn't tell if she was just straightforward or toeing the line of flirtation.

Lauren Daniels had graduated from some big university with a masters degree and a double major in both law and business. She had managed big acts like Kehlani, SZA, and Future.

She was very aware of her success and power and wore it as well as the very tight bodycon she had shown up to their appointment in. By the end of their session, he was sure of one thing: that he had made an impression on her. She agreed to take him on as a client.

Aaliyah called Chris right after his meeting, spewing out words nearly a mile a minute. He couldn't understand most of what she was saying but he got the gist-- get down to Power 105.1.

When he arrived, the air in the office was very tense. Usually, people were always moving from one place to another with this franticness and many people were conversating, whether to each other or on the phone. It was fairly loud. Today however everyone was planted firmly in their seats and the game of telephone had found its revival. Chris knew that something was about to go down. He found Aaliyah sitting in the studio with another woman, talking and eating popcorn.

"Good, you're here!" Aaliyah greeted him.

He reached behind him to shut the door but Aaliyah stopped him, telling him to leave it open.

"Okay, Kalise this is my boyfriend Chris; Chris this is Kalise, Karrueche's sister." She pulled him down into the seat next to him.

"Karrueche's sister? but--" he reached for a handful of popcorn.

I know. Turns out she's been lying to everyone but her sister is pretty dope. The complete opposite of Kae. I know you missed the whole set up to the drama but I needed you to come down here for backup. I don't know what's about to go down but I couldn't call Rae because of her and Coco. It's not about to be pretty. Everyone is waiting for Derek and Kae to come out—"

The door slowly swung open, catching everyone's attention. Through the crack, Derek could be seen holding Karrueche by the arm and whispering in hushed tones. She pulled away from him, brushing him off and storming into the middle of the floor.

"Hello? Hello, attention! Yes, hi everyone. As I'm sure you know, my name is Karrueche Tran and I have been working as one of Derek's little lap dogs for the past five years," she cut a side eye at Aaliyah. "I have busted my ass at this shit paying job, struggling to even put food on the table each month. I thought, 'I'll stick it out. Maybe I'll eventually move up, get to do interviews and attend events— make a name for myself. But nooooo, I'm stuck still filing fucking paperwork and scheduling appointments and doing desk work all day every day. And what does perfect little miss Aaliyah get to do? Sit in on recordings and push around Derek's Range Rover like she owns the shit and interviews Mariah fucking Carey!"

Aaliyah turned to Kalise.

"I'm sorry, girl but I'm about to snatch your sister up if I hear my name come out of her mouth one more time."

Kalise put her hands up in surrender. " 'Girl you better talk to her before I do because I'mma hurt her feelings' ".

Derek started advancing towards Karrueche who skated around the desks on the floor to evade him. He mouthed to one of the employees to call security.

"And it's my fault for putting up with it for so long. I even tried to be friends with the girl, find out what her secret was, what she had over him. I know she wasn't giving him any though. Girl's had a dry spell longer than a nun's. You weren't fooling anyone with that embarrassingly obvious crush on him though—"

"Alright now, you can dead all that," a voice spoke up.

Chris hadn't even noticed Aaliyah get up and enter the floor.

"If you have a problem with me, Karrueche, then you can address me personally like an adult. Not during a public meltdown in front of the office. It's not a good look sis."

"I actually do have a problem, Aaliyah— a few problems but right now, first and foremost, it's about you being a fake ass backstabbing bitch!"

Aaliyah laughed, the kind where you gasp first as if the laugh caught you by surprise.

"That's hilarious coming from your two-faced conniving self."

Chris got up too, to be ready to jump in and break it up if this little chihuahua tried to put her hands on his girl.

Two bodybuilder looking men in black tees appeared behind the girls, also. Karrueche darted across the floor like a cockroach. Grabbing a broom from the kitchenette, she hopped up on top of her desk, brandishing the broom out like a torch against a medieval mob.

"Back the fuck up. I'm serious. Really, Derek? Did you call security on me? Fuck you. Fuck you for always picking Aaliyah over me, fuck you for trying to 'promote' me to number one secretary and fuck you and everyone else around who walks around like their shit doesn't stank and they're oh-so-perfect. Y'all ain't shit."

"Karrueche, you're fired!" He snapped at the guards. "Get her."

A third guard popped up behind Karrueche, lifting her off of the desk and firmly restraining her around the waist.

"Get your hands off of me. I am pregnant, get off of me. That's right, Derek. You're going to be a daddy! Tell stepmommy Sequoia about how you've been fucking your assistant for years. Bet she wished she wouldn't have dissed me and hired me for that little PA job. Maybe I wouldn't have fucked her man."

With that, she shrugged off the guards and stormed off once again. Derek screamed in frustration and locked himself in his office.

Aaliyah's hand flew over her mouth.

"Oh my god, oh my god. I am so glad I didn't call Rae. Ugh, Sequoia. I had no idea that they were messing around."

Chris and Aaliyah walked back into the studio.

Kalise shook her head. "She loves playing the victim. I can't believe that she's going to be a mother."

"You don't know? She has a son, Elijah."

Kalise's breath hitched and she stood up suddenly. "That poor baby. Karrueche is not fit to be a mother! She only cares about herself, always has and always will. That fact that she gets to have— I'm sorry I just need some air."

She disappeared too.

Aaliyah laid back in the desk chair, letting out a long groan.

"Today has been something else."

Chris just rubbed his chin and nodded.

"Well, now that we have a moment... Can I ask you something?"

Chris' breath hitched. He knew it was too good to be true. It would be way too easy if she just accepted him after what he had told her, no questions asked. He couldn't expect her to. He'd just have to answer whatever questions she had to assuage her.

"So thanksgiving's coming up soon and I usually go back to Ohio to visit around this time. I know you'd mentioned that you'd like to meet Desi and I think my grandparents would really like you too, and— Do you want to come home with me and meet them?"

This was a big step. Asking him to meet her family and child couldn't have been easy for her but she did. He was excited to finally meet the people who meant the most to her and hoped that soon he could introduce her to his own mother.

"When do we leave?"

1. Did you expect that drama between Derek and Karrueche?

If the end of this summer goes how I want it to productivity wise, I am going to try to upload a chapter every week and Friday will be the official upload day! I'm trying to end this book by the end of the year. Don't worry, I am planning on a sequel. :)