Page 1 of Book Bae

AKA MIKE JAMISON AND MJ STONE

“Sasha was like a hit that I had to have. She was a bad habit, a routine that was easy and convenient for me, but together, we were toxic.” – Love No Limit, MJ Stone

“Woo-hoo! Let’s give it up for Chris and Bleu!” Arabella shouted, leading the guests in a polite clap as tonight’s celebrity performers ended their last duet.

I glanced to my right where Arabella’s petite frame had just climbed up on a chair. At five-one, she was exactly a little over one foot shorter than I was. Her curves were perfect for her diminutive frame. Arabella was a beautiful woman, who had sparkling, dark brown eyes, flawless, golden skin, heart-shaped, pouty lips, and a million-dollar smile, which she flashed at me now.

Tonight, she wore a floral-print wrap dress in shades of mauve, orange, and pink. It accentuated her curves and stopped mid-thigh to show off her toned legs. The pair of pink high heels she wore boosted her ass in a way that drew all the men’s eyes to it. She had tamed her thick, inky black curls into a chignon at the nape of her neck. I knew that I would fuck that shit up tonight. I liked her hair wild and spread out like a cloud of black silk on my pillows.

Yet, as much as I loved all those things about her, I couldn’t stand her. She was beautiful but ruthless, she was intelligent but manipulative, and she was talented but delusional.

“Let’s toast it up for the man of the hour. With his fourth seven-figure book deal, he is a phenomenon in the black literary world already, but tonight, we have the exciting news that his book Love You Hard is being considered for a movie deal!” Arabella announced excitedly.

My face grew warm, and my jaws clenched, but outwardly, I smiled and raised my glass with a quick head nod.

Everyone in the room clapped loudly, and my parents and siblings all beamed proudly back at me. Mason Baxter-Ames, my best friend and the founder of MBA Security, placed two fingers between his lips and released a shrill whistle. My good friends, Lance Dawson, CEO of SpecWare, a software engineering company, and Xavier Valentine, a wealthy, smart, but shrewd defense attorney, both released loud barks.

Their behavior was displayed more to annoy Arabella than it was to cheer for me, though I knew they were proud of me. They always had been, and they always would be.

Arabella Atkinson was not only my literary agent, but she was also wife number two. I had three of them, all exes, and they were all hell on wheels; well, not the first one, Gemma Tyrone, but that was another story.

Arabella was very controlling, and she had a certain aura she liked for me to portray, not only in the literary world but also in my social life. She often did not think that Xae and Lance fit into that narrative, and they didn’t give a shit what she thought.

Despite how they felt about each other, they had all been able to come together for my good for tonight’s party, which she hosted in the two-story library of my home.

Everyone she extended an invite to had shown up. The guest list included my parents; my sisters, Dawn, Brooke, and Tamar; and my brothers, Joshua and Noah. In addition to my family and friends, there were thirty industry professionals, which included other agents, authors, and editors, along with famed R&B singers, Chris Perry and Bleu Harmony.

Everyone had laughed and had a good time all evening, and everyone’s attention was now on me. I was comfortable enough in the spotlight when I needed to be. What I wasn’t comfortable with was Arabella telling my business down to the details of the figures for the book deals. Yeah, that shit could be found out eventually, but I never flaunted it. I was humble, for the most part, and I didn’t need anyone else doing the bragging for me. I believed in moving in silence and letting people see the evidence of my hard work.

After everyone finished cheering and congratulating me, Arabella invited them to say a few words about what I meant to them or how they met me. I listened as everyone took turns sharing their stories, some funny, some heartwarming, others interesting.

“I met Micaiah eleven years ago at a writers’ convention where he first pitched Blood in the Delta, and I turned it down. I told him to come back to me when he had found his voice,” Evan Boatwright, an agent, shared.

“That was probably the biggest regret of your life, I’ll bet,” Lyndon Carter, an author, declared.

“Not only that, but it’s the biggest nightmare I have almost every night. I swear I wake up praying it was all a bad dream and that he hasn’t approached me yet, especially when the kids’ college tuition comes due,” Evan replied, causing everyone to laugh.

“It’s all good, Evan. I found someone who believed in my dream,” I teased as Arabella found her way to my side. I wrapped my arm around her and held my glass aloft. “Here’s to bad decisions,” I proclaimed, causing everyone else to laugh and Evan to shake his head in good nature.

I was sure no one noticed the squeeze I gave Arabella.

“But, despite my poor decision, it feels good to be counted among your friends. To good friends,” Evan remarked.

Everyone held their glasses up as Evan did.

“The best!” Mason shouted.

“Good friends,” everyone else chimed in.

As the stories concluded, I turned to Arabella. “My parents look like they’re ready to head out for the night. It’s been a long evening. Let me see them off,” I stated.

“Surely they know the way out,” she replied dryly.

“Arabella,” I growled low enough for her ears only.

She shrugged and twisted her lips. “Okay, I’ll wrap up everyone else.”

I nodded and headed in my parents’ direction near the piano by the large bay windows. My siblings stood around my parents all chatting at once.