That Exclusive Honey

IV. an interlude to love

Two weeks had passed since becoming official and though they considered themselves official back in January, it had more meaning now that they vocalized it. It was difficult with their drastically different work schedules, hiding their meet ups, and scheduling time to talk, but they managed to make it work. Once she was done with her studio time, she planned to fly to Florida where he was. Leati didn't have much time off, but she would get to see him before his red eye flight to the next city. She had told him she could wait until Friday, but he was adamant about seeing her, as he always was. Who was she to deny him?

"You have that whole notebook,' Gerrie said while watching Nashae fiddle with the sound board. "The songs are recorded, we need to pick tonight to get the dancers ready, the venue is selected, sound guys are ready."

"I know, I just want this roll out to be perfect."

"What are you thinking? I need something to send your dance captain so she can at least start practice."

"Schoolin Life is definitely on the list. I want this to start out as a party, something to get everyone moving."

Gerrie's fingers flew across her phone, sending message after message to the awaiting team. Nashae knew after this week with Leati, she would be focused on the first leg of this year long project.

"Add, Run the World and Diva."

"Woah, woah, woah, those two are easily singles!"

Nashae looked down at the pages of song titles, each of them all recorded and mastered by production, but never before have they been heard and she wanted to pull out all the stops for this. She planned on going ghost, no one knew, for a few years just to spend that time with her family.

"I know, but I want this project to tell a story. Oh! Slide Independent Woman in there as well."

"We need a ballad or something,' Gerrie says, 'this is such a fast paced show."

"A cover of I'm Every Woman,' Nashae looked to Gerrie who was staring at her. "Acapella, me and a guitar?"

"We both know you just threw that in there, but we will keep it. One more."

"No, I want this show super up beat and fun,' she replies after flipping through her notebook. "Send that list over, get them started."

"What is the next stage of songs, because they need to flow, Nashae."

Nasahe wouldn't admit she was distracted. Leati was texting her and she was....distracted.

"A distraction baby,' she hums, and Gerrie knows what's about to happen.

Turning to a blank page, Nashae scribbles down lines of lyrics, while her other hand turns on the sound board and mic. It's not often she creates and produces from scratch alone, because she likes collaborating, but when the music hit her, she had to get it out then. Gerrie left her alone, taking the list of songs so the team could get started. The show was at the end of March and the music had to be out before then to get some play. However, the team knew Nasahe didn't care about that. She made the music for her fans. They all knew her fans would wait for her. Curling up in the swivel chair, she pulls the infamous hoodie around her and zips it up.

"I'm writing,' she sighs into the phone as she picks up Leati's call.

"About me?"

She giggled on her end of the line. "I'll let you hear it and you can tell me."

"Bitch! This is a banger!"

She called Mercedes and Bianca this time, sending them the song before her producer team could get their hands on it and clean it up.

"Is it?"

Bianca could be seen bouncing around her living room. She always put the face time calls on her phone.

"Release this shit,' Mercedes added. "Like, yesterday. Has Trin heard it?"

"I sent it to her and Takecia, they are on a double date so I know I will get an ear full when they are done."

Shutting down the sound board, she steps into the hallway leading towards her living area. She always worked out of her home, but she was ready to leave it for Leati's. Her bag was already packed and since there was a large enough studio to rehearse in, she planned to fly her team out in two days to get started on rehearsals for her show.

"All praise aside,' Bianca bounces back into the frame after forcing Montez to dance with her, 'who is it about? We heard about that date with...Manu."

She said that like she didn't believe Nashae went on a date with Manu.

"Someone, that y'all will meet in a few days,' she admits.

Her and Leati talked extensively the night of their date. As much as they needed to be private, they needed the help of their friends to do so. Keeping the secret from too many people would lead them to slipping up. She wanted her relationship with Leati to be just that, her relationship.

"Oh really? Because if this song is anything, it's about a man."

Coming out to their friends meant they could all hang out together and she didn't have to act like Leati was a stranger. She didn't have to pretend that he was a friend of a friend. She could kiss him when she wanted to, touch him, be on him.

"Yeah, we have a dinner planned, you all will get to meet him."

Convincing Leati to have this dinner was the easy part. Even making sure everyone was invited was easy. Telling them should be easy, and she knew they would be supportive, but she was on edge. Leati was going to be by her side, yet, Nashae's hands would get clammy and sweaty at the thought of telling anyone about them.

"Mmmh, anyway,' Bianca mused. "When are you releasing this?"

"Tonight."

True to her word, she planned to drop the song. However, she was waiting on one more opinion. At the airport, Nashae boarded her private plane just as his call came through again. She was always anticipating his number flashing across her screen.

"Hey Leati,' she greets.

"Yes,' he says.

"What?"

"I'll be whatever distraction you want me to be."

"You like the song?"

"Being able to hear my girls music before everyone else? Especially knowing it's about me? Of course I like the song."

"Perfect,' she pulls out her laptop and opens twitter.

In a single tweet she drops a lyric video of Distraction and posts it to her millions of followers. She logs out, shuts down her computer, and returns her attention to Leati. She doesn't hear it but on his end, his twitter notification goes off, right when he opens it, he sees her post.

"Were you waiting for me?" He asks.

"Yeah. If you didn't like it I wouldn't have posted it."

It was a brand new song with a different sound. This whole era of music was going to be a new sound for her. It was going to be a reflection of her life.