1983 – The Penthouse
MICHAEL
Right now, Prince yelled as I sat at the kitchen table with "his" woman. As I've said, Prince never appreciated relationships. As of late, he treated this queen like trash. One minute, these two would display love for the world and then Prince would sleep around. I narrowed my eyes at him all throughout the rant. On the other hand, Brenda folded arms while completely silent. I didn't know what to think. Awkward silence entered the space around all of us.
"Oh, please stop." Irritated, I finally stood to confront this man. Brenda lowered her eyes across from me. My heart ached with sympathy for the millionth time. Just when Prince and I aimed to bicker once more, Brenda rushed away and hid in the bedroom. Prince groaned out loud and pointed near my face before marching to the closed door. I stared throughout the unfolding events, baffled.
"Mama? I'll get him outta here. I promise." Prince knocked with a trembling fist. Still, I fumed within. I probably assumed the "enemy" role right now. One more round of silence fell. I should've walked out, but remained frozen. For once, Prince calmed down his own voice in the name of emotion. His tone seemed vulnerable in one way or another.
Moments later, the bedroom door creaked back open. When Brenda noticed us, tears stained her perfect brown eyes. My heart shattered for the millionth time. There was no other given the circumstances now. Prince simply hugged this woman across the room. I lowered my eyes and began to walk out, defeated once again.
I'd never win if Prince always brainstormed Baby Girl. He didn't care. I always knew that he didn't care about women. Regardless, I clearly wasn't welcome anymore in that apartment. There was no other conclusion swirling in my mind right now. My steps led right back to the elevator and I'd meet Bill back in a limousine. Security detail surrounded the vehicle as usual and I slipped on these Aviators to hide emerging tears. Again, there was no other choice. To be honest, I hadn't felt this shattered since Diana.
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California
Before tonight prompted isolation, I called Kay. At least that woman didn't make me feel neglected. She learned lessons from "dating" Prince and moved on. On the other hand, I stopped acting vain and gave her a chance for once. A real chance. Whether I liked or not, that woman still left an impression on me. She was talented, beautiful, and at least reasonable in this complex world of entertainment.
"Hey, it's me. Are you still up?" I sat on the edge of my bed while completely alone. No television. No music. Silence. On the other line, Kay laughed through her words. I didn't know what to think, but considered her possible joy. Still, a piano scaled in my ear before long. I could only imagine how she created music on her own. My head nodded to a scrappy melody that she built piece by piece.
"Hey. Yeah, I'm up. But I'm home working on somethin', Mike. I can't really go out tonight. Sorry." Kim responded with a sadness I hadn't noticed before. My heart dropped a little. Any formed of happiness I felt earlier slowly vanished. Still, I knew better than to invade her personal life in one way or another. I'd exist as one of those hounding journalists otherwise.
"Oh, that's okay, girl. No pressure. I'm home, too. Anyway, I've heard some piano in the background. What are you working on? I'm just curious." I tried to change the subject for both of us. My mind refused to dwell on more awkward chatting. If I distracted her, hopefully we'd find common ground in one way or another. No more games with Brenda and Prince. Kim and I had called each other time and time again, but never really had a true conversation. I'd change that dynamic tonight. Or at least try to.
"Oh, um. It's still a work in progress, Mike. This won't be part of my album, either. I'm giving it to Prince. Believe it or it or not, he's making a movie. They'll need a theme tune for the romance. Prince was stumped, so he called me tonight." Kim shifted back into professionalism. I listen. A weak grin crept onto my lips as time moved on.
"Congratulations. I didn't know he was filming anything. Good luck to both of you." I braved speaking to this woman again. Kim seemed happy in a soft manner. As if working for Prince had been her only goal in this business. As if my musical rival meant so much more to her than me. As if she loved the man. I almost shed a tear. Regardless, I faked one more smile and lowered my eyes. The gentle keyboard stopped playing on that other telephone line.
"Thanks, Michael. I'm happy now. Truthfully happy. This is so much better than scrubbing down bar all mornin', y'know?" Kim briefly mentioned her previous job at the nightclub. I shrugged along with understanding.
There was honestly no better feeling as I performed too. For the millionth time, I could only imagine how she'd fare onstage. If placed in the right zone, this woman could mesmerize the world. Hopefully, that new direction with record labels ould change her life for the better. Once again, I simply prayed.
We hung up the phone with gratitude, but my heart still crushed.
