On the Flip Side (13 page)

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Authors: Nikki Carter

BOOK: On the Flip Side
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19
“F
irst, we're going to set you up with some very safe interest-bearing investments. We'll put a portion of your portfolio into some of the riskier and more volatile stocks.”
My mother interrupts the financial planner. “No, sir. I don't want any of her money at risk. I'll just put it in a savings account at the Bank of America down the street, if you talking about putting her money at risk.”
“No, ma'am, not at all. We would never risk anything higher than earnings that she makes on her more stable stocks. We will not ever put her base million dollars into that pool of risks. That money will be collecting interest as always.”
“Why does any of it have to be at risk at all?” my mom asks.
I answer this one. “The riskier stocks have higher reward. They make the most money.”
She gives me and the financial planner some serious side eye.
He continues, “We're going to set up a retirement account for you, Mom, as a tax shelter for some of Sunday's money.”
“What does that mean? Tax shelter?”
“The more money Sunday has liquid, the higher her tax liability at the end of the year. Money in a retirement account is not taxable.”
Big D sent us to his financial planner, the one that he trusts. Evan also called with a recommendation, but I just felt a whole lot better with Big D's person.
“I'm sorry I have so many questions,” my mom says. “We've never had this kind of money before.”
“It's fine, Ms. Tolliver. I will answer every question to your satisfaction. I want you and Sunday to feel like you made the right decision trusting us with your portfolio.”
I understand a lot more than my mother does, but I don't let on. I don't mind her asking questions. I think ever since she lost my college fund, she's been guilty as what. Now, she's just trying to make sure that I'm never in a bad spot again.
“Are you planning on making any large purchases?” the financial planner asks.
“Yes, I want to take my mom on a huge shopping spree, and at the end of my freshman year at Spelman, I want to buy a condo.”
“How huge of a shopping spree are you talking?” my mom asks.
“However much you want! We can spend a hundred thousand dollars if you want to.”
My mom pops me in the back of the head. “What are you thinking?” she asks. “Do you want to end up like Dreya, trying to figure out how she's going to stretch that little bit of money? No shopping sprees for me. She can buy her condo when she's ready.”
“Ma, you don't even want a new car?”
“Nope. My car rides just fine.”
She's going overboard with this not-wanting-to-spend-money thing. We're millionaires, for goodness sakes.
“Mom ...”
“Sunday, I'm done talking about it.”
“Well, I'm going to buy my boyfriend a gift. And I'm going to write a check to Spelman to pay one of my friends' tuition for the semester.”
“Gia needs help paying her school bill?” my mom asks.
“Not Gia. Piper. She can't find her mother to sign off on her financial aid, so they're going through a legal process to state that she's an independent student. It takes a minute, so she was going to have to sit out next semester.”
My mother hugs me. “Sunday, that is incredibly generous. Did she ask you to do this?”
“No. She has no idea that I'm going to do it. It's a surprise.”
“Well, it's a big one! She's going to be so happy.”
While the financial planner explains how a mutual fund works to my mother, I send Sam a text. Are you in ATL yet?
He replies: Yep. Flight just landed. Can't wait to see you. Let's go blow some money.
LOL! My mother is tripping like she doesn't want me to shop.
Whatever. I'll meet you back at your dorm in two hours. Got a couple of stops to make.
I can't wait to see Sam. We haven't spent time together since the American Music Awards a couple of weeks ago. His check was just over a million dollars. He didn't get the additional artist portion added to his, because he's not an artist. He's already hooked his mom up with a new house and car. I think she moves in this weekend.
After the meeting with the financial planner, I take my mom to lunch at Pappadeaux's.
“This isn't too expensive is it, Mom? Or do we need to go to Denny's?”
She laughs. “Okay, Sunday, I get your point. I just don't want you to blow all this cash.”
“Mom, when have I ever been that foolish? Have a little faith in me! Didn't you raise me to always handle my business?”
“Yes, I did.”
As we walk into the restaurant, I hear the screams of teenage girls. “OMG! OMG! That's Sunday Tolliver! We love you, Sunday!”
I smile, and hope that they'll calm down before everyone around them starts to stare. “I love y'all too!”
After I sign a couple of autographs, we go into the restaurant and are seated almost immediately. That's one of the perks to being a celebrity, I suppose. I never have to wait for a table anymore.
Once we're seated, I open my iPad. Time to check the blogs for the daily gossip. Some artists don't do this, but they're not related to Dreya. I have to check to make sure my name is not in the news.
“Oh my goodness,” I say when I read the headline.
“What is it?”
I can't even read it out loud because I've got my hand over my mouth. The headline says Z
ILLIONAIRE'S
L
OVE
C
HILD
R
EVEALED
.
With much hesitation, I click on the link. Inside there is a picture of a toddler that looks a whole lot like Zac, down to his big hazel eyes and dimples. Actually, the baby is a dead ringer for Zac.
The story says that the little boy is two years old. Zac and Mystique have been together for four years. Anyone can do the math. If this is Zac's baby, then he's been unfaithful to Mystique.
The waiter comes up to the table and asks, “Are you ready to order?”
My mom orders her favorite fried fish platter.
“And for you, miss?” the waiter asks me.
All of a sudden, my stomach is tumbling and the butterflies are dancing a jig. “Can you just bring me some water with lemon and that's all?”
“Aren't you hungry?” my mother asks.
When I think about the fallout of this little news tidbit, my stomach lurches. The biggest question hovering in my mind is who told
Mediatakeout.com
about this baby? Who was the source of this story? Only someone with insider scoop would dare leak this information.
Someone with insider scoop who hates Mystique's guts.
I hope that it's not Dreya, but something tells me she was behind it all.
Things are 'bout to get ill.
20
M
ystique storms angrily through the living room of her Atlanta penthouse. She's rarely ever here since Zac's mansion is bigger and better than her spot. But today, the day after that blog post went out to the Internet world, she doesn't want to be anywhere near Zac.
She's invited me here, along with her mother. I'm not sure why my presence is needed, but I'll do what I can. I have no idea what advice to give in this situation.
“The baby looks just like Zac,” Mystique says, pointing at the still-open blog post on her iPad.
Ms. Layla studies the picture closely, “Well, it looks a little bit like him, but really, this could be anyone's baby.”
“What did Zac say about it?” I ask.
“When I asked him, he said he couldn't believe that I would think that a gossip blogger was telling the truth. Now, he won't take my calls.”
Hmmm ... that sounds really suspicious to me, but I don't know if I should say this to Mystique. If it's not the truth why would he stop talking to her? Sounds like he's guilty to me.
“Where did the story come from?” I ask. “Knowing who started the rumor will help you get down to the truth of the matter.”
“I already had my assistant email the bloggers. No one is giving up their source.”
“Well, what does that mean?” Ms. Layla asks. “Don't they know how important you are? You are the biggest star in R & B.”
“You only as big as your last hit,” Mystique says.
“Okay ... so if the baby is Zac's, then what? Are you going to leave him?” I ask.
“I don't know. Probably not.”
Call me crazy, but if she's going to stay with Zac whether the baby is his or not, does it make any sense to have all this drama?
“So why not just let the story die down? People will forget after a while, and then it will go away. Don't address the rumors.”
Mystique stops pacing and stands in front of me. “Do you think that I'm worried about Zac having a baby? That is the least of my worries.”
“Well then what is the issue?” I ask.
“Most people love me. I don't have enemies. At least I didn't think I had enemies, but whoever put this information out is deliberately trying to hurt me.”
Ms. Layla shakes her head. “Maybe Zac has an enemy. This makes him look bad, not you.”
Mystique shakes her head back and forth in frustration. “No, Mother. No! Anyone who would have this secret and tell the bloggers is trying to destroy me and Zac's relationship. That's a
woman
thing to do, not a guy thing. This is a swipe at me.”
“If it is Zac's baby, maybe it's the mother,” I say. “Maybe Zac isn't taking care of his responsibility.”
“Let me tell you something about Zac. If he has a child out there, then that child is living in the lap of luxury. He would never let a child of his go uncared for.”
“Who would want to hurt you, Mystique?” I ask.
“Your cousin.”
Now I've figured out why she's invited me here, although I had pretty much guessed it already. If she thinks I have any influence with Dreya, then she's going to come up short. Dreya does exactly what Dreya wants to do.
“I don't think Dreya is your enemy.”
“She is. But, in the past she's been completely harmless. Now that she's living with Evan, she's a dangerous enemy. One who can hurt my career.”
“So, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to talk to her?”
Mystique shakes her head again. “No, I don't want you to talk to her at all, or even deal with her. I don't want you to write any more songs for her record until we find out who is trying to destroy me.”
I feel the frown come over my face. Is she asking me to not deal with my own family? Who does that? If Mystique thinks that she can control me like she controls everyone else around her, she's got another think coming.
“Epsilon Records hired me to do the songs on her album, Mystique. I'm getting paid by them. And plus, when her record comes out, that's more money for me.”
“Are you saying that you're not on my side?” Mystique asks. “If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have a career.”
I laugh out loud. “Believe it or not, you sound a lot like Dreya right now. She takes responsibility for my career too. Everybody wants to have the credit for blowing me up.”
I stand to leave, but Mystique rushes over to me and takes both of my hands in hers. “Sunday, I don't mean to sound crazy, but your cousin is after me. She wants to take my spot, and she doesn't have nearly enough talent to think that she can, so she's going to try to do it the dirty underhanded way.”
“It is my goal to stay out of anything between you and my cousin. Don't make me choose between you and my blood. This is my family you're talking about.”
“Humph! What good is family when they stab you in the back? Do you know that Dreya tried to get you dropped from Epsilon Records when I signed you to my label?”
“What?”
“Oh! You didn't know that! She asked Caterina and Lawrence to reconsider putting money behind you, because you didn't have a unique sound. She even threatened to walk away from her deal if they didn't drop you.”
“I know she wouldn't walk away from a record deal. She's wanted this too badly.”
“Of course she wouldn't, but Epsilon called her bluff. And then they told her that they would never be controlled by an artist. Why do you think her marketing and video budget was so low? Why do you think you became their darling all of a sudden?”
Wow! This is crazy. I thought that I became the Epsilon Records standout because I was the better, less drama-filled, artist. But it was only because they were
punishing
Dreya? I can't believe this.
“Dreya's done some things to me in the past, but no matter what she does, I am who I am. And I don't hurt my family. That's not how I roll.”
“One day, Sunday, you're going to see that family isn't all it's cracked up to be.”
Ms. Layla says, “Do you think Mystique doesn't have sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles to bring into the industry? Dealing with family members makes you weak. They use your blood against you.”
“You all don't know my family. Tollivers stick together. My family doesn't make me weak. They hold me up when I'm weak. I'm stronger because of them.”

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