“Yeah, whatever.” I offer a shrug of my own.
“I ask because I’m wondering if you know Grip.” She slides her hands into her back pockets, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “He’s dope. I wanna collab, but having trouble getting to him. No manager. No agent. Nothing.”
“Yeah, he’s kind of grass roots.”
“That’s what I love about him.” She cups her neck and tilts her head back a little, covering the rose tattoo at her throat, a purely feminine appreciation in her eyes. “And he’s fine as hell. That don’t hurt.”
I’m not sure what she wants me to say or do here. I look at Luke, but he’s no help, surfing Instagram.
“How should I get to him? He and Rhyson are best friends, right? So I figured you might know a good angle.”
The word angle makes me uncomfortable, but I think she and Grip working together could be fire. And I know just the person to make it happen.
“Bristol Gray.” I give Erika a quick smile. “Have your people contact her. She’s Rhyson’s sister, not Grip’s manager, but she’d love to make something happen, and she probably can.”
“Nice. I’ll do that.”
We both turn when the door opens and the intern comes back through.
“Mr. Foster, Ms. Pearson, they’re ready for you.
“Hey.” Luke stands and smiles at Qwest, offering a hand. “I’m a fan.”
Erika’s eyes flick from his hand to his All-American face.
“Aiight. Thanks.” She gives his hand a quick shake. “Nice to meet you.”
Luke nods and goes on ahead. I’m turning to follow when Erika stops me with her words.
“You know they’re gonna try to eat you alive, right?” she asks, dark brows up. “I mean about Rhyson Gray and all that. That No Holds Barred segment is a trip.”
I glance at the intern holding the door open, who shifts from one booted foot to the other, waiting for me.
“They won’t get anything I don’t want to give,” I assure her, setting my mouth in a hard line.
“I can see that.” Erica grins. “And if they come at you, tell ‘em pucker up and kiss on these.”
She reaches back to grab the two globes of her ample ass. It takes a second for what she’s saying to compute, but once it does, I love it. And I think I love her. She’s based in New York and I’m in LA, but I think I could be friends with someone this genuine in a landscape of phonies.
I grab my round, if not-as-ample ass, and grin up at her.
“Got it.”
“Ms. Pearson, we need to go,” the intern says. “They’re ready for you.”
Erika and I exchange one last look, one last smile before I follow the intern into the studio.
Five minutes later, Luke and I sit around a huge table with Randy May, Morning Hype’s host, and his two co-hosts. I adjust the headphones piping in the intro package music as Randy comes back from the last commercial.
“One of today’s hottest performers is in the building,” Randy says into the mic. “We’ve got Luke Foster in studio this morning. Reminder we are streaming, and you’re gonna wanna tune in online because he brought his beautiful tourmate Kai Pearson with him. Let’s give them both a Morning Hype welcome.”
The show’s theme music plays over canned applause while Randy glances down at a small sheaf of papers in front of him. The other two hosts, a Black guy and a girl I’m guessing is Puerto Rican, murmur their welcomes, too.
“Luke, you’ve been to the show a few times since you won Total Package last season.” Randy gives Luke a brief smile. “Good to have you back.”
“Always love rolling through when I’m in New York,” Luke says with enviable ease. He’s such a people person this all comes naturally to him. I want to perform. I live to entertain, but get me offstage and that switch flips off. I’m afraid the millions listening are in for a snooze fest when Randy turns his attention to me.
“And you brought us a treat.” Curiosity and speculation mingle in Randy’s eyes when he considers me. “Kai Pearson, welcome to the show.”
“Thanks,” I say softly in the vicinity of the mic.
The producer catches my eye on the other side of the glass wall, gesturing for me to lean closer to the mic when I speak.
“Um, I mean.” I press my lips to the mic. “Glad to be here.”’
“You two are selling out arenas all over the country,” Lola, the only girl in their hosting trio pipes in. “Kai, about halfway through, you became Luke’s opening act. Really exceptional for a back-up singer new on the scene to get such a prominent role so quickly.”