Page 15 of Are You Going to Love Me

“So is another one, but we don’t want to talk about that, do we?” Staysha grumbled, just as Rico and Natavia walked out of the private area hand-in-hand.

“Girl, he popped up here,” Eden shared “Told me my dress for the premier was basic.”

“That man is a creep.”

“Oh, without question. You’re doing dinner with me tonight, right? Or do you have a date?”

“I have a date, but we can go out tomorrow night?”

“Got a brand thing tomorrow.”

“Oh, I forgot I got you booked and busy. Okay, we’ll catch up before the premiere, I promise.”

Eden had elevated in life but felt lonelier than ever. “Have fun and be safe, love you!”

“Love you. Byyyeeee.”

Ending the call, Eden strolled over to the check-out area where Rico and Natavia stood.

“Thank you, baby,” Natavia crooned. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“You know it,” Rico grunted, spanking Natavia’s ass. “Enjoy your dress, Eden.”

Eden pinned her brows slightly. “What?”

“Rico bought our stuff,” Natavia cooed. “Say thank you, and we’re going to find you a man and soon.”

“Thanks, but I had it,” Eden shared, well aware of how men tried to buy their way into panties. Rico was trying to add hersto his harem, and she wasn’t feeling the idea of being girlfriend number three. “Can we like return it and repurchase?”

“Ew no, that’s tacky, just take the gifts.”

“Gifts?” Eden quizzed.

“Yeah, your dress, your heels, and dress for my after party,” Rico stated. “My friends are going to be there, and I can’t have you being a plain Jane. You know?”

Eden raised her brow at the audacity. “I-”

“She will be there. In the dress and with a smile.”

“You said afterparty? I just committed to a brand afterparty-”

“Cancel it,” Natavia said. “How much is it paying? I’ll JoyCash you the money, if that’s what you’re worried about. I know you were worried about the dress and shoes. That’s why Rico paid for them. Plus, our after party will be a lot more fun than some stuffy brand event.”

Eden didn’t feel confident about this. For the last four years with the MRA platform, Eden had made a name for herself. She hit deadlines and targets and never left a brand hanging. This position Natavia put her in was putting pressure on her. Because what contract or agreement did she honor?

“And let’s be real, you’re under contract, so MRA business is your priority.”

Well, that answered her question. However, it still didn’t feel right for Eden to back out of an agreement. Even when she left Midnight, she made sure she handed Mama her money in full.

Eden pulled in a sharp breath and yielded. She’d be sure to run this over with Staysha when they were alone. For now, she nodded and accepted the gesture. “Thank you for the gifts, Tavia. Rico. I have some content to film, so I’m going to head home.”

Eden took her bag, smiled graciously, and made her way home. Up until this point, MRA had seemed like home, like family. Natavia became her best friend; she trusted her guidance, but red flags were popping up left and right as of late.It was either ignore them or sacrifice everything, and landing back on the other side of the tracks was something she just couldn’t do. For now, she tucked her worry and went home to record and send her video to her editor. With nothing but silence to keep her company, she scrolled through social media, a song catching her attention.

“Get Right Back by Trae Way MB,” she muttered, as she left the app to go to her JoyMusic to hear the song in its entirety. “Oh, I like this.”

Sharing the song with her editor with a note to add it to the video, Eden let the album play through her surround sound while she ate her take-out. She could hear the loneliness in the rapper’s voice because it mirrored her own. His raspiness, his accent, and his words all seemed like he knew her life. Like they orbited around one another.

“I got a chip on my shoulder, a muthafuckin’ boulder. Trynna make somethin’ out of nothin’, but it keeps getting’ colder.”

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