"J. Wake up J", April calls out while nudging me. I open one eye and close it again. "J! I'm not about to play this game with you today, so please can you wake up already", she said while poking my side. In a husky morning voice I tell her, "I'm an unemployed man, whats the point of me waking up so early". "That may be the case, but there's still the matter of who gets to have a hot shower this morning love", she tells me. As soon as I realize that, both my eyes shoot open.
"So if that is the case, why the heck would you wake me up instead of having that hot shower all to yourself," I ask April. "Because. I get to do this", she says that, then soon after punches me in the gut. She quickly runs off into the shower and locks herself in. I squirm in pain, rolling on the bed as I hold my sore stomach. I really hate this game she loves to play almost every morning, but I'll get her back soon enough. Believe me, I still don't get why she loves doing this to me in the morning, but it's kinda funny.
I get off the bed and head to the bathroom door, and start knocking on it. "Okay Buttermilk, you've had your fun. Now let me in, I've got to pee", I tell her in a slightly demanding tone. April opens the door slightly, enough for her to peep through to see my crusty morning face. "What's the magic password", she asks me. I roll my eyes and tell her, "it's going to be my foot up your ass if you don't open this door now", I tell her. "Oh my! You'd actually lay a hand on your loving and devoted wife. I'm shook", she utters to me in a sarcastic manner. "Technically it's me laying my foot on your ass, but if you want it to be my hand, you should play your cards right", I tell her. "I might take you up on that offer", April says while opening the door a little wider. "Yeah well I still need to pee, so if you don't mind", I tell her. April eventually lets me in, and hops into the shower. As she lets the water run in the shower, I let the water run out of my body.
"So what's the plan for today love", I ask April as I grab my toothbrush from the red cup by the basin. "Clients, clients, and more clients", she replies. "You know for an apprentice, the have you doing so much like you're a full time lawyer, I state while grabbing the toothpaste. There's practically nothing left in the tube, and I start over analysing the fact. My heart drops at the sight of that empty tube, because its one of the many things in this apartment that's running dry. April might not show it enough, but behind that pretty smile there's a woman worried and anxious about what tomorrow might bring. "What if things don't work out, and we end up going to bed hungry one night. What if we end up getting evicted this month, and where will we even go", the many thoughts that are probably running through Aprils mind. And I'm sure seeing this empty toothpaste tube triggered all of that in an instant.
I felt like such a failure, and I felt like I'm not the man that April deserves no matter how many times she tells me I am. I guess the realization of my unemployment had finally settled in my mind, and it was running it's course.
"J! J! Jahmal", April calls out to me as I'm standing out there gazing at the toothpaste tube. I look at her and exclaim, "yes". "Could you please pass my face towel love", she asks me while pointing at the white towel hanging off the rail. "What's wrong? You look stressed out", April asks me. It's nothing really. Just daydreaming about some stuff", I tell her while handing her the towel. She pulls back the shower curtain and gets back to showering. I sigh under my breath, and think to myself, "what the hell is my backup plan if this app doesn't pull through".
After I finish brushing my teeth, I sit on the toilet seat and wait for April to finish showering. She always expects me to keep her entertained while she showers. "So what's your plan today J", April asks me. "Uhm. No clue actually", I tell her and afterwards blow hot air out of my mouth. "I know what you can do. You can make me the best supper tonight, since you've got all this free time", April tells me. "Are you asking or telling", I question her. She pulls the shower curtain and looks at me with a straight face. "What does my face say", she asks me. "It's saying that you missed a spot right here", I tell her while rubbing the soap running down her face off to the side. April just laughs and goes back to showering. "You know, this would be a lot quicker for the both of us if you actually let me shower with you in the mornings", I tell April. "Heck no. You're like the queen of all drama queens, when it comes to showers", she yells at me. "One time! One time April I complain about the shower being a little too hot, and it's like one serious crime I've committed", I yell back at her. April looks at me with a serious face and exclaims, "Jahmal. Deal with it".
I lean back on the toilet and chuckle. "What's so funny", April asks me. I look at her with a smile and tell her, nothing. Just I've figured the second hottest thing in you life after me". "Yeah and that is", she asks me in a confused voice. "This", I exclaim as I flush the toilet afterwards.
April screams, "what the hell". I quickly run out the bathroom.
I told you I'd get her back for that punch.
I head off to the kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee. I grab a seat by the kitchen table and sip away. April after she's done changing walks up behind me, kisses my cheek and steals the cup of coffee out of my hand. "I'll take that", she exclaims. "I thought you didn't like taking sugar in your coffee or tea", I ask her in a slightly annoyed tone. "Well today I need all the energy I can get. I'm dealing with a client regarding some sexual harassment case", she tells me.
"Sounds like your department", I tell April while folding my arms. "What was that", she asks me with a slightly pissed off face. I shrug my shoulders and tell her, "nothing". "That's what I thought", she says, soon after sipping MY coffee.
"Shouldn't you be trying to get someone to help promote your app anyways today", April asks me. "All in due time Buttermilk", I tell her. "Well don't leave it to the very last second now", she urges me. "I wont", I assure her. "Oh snap! What time is it? I need to go now before I miss the bus to work", April says while gulping down the hot coffee. "Damn that's hot", she exclaims while fanning her tongue in the hopes of cooling it off. I chuckle and mubble to myself, "guess it's three hot things". "Just for that, I ain't kissing you goodbye", April says while heading to the front door. As she tries to leave me hanging, I grab the back of her skirt and pull her back towards me. I give her a smirk and she says, "okay, okay. Just one kiss". We kiss each other goodbye. April puts her hand on my cheek and tells me, "don't worry J. We'll pull through all of this. We have each other, and that's enough to keep us going. I tell her, "I love you". She replies with, "I love you too", and kisses me again. She heads out, and as soon as she's out of range I grab my phone from my pocket and make the call.
"Yoo! You there", I ask the caller on the other side of the call.
"Yeah! What you need", the voice asks me. "Can we meet up today", I ask them. "Sure. Meet me by my place in 30", the voice tells me.
30 minutes later...
I walk into the large mansion greeted by hordes of security detail guys. I get into the large lounge and one of the maids tells me, "Mr Miller will be with you soon enough". A few minutes later a man comes down the stairs with his arms open wide. "Jah Jah! It's been a minute", the man announces. "Franklin! Good to see you", I reply to him.
Franklin J Miller, a well known figure, and one of the most widely regarded managers, producer and top guy when it came to anything that fell under music. He was really close friends with my dad. I'd known Franklin for pretty much all of my life, and he was easily one the most successful figures I knew on a personal level. Between Ethan and I, Franklin had a better liking for me. He said I had this simple but hidden complex vibe about me. I never got what he meant by that, but I sure as hell didn't mind it. If you could get any type of shout out from this man, you'd practically be immortal. And he was my golden ticket to that immortality.
After Frank and I gave each other a big bro hug, we sat down on some really expensive leather sofas. "So what you need kid", Franklin asked me. "I need to ask you for a favour Frank", I tell him.
"Money", Franklin exclaimed. "No actually. I need a shout out from you for this app me and my guys are working on", I tell him. "An app. So you're now into the app venture Jah Jah. What happened to being a banker? Too slow for your simple speed", Franklin asked me. "Nah. I just didn't see eye to eye with the bosses. Mainly the new one", I tell him.
"Hmm", that was all Franklin had to say. He got up and walked over to the two large glass doors that led to the swimming area. He held his chin and said to me, "what you're asking is a pretty risky favour kid. I mean what if this app of yours ends up being a big bust. That wouldn't be a good image for me and what I represent".
I turned towards Franklin and told him that, "you're Franklin J Miller. You practically invented the art of bouncing back from any bad situation. So really this shouldn't be a big bounce for you". I got up and walked up to Franklin and stood beside him. "And just imagine if this app actually becomes a major success. You'll be the leading man who put it on the map. Now that! That would really boost your image to new heights. Franklin J Miller, the man who placed a bet on the underdog and won. Has a nice ring to it no", I stated to him.
Franklin started to rub his chin. "Hmm. You seem to have a lot of faith in this little app of yours", Franklin said. He clapped his hands and announced, "okay kid I'll do it. Free of charge because I like you so much. Now tell me more about this little application of yours", Franklin asked me.
I sat him down again, and laid down the vision of my app. And my plan of sending him a message once it was ready for the world and him to give a shout out.
"A simple twitter tag is enough to get this app off the ground", I tell him. "That easy huh", Franklin says while rubbing his chin again. "Okay. You've got yourself a deal kid", he told me. We shook on it.
"You know. My boy K would really love an app like this. I might need to talk him into downloading it as soon as its out there", Franklin thought out loud. I looked at him with a slightly confused face and ask him, "K? I've never heard you mention that person before".
Franklin started to laugh out loud in a sort of devilish laugh. "I actually shouldn't be mentioning him in any shape or form", he tells me.