Fuck commitment, she wanted excitement. Flying high off her Grammy nominations, she was ready to turn up.

That's why she invited Randi to come to her show in Chicago. It was on the weekend, he would not have to miss work, and he was eager to be her special guest at her performance.

She flew out with her entourage on Thursday night, but he drove in Friday evening. She invited him to her hotel, just for drinks, but of course, things got spicy. They poured drinks and sat on her sofa and stared at each other for a while.

Since meeting him, she was intrigued, There was something different about him. He helped her find an assistant, and though she still wanted him to work for her, he had good taste in assistants. Her new assistant, a young college grad named Alexis, kept trying her nerves, but she was a hard worker.

She was not easy to work with, so she gave her grace. Alexis had a degree in sociology but couldn't find a job using that degree so she applied to any and everything. What Randi saw in her was that she was a people pleaser, something he said made a good assistant. Alexis wanted to do anything to make her happy, as she should.

Except, it annoyed her that Alexis was goody-goody about it. Like a chipper cheerleader or something.

Randi seemed like he would be the stroke her ego needed.

"I think you are incredibly gorgeous."

"So that's all you like about me, my looks," she asked him, after they sipped their drinks a few moments, not taking their eyes off each other.

"Well, I don't know much more." He grinned at her. "I would love to know more."

"How are you this fine and you're single?"

He gave her a shy grin and a slow shake of his head. "Some women can't take me. I'm a lot."

"You mean like...in the bedroom?" she asked with a shriek in her voice. "Tell me!"

He chuckled. "No, I mean...well, I can be that.."

"Oh sooky sooky now! Tell me, I'm a big old freak, I ain't scared."

"Tennille, I have to ask...are you interested in me, or are you interested in just a fling?"

"You don't want to fuck me?"

"I like how you're so direct...I mean, is that all you want?"

She did not know what she wanted if she was honest with herself. She cared so much about AKA, but sometimes, she felt she was missing out on something, AKA held back things from her. Maybe she missed her brother, they were close. But if she missed her brother, how could their relationship flourish?

That monster took something from her. He tried to hurt Kitty. He could come back and finish her off if he wanted. How could she love AKA when part of her had that monster in her as well. Maybe she could flip out on her too.

AKA would not hurt a flea, she was the total opposite of TA in that way. When she was drunk or high, or both, she did not get wild and weird, she was mellow and a pacifist. And she was not into hardcore drugs like TA because of what happened to her cousin. She was traumatized by her cousin's accidental drug overdose, she would not take anything beyond marijuana.

"Listen Randi, I like you...but I am seeing someone else."

"Oh."

"I mean, it's not serious though," she lied. Why did she lie? If AKA found out, what would she think?

"I understand, I mean, you're Tennille Kelly. I bet you have many boyfriends."

"Girlfriend," she said with a smile. "I like girls."

"Naaa, I can tell, you like men as well, right." He moved closer to her. "Have you dated a trans?"

"Hmmm, come again?"

"Transsexual. Someone that was born in one body, but then became the person they were supposed to be."

"I'on know nothing about that."

"I'm trans, Tennille."

She looked at him like he had two heads. Strolling her eyes over him from top to bottom, left to right, how was she supposed to tell? Maybe she was naive in this brave new world, she had a hundred questions to ask, and being her, she asked them all.

"You have a vajayjay?"

"No, I've had bottom surgery."

"No more titties?"

"Top surgery as well."

"How is your voice so deep? And you have facial hair?"

"Sex reassignment therapy included testosterone."

"You look like a man, how they do that?"

"Well, thanks, I guess."

"No more periods?"

"No."

"You like girls or boys?"

"Obviously I'm here with you tonight, I like girls."

"So Randi...was that your birth name or you changed it?"

"The name my parents gave me."

"So your parents named a girl Randi?"

"Randi is gender-neutral, so I thank my parents for that."

"Speaking of, how do your parents feel?"

"Cool. I think they always knew like I always knew since I started kindergarten and the teachers wanted the girls to play with girls and the boys to play with boys, and all I wanted to do was what the boys wanted to do. My parents let me pick out things I liked, and always the boys' clothes and the boys' toys."

"Oh, okay. So you had a nice childhood."

"I'm not saying all that. Other kids don't quite understand, and I get it I guess, they were kids, The teen years were tough. I was ready to live my life as who I am, they wanted to continue to misgender me."

"So when did you know, know?"

"I mean, like I said, I always knew. When did I start the process to correct my gender? High school."

"Wow. Was it scary?"

"A little, at first, then people got over it. I lived as Randi, the guy, all through college, no one knew anything about me before."

"So everything has been changed now. You are...ummm...how do I say this..."

He grinned at her, making her whole body shake. "Oh come on, you've asked everything else," he said with a chuckle.

She was not going to ask, because it did not matter to her. She liked Randi, and she was free and open to trying anything. She had many more questions, but maybe it was time for show and tell. She sat her drink down on the table, stood, and started to undress.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"What we both want to do."

"Tennille, I just told you I'm trans and you still want me?"

"And I told you I liked girls and have a girlfriend...but I still want to fuck you. The question is, do you want to fuck me?"

Randi stood, standing there contemplating his first move before he moved closer to her now naked body.

"Why are you this gorgeous and tempting me? You don't want what I want."

"You can have what I want to offer, or we can just be friends, simple as that."

Randi blew out a frustrated sigh, but then pulled her close to him for a kiss. One hand held the back of her neck, and the other hand made its way to her bare breast, cupping it in his hand.

"We fuck tonight, we'll discuss where the relationship goes from there," he said.

In the morning, he was gone, but not her memories of that incredible night. She could not keep the silly grin off her face. Even when AKA Facetimed her as she prepared for the day.

"Aye babe, you need me to come out with you to Chi-town?"

"It's twelve degrees here and six inches of snow, you sure you want to mess with that weather?"

"Hell naw! Let me stay my Black ass in sunny LA," she laughed at her. "You need to come out here so we can hit up the beach. I need my girl."

"After this show, I am in Houston, then I can fly out and see you for a few days."

"Bet. I hate I have to wait that long to see you. I need a taste."

She giggled at her. "And get some new toys baby. You know, like twelve inches and shit. I wanta feel it."

"I don't need a dick to make you feel me," she licked out her tongue playfully at her.

"Bye girl."

She hung up so she could finish getting ready as a knock on her door and Alexis, who had her room key, walked in.

"Tennille, we're supposed to be at the radio station in twenty minutes, we're going to be late."

"A diva always makes an entrance, they will wait in me."

"You added Randi as your backstage guest for the show tonight, is he here already?"

"Yes. I'll have him text you."

After the radio interview, she met a few fans, and then made it to the studio for a quick session with a producer Icee wanted her to meet, then she was rushed off to the arena where she was headlining for a bigger artist, Lady J.

Now there was a female rapper that was sexy without trying to be. Unlike AKA who dressed down her looks, mostly blending in with the guys in Fact Iz, Lady J was feminine without being overly sexy with a big ass and big tits hanging out. She respected her for that.

Though her ass and tits were always out.

Lady J was the best rapper out, and she said that. She would never say it to AKA, she was sensitive about that. Female rappers worked twice as hard as the men, and then they tore each other down with competition.

"Nice finally meeting you," Lady J said, hugging her. "Damn, why do you look like your sister? You know I love both those Kelly girls."

"But now it's my time to shine, so watch me do my thing on stage."

By this time, she had done so many shows she was a pro at this. Comfortable on stage and with her body, it was second nature performing to one of her biggest shows ever. She did not get a chance to see Randi before the show, but she knew Alexis would take care of him.

For her set, she sang five songs, including Biggest, Baddest, Best and that was yet to be released. The crowd loved it. She was so amped after her performance, her dancers, background singers, and crew were all clapping themselves with high fives and hugs when a loud commotion was heard.

Sounded like shooting. Everyone backstage started to scream and run. Her body went stiff, like a stone, and she could not move from her spot. It was him, finally coming for her.

People ran by her, but yet, her feet stayed planted there.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her and pulled her with them, basically dragging her.

"Tennille, are you okay?"

It was Randi, pulling her into safety in a corner to themselves.

She trembled her thoughts on being shot to death by that monster after her.

"I got you. It's okay," Randi said, holding her.

Alexis rushed over to them.

"Hey guys, it was nothing. Something fell backstage. People just ran screaming." She laughed. "I guess Chi-Raq would scare anyone. Everything is cool though."

"I want to go home," she barely said loud enough for them to hear.

"What was that?" Randi asked her.

"I want to go home," she said a bit louder.

"Our plane leaves tomorrow at around-" Alexis started to say, but she cut her off.

"I want to go home now!"

False alarm to them, but still scary to her. Her heart felt like it jumped through her throat. She hated feeling this afraid. Of the unknown. He was still out there, and maybe he was ready to finish her off this time.

Randi drove her home that night and she told him all about what happened to her with Tucker. It was the worse thing to tell someone she was getting close to, but he understood and said he would be there to protect her, however he could.

And she felt safer with him than with Tucker's sister.

A/N: What is going on with Ms. Tennille? Playing AKA by cheating with Randi?