Next to Korey, Richie pours himself another glass of champagne.
“So, what’d you think, fam? I think it’d be a hit! You know, your life story,” he continues to explain. “Take all that home-video footage, spice it up with some exclusive interviews—it’ll make a fire documentary for BET, HULU, or even Netflix.”
“Man, you really trying to get that executive producer money, huh?” Korey laughs. “You want the Emmy bad! I mean, I’m down. If you say it’s gonna bang, I trust you.”
Richie smirks. “We could even make it a series! Life and Times of Korey Fields. Has a nice ring to it, right?”
“So, what you need from me?”
“All your home videos. Old and new.”
Korey chuckles. “Well, not ALL my home videos. Some of them gotta be for the private viewing, feel me?”
The men cackle. Richie shakes his head. “Hey, man, leave the X-rated stuff at home. But we should highlight some of your wild-boy days. Then come back to how you found God.”
Korey turns real serious. “Yo! I’ve always knew God. Don’t get it twisted!”
Richie holds up his hands. “My bad, bruh. No disrespect.”
My ankles crack as I struggle to walk in sky-high heels in search of a bathroom. So many people, yet I don’t see Jessica anywhere. Not that she’s much of a chaperone, and I’ve caught her rolling her eyes a couple of times at the most basic questions.
“Hey, Enchanted, right?”
A boy in a light blue blazer and white sneakers leaning against the bar waves a hand.
“Yeah. But how did you—”
“I remember you from your audition, back in New York. Derrick Price, Richie’s son.” He eyes Melissa with a squint. “I . . . uh, almost didn’t recognize you.”
I shift on my heel. “Um, yeah. New look.”
He has dark brown skin with a mop of curly brown hair and kind hazel eyes. “Well, Pops and I don’t share the same taste, but I thought you were dope!”
“Thanks,” I say, pushing a strand of Melissa hair behind my ear. “So you work for your dad?”
He laughs. “Yeah, intern. Or my official title is executive assistant. How old are you again?”
“I’m eighteen.”
Derrick frowns. “Huh, that’s weird. I thought your application said you were seventeen.”
I breathe in, practicing the line Korey fed me.
“Ha! I know, I look young for my age.”
Derrick’s eyebrow cocks up. “Uh, right. My bad, I thought you were still in high school like me, that’s all. I’m a senior.”
“Um, so . . . dope party,” I say, changing the subject.
“Yeah,” he says then his eyes grow big. “Yo! Over there! You see that? That’s Jasmine Keith, from Love and Hip Hop.”
I glance around the room until I spot her by the bar.
“OMG! That is her!” I can’t help but grin. “Aight, so I know I shouldn’t be about black folks fighting on TV, but I was cheering when she whooped Megan B.’s ass during the season finale.”
“So you watch Love and Hip-Hop too? Dope, right?”
“Well, my sister does. And most of the time, I’m nearby . . . pretending not to be.”
We laugh, walking closer to the bar. “I feel you. I know I shouldn’t be all into it, but it’s like crack TV.”
“Wait, hold up. If you’re in school, what you doing in LA? On a school night.”
He smirks. “My pops writes me a note whenever I want to shadow him. Getting ready to take over the family business. Yo, that reminds me! When we’re back in New York, we should link up. A couple of my homies from school produce they own beats and we record all the time.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. They got over five hundred thousand followers on SoundCloud. They sick with it! Add that voice of yours and you’d be killing it with us!”
Whoa. Never met anyone in high school producing music like that. Unheard of at my dry school.
“Hey, over there,” I whisper. “Check out Monica with Cardi B.” For a split second, I think of Shea and how she would be losing her mind seeing some of her favorite celebrities in here.
“You know,” Derrick says, trying to wave down a bartender. “I heard Jasmine used to be in Will and Willow and got kicked out for trying to sneak in a boys’ room during Teen Conference.”
“Wait! You’re in Will and Willow? I’m in Will and Willow too! I mean . . . was.”
“Oh, word? Didn’t think they let us into these parties! Thought we were too bougie for this crowd.”
Derrick and I spend the next fifteen minutes exchanging W&W stories and playing I Spy the Reality Show Star. It was fun, just kicking it, and I can’t help but notice he’s the first person my age I’ve seen in weeks. Mom is always talking about how small the world is. Maybe I would’ve met Derrick at a W&W conference or a dance. But then . . . I would’ve never met Korey. I’m all he has here; I bring him peace.
“Anyway, I better get back. Korey’s probably looking for me.”
Derrick cocks his head to the side, a question on his lips.
“You . . . with him?”
“Nah, no. We just, uh, sing together . . . like Marvin Gaye and Tammi. They weren’t together in real life either.”
He shrugs. “Well, looks like your boy has his hands full anyways.”
Across the room, Korey is whispering in a girl’s ear. Not just any girl. Amber. The one with the gold curly hair from the Music LIVE audition. She’s in a tight sequined green dress, shimmering like a mermaid’s tail. Her giggle is unnerving.
“Um, yeah,” I say, my voice fading. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Derrick.”
“Word. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
On the way back to the VIP area, I text Gab, hoping she’ll be up. I need advice on how to handle girls creeping up on my man. Jay was popular in his neighborhood, and Gab had to put several girls in their place.
“Hey, Enchanted, hold up!” Derrick chases after me. “You left your purse.”
“Oh! Thanks.”
“No prob,” he says, touching my arm before jogging back to the bar.
When I look up, Korey is staring, his eyes stone-cold. I give him a smile.
He doesn’t smile back.
Chapter 36
Ice Bucket
On the way back to the hotel, I’m invisible. Well, at least to Korey.
“Is something wrong?” I ask.
He ignores me, glaring out the window of the Suburban. My stomach in knots, I bite the inside of my cheek until I draw blood, trying to figure out what went wrong as we take the elevator up to the penthouse.
Inside, I trail behind him, keeping a distance, then kick off my shoes, toes throbbing.
“Korey, what’s wrong? Can you talk to me? Please?”
A shadow crosses his face, eyes ten shades darker.
“What the fuck were you doing talking to some other man right in front of me?”
I blink twice. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act stupid!” he screams. “You know what I’m talking about.”