2006
October 2
(this chapter is just a filler)
Janet
"Baby that was so good! I loved it!" Toni had just finished her show for tonight and we were in her dressing room.
"Really? I hated tonight everyone was off."
"Baby nobody was off it was good." She turned around and leaned on her vanity. "Exactly, good, now I want perfect. Everything has to be perfect."
"Toni calm down okay, now we are going to dinner and you are going to relax."
"Yeah right after I fire someone I'll be right back." She grabbed her phone and ran out of the room.
"This girl right here." I said shaking my head and picking up phone to call Justice to make sure she was up and on her way to the restaurant.
"Hey momma."
"Hey Justice you up?"
"Yeah I'm in the car with Joey actually I was just trying to catch a nap but people keep calling me."
"Who?"
"Well it was G and then uncle mike, aunt rebbie and toya, Tamar, Trina, and Mikey now you."
"Well I'm sorry for ruining your nap but you had all day to sleep."
"I did not!" I took the phone away from my ear and looked at it as if she was crazy.
"Uh who are you yelling at?"
"I'm sorry I just was up all day because I was sick, but just call me when you guys get in the car okay? I'm tired and the best way for me to hide this is to be like me and I get a lot of sleep so see you later."
"Ok Justice bye." I hung up the phone and got up to gather all of Toni's things and put them in her book bag and then walked out of the room. I saw one of the stage managers outside and asked them if they had seen Toni.
"Hey y'all seen Toni-" I was cut off by Toni's yelling.
"I told you to get the fuck out! You were awful tonight missing your cues and tripping over your feet, you damn near dropped me tonight! I told you guys how serious this was for me and I said if it was too much then you should leave, so I won't be embarrassed."
I followed the voice and I ended up in the wings of the stage watching Toni chew out one of her dancers in front of everyone.
"Ms. Braxton I'm sorry it was just a lot on my mind-" Toni walked towards him slowly and pointed at him. "I don't give a fuck! Get out!"
I watched in complete shock as the dancer started to cry. I dropped her bag and walked on the stage.
"Toni calm down. I'm sorry baby um what's going on? Why weren't you on point tonight?" He looked up at me and wiped his tears.
"My momma she uh she died a hour before we started the show and I couldn't concentrate." I looked at Toni and I could see here ball up into a shell.
"Oh we are so sorry for you lost, I want you to know you didn't lose your job but you earned a vacation and I would love to pay for your mother's funeral. Once you feel better you can come back as if nothing happened."
"Oh my- thank you so much I appreciate it Ms. Jackson!"
"It's really no problem now I'll call you tomorrow and we can start talking about somethings." He nodded his head and grabbed his water bottle. He and all the other dancers ran off the stage. I turned to Toni and shook my head at her.
"Baby I didn't know that was why he was like that."
"You know why? Because you didn't give him a chance to explain you just chewed him out and basically said his feelings don't matter. Look I know you're new to this dancer thing but you gotta build a relationship with them some sort of trust and then you would know things like this don't just happen because they are unprofessional."
"Like you and your 'kid's'."
"Don't start with me Toni, I did not sleep with that girl I keep telling you that!" I whisper yelled because everyone didn't need to now our business.
"I'm not starting anything I just was making a comparison to you and your 'kids'." She said rolling her eyes.
"Whatever now we gotta pay for a funeral Michele." I walked off the stage with her following behind me.
"Not we, your paying you offered."
"Your right, your dancer your money. You're the reason we have to pay anyway Michele, and I would really appreciate it if you apologized to him personally babe."
"I'll try." I know Toni really isn't the type to apologize even when she's in the wrong until something serious is happening.
"No you will, but for right now when have to go meet Justice for dinner come on." She grabbed her book bag and followed me out of the building and to my car.
"Call Justice for me T." Toni pulled out her phone and called Justice but she didn't answer.
"No answer Jay."
"Well if she's there she's there if not then it's just us." Toni has to perform on her birthday and I leave the night of her birthday to start preparing for my movie, so tonight I got as many people who could come to fly out for a pre birthday dinner.
"But I haven't seen her in almost two weeks." She said pouting, "I know but she's tired babe you can see her when we get back home, if she isn't here already."
I pulled up to the restaurant because it wasn't that far from the venue. When we pulled up I saw everyone's car and decided to park on the opposite side.
"Janet... you wanna open my door?" Toni whined. "Of course." I got out of the car and walked to her side and opened her door. Tonight I wanted to be as nice as I could because she didn't know that I would be leaving on her birthday.
We walked into the restaurant and of course all eyes were on us but we ignored it. I started walking to the private room but Toni pulled me back.
"Wait where are you going? We have to be seated first."
"I called ahead come on." We walked to the room and before we could say surprise Toni screamed and jumped in joy.
"Aww for me?!" Everyone except her mother, father, Traci, and Towanda was there partly because they weren't invited.
"Yes baby Happy Pre Birthday!" I said causing her to latch onto me. The rest of the evening went great and ended with me, Toni, Justice, Kam, and Kori all sleep in the same bed.
