"What genre do you sing?" Jude asked.

"R&B, basically Contemporary and Alternative."

"What do you sing about?"

"Anything that catches my attention. I've songs on love, family and relationship," Chike replied.

"You write your own songs?"

"I do. I could send some of my recordings to you."

I sipped on my soda as I listened to their exchange. I went above and beyond to introduce Chike to a record label manager, Jude. I only wanted to show my gratitude for the phone, I hated that he'd said he spent his life savings buying it. If he got a record deal, he could become financially buoyant and stop working at restaurants or ice cream shops.

"Are they released? These songs you speak of?"

"Some are but mainly on YouTube, I've yet to send a song to the radio. I have some on my phone right now, you can listen to them with the earphones."

"I'd like that."

I smiled when I noticed satisfaction on Jude's face as he listened to Chike's song. Jude owed me a few favors and getting him to meet with Chike had been a chore, so I was glad everything was going smoothly.

"It's good. I like the recording quality of your music, that shows that you're serious," Jude said.

"Yea, thanks."

I couldn't read Chike's expression. I had to convince him to show up, it was for his own good but that wasn't registering in his brain yet.

"Do you have a band?"

"I don't. I have friends who play few instruments that lend their assistance occasionally but we're not a band."

"That's better. It can get tricky when two or more people get involved in a signing. The record label doesn't want to take on too many artists right now anyway."

"Understandable."

"The most important question though, do you have a fan base already? We like to invest in people that are already making an impact and have built quite some following."

"I actually do. I have over five thousand subscribers on YouTube. I interact with them frequently so I'll say they're loyal."

"Even locally?"

"I think, yes. I play for an organization for a charity project so people around know me."

"That's impressive. So we know you have fans but are they fanatics? It's better to have one thousand fanatics that'll spend their last cash on you than five thousand, casual fans."

"I really don't know if my fans are fanatics," Chike said rubbing his face with both hands.

"We can easily turn your fans into fanatics, that shouldn't be a problem. You'll need an account on every social media platform and you have to have great social media presence. You're good looking, we'll use that to our advantage."

"What exactly does that entail?" Chike asked.

"Not much, it'll involve being topless once in a while and taking semi-nude shots. You have great chest, all we have to do is let the beauty team turn you into a god. You'll be feeding into the general public fantasies."

"I'm not sure I want to sell my looks. I just want my music heard," Chike protested.

"We are in this business to make money so you'll have to do whatever it takes to be heard, including selling your looks. It's not as bad as you think, son."

"I'm sorry, I don't agree with that. I've some boundaries I can't cross."

"No one cares about your morality here. You could portray one thing to your fans and be something totally different in real life. Doesn't matter, shouldn't matter."

"I'm not even interested in showing my face, I want to remain anonymous. All I need to do is put out good music."

"I'm sorry, but that wouldn't get you far. If great music was the only thing selling, there wouldn't be so many bad musicians out."

"I think what he's saying is that you need to give people what they want. Pretend to be superficial like most people," I interjected, since it wasn't going the way I planned.

"I don't want to portray that image, it's going to lead to being sexualized by horny teenagers, stalked also. I can't handle the negativity that comes with fame, so I'm going to do it my way and remain anonymous."

"Are you saying your subscribers on YouTube have never seen your face?" Jude asked incredulously.

"They haven't. I wear caps and Fedoras."

"That's a waste. I'm sorry, Jade but I can't work with this."

"I'll get back to you," I said.

Jude stood and I walked him out of the cafe.

Chike raised his brows at me when I returned. "Really?"

"Take the deal."

"There's no deal yet, Jade."

"There could be if you forget this anonymity nonsense."

"You think it's nonsense?"

"I think you want to help people, and you need money to do that. If you take the deal, you'll be able to do just that."

"At the expense of my sanity. I don't think you understand what comes with the limelight."

"I work with celebrities, of course I do."

"Not enough if you want me to risk everything for a signing."

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"You made me come here but you won't make me go against my wishes. Let it go."

"I only wanted to help," I said.

"And I appreciate it. Thanks, but you don't have to trouble yourself anymore."

"Don't you have ambition?" I asked in surprise. It wasn't normal for anyone to be this carefree.

"I have ambition alright. We just don't have the same drive for money, I don't need a shiny car or fancy house."

"Can I at least pay you for the phone?" I asked, finally giving up.

"You don't have to. I was only joking about the life savings bit."

"I think you're the most confusing person I've ever come across," I said in annoyance.

"You don't have to do me any favors. You're already doing enough, you just don't know that."

I smiled because I didn't know what else to do. All I had from growing up was the hunger and the drive to have enough money to spend for a lifetime. I would have sold my soul at a chance for a better life, although it luckily never came to that. I grew up so poor, church mouse kind of poor and it was infuriating that someone was content with living in a tiny studio apartment. He was practically living from hand to mouth. How could anyone be content with that sort of lifestyle?

I quickly grabbed the bill when the waitress placed it on the table and tucked in some notes before Chike could.

"Time to leave." I stood. I got my purse from the seat, and Chike went with me to the parking lot.

"I'll see you later. I have somewhere to be."

He hugged me before leaving and I squeezed his hand. I needn't ask to know it was another job that I was going to surely grimace at when I thought of him working it. I got into the car and shook my head as he hurried into a commercial bus. The conductor had his hand out motioning for Chike to hurry.

When I got to the office, I immediately downloaded the YouTube app and searched for Chike's channel. Well, well, well, he had more than five thousand subscribers as he had said, but he wasn't wearing a Fedora or cap in any of the videos. He'd lied, why would he do that? I read the comments under his videos and there were really horny teenagers in his comment section offering him to do despicable things to them.

He really didn't have to lie about being anonymous though. I knew how pushy I could get when I had my mind set on something, but he could have declined the meeting with Jude instead of taking it as a joke.

Chike slept over at my house again that weekend and when he suggested that we go to the stadium on Saturday morning, I agreed. I dressed in my gym wear that had never seen the light of day and tied my shoelaces. We drove to the stadium and I saw several people running on the track. Why would anyone subject themselves to this kind of torture?

Chike found a dance class for me amongst the many classes around, and I joined the several men and women by following the instructor's command. When the dancing got rigorous, I thought about how unfair it would be if I died trying to impress Chike. I chided myself as I missed a step and almost landed on my butt. The sex was good, I didn't have to do more. Why was I really here?

Chike was at the basketball court, he took off his top and started doing warm ups while I struggled. He wasn't looking at me, apparently too busy trying to get ready. I could stop the torture I was going through then, he wouldn't notice. The instructor must have telepathically caught my train of thought because he came to me side to assist me. He helped me spread my thighs for balance and was placing his hand at my back to help as I thrust my chest forward when Chike magically appeared beside me.

"I've got this," he said dismissing the instructor.

"Thanks," I said to the instructor when he looked at me with question in his eyes.

He went back to the front of the group and continued his job of instructing. Chike dragged me and we left the dance lesson.