Backstage: Street Chronicles (20 page)

I tried to be discreet when I got up to leave although there was no need. Nicholas looked like he was ready to take a nap, and Kessy would caress him until she knew I was gone. Nicholas’s pale blue jeans were around his ankles. The janitor saw me trying to be quiet closing the office door. He wore big old school silver and black headphones that looked like they could keep anyone’s ears warm on a cold winter night. My purple and gray Air Max sneakers kept my footsteps light. When I reached the glass double doors I saw the reflection of a twenty-four-year-old woman in
dark blue jeans with a matching denim jacket. The grape color of my button-down shirt made my light skin look lighter. I saw a woman who was transitioning from being a girl. A woman who decided what she wanted to do with her life and how she was going to get there. My parents taught me I should own whatever business I work for. My mother taught me how to be dedicated. My father taught me how to cut to the chase and take what you want. The path lay ahead of me. I just had to lay the bricks down. The music business is where I belonged. It was a game, and I was great at playing games. Just like Monopoly. I always liked getting the small houses first then building up to the bigger ones. Hustle Hard Records would be my small house.

I looked to see if I could see the brightness of my green eyes in the glass. Instead I saw the janitor looking at me there standing still. He probably was curious as to why I was leaving alone.

I showed up at the offices of Hustle Hard Records the morning of Monday, September 15th. I requested to see Mr. Nicholas Michaels. Just as the receptionist started to turn me away (since I didn’t have an appointment), Mr. Michaels was getting off of the elevator. He recognized me although my pinstriped skirt and jacket were quite different from the attire he saw me in last. He stared curiously at the manila envelope in my hand.

That became my first day working at Hustle Hard Records. It was just an intern position, but I didn’t care. It was a start. People in the office looked at me crazy when Nicholas introduced me. No one knew I was coming and it was obvious I wasn’t a student. The other interns looked like they were about twelve and thirteen even though they claimed to be in college. I wasn’t there to make friends, though. I was there to start my business. Yes, my business!
You see, the music business is one of the best hustles there is. I mean, not if you’re a singer or a rapper, but if you’re the owner/money lender. You lend them the money to finance what they need to get them on top, and they owe you. Now, that’s a business that makes money! It’s like being a bank. All you have to do is find the right borrowers. You know, like the ones who want a house so bad they don’t care the interest on it is damn near more than the loan? Yeah, you need some of them. My mama always said, “If I owe you, you’ll never be broke!”

Of course, she said that as she was borrowing my allowance money to buy her and her boyfriend a case of Coronas. Whatever, it’s still true. As long as you owe me, I’m not broke!

“Good morning, Cassandra. This is Sakia Sands. She’ll be our new intern.”

I hope Miss Cassandra didn’t think she was hiding her thoughts. I saw right through that phony smile. When she heard my name she twisted her mouth a little. Not too much so that Mr. Michaels saw it. But just enough that I did. She thinks I’m some chick this dude is freaking off with. No, boo, that would be Kessy and Kessy ain’t trying to work for anybody! Shoot! Kessy’s parents got boocoo dough and all she wants to do is sex every and any man who thinks he’s at the top of his game. She doesn’t even need a whole hour to break ‘em down. So even if I was Kessy, this chick right here wouldn’t know the half and her little paycheck would be embarrassed to stand in my presence!

I had to keep a straight face while the hater acted like she was happy to show me around. Tossing her spiral-curled shoulder-length weave must’ve made her feel pretty. Her insecurity was obvious and unnecessary. Her dark skin and almond-shaped eyes were actually quite beautiful. Her doo-doo green pantsuit needed a little work, but she was still cute. Besides, I wasn’t trying to compete with her. In a short time, I was going to be the head woman in charge. She’d be lucky if I let her work for me!
Let her keep thinking her stuff don’t stink. She’ll smell it in a minute!

Cassandra tried to keep me busy with refiling things that were already in order and refilling the coffeepot like I was part of a high school work program. I played cool because she had no clue of the deck I was working with. That’s just who I am. My daddy taught me that. When he found my mother in bed with his best friend, Mr. Paul, my dad acted like it was okay. Hell, he even jumped in the bed to join them. Yes he did! He stripped down and he rammed himself into my mother’s behind while she nervously gave Mr. Paul oral sex. Mr. Paul was probably dumb enough to think that whole situation turned out for the best. My mother, on the other hand, was basically getting raped up her behind while my father was “playing it cool.” It’s funny how my mom tells that story thinking it will make me hate my father. She wants me to think of him as a rapist, but I just think of her as a whore. Mr. Paul was broke and always coming by to borrow money. All she got out of that was a sore ass and Mr. Paul still owing her fifty dollars. I don’t know if it was my father or the fifty dollars he borrowed from my mother that made him never come by again. Knowing Mr. Paul, it was the fifty dollars.

“Hey. My name’s Brooke.”

Her hair was brown and her frame petite. Her skin was white at one point but it was now orange from what seemed to be over-tanning. Her Malcolm X glasses made her look very professional even though she wore jeans and a T-shirt. Still, she was pleasant and the only one who reached their hand out to me. The other interns acted like I was trying to take their job. As if there was a ranking or something and their superior intern status was at risk.

“Hi, I’m Sakia. Nice to meet you, Brooke.”

“Sakia? That’s an interesting name. What does it mean?”

“I don’t know. I think my mom just liked it. I don’t care much about it. It’s just my name.”

“Just your name, girl? It’s what everyone knows you by. Girl you can be a CEO with just a name. Think of whose company you’re working for. Nicholas Michaels. That’s his name. There’s so many people who aren’t really sure what he does or what his role is, but they know his name. If your name doesn’t have a meaning, you better give it one.”

I’ve been here for four hours and I finally learned something that might make a difference to me. When I start running this place, I will keep her on my team for sure.

“Okay, Brooke. I’ll reintroduce myself. My name is Saks Sands.”

“Nice to meet you, Saks. I love your name!”

“Thank you. I was named after Saks Fifth Avenue.”

“Girl, that’s one of the best places to shop! On the high end, huh? That’s a cool name!”

Brooke schooled me about the people in the office. Rob was the office manager and gave up his job at Power 101.3 to work at Hustle Hard when they only had one artist, Breeze. Rob believed in Hustle Hard for all ten years it had been in existence and hustled the hardest to make sure the artists got heard. He oversaw everything from the street teams to the album covers. By the time it got to Nick, he just had to sign off on it. Everyone in the office was part of Rob’s team. There were only like eight other people there I could count. That included the interns. Brooke had been his assistant for the past four years. That’s the kind of loyalty I needed.

All I had was Kessy. Don’t get me wrong, we were like sisters. She did any and everything I needed since the day I met her at my high school prom. Some basketball player who thought he was going to be a star brought Kessy as his date. She lived in New Jersey at the time. Kessy just looked like money. She wore round pink diamond studs in her ears. Her prom dress was a simple long, black gown with a pink ribbon curved in between her breasts. At the time, her black silky hair hung to her shoulders.

I wore a white halter suit. The skirt was formfitting, stopping right below my ankles, with a mid-thigh split. The top was a double-breasted jacket, which showed off the cleavage I had before everyone else in my school. I made the dress myself. Once my father was gone, so was the money. I was proud of it and Kessy liked it. She said I seemed so much more sophisticated and conservative than everyone else at my school. I told her that was because I was thinking about money. She told me she got money and thinks about sex. We laughed. At the time, I thought she was joking. She wasn’t!

I ran out to the limo to catch a smoke and the principal’s silver Camry was parked next to it. Everyone else was inside so at first I was scared to see the car moving. When I squinted my eyes and looked a little closer, I saw Kessy on her knees in the backseat with her face pressed against the window and Principal Allan’s face nuzzled in her butt. As my eyes opened wide and I covered my mouth to stop the laughter, Kessy caught my eye. She winked, smiled, and mouthed, “Give me a minute.”

Of all the people in the office Brooke told me about, I did find Cassandra to be the most interesting. Apparently everyone likened her to a dog. She was loyal to Nicholas, they said. She was Breeze’s girlfriend when Nicholas met her. Breeze slept around a lot on her (what a surprise) and gave her something. No one knows what he gave her, but it was something. It was enough that when Breeze’s contract was up about a year ago, Nicholas didn’t re-sign him and Nicholas hired Cassandra as his assistant. Breeze started his own record label. She’s been loyal to Nicholas ever since.

Nicholas had a dedicated team. I had to admit that. That’s why he was so successful. I mean other than the two regular people in Marketing and the rotating door of A&R’s, he had a close-knit team. A loyal and sturdy foundation. But what makes people loyal? Is it the money? The opportunity? Or is it really their belief in you? Do people who you think are loyal really believe in you or
just believe you. Is it the same? Can you have one without the other?

“B, I can’t talk right now. There’s a new intern here.”

If she couldn’t talk she should have gotten off the phone. The fact that Cassandra mentioned me, the new intern, made me curious enough to find out who she was talking to. I got up to act like I was checking to see if Brooke had anything for me to do.

“B, I know he’s hot. I don’t know if Nick is planning on signing him. I don’t think he’s made him an offer. I’ll let you know when he tells me. He didn’t tell me anything yet. No, B, I don’t know why he won’t sign. Just wait and see what we’re offering first. I’m not lying! Can we talk about this when I get home?”

B? Is she serious? Who is B? Breeze? She can’t be talking to him. That wouldn’t even make sense. But who else would be questioning her like that? It was obvious it was someone she shouldn’t be talking to. From what Brooke told me, when Nick wouldn’t renew Breeze’s contract, he started his own label and has been in fierce competition with Hustle Hard.

“So, Cassandra, Brooke told me there’s a party tonight for the singer Lakaya. Are you going?”

“No. My ex-boyfriend will probably be there and I don’t want to see him.”

“Well, I’d like to go. Do you mind if I go in your stead?”

“You know what, yeah. You should go to the party. Brooke and Rob are going, too. It’ll be good for you to see who’s who in this industry. If you stay here long enough, you’ll need to know these people. Ask Brooke to tell you about everyone. She’s good at that!”

“Do you think they’ll let me bring my friend with me?”

As soon as I got the okay, I called Kessy. She would know who was who at the party. I didn’t need Brooke for that.

“Hey, I’m Kessy. And you are …”

Kessy could’ve been the only one in the room. She was a vision in her white slacks and white beaded corset. Her skin was soft and her jet-black hair was just long enough to cup the nape of her neck and it was neatly tucked behind her ears. Her white triangle diamond studs were just big enough to sparkle, yet they were small enough not to brag.

“Breeze. CEO of Breezy Records.”

“Wow, I get a name and a résumé. Impressive!”

Breeze smiled. Kessy had this way about her. No man could shake her spell. Plus she exuded money, position, and sexiness. They knew she wasn’t starstruck. She was too comfortable with herself. Her voice sounded like smooth honey. She cupped her glass with confidence and his eyes were drawn to her nails—short and neat. They weren’t long like so many of the girls he came across. No acrylic, no colored polish, no weird designs, just natural. Her skin was brown but like the caramel taffy he used to buy from the corner store by his grandmother’s house. She was new candy. He wondered what she tasted like.

“I’m sorry. I just figured …”

Kessy laughed at Breeze’s clumsiness in trying to clean up his wack game.

“I know what you figured. It’s okay. At least you told me who you are. That’s why I came over.”

They had barely been around each other for five minutes and from afar it looked as if they were old friends. He was a little clumsy with the bottle of champagne he clutched. It was obvious he’d had more than his share of champagne for the night. Her movements were precise. Whenever she laughed he seemed to be studying her. She did have a beautiful laugh.

“So, um, Kessy, are you here with anyone?”

“No. I’m a big girl. I’m allowed to go out by myself.”

His smile showed he enjoyed the answer she gave. Within seconds they were headed over to the coatroom. Before exiting Kessy motioned for me to come outside.

I stood at Kessy’s car smoking a cigarette. Breeze saw me waiting. He’d had quite a bit to drink so it didn’t even look like he was focusing on me. He was just anticipating the situation that was about to jump off. His head was so stuck up his own behind he never asked my name.

“You bringing your friend with us?”

Caramel and Sugar! He was easy. I looked so different from Kessy. It was not about who was his type at all. She was five foot ten and I am five foot four. She’s proportioned like a black Barbie doll. I have a more round-the-way shape. I’m a size fourteen. My stomach isn’t fat and my butt is round and wide but firm. My breasts are a D-cup and full. My hair is silky straight thanks to the perm I got last week and it hangs around the middle of my back. My bangs swoop over my eyebrows. My skin is the color of a butter cookie and my emerald green eyes reveal my real focus: money. Breeze’s eyes showed his focus, too, as they bounced from my breasts to Kessy’s bubble of a behind.