II. The celebrity's proposal

“You know son this is a great opportunity for you. It hurts me seeing you doing nothing”

Jamal stands and deeps his hands into his pocket pants. “Mom I'm not doing nothing. I'm figuring things out. Building ideas and Amid is helping me with this. So chill”

Mrs. Mehdi springs up and moves towards her son. “Listen boy. Gabriella's parents are ready to offer you this big family business because of the relationship they had with your dad. Will you just decline their offer?”

“Mom, open your eyes. Why will they suddenly want me to offer a business to us after so many years we were in distress before I had built that company. Did you even listen to what I said? They were planning on buying our company through that wizard of a friend I once trusted. He even went ahead starting to change the brand before some loyal workers opposed. On my own company! This is already too much for me. I don't want anyone adding to my problems”

His mom looks down, shaking her heard. He knits his eyebrows as understanding dawns over him.

“Mom? Tell me you didn't know about this?”

She barely looks at him as guiltiness settles in her.

“Jamal . . . this was the only way for you gain back your company. How could that be adding to your problems?”

He shakes his head looking disappointed. “I can't believe you right now mom. You're not a desperate woman. You've never been. What's suddenly happening to you? Do you seriously trust them to help us? Besides they never thought of us when dad passed away. They'd just own our company once they receive all the rightful documents. And I don't want that”

“Your dad will want this for you”

He looks away robbing his face. “No. That's not part of what I want for me. I'm big enough to make my own decisions. They won't change anything nor own my company while I'm still alive. I still trust my known enemies right now than trusting those people”

Mrs. Mehdi inhales deeply. “Ok. If that's what you want. But you better think over this. Besides, Gabriella will be returning from England. Her parents want her over for some time so that she may visit some investors here.”

“And you didn't care to inform me about it?” Jamal faces her.

She frowns. “I just did.”

“Not that.” He tells and she blinks her eyes, understanding slowly settling in. “I'm sorry. She recovered few months ago and her parents thought good for her to be active and help in their family business as the only child”

He nods.

“If you don't want her over just . . . Tell me so I could-”

“Nevermind. I'd be fine” he says at once.

“Sure? By the way she lost her memories. Her parents say she finds a hard time remembering about her younger days. Certainly, she won't remember you.”

His brows crease as memories of his past replay in his subconscious mind. He once loved her until she had that accident.

He hopes her presence don't open his wounds. And now that Latif is home, this won't be easy on his side.

. . .

The phone rings and Ms. Gray response.

“Hello?”

“Is this Ms. Grayson, Myla's manager?” a husky voice speaks from the other side of the Mobile phone.

Her brows crumble at the familiar voice. “Ay. I am her. You are?”

He smiles and says. “Her music track went viral and I wanted us to do a collab. I really love her voice and I'm sure it'd be fit for the clip my team and I have in mind. I know it's surprising that I'm calling but I couldn't let my manager tell what I had to say. I'd really love to meet with her”

She doesn't need him mentioning his name at all as the voice all registers in her mind. It is Shawnee Shae.

[If at all there's a musician with this name then screw it. This is just fiction. Not part of the celebrity crush stuff. Though the second name sounds Korean. I'd take it that this person is both Korean and American]

“Oh. Sure. I'm a big fan. I'd tell her right away. Just give me a minute.”

She rushes with the phone to Myla's room, where she just woke up from slumbering.

“Geez! What's up with you? You scared me” Myla complaints as her manager pushes the phone to her when robbering her room.

Myla looks at the device and up at Ms. Grayson. “Who's on the line?”

“Just speak and let him introduce himself”

She baths her lashes severally, a little perplex on how to respond.

“G-good morning?”

Ms. Grayson face palms' herself and spells out. “Say ‘Hi’ ”

“H-hi?” she repeats, stunting almost immediately.

“Hey sweetie” he answers and her eyes grow wide. The way his words came out did something strange to her.

She adds after a second of silence. “Hi . . . Uh I know I already said that but that was the only thing I could respond with”

Ms. Grayson scratches her head and Myla places her lips into a thin line.

Shawnee chortles over the line. She's being dramatic. It Kindles something in him about her true personality.

“Don't mind me. It's just funny how you answered to my call. I'm Shawnee Shae by the way”

She becomes speechless for a moment before talking back. “Woo! I'm happy talking with you Shae-nee. Myla from this end”

He laughs again but louder than before that she starts laughing along too.

“I know you already. Besides, I love the nickname you just gave me” he teases. And realization dawns over her.

“I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to spoil your name. Shae Shawnee”

He chortles a little longer and comes to a stop. “At least now you did well but rather exchanged the order of it. But that's ok. I won't mind any order you give it. I was telling your manager about wanting to collaborate with you. I listened to your new release and I want you to know what a great job you're doing. You're an amazing singer. And I can't wait to see you in my studio”

Myla looks at Ms. Grayson absentmindedly. Is he for real?

“Mmm . . . Seriously?”

“Yeah, for sure. We could write a song together. What do you think?”

Ms. Grayson tries to communicate non-verbally as Myla runs out of tenses.

“What should I say?” her hands hanging on the air.

“Are you seriously asking me that right now?” her Manager is a tad burned exposing the presence of haemoglobin. A protein pigment found in the red blood cells of mammals.

“Still waiting for your response pretty. You can take the day for that if you want.” his voice breaks their skeptical act and she flinches in her seat.

“Um . . . that'd be a good idea. I'm sorry . . . I just woke up from sleep and I'm still recovering from this moment-you calling and . . . all the like. You know what I mean . . .”

Her Manager slants over a wall next to her night stand. She can't believe this kid's mental state. What's so difficult in telling she is ‘Interested’?

“Oh. I get it. Like I said before you can take as much time as you want. I'm very assured you'd make the right decision.”

“Thank you so much Sir Shawnee”

A light smirk curves away his lips, creating beautiful wrinkles at the end of them. He has been unable to keep his face still since the start of their conversation.

“Shawnee or Shae is fine with me”

She nudges herself for being to embarrassing. “Absolutely! My bad”

He chortles one last time and hangs up. As soon as they are out of line Myla blows her cheeks and screams into the sheets of her bed.

“Is this real?”

“Yeah kid. It is 100% real and you just said you needed time. That's a very wonderful step to take you know”

Myla raises her head to meet with her manager's unreadable ones.

“Oh gush don't tell me I fumbled”

“Myla, you did absolutely nothing clumsy. It was wise”

She blinks her lashes not believing. “Yeah?”

Her Manager walks towards her and squats on her bed that dips in motion.

“I didn't think you could handle things like this on your own. Besides, he's Shawnee Shae! Anyone else in your situation will accept his proposal in a hurry. But you didn't. I saw how befuddled you were on phone. And I can swear he felt the same. You just proved to him how honest you are and he'd be willing to get in touch with you as soon as possible. Congrats Myla. I'm so proud of you”

She leans into the young lady for a hug and Myla receives her warmth. She sometimes find a hard time in understanding this woman.

A moment ago she protrayed dissatisfaction and disapprovement. Now she's praising her for her supposed weird reactions towards a world known celebrity. She's never been so confused.

Did she really talk wisely and ‘honestly’ or nervously and unskillfully?

She hangs her head as the older lady smiles at her and pinches her cheeks playfully. “Your fans are dying to know about your next step. Can't imagine how flabbergasting this news will be for them. Especially those gossip mouths.” she scoffs her last words.

Myla smiles faintly as hunting memories of her past sink into her mind. Jamal. If only he was here for her. To celebrate moments like this.

Will she ever stop thinking about him? Everytime she wakes up and before she goes to bed at night, he's the only one she ruminates about. These feelings inside of her getting worser and worser each day.

To be continued...