1982
Gina Wright
Prince wasn't real tonight. Couldn't be.
This man was really out here looking so much better than anyone else that I saw with Lori downstairs.
Instead of tripping though, I remembered our call from last night and greeted him through common sense.
"Hi." I smiled at Prince. Lori caught on as well and shook out her own trance. There was no other choice.
"Her idea, not mine, but hey." Prince gestured towards Vanity, who smirked on the couch.
"Involuntarily socializing." I rolled my eyes as a joke and Lori gasped.
"Gets people out of the house, especially him." Vanity arches her perfect brow, throwing attitude. Lori and I whistled downward. "This morning in the studio, he knocked out like five songs by himself."
"Would've been ten if you didn't stop me, mama." Prince defended himself while facing Vanity.
"Marathon." Vanity sings, quietly annoyed with Prince. She then glanced at me and Lorraine. "Even after we left your concert, he still worked on music for hours."
"Seriously?" I asked. Lori couldn't believe what she heard.
Prince only jutted out his lip and shrugged during this conversation. "It's how I work. Michael Jackson finished Thriller in three months, but I could've released it faster."
"No sleep with a laundry list for the engineers at two in the morning." Vanity chimed back in.
Lori and I shook our heads and both of us should've been writing everything down at this point.
"Who's got time to wait for projects? My spirit don't." Prince tutted and walked over to kiss Van's cheek. I just swooned within.
Vanity rolled her stunning eyes at him and whispered a little before we all said goodbye to her. I didn't even know what time it was now.
"Bye, Gorgeous! Thank you. Get home safe." Lori and I waved as separate bodyguards escorted Vanity out the club.
****
Prince sent us home in a limousine that night! Free of charge.
Friendly driver. Leg room. Mini fridge. Partition. Leather upholstery.
Yet, we crashed in Lori's living space, wanting to straighten up her bedroom tomorrow of course.
Best sleep of my life.
_____
With Lori's bedroom finally settled again, it was time for me to go home.
Pick up the car from work. Drive home. Quick shower. New outfit. Grab some kind of lunch or dinner. Normal shit. Busy life.
"Letting you know that I'm home, girl. Just got out of the shower." I called Lori back as confirmation that I safely returned to my apartment.
"Good, G. Are you working tomorrow? I'm taking off Monday. Still can't believe this weekend." Lorraine, my everlasting fireball, actually sounded tired on the phone.
"Yeah. Gotta open up the record store tomorrow." I sighed. "We're short-staffed again."
"Damn. Third time this month. You should get paid more for even showing up nowadays." Lori ranted on my behalf. "How about this? I'll come over with food after I clock out."
We both graduated from college around the same time back then, but separate majors meant other departments.
I aimed to be invested with music, however possible, and Lori had a knack for marketing.
