“Before you go to sleep, let’s go over your schedule .”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. My head hurt too badly to open my eyes, so I didn’t bother trying. “Can it wait, Nic? I really need to sleep off this hangover.”

She groaned. “No.”

“The flight is five and a half hours. Gimme at least two of those to sleep,” I pleaded with her.

“If we do it now, you can sleep longer,” she said in a sing-song tone.

“Nic,” I grumbled.

“After we land, you have a reservation at Mr. Chow’s for dinner because you need to eat.” I felt her glare, but I didn’t budge. “After, you’re meeting with Mecca at nine o’clock at The Studio. You won’t be there long since he and Puma have a hard out at midnight. Tomorrow at eight a.m., you have a meeting with Diallo and his team to discuss their fall campaign. Then, a photoshoot for ESSENCE’s Black entertainers spread at one.”

“And after that?”

“Nothing. I’m probably going to make a late dinner reservation for us, but your day ends after the shoot.”

I opened my eyes and sat up. “Do I have anything scheduled for the next day?”

Nicole scrolled on her tablet and cross checked her phone. “You have pending meetings, but nothing confirmed yet. Want me to block off time for you?”

In my head, the wheels started turning. I hadn’t really spoken to Heaven since Miami. She was busy doing press for her album, which released tomorrow, and I was in L.A. doing my thing. I figured we could celebrate the album’s release together.

“Yeah,” I told Nicole while reaching for my phone. I knew Heaven didn’t have plans because she wanted to wait until the tour finished to have a party. Before the plane took off, I wanted to at least give her a heads up that I was on the way.

Fame: I’m taking you out tomorrow night…

Heaven: Oh really? Where are we going?

The corner of my mouth lifted into a half-smirk. Just the thought of seeing her had me geeked.

Fame: Casino. 10pm cool?

Heaven: It would be perfect, if I were in town…

My eyebrows shot up. I was tempted to call her but didn’t want Nicole to overhear our conversation.

Heaven: We’ve barely talked since I left Miami. You can’t hit me up only when you want to see me…

Fame: We talked the other day.

 Heaven: The “other day” was three days ago. This “relationship” is already starting off on a bad note.

I typed out a few messages explaining why I hadn’t reached out, but I deleted them all. My ego wouldn’t allow me just apologize for being distant. I didn’t do “explanations.”

When I had time, I reached out.

Heaven: I’m in Houston and from here, I’m going to D.C.

She went on to explain how her schedule for the next month was filled with album promotion and rehearsals. I ran my hand over my face and sighed.

“Everything okay?” Nicole asked, looking up from her tablet.

“Can you have flowers sent to Heaven? She is in Houston. And see if we can get her a jet from there to D.C. on Friday night.”

Nicole covered her mouth with her tablet, stifling her laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re not good at this boyfriend thing. When do you want the flowers delivered?”

“Today.”

Her eyebrow hiked. “Let me see what I can do.”

Nicole went to work, ordering the flowers and scheduling a jet for Heaven’s departure. While she did that, I typed out a reply to Heaven. Nicole was right about me not being a good boyfriend. I didn’t know Heaven wanted to talk every day. We were still “new” and I was a casual texter anyway,  I preferred in-person interaction.

Fame: I’ll call you when I land.

A few minutes ticked by before she sent the thumbs up emoji. I chuckled and put my phone away.

“So, you really like her?” Nicole never took her eyes off her tablet.

I shrugged. “Why do you care?”

Her honey brown eyes met mine. Amusement glimmered in them when she replied, “I don’t. I’m just saying, it’s cute. I like her way better than Gabrielle.”

Laying my head back, I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to get into who Nicole liked better. She never shied away from talking shit about Gabrielle. They’d spoken a handful of times. Nicole never missed an opportunity to tell me why she wasn’t feeling Gabrielle.

“Just order the flowers.”

“And charter a jet for her,” she added.

I threw up my middle fingers, earning a laugh from her. Nicole’s giggles were the last thing I remembered before drifting to sleep.

Since making his first appearance in the rap duo Fame & Fortune, Keyan "FAME" Martin consistently found himself under the scrutiny of celebrity gossip. His personal life was dissected for public consumption at every turn. Without feeling compelled to address rumors, Keyan navigated life with an unyielding confidence, shrouded in a steel armor. That was until a chance encounter on a random night out with an unexpected acquaintance weakened his armor, thrusting them into another tidal wave of rumors.

Following a heated online feud with a label mate, Emory "HEAVEN" Thomas aimed to gracefully return to the limelight. However, as she reintroduced herself with new music, she unexpectedly becomes the focal point of public attention, now linked as Fame's latest romantic interest. A seemingly innocent invitation sets her world into a frenzy, putting her relationship with the notorious heartbreaker under intense inspection.

When interest in their relationship draws the attention needed to advance her career, Emory and Keyan agree to fake date for a year. Initially, the agreement appeared straightforward, given their complex histories that deemed them unsuitable for love. Then, suddenly, during their shared quiet moments and confidences, adhering to the terms of their arrangement became challenging. Soon, the obstacles that once prevented them from being together became insignificant.

Will Emory and Keyan call it quits before their agreement unravels explosively, or will they submit to the emotional consequences of their choices? Find out in The Other Side Of Fame.