me & tomfoolery

Bare pt.2 | Jordan Poole Short Story

Kinda trolled on this part y'all 😭

"Take 15!" Damion, Jordan's choreographer yelled.

"Nigga, why we in rehearsal like we didn't just step off tour?" Gary sighed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Cause we going back on it in no time. You know this man, once I finish the album we back. Where that nigga JTA at?"

Gary pointed over to mirror, Juan was checking out his waves. "Bro, c'mon ain't nobody in here looking at you." Juan shrugged before walking back to the group. "Duarte coming in today?"

"You always asking about the damn girl, ask that her out already." Wiggs, Jordan's producer joked. Juan seemed to have a crush on Arrianna, who was Jordan's friend and publicist. "I'm just asking, damn."

"Don't tell that man nothing, he gonna learn." Mychal, another one of the dancers chimed in.

"Ain't that yo friend? Hook him up so he can leave us alone." Gary begged.

"Y'all 15 minutes is up." Damion was a stickler for time and everyone knew it, they weren't going to argue with him, he was the best in the business.

After rehearsing the choreo for a new song, Jordan went to meet up with a few other friends for a pick up game in the hills. The host was billionaire rapper and mogul Money G or government official Draymond Green, rapper Lil Ja, alternative singer and producer duo, Rockets which composed of Jalen's vocals and Josh's production, and lastly Jordan's biggest musical rival, Tyler the Pacer. There was an ironic thing about Tyler always being around, because his style and sound mirrored Jordan's.

"What's new in the streets youngins?" Dray asked pulling up his chair to the edge of the court.

"Shit OG, same ole. What's up your sleeve?" Ja asked dribbling the ball he had. "Trying to put together a show out in LA. A festival or something. Y'all niggas should wanna perform."

That was Dray's way of asking if they were interested in being included before he sent invites out to other artists. They were currently his favorite artists out right now. This is how he kept his legacy alive. They've all sampled one of his songs before, his list was exclusive.

"Where Brooks at?" Tyler asked missing a 3. Dray scoffed, "You think I'm letting a nigga who didn't get clearance to use my beat back in my house?"

Brooks was a rapper who modeled his career after Dray and later shaded him on his own beat. Dray immediately sent out a cease and desist and had Brooks wrapped up in legal paperwork. "Next case, J and J y'all just did that song with Ella Mai, how that go?"

"Jalen tried to get at her but we all know she hung up on that ball player almost a decade younger than her." Josh joked, it bruised Jalen ego a bit but he would shake it off.

"JP, what you got coming up?" Ja asked.

"I just won that Under the Sheets contest." He shrugged, making an easy 3.

"Ain't that the shit you wanted to do Ty?" Josh asked causing everyone to look at Tyler who had this look on his face. "Nah, I ain't say that." Everyone knew he was lying but didn't care to focus on him more.

"You about to be butt ass naked for a photoshoot man?" Jalen inquired, he did that one his last single cover so it was nothing to him. Jordan never got that bare before with his fans.

"I think so, I hope I don't get interviewed by some weirdo man. I swear I'll leave out of there so fast." Jordan tried his hardest to avoid strangely obsessed people from the internet who weaseled their way into his personal space.

"My nigga you gone be cool."

••••

"He's weird Staxx." Kieran groaned as actor Patrick Beverly made another joke that didn't land. He would be featured in a small quiz in the next issue.

"Walk away Ki, we'll handle the rest." Kieran took that chance to walk into her office. She would be looking over all of the details Steph sent over in reference to his artist and this would be her chance to get to know who the real JP was.

His first mixtape was about life in Milwaukee and how he had to make it out or the city would've eaten him alive. From the drugs being dealt on the corner of his block, to his very first heart break.

She opened her Apple Music to search  and found his all of his music. The song that struck her first was You Deserve. It was a song that chronicled a relationship about a man telling the woman who loved him, she deserves more than what he had to offer.

Staxx finished the shoot with Beverly and knew he could walk right in Ki's office. "Knock, knock." He mocked.

"Take your usual seat." She pointed.

"You're listening to JP?" Staxx's eyebrows rose. "Yeah, his folks sent over his music. You know I have to do my research first."

They sat and listened to a few songs, more deep cuts than Billboard hits. Kieran bobbed her head, liking what she heard so far.

"I think we're supposed to go and meet him tomorrow, you know with his team."

Kieran hated the logistics, but as a strategist she needed that for her work to exist. She had planned interview questions and photos shoots for most of the cover models and featured stories, they all started to blend together. There was nothing she hadn't heard before when it came to sex, maybe that was why her intimacy lacked outside of the workplace.

••••

Jordan, Ralen and Steph sat across from Kieran, Staxx and their boss, Candace Parker who was also Kieran's aunt.

Under the Sheets was a "family business".

"Hello gentleman, I'm excited to discuss our fan voted cover boy. See you excited JP?"

Jordan wasn't sure if he was excited, he still wondered how this would all go. "Not sure yet, to be honest."

"Well, I'll have you know you'll be working close with Kieran as she'll be conducting your interview and photoshoot."

"Huh?" Kieran practically broke her neck to look at Candace. "Yeah, you'll be doing his interview exclusively."

Exclusively.

She watched the subtle smirk form on Jordan's face. He could tell that she didn't want to be bothered and his presence was off putting to her. Not necessarily in a bad way, but no one could read him and it was going to be a fun game of cat and mouse.

After the meeting, Jordan trailed to the back as the group filed out of the conference room. He slightly brushed against Kieran to gain her attention.

"So."
"So...." She looked up at him. He noticed her eyes, last time they met, she had on sunglasses... indoors.

"You gonna keep staring?" She asked stopping them between the lounge and set of cubicles. "Absolutely." He continued to grin at her. "You have alluring eyes."

People have time her, those eyes were pretty, beautiful, but never alluring.

"Umm, thank you."

"We can start by meeting me at my rehearsal tomorrow, the song I'm working on has some crazy choreo, I think it'll work for the interview."

"Okay, what's it called?"
"Wet the Bed."