Chapter 8
N
aomi hadn't called home to her parents in a few days. She had been so caught up in work she kept missing the window of time to just call and say hello, and her parents were not up on the texting game yet. She had just made it back from work, and she promised herself that she would call home tonight. It seemed as if she had left some of herself behind in Texas. She was very close to her parents; she was their only child, and prior to moving to New York, she had barely gone a weekend without seeing them.
Several times, when Naomi was home in bed, she wondered if she ever should have left Texas. She'd gone to college for broadcast journalism, and working in the big city of dreams was like a fantasy she never really expected. That was why, when she'd actually gotten a callback from the record label, she hadn't wanted to pass up the opportunity; it hadn't taken much for her to get up and go. Well, not much hesitation aside from her boyfriend, Charles. She and Charles had been together since high school, and as far as she knew, they were getting married as soon as possible. However, after a lot of thought and his support to take the job in New York, Naomi had decided to go for just a few years and come back home to Texas with a great résumé and a lot of contacts. Naomi was able to speak to Charles more frequently than to her parents; she and Charles spoke via text throughout the day and on the phone sometimes at night when her parents were already in bed. Those were the times she had time to talk on the phone for hours with him. She was wishing she could speak to her mother and father even half as much.
Within the first thirty minutes of being home, Naomi was dressed in her pink flannel pajamas and big puffy socks. She turned the channel to BET to watch the latest videos as she stuffed some potato chips in her mouth. She was in no mood to cook, so she had already made up her mind that she was going to make some ramen noodles when she got hungry. Besides, expensive dinners were not in her budgetâhaving to pay New York rent was pretty much all Naomi could afford for the most part. She stuffed in two to three chips at a time as she watched the new video by Brian Mc Knight; she loved her some Brian, like most ladies.
After she was temporarily filled with potato chips, she put the bag down and finally called home.
“Hey, baby,” her father said as soon as he heard her voice.
“Hey, Daddy,” she said in her little-girl voice.
“How's my little girl?”
“I'm good, just tired and working an awful lot.”
“You're doing a lot of overtime?”
“Not every night, but I work some nights until about eight or nine PM.”
“How are you getting home on those nights?”
“I usually take the train. On some nights I can get car service.”
“Why aren't you taking car service every night? I don't want you out there late at night like that on the train.”
“Trust me, Dad, I would rather take the car service, but with the budget cuts and all, they don't let us take them all the time.”
“Oh, well, on those nights, you go home at a decent time. I don't want you traveling that late on the train. It's dangerous.”
“I know, Dad, I will try.”
Naomi expected her parents to do the whole safety-training speech. Every time she called home, they went through all the dos and don'ts of living in the city.
“Is Mommy around?”
“She's at the grocery store, but I know she wants to speak with you. You're gonna just have to call her back.”
“OK, should I just call her cell phone?”
“You can, but if she's shopping, she probably won't be able to talk to you the way she would like.”
“OK, no problem.”
“What are you eating for dinner tonight?”
Naomi knew if she told him she was eating ninety-nine-cent soup, he would object to her lack of nutrition and vegetables.
“I'm not sure yet. I'm going to cook something though.”
“OK, baby girl. Eat and then call your mother back after nine thirty.”
“OK, Daddy.”
Once Naomi hung up, she stood to go make her little broke-man's dinner. She wasn't all that hungry yet, but she knew the later she waited, the closer to her bedtime she would be eating. She was only a whopping one hundred thirty-five pounds, but she wasn't trying to get in the habit of eating late and becoming a cow. She learned quick that skinny was very “in” where she worked. She did want to take a minute to call Charles first, so she figured she would give him a call while the water boiled. She was dialing his number when she did a double take at the television screen. Tyreek was in the new Polytics video. Tyreek worked with Naomi, and she saw him almost every day at the office, so she was surprised to see him on her television. She hung up the phone and began to watch the video closer. In Texas, people you know and see in real life didn't just appear on TV.
She watched clips of him dancing. Naomi had been sitting on the edge of a brown and cream armchair in her living room, but as she became more intrigued by the video, she began to sit back. Tyreek was five-eleven with broad shoulders. He was brown skinned with shoulder-length dreads and close-shaved facial hair. Naomi had noticed his good looks before at the office, but the more she saw of him on her television screen, the more attractive he became to her. She didn't notice it at first, but she was wearing a slight smile on her face as she saw him profiling and interacting with the other people in the video. She hardly ever got a chance to speak to Tyreek, but she knew he was a pretty big deal at her company. Watching him on her television made her feel honored just to be in the same building with him every day.
Naomi had one good girlfriend from back home who lived in New York, but because she worked so much, Naomi didn't get to see her as much as they had anticipated. Still, when it came to the person she relied on to chat it up with, it was still Devora. She wanted Devora to get a glance of Tyreek before the video went off, so she quickly called her. Devora answered on the second ring.
“Hey, are you home?” Naomi blurted.
“Yeah, why?” Devora asked.
“Turn to BETâhurry, hurry!”
“What? I have seen this. This is the new Polytics video.”
“I know, but you see that guy with him in the gray hoodie?” Naomi asked.
“Yeah, who is that?”
“That's my coworker Tyreek. He's a cutie, I think.”
“Uh-oh . . . someone has a crush,” Devora teased.
“No, I just think he's cute, and I wanted your opinion.”
“He
is
cute, I agree. You guys are cool?” Devora asked.
“No, not really,” Naomi answered.
“Well, if you think he's cute, try to get cool with him and see where it goes.”
“No, I still have my baby Charles at home,” Naomi said.
“Charlesâmany-miles-away Charles?”
“Yes, but it's not his fault I moved here.”
“Well, who knows what Charles is doing while you're gone? It won't hurt you to make a friend,” Devora said.
“You know I'm shy. I'm not trying anything,” Naomi said.
“Well, you better toughen up. New York men don't wait around for shy.”
Naomi knew what Devora meant. Still, she knew she wasn't on Tyreek's level. Tyreek probably had a slew of girls, and if they looked anything like the girls he was dancing with in the video, Naomi didn't feel she stood a chance.
Chapter 9
M
onday morning everything was as usual at the radio stationâexcept the midday jock wasn't in yet. Madison was running around trying to see if he would be there in time for his shift, which began in five minutes. No one could get him on the phone, and he hadn't reached out to anyone. For all anyone knew, he was oversleeping in a deep coma from the fun night out the station staff had had the night before. She'd told him to leave more than once because he needed to be at the station on time regardless. He never did listen to her, and it looked likeâjust as she predictedâthe evening and his drinks had taken a toll on him.
“Alexis, go to the studio and ask someone from the morning show to fill in for his shift until he gets here,” Madison said to her assistant who was sitting at her computer.
“OK,” Alexis said as she stood to walk to the back.
Madison went into her office. She hated starting off her work weeks on a bad foot. She began checking her messages and getting settled in. The third message was from Neil, manager of Polytics. He was inviting Madison to Polytics's album listening party that Wednesday night at the Hit Factory. Madison penciled down the information, erased the message, and continued on. By the time she was done, she saw Alexis's head bopping down the hall toward her.
“OK, Citrus is going to do it,” Alexis said.
“Great, thanks.”
Alexis turned toward her desk to sit back down. Madison then thought about how Citrus had the tendency to be on the wild side.
“Alexis, call him and let him know to tone it down some and stick to the music scheduledâno slipups!” Madison yelled.
Madison went back to what she was doing. She finished responding to some e-mails and returning some calls. Before she knew it, it was a quarter to twelve, and the “New Music at Noon” was about to begin. Madison finished her coffee and walked back to the studio to make sure Citrus understood which songs to play in this segment. She made her way back and on the way glanced up at the picture of Polytics's album cover on the wall. She remembered the conversation they'd had when they met and how she'd wondered if Kristin thought she was flirting. She thought about it all of forty seconds until she was standing in the studio doorway trying to get Citrus's attention. The “on air” light was off, but he was prerecording some breaks for his weekend show. After he saw Madison standing there, he quickly finished his sentence, wrapped up, and hit the STOP button. Madison informed him what the rules were for the show and showed him the list of songs he was allowed to choose from for the next thirty minutes. Citrus expressed his understanding of the rules, and Madison went about her business. After spending a few moments in a colleague's office, Madison made it back to her office. Coincidently, as soon as she walked in, she heard Citrus introducing the next new song of the day, Polytics's upcoming single. Madison could only chuckle on the inside.
Just as she sat back in her office chair, she noticed that SoundScan had been sent over, and she instantly opened it and began to look through the report. She got lost in the data, looking at nationwide sales versus New York sales, etc. She took notes on some of the albums and singles she wanted to discuss with her programming staff and placed some sticky notes on the report. Just as she was wrapping up, her assistant came into her doorway.
“Jamahl is on the phone,” she said.
“Thanks,” Madison said and immediately picked up her phone receiver. “Hey, babe.”
“Hey,” he replied. “I was calling to remind you we have that dinner Wednesday after work.”
“Oh, yeah, for your cousin's graduation. Yes, I remember. I'll meet you there after work.”
“OK, that's fine.”
A moment went by, and neither of them said anything.
“Is that the only reason you called?” she asked.
“Well, that and to say hello. I didn't get to see you or speak to you much yesterday.”
“That's very true. I did miss you. We should do dinner later tonight. What you think?”
“Sounds good to me,” Jamahl replied.
“OK, call me when you get off. We can go somewhere around here.”
After they finished making their plan, Madison hung up and went back to her computer. She began drafting her e-mail to her staff regarding the SoundScan reports and the points she felt they should discuss in their meeting tomorrow. She decided she was going to make another cup of coffee to get her a quick boost of energy. She went to the kitchen, made her cup of coffee while chatting with some of her colleagues, and blew on her hot cup to cool it off on her way back. It was already close to two o'clock by the time Madison took a seat in her officeâhalf the day was gone. She was well aware she wasn't leaving at exactly five o'clock anyway, but she was happy to see that the business day was almost over.
“Madison, Neil is on the phone,” Alexis announced.
“OK,” Madison replied. She sipped her coffee and then answered the phone. “Hello.”
“Hi, Maddie, it's me, Neil. I was calling to put you through with Polytics. He wanted to speak with you.”
“OK,” Madison replied.
“Hold on one second.”
Madison's mind wondered what this could be about and how Polytics had some nerve to have someone call her for him and expect her to hold.
“Madison?” Polytics asked.
“Yes, this is she.”
“Hi, how are you? So sorry to have you on hold. I just didn't want to call and cause any excitement with your assistants or whoever.”
It was as if Polytics had read her mind.
“Oh, it's no problem.”
“Well, I was calling because I wanted to personally invite you to my album listening session this Wednesday.”
“Oh, yes. Neil left me a message this morning.”
“I know, I told him to. But I wanted to call and invite you myself and let you know how very disappointed I would be if you didn't make it out.”
Just as Madison was about to say of course she would be there, she remembered her reminder call from Jamahl a few hours prior.
“You know what, Polytics . . . I do have another engagement to attend, butâ”
“Oh, no. Don't make me postpone it just for you. I really want you there.”
Madison blushed slightly; she didn't want him to notice she was actually a bit flattered. “I was just going to say I will figure out how to do both.”
“OK, great. I will be looking out for you. I won't let them press PLAY until I see you in the building,” Polytics said.
“Bet.”
Madison still was a bit uncomfortable speaking with Polytics because they hadn't formed enough of a relationship for her to tell exactly how he was coming at her, so she decided to wrap up the phone call on that note.
“So, I'll see you then.”
“OK,” he said.
“OK, bye.”
Madison hung up before he could interject with anything else. She felt like he was surrounding her. Because of his music, his pictures, and his calls, she felt like he was all she had been able to think about all day. Now she was trying to figure out how she was going to keep her commitment to attend his album listening event
and
the dinner with her fiancé. It was absolutely normal for her to attend an album release party or a listening party, and there was no reason this one should be any different. She was starting to wonder if she was making something bigger out of this than it was.