This wasn't working.
And it wasn't fair. Why did Ashanté have to depend on Vern for pills when he was never around?
Like for this interview.
Ashanté had told anyone who'd listen that she didn't want to do it. I hate interviews! I never know what to say until too late.
The pills made her wittier, among other things, and she really needed them. Needed them sooner and needed more of them.
I need my own supply.
It wasn't enough to have them before an unpleasant event, either. She needed them as a reward afterward too.
Why shouldn't I get a reward when I've done something I hate just to make everyone happy? I never wanted this contract. I just didn't know it at the time.
"Vern, I need my own bottle of pills," she told him after the interview when the journalist and her crew had gone.
"What? Aren't they working? I give you one thirty minutes before showtime. If you don't eat before then, and I told you not to, then they ought to work in time. The interview went great. You looked loose and fabulous, but not intoxicated. How do you feel?"
"I feel like I need another pill."
"But the interview's over, and there's nothing else scheduled for today."
"I don't care. I need something to help me unwind. If you don't give me the bottle, I'll buy a bottle of Beam or something."
"No, doll. Don't ever take these pills with alcohol. It'll put you in a coma and you'll never wake up. You want to do that to your parents?"
"I need one or the other, Vern. If you don't give me the pills, I'll buy the liquor. I need something now. It's up to you."
"Jesus." Vern shook his head but reached into his pocket. "Don't take more than one at a time, and no more than two every six hours. Those things are trouble." He handed her the bottle.
"I'll be fine. I'm not a child, and I wish you'd stop treating me like one. I'm almost twenty now."
"Sure, sure. As long as you show up on time and give a good show, I ain't your daddy."
"Damn right. Just make sure I don't run out of these."
She turned with a huff and headed to the rehearsal studio.
Vern watched her go, shaking his head. He'd created a monster, but what could he do about it now? At this point it was a matter of damage control. Whatever happened he had to keep Bryce from finding out or heads would roll.
But Bryce found out.
YOU ARE READING
Ashes
Romance// BWWM romance // A black teen tries to make a name for herself in the mostly white world of country music. Ashanté wants to be a star like her idols Mickey Guyton, Vicki Vann and Rissi Palmer. Unfortunately, she gets nervous whenever she has to...
