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“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. I’m just grateful to have my life and the people I love around me. Thank you for being here. I know love doesn’t come easy for you, but I’m happy to be a part of the secret club.” I giggled.

It was a running joke that Solomon only loved a handful of people. I knew enough about his past to understand why he was guarded, but it was funny to see how unfriendly he truly was.

“I’m not special enough for a secret club. I just don’t like very many people.”

“I disagree. You’re one of the most amazing, loving, loyal, and incredible people I’ve ever met. I don’t know what I would ever do without you. I’m lucky to have you as a best friend.”

“Naw, I’m the lucky one. You look at me like I’m worth something, and I want to be the version of me that you see.”

We stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for a while longer. For the first time in two weeks, I felt hope that things would get better. The people I loved were behind me, and as long as they were in my corner, I would never be alone.

SEVEN

solomon jackson

THREE YEARS LATER

“Solo, we need to talk to you.”

I could tell from Joce’s tone that this was gonna be another one of her lectures. She and my publicist, Brandi, had been on my ass about my image, and I was getting tired of it.

“Don’t give me that look when you’re sitting here in the clothes from yesterday after spending the night in jail. This is getting ridiculous,” she scoffed.

I kept my face neutral because I knew if I yawned, she would go off on me.

“Solo, this is the fourth time you’ve been in the headlines for something unrelated to your music. We’ve been doing damage control for six months, but at this point, I’m starting to believe you’re the problem,” Brandee interjected.

My brows furrowed, but I didn’t speak right away. After being raised and surrounded by women my whole life, I learned it was best to let them say everything they needed to say before I responded.

“Do you know they have footage from the club showing you pummeling Maduka in the back of the club? What were you thinking?” Brandi shouted.

“Then to make matters worse, he’s made a diss track about you, and everyone is expecting you to respond. This is the last thing we need right now, Solo. You have a new album coming out, and instead of the focus being on your music, all anyone wants to talk about are the clips of you on World Star, which, fun fact, I had no clue existed until today,” Joce scoffed.

“What do you have to say for yourself, huh? They are calling you a menace in the tabloids and labeling you as hard to work with. That kind of reputation could do serious damage to your future, especially when there is evidence to back up the claims that you’re a hothead who resorts to violence. Do you know how much the label could lose if this album doesn’t do well? What happens when potential featured artists start declining to work with you because they don’t want their name associated with bullshit? We need to get the focus back on something more positive, or all of our hard work will be for nothing,” Brandi added.

“Maybe we can do what all the other major celebs do when their reputation is on the line?” Joce suggested.

“What did you have in mind?” Brandi inquired.

“Well, he doesn’t date, and half of his audience questions whether he’s a hoe or he’s gay because they never see him out with anyone. He’s never been photographed with a hot celeb or any other woman, for that matter; maybe we need to use this buzz and spin it to our advantage.

“Right now, Solo is a musical genius, but he’s also a mystery to his fans. They don’t know anything about his personal or love life. Maybe we can call Blaze Records and see if Ronnie P is single, or try the R&B route and see if we can hook him up with Nella Monae. She’s cute; the ladies love her music, and she hasn’t been linked to very many celebs outside of Mayve 3 and Sevian.”

“You know what, Nella wouldn’t be a bad idea. I think she just dropped a new single last month, and she could probably use the buzz as well. Let me see if I have contact information for her publicist.” Brandi whipped out her phone and started going through her contacts.

I sat there in disbelief as they planned all of this as if I wasn’t even in the room.

“Aye, I don’t need to be hooked up with anyone. I don’t date.” I spoke out. The two of them whipped their head in my direction as if I had called them out of their name.

“Right now, you really aren’t in a position to tell us what you do and don’t do. You’re this close to having several brand deals pulled, and a potential movie cameo snatched from you because you can’t seem to keep your hands to yourself. If you don’t show the world you are capable of being soft and loving, you won’t have to worry about dating or anything else because you’ll be forgotten,” Joce replied harshly.

In my opinion, they were blowing things out of proportion. I had gotten into it with a few lame ass niggas who wanted clout from me. They provoked me, knowing they weren’t equipped to handle me, and got their asses handed to them. I didn’t see how that made me violent and a menace. They came for me, and I simply gave them exactly what they were looking for.

“I hear you, but if you think hooking me up with someone I don’t know or don’t care about is somehow going to help change my image in the public, you haven’t thought your plan through. I don’t know how to be fake when it comes to my feelings, and no one is going to believe the relationship is real.”

The two of them should have known better, but I guess not. I wasn’t the type to do anything I didn’t want to do, and I certainly couldn’t fake a relationship I wasn’t interested in.

“You know what, you’re right. I was coming at this from the wrong angle when the answer was right in front of me.” Brandi replied, then called someone. I couldn’t hear who was on the other end, but they had agreed to meet at the office.