Mike and Duc ride to work together as they normally do on the open mic nights and this night Duc is trying out a new person to host, for the second time. He still hasn’t found anyone to take over the show permanently. As the night progresses the host is doing okay but you can tell that he is intent on getting laughs out of the crowd, which isn’t an issue as long as he doesn’t take away from the feel of the show. This guy doesn’t know how to accomplish that well even though the crowd doesn’t complain. But as the open mic begins and more and more people pile in, Mike finds that Duc keeps randomly coming up to him to talk for no reason or trying to grab him to help with something away from the stage area where he is serving tables. Unfortunately, that can’t stop him from eventually seeing Monique tucked away in the back corner of the open mic seating with her boyfriend. If Mike couldn’t take her back to Jazzy Belles, it was only a matter of time before she went without him. But why did she have to bring another guy to the only place they have gone on a date and where he works? He is hurt and mad. Hurt because as much as he knows better at this point, he still likes this girl. That disappointment from seeing the one you like with someone else doesn’t just go away because of logical decisions. He is mad at himself for letting it hurt. Luckily, he doesn’t have to serve them. That would have been the worst. But no matter how much Duc and a couple of his coworkers tried to keep him distracted, he can’t help but steal a glance in that direction between trips to pick up food or drinks. It is torturing him all night and once again he starts to have the feeling of “why can’t he find a girl just for him” creeping into his mind.
As Mike spends the agonizing evening trying to ignore Monique, he can’t help but notice she isn’t too worried about him. At the same time Duc spends the entire evening keeping an eye on Mike instead of the new host he is trying out for the week. On the ride back to campus they start out without much to say. Eventually Duc simply asks “You a’ight?”
“I’m not tripping right? That shit was fucked up.”
Duc initially just shook his head in agreement. “Yeah, she went hard. It’s my fault though.”
Mike gives Duc one of those side eye looks with his eyes squinted and his face looking like he smelled something bad. “I was the one that told you to go ahead and mess with that chick. I mean, it was a risky situation but I ain’t think she go like that.”
Mike, now remembering that Duc did advise him to ‘do his thing’ still doesn’t blame him for the decisions he made. He knew he shouldn’t have messed with someone’s girlfriend or else he wouldn’t have been asking them back then anyway.
“Man, it’s not your fault. I made that decision. I’m always making bad decisions with women.”
“Man, you just not that type of dude. It’s a good thing. Now me, I’m that type of nigga!”
They both start laughing knowing that Duc is not remotely close to looking for the type of relationship his friends all seem to want. Then Duc promises to set up a night out for Mike to meet a friend of some girl that he is seeing, saying that Mike needs a woman to get his mind off Monique. He won’t take no for an answer no matter how much he tries to tell him he’s not interested and by the time they are back in their dorm room he has agreed to give it a chance. As reluctant as he was, he was happy that his friend wasn’t going to just let him sit around and be sad. And he knew for sure that he had to be completely done with Monique, so it was a start.
The month of April quickly passes by and as they approach the end of the month the fellas feel like they just began the semester but are now preparing for finals exams. Duc is happy to finish what was the toughest school year of his life, even if it was due to his own actions. After figuring out how to balance things properly he held it together in school and now thinks he knows what he needs to do to stay on top of things. The only problem is now he has to play catchup to avoid adding more than just the one semester he promised to his parents after switching majors. With things going well with Jazzy Belles and Jamie promising to help him with rent he has decided to sign up for summer classes and keep working through the summer. Helping Angie figure out promotion when he didn’t have his college base was going to be his next challenge. The only thing is he must tell everyone else his plans now, including his parents.
Ovaughn had the exact opposite type of plans for his summer. He didn’t want to do anything but take some time off. He feels like he has been working too hard all year long. He couldn’t wait for some time off to just relax. He knew this summer was going to be very different than any time before. He also knew that he had a couple of months before the coach wanted them back to start practicing at the beginning of August and he was not going to waste it. He was looking forward to having time with Kennedy without all the distractions once they got back to N.C. That’s why he made plans to stay with his brother Omar in July. He doesn’t have a family, has plenty of space, and lives in Greensboro, N.C., which is only about 30 minutes from Winston-Salem where Kennedy leaves. Plus, his brother is a college football coach and will be busy preparing for the upcoming season giving him all the free time he wants. He was even looking forward to finally getting to go to New Orleans to finally see his parents' new home city. As much as he doesn’t like the idea of them not being in N.C. anymore, he is excited about getting to go to a city he has heard so much about from people at school.
Unlike Ovaughn, Jairus’ semester is coming to an end, and he finds himself faced with a difficult situation of having two opportunities at a summer internship. One is back home in Washington D.C., where he will be around his family that he misses so much. The other opportunity is in New York City with the same company that Lisa will be working with. They had one of their interns back out and have now extended that opportunity to him. An opportunity that comes with intern housing provided at about the same pay. The thought of that excites the hell out of Jairus. The more he thinks about both options the more pressure he put on himself and it doesn’t help that he starts to think of the decision as family versus his girlfriend. Too much weight for any 19-year-old to put into a decision that really doesn’t have a wrong answer. He tries to talk to his mother about his dilemma. Naturally his mom wants him to come home, but she understands young love and she loves everything Jairus has told her about Lisa up to that point. More than anything she loves it isn’t Tania anymore. She tells him “As much as I want you home, I understand. I know you don’t think so, but I’ve been young and into somebody before. I’m not going to be upset either way. But I will say you need to make the decision based on the job not the outside people. We’re going to be here.” That doesn’t help Jairus. He knows his mother is just doing what she always does for her kids. Sacrifice. It doesn’t make his decision any easier. He tries to talk to Lisa about it but she basically gave him the same thing but in her own unique way. “I mean, you know I want you to come to New York, but more than that the company is great. The reputation alone will look good on your resume after you graduate. Everybody is going to be trying to work there.” She doesn’t have anything bad to say about the other company outside of it not being as good in her opinion. She tells him straight up “If it was me, I would make the decision based on what’s best for my career. You not going anywhere regardless. So don’t even worry about that.” Both women are giving him selfless answers and what he really wants is for someone to say something to influence him either way and make the decision easier for him to make. With an early May deadline to let them know at least a month before the job starts, he is definitely feeling the pressure.
Mike can understand the dilemma Jairus is having completely. All his focus to keep his 4.0 for the semester and save money while working has paid off. He has helped his mom to pay on the last couple of school payments for the year and now he has four internship offers lined up to pick from. Five if you count the option to go back to the small business he worked with the previous summer, but they don’t compare in pay. Unlike Jairus, Mike doesn’t initially even consider leaving his hometown. In fact, the internships he is sure he won’t take are the two not in Atlanta. Even if he is intrigued by the one in Louisiana because it’s with the largest company of them all. The other two are all in Atlanta. All Mike has to do is research the companies a little to determine which one will look the best on his resume as well as which one will be the easiest commute since his travel was limited. He figures the logical option will easily be the best option in his situation. He is shocked when he is home that last weekend in April to tell his mother and siblings about his options and how he is planning to make his decision. He never expects the reaction he gets from his family. “So tell me exactly why you wrote off the two that were away from Atlanta?” Brenda asks him. Arthur immediately chimes in “I know you not trying to stay around here for your boys? Boy, you better go see the world when you have the chance. You always here!” His sister, Michelle, is the only one that seems to think the same way he does but even she sees the flaw in his logic. “Well, I vote to stay home...But...if the company being known makes a difference and the most known company isn’t in Atlanta then...I guess.”
He hasn’t imagined leaving them for a moment but now he is wondering if he is missing something. Ovaughn gave him a ride to his mother’s house that day so that he could start moving stuff back home and he agrees with them as well. Especially pressing him to think about the one in Louisiana because Baton Rouge isn’t that far from New Orleans, according to what they heard, and Ovaughn will be in Louisiana half the summer, too. It is very self-serving of him but beneficial to Mike from what he can tell but Mike only saw the leaving his family aspect of it.
When they leave Mike’s home, so Ovaughn can drop him off at work for his shift, he is in full sales pitch mode hoping that now Mike will consider the offer in Louisiana, but it is falling on deaf ears. However, what does catch his attention is when he walks into Jazzy Belles and sees Monique sitting in the restaurant with what looks like some friends. He tries to sneak to the back unseen but before he can make it, he hears Monique call out his name. Not only is he feeling put off about the situation he’s in shock that she would even call for him let alone come back to the restaurant. They haven’t even spoken for weeks. But he awkwardly sits through being introduced as her friend from school who works there with greetings by her cousins. He doesn’t understand this girl at all and at that moment he just wants to be as far away from her as possible. Unfortunately for him they are just getting their food served and he has to clock into work. He spends the first 40 minutes of his shift getting more and more upset the more he thinks about everything. And when they leave Monique makes sure to give him a big hug and tell him she hopes she sees him soon. Making him feel even more that she is just playing with his emotions. He begins to think maybe everyone is right and he should get the hell out of Atlanta, if just to get away from her.
That next Tuesday’s open mic is the first of the month for May and quickly approaches the deadline for when Jairus and Mike have to make final decisions on where to intern at the end of the week. After telling Duc about the incident with Monique over the weekend he is full of jokes about whether “his girl” is going to be at open mic on the drive to Jazzy Belles. Only they have to keep the jokes vague as one of the liberal arts students that has been performing at the shows, named Riley, is riding with them this evening. She has performed at almost every open mic thus far and has become a crowd favorite, she is a native of Atlanta, and Duc is growing a strong infatuation with her. She is perfect to host the show and this night is going to be her first night giving it a shot. Of course, Duc makes sure to chauffeur her to the show and make sure she can do a couple of pieces in between other performers. The fact that she is eager to try only makes things better. The fact that she laughs at all of Duc’s bad jokes makes Mike feel like a third wheel during the car ride. As they arrive Mike is happy to see that Carlos is there for the open mic and knows that he will be more than willing to give him a ride back to campus so that Duc and Riley can be alone. But Mike also sees someone else he recognizes. The conspicuous looking couple that seemed to be observing the club at one of the early parties is now sitting in the bar area with Angie and it looks like they are talking about some type of business. And when Angie sees Duc, she immediately calls him over to the table with them to discuss whatever that business is.
Duc slowly walks over to the group with a look of confusion as to what is going on. To his dismay, the business that they are discussing is party promotion. The gentleman that Mike warned Duc about nearly two months prior is in fact one of the biggest party promoters in the city. As Angie explains who he is he extends his hand out to Duc and says, “What’s up? Most people just call me ‘Money’. I been checking out Jazzy Belles since that Valentine’s Day party y'all had.” Duc is confused and his look of confusion is now turning into fear of what comes next. Then Angie says, “He has been trying to work with me since then, but I wasn’t trying to mess up the situation we built. You earned that much but now with you about to leave for the summer I figure it’s time to make other plans. But don’t worry, I still want you to be a part of the long-term plan.” As he listens to it all his entire body language changes and his feelings are hurt. It isn’t until this moment that Duc finally speaks trying to hold back his disappointment saying, “I was planning to tell you tonight that I’m staying for the summer and not leave you hanging.”
Once all the cards have been laid on the table Angie feels bad because she can see Duc feels betrayed and that isn’t her intention. She values loyalty but still must secure her business. The promoter and his assistant stay out of it and let them talk it out until he sees that it seems to be going in circles with them misunderstanding each other and getting defensive. He interjects with a business resolution, “Let’s just start the summer with the same deal we were talking about for the fall when he was supposed to come back. If everyone is cool with that,” raising his hands and shrugging his shoulders as if to show he isn’t hiding anything.
“So, what was that deal? I get a month to find another spot before I have to move on?”
Duc sees no reason why Angie will stick with him over one of the best promoters in the city, but he doesn’t know just how loyal she is to those she builds bonds with. “Duc, before you say no just hear the plan we discussed. First, you keep first Saturdays. But they will help with the open mic moving beyond just college talent in the future. In exchange for that, they agree to bring you in on the other weekends since they will be doing a lot more parties and other restaurant promotions. I thought this was the best way to keep you doing what you’ve been doing and get to work with someone who can really teach you how to become a lot better at it. He benefits from the added business and the best new talent around.” They know it is a good move for him even if he is reluctant at first so they give him time to think about it and the promoter says he will be back that weekend for their final decision.
As the night progresses, Duc’s feeling of betrayal wanes the more he realizes the type of experience he can get from this. Beyond Jazzy Belles he thinks this may be his way into larger spots around the city. It will take time to get that type of work for himself and this can hopefully help him build relationships he can use the rest of the time he’s in Atlanta. He can’t turn down that opportunity any more than he can stop flirting with Riley that night.
Watching all the flirtatious brushes against each other, talking way too close, and unnecessary touching between Duc and Riley, Mike is 100 percent sure he wants to ride back to campus with Carlos and keeps checking in with him throughout the night. Knowing that Carlos can up and change his mind and rush off somewhere else at any moment. He is lucky this evening though because when he gets off and is ready to go Carlos is still willing. So instead of waiting around for Duc to clear-up things after closing he quickly finishes up his final tasks and tells Duc he is catching a ride with Carlos. Duc simply assumes Mike is trying to do him a favor and allow him time with Riley and is more than happy to see him leave. During the ride to campus Mike, still having his decision on his mind, tells Carlos about his internship options. Carlos meets his expectations and supports him staying home in Atlanta. Carlos isn’t looking past their city for much of anything these days. But his reasons seem the complete opposite of Mike, who is full of aspirations and goals.
Mike is disappointed when Carlos pulls a gun off his waist during the ride, because it is uncomfortable, and asks him to put it in the glove compartment. When Mike starts to question him about how and why he has a gun on him and especially why he had it in Jazzy Belles he gets a story from Carlos about dudes from ‘around the way’ that have beef. Something that isn’t remotely on Mike’s radar or of any interest to him. This is one of the things he worries about the most for Carlos. He knows his friend is not the type to walk away from a problem and they have seen too many guys end up falling victim to nonsense. He sits in the car outside of his dorm for forty minutes trying to talk some sense into Carlos but eventually he just feels like it is going into one ear and out the other. He feels like he is fighting for Carlos to want something better for himself and he is the only one who really cares. Carlos can’t see beyond his current circumstances and all Mike wants him to see is how it can affect his future. And for someone who can normally talk some sense into him the conversation is incredibly frustrating. He eventually gets tired of fighting by himself and storms out of the car telling Carlos to get home safe. As he walks to his room all he keeps thinking to himself is, “why do I want to stay in Atlanta for this shit?” Feeling like it is only a matter of time before something bad happens with Carlos going down the route he is heading.
When he gets to his room Mike is surprised to find Duc is already in the room sitting with some 70s soul music playing low. Music that he knows Duc generally only plays if he is in his head about something and trying to think through it. Mike calls it his meditation music with it only coming out when he has a lot on his mind. He cracks a couple of jokes about the music meaning things must not have gone well with Riley and asks Duc what was up. Duc complains that all she wants to do is sit outside and talk all night and he isn’t interested in that. Mike gives him a side eye look. In part because he doesn’t think that is a bad thing and in part because he doesn’t think that is all that is really bothering Duc. Since he is already frustrated from the conversation with Carlos, he isn’t really feeling the subtle approach he normally takes to discuss things with his friends, so he gets to what he thinks is really bothering Duc and asks who the couple is that was there to talk to him and Angie tonight. He is correct in his assumption, of course, and as soon as he inquires about it, Duc breaks down the entire situation. Mike understands how Duc can feel betrayed and would be upset but he also makes sure he realizes the opportunity he has before him. Duc is fully aware at this point and knows that they have made him an offer he can’t refuse. Although he tries to hide it Mike is actually happy for his friend's misfortune. It doesn’t feel like it, but this is a win as far as Mike is concerned. But that doesn’t end the conversation because then Duc let Mike know that he saw him and Carlos arguing in the parking lot outside of the dorm. He is wondering what it was about but understands if Mike doesn’t want to say. On the contrary, Mike needs to vent. He has already warned Duc about going to certain places with Carlos but hearing about the gun incident makes Duc wonder if they shouldn’t be taking Carlos to certain places with them. Mike can’t disagree with the sentiment but also doesn’t feel right intentionally excluding him either. He finds himself in the balancing act many young men who make a way out of neighborhoods like his end up in. How do you cut out the negative things from your life without cutting out the loved ones still involved in the negative things? How is he supposed to leave it all behind without turning his back on those who refuse to leave it behind as well. Duc can’t help him answer that question since he doesn’t have much experience in that area but the one piece of advice he gives to Mike is “You need to get the hell away from Atlanta for a while.”
The next day feels like the first day in a while that none of the fellas have anything to do other than class. Nobody at work. No practice. Nobody is running off to go find their girlfriend. Just the fellas going to classes and meeting up afterwards to eat and hang out. Everything seems to be slowing down as finals approach and everyone is making final decisions about what their summer will look like. When they get to lunch in the caf that is the topic on everyone’s mind. Ovaughn has already mapped out his summer plans in detail to his three best friends. So, he is eager to figure out exactly what Jairus and Mike are deciding for their internships and is very surprised when Duc starts off the conversation catching them up on the surprise from the night before and how it is changing his plans. Duc also informs them of one more thing he has decided at the last minute. He is going to try and get an apartment at one of the small complexes on the AUC. They are cheaper than normal apartments and he is tired of living in the dorms. And with him moving in when a lot of people are trying to leave it will be easier to get an apartment for the next school year. This gets Ovaughn and Jairus thinking about joining him in an apartment rather than coming back to one of the small dorms. Mike on the other hand doesn’t think he has a chance at an apartment with his family’s financial situation.
What Mike does concern himself with is how Jairus is coming along with making the decision of which internship to take, something he is also trying to figure out himself. Mike is surprised that Jairus already seems to know exactly what he is planning to do. He tells his friends, “Unless something changes by tomorrow, I’m going to New York with Lisa.” He expresses how he feels like his mother gave him the green light and he’s lived in D.C. all his life but may never get the chance to live in Manhattan again. The company owns apartments they use for things such as housing interns. And beyond that fact, having his own place all summer with Lisa just appealed to him more. Hearing Jairus’ decision makes Mike feel better about the new direction he finds himself leaning towards. Almost as if knowing that Jairus is willing not to be home with his family for the summer means he is allowed to, as well. After telling Jairus and Ovaughn about the Carlos situation the night before, Jairus agrees that the best option is probably to get away from Atlanta for a while. And Ovaughn has already said he should go to Baton Rouge. Now Mike finally agrees with everyone else. He needs to take the internship away from Atlanta. It is with the largest company and at least it’s close to one friend. Baton Rouge is the best option.
11
“Okay, I’m Ready To Start Now”
As the summer begins for the fellas, they all make different plans for how they will exit school but before anyone can leave the most important thing is to help Duc find an apartment. Jairus can’t stay in Atlanta long after school closes since he doesn’t have his own means of transportation to get back to D.C. before heading to New York for his internship. He put the little bit of stuff he has in a storage unit with Duc’s stuff, and it will be held at Duc’s apartment until he gets back so he doesn’t have a lot to take while he rides back with Tim. He is the first to leave and never actually sees Duc’s apartment.
As much as he hopes to stick around and see the results of the apartment hunt, Ovaughn isn’t around much longer than Jairus. He is with Duc when he views the apartment he will eventually choose, even though they don’t know it yet. He stuck around a couple more days as the track teams are still finishing up things for their spring season and Kennedy is still there. As soon as Kennedy is ready to leave for North Carolina they both head back to their home state together. Ovaughn knows he is going to be doing a lot of traveling this summer so he isn’t planning to waste a day of the time he can be around Kennedy. And in his brother Omar’s bachelor pad in Greensboro. He knows his brother is going to give him free reign to come and go as he pleases and more importantly for him to have Kennedy over as much as he pleases.
Naturally, Mike was around the longest since his internship didn’t start until the week after Memorial Day. Duc ended up staying with him and his family for over a week while he finalized everything for his apartment. This worked out perfectly because Duc was there to give Mike rides to work for his last weeks before he left Jazzy Belles for the summer and Mike was around to help Duc move the stuff from storage into the apartment. He also helped him, along with Carlos and Chris, with the heavy lifting when Duc went to buy a bed and a futon couch for the new apartment. Duc had somewhat pulled things together that last semester so his parents were helping him financially with the move and even agreed to spend the money that would have gone to room and board on his rent now. By the time Mike was ready to leave for Baton Rouge, Duc had everything put together in his new place from the bedroom suit down to the paper plates and plastic cups that filled his cabinets. Mike was somewhat envious of Duc’s new place knowing that he had to drop his campus housing the next year to save money and would now be commuting from home to school. He imagined he would end up spending a lot of time in that apartment next semester. He just needed Duc to stop being so stubborn about the new promoting situation so that he could keep making money to pay rent.
As much as Duc knows that working with an established promoter in Atlanta works to his benefit, he still gets defensive when he thinks about how he was undercut and no longer has complete control to push his ideas. He is lucky that the promoter, who he now knows is named Malik ‘Money’ Jones, remembers what it was like when he was getting his start and appreciates what he has seen thus far from Duc’s hustle. As easy as it would have been for him to come in and just try to undo or take over what was already done, he really tries to work with Duc to try to improve things. Malik starts by finding young talent around Atlanta to fill the hole on open mic night left by the college students leaving town. He also lets Duc work with him and his assistant on the parties outside of first Saturdays, showing him exactly how he promotes them in different ways, including the flyer approach Duc and Angie originally used as well as radio and leveraging popular local bands to come perform. One of the major changes that immediately improves business is changing the Sunday menu and promoting the new menu as a Sunday brunch special. He saw that it is already the busiest day for the restaurant side and capitalized on that business. That is one thing Duc feels disappointed in himself for not thinking of before. He sees there are things he can learn but one thing that Malik makes him feel like he got right is Riley. Malik regularly says, “That girl is a star in the making” anytime her singing, writing, or charisma come up. He thinks she is perfect to attract people to the open mic as the host.
Duc knows Riley is extremely talented but his interests in her go beyond just working on the open mic nights. Malik notices the tension between them and gives Duc some advice on the situation. “Trust me from someone who had to learn things the hard way. The number one rule is never let your business get in the way of the money.” The more he talks to Malik the more Duc understands why they call him ‘Money’. He tries to keep it professional and so does Riley but the more they try not to be messy the more they end up flirting with each other inappropriately. It is his forbidden fruit, and he is becoming infatuated. Things change at the end of May when Malik comes across a band he wants to use for his parties in the month of June. He brings them to the last open mic night that month to see the setup of Jazzy Belles. He is trying to convince them that it is perfect for their audience and the need for another lead singer came up and put the negotiations to a halt. That is until they hear Riley sing. She is doing a cover song between artists and trying to show how strong her voice is. One of the band members instantly asks, “Who is she? That girl can sing! That’s what we need.” They love her voice and are all staring at her in awe by the time she finishes her song. Malik goes right into business mode “Oh yeah. Riley is a star. If y'all are willing to work with me, I will talk to her. Connect y'all to see if she is willing to work with a band. I can put something together.” What Malik underestimates is Riley’s loyalty to Duc, feeling as though he gave her the first shot to show her talent to a real audience. So, at the end of the night when he presents her with the opportunity, he is surprised that she becomes unsure and a bit flustered and turns to Duc for advice on how to proceed. Surprised that she even asks his advice, Duc pauses momentarily and then goes into his negotiating mode. If there is anything he is always prepared to do it is negotiate and sell. He starts to go back and forth with Malik. “So what exactly are they looking for from Riley and what will she get out of it?”
“They need another singer. Looks like an opportunity for her to be a lead singer of the band if it works out right.” Malik explains.
“So, they already have a singer and want another one? Or are they looking for a lead singer? What type of band is this again? Are they sure they want a soulful voice like Riley’s?”
He answers Duc’s questions as he tries to determine the true benefit for Riley and help her decide if she will be as happy with them as they are with her. By the end of the talk Malik asks Duc “Damn, are you a party promoter or a talent manager?”
Malik and Duc eventually get back with the band and plan to have Riley meet and sing with them the following weekend. She meets with them that Sunday afternoon along with Duc and Malik’s assistant, Samantha, to talk and have her sing with the band. And just as he suspects, Riley shows up like a star and the chemistry between her voice and the band has everyone wanting more. Riley feels amazing singing with a real band and loves every minute of it even though Duc tells her ahead of time to play it cool, so they don’t know if she likes them. She credits Duc with every moment and starts to trust his opinion even more. When they leave and the trio gets into the car away from the band, she is elated to let them know just how excited she really is. Samantha is just as excited for her and repeatedly congratulates her on how well she did as if it is a done deal that she is in the band now. Duc drops Samantha off at her car first and then takes Riley home. As he and Riley ride she remembers the comments by Malik from Tuesday night and blurts out, “I want you to manage me!” He is shocked because he wasn’t thinking about that at all. He is just trying to help someone he really likes but he is smart enough to know that a real business relationship will change everything between them, even though there hasn’t really been anything between them yet.
“You know if I manage you it has to be all business between us, right? We can’t play around with the flirtation and stuff.”
She goes completely silent for a moment as she determines how she feels about it. “Yeah, you are right. I guess it’s good that we haven't done anything yet. You’re so damn cute though!” She cracks a big smile after getting out that one last flirtatious comment. For the remainder of the ride they are silent with dejected looks on their faces until they pull up to her home. She begins to grab the things she has with her but just before she gets out of the car she leans over and grabs the back of Duc’s neck and pulls his face into hers passionately kissing him one good time. He is caught off guard but thoroughly enjoys the kiss and as she pulls back, she says, “okay, I’m ready to start now…Manager!” And like that Duc finds a new business venture to work at over the summer.
