13 TIKTOK- 1:10/2:00

It was late at night. I was reading a magazine while I laid on the red sofa, while the music hit my eardrums. It was not perfect, because it was still in the making. I was moving my feet with the beat, when I heard the wrong lyric being rapped.

"No, No, No." I threw my magazine away as I hovered over Cline's shoulder, pressing the 'MIC' button on the switch table.

"P.A., it's 'Grind on my mind' not 'Grind in my mind'"

Cline turned the music off while Priscilla shook her head up and down.

Cline turned the music back but before he played, turned to me and said, "Are you sure? It's almost 1. Recording the four songs in one session is a drag."

"Play the music. The recording of this song is almost done." We'll see what we will do after.

My phone rang as Cline started giving instructions to Priscilla. I stepped outside of the studio and saw a number I recognized, and I knew what I had to do now.

I hung up the phone and came back. The session was in progress and Cline was bumping his head with the beat in an un-energetic manner. I went over shut off the 'MIC' button. The I dropped to his shoulder and whispered in his ear," So, how long are you going to bite me?"

His head bangs stopped while his fatigue was nowhere to be seen. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Cline. You know what they call me in the market right?"

Cline took a pause. I guess he understood where I was going with it.

"They call you the Hitmaker."

I smiled to myself and continued," Yes. They call me the Hitmaker because I have a talent of writing hits. Now, I didn't know that you had that talent too. Especially when Priscilla came up to me about the song concepts, I had discussed only with you. As a producer, you have a factor of trust to live up to. But you made my concepts into subpar lyrics and presented them to Priscilla. No, you presented your crap to the rapper P.A. "

I could hear the gulp Cline took following my statement.

"Now, I didn't come here to complain. To expose you, I can just tell this to Priscilla. She can do everything herself. This is a camp that me and her made. You, you facilitated everything, and got paid in full. But you tried to bite more than you could chew. You. Messed. Up."

Cline turned his head slightly, only to see my eye burning a hole into his brain. He immediately turned his head back to his original position and murmured," So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to have you return a favor for all the biting you did."

"What do you want me to do?"

I took a deep breath and whispered, "Become the Hitmaker."

He turned back again with bulging eyes of surprise, only to look at my coy smile.

"Oh, don't be mistaken. You will have to write hits for P.A. and her fans. But before that, you will hold a press conference to announce her third album as her lead producer and do your thing. Follow it up by claiming that you are the original 'Hitmaker', and I always took cues from you. As far as I go, there wont be any trouble on my part."

"But, what about P.A.'s manager position. Or the label head?"

"I have a recommendation. Find Herman Brar of Wayne's University of Commerce, New York Campus. She was the manager of Volleyball team Priscilla had her match with. Tell her only what she needs to know. Everything else will make sense on its own."

He took another gulp. "Will you be in touch?"

I was taken aback at his comment. "Why do you think I'm leaving?"

He dropped his head. "Just, sounds like you are leaving."

I put my hand on his head and said, "You gotta do, what you gotta do."

I turned the 'MIC' on and said," P.A., its enough for tonight. Let's go home."

She looked across the glass towards her manager and her producer and nodded. She wiped her sweat off her face and armpits, then hung the towel over the mic. Cline bolted on this reaction while saying, "How many times will I have to tell you not to hang your dirty clothes over the microphone!"

As he went in the recording booth, Priscilla came out. Her hair was wet with sweat. She was in her pajamas and tank top, both matching blacks. She had her hair over her right shoulder and was running her hand between them while she breathed heavily to catch some breath. She had been in the studio for eighteen hours, so getting a little tired is part of the job.

Her body gave off the aura which was nauseating for me. Her big chest moved up and down while she filled her lungs with air. The sweat was still scattered all over her face. Thus I decided to wipe it off, starting with her lips.

I kissed her while she was in the middle of tending herself. I sucked on her sweat laden lips like no tomorrow. While kissing her lips, I put my hand between her crotch, which gave sweet aroma of the best body fluid. Priscilla was catching her breath, while here I was, stealing it from her. I released her crotch from my grasp and clasped her boob. In the meantime, our tongues frolicked when they met each other. Priscilla also put her hands to hold my face and sucked my lips diligently.

I released the hand from her breast and threw it over her shoulder. Then I flipped the finger behind her. I broke the kiss with Priscilla and peered over her shoulder, where Cline was filming us.

Just like always.

He put his cellphone back into his pocket and said," Hey, you have to let me in on this once in a while."

I pulled Priscilla besides me and threw my arm over hers.

"Delete it, old geezer. The only reason I am afraid is that it would kill Priscilla's persona. She hadn't come out yet."

"Well, you said that it would contribute to her acceptance in the general public. If she comes out now, at the peak of her career, she would be labelled as the niche rapper. And people can be accepting and what not. But the social stigma doesn't turn off like a switch. And you know that." Cline was giving his lecture on public profile for the nth time again. "Therefore, I will be careful about this video. I will only watch it in bed, alone."

"We both know you will be alone, gramps. No need to insinuate it." Priscilla had a point.

"Well, there is a seal of approval for me to keep this video for later times." Cline was stubborn.

"NO!" We said in a unison.

Cline looked dejected, so we turned around not to face him and said, "We'll be going. It's getting late. Delete the video Cline." I said and left the room.

I pulled up in front of the studio to a trembling Priscilla. She was shaking because she was all wet and the September wind was not helping. I locked the door as soon as she tried to opened it and boasted about it by revving the engine of her 1969 Chevrolet Impala. She started knocking on the glass, so I had to open the door.

The got in and said," You are one heartless beast."

I looked at her anger-wrinkled face and replied, "Why, thank you."

After a moment of giggle, I put the car in gear and started driving towards our villa.

I had one hand on the wheel, while other rested against the window. I thought about our journey and what it took for us to reach here.

After I had left Priscilla crying in her bathtub, I met with Mapalla. He took me to a bank and opened a new account for me. He deposited eight thousand dollars for the time, and promised to make quarterly deposits of the same amount. I rejected the offer for more money, and we parted ways for the time. I went on to buy a new cellphone with a new contact number, and immediately texted Priscilla that we would stay in touch. Then I went to the New York Corrections Facility for some information. I didn't get much, but I remained optimistic. Following that, I boarded a train towards California.

It took me three months and nineteen days to reach California because I made all those pit stops to discover any musical talent. I wanted one break to make it, and it was waiting for me on the opposite side of the United States. I met Cline in prison and found out he still had some pull in the industry, so I gave him a chance to break into the business again. I baited Priscilla and promised him we could make it work. When only one month was left for Cline's release, I called Priscilla numerous times and asked to sing over the phone. I sent her some hip-hop tracks and told her to copy the cadences and flows and rap over the cellphone again.

This went on for four months, and Cline was getting confident in Priscilla's talent. He produced six beats in three months and we overlaid Priscilla's rough vocals over them. Once we knew we were making something, we flew out to New York to meet up with her.

Almost a year after, I came back to the room where her and I had sex for the first time. I saw the

messed up sheets and nostalgia hit me hard. I jumped on the bed face first and sniffed the pillows, the sheets and the jacket lying close. I picked up the jacket and gave it a hug, but something was in the pockets which made a noise. I put my hands into them, and found white powder wrapped up in plastic bags. Immediately, my brain connected to the fact that Priscilla shook a lot of people's hands when we went for a walk that first night.

I was dealing with this fact that when she said her father helped her, he didn't send her money, but cocaine to earn pocket money.I was laying on the bed absorbing all this when the main door swung open and our eyes met. It was Priscilla, and she was dumbstruck to see me there. She took couple of steps towards me and saw me holding her jacket. I guess she connected the dots and was terrified I had discovered about her side business of drug dealing.

"It's not what you think it is.", She was on the verge of crying.

"First off, welcome home. Secondly, you know this is an offense, right? Have you dropped your mind in a gutter that you are doing this for some coin? You are probably going to end up in the big house. Not to mention, your future will be done for."

"Madonna, what is a big house?" she asked innocently in between of me being serious.

I rubbed my eyes in frustration over my morphed language, "It's jail. You'll end up in jail if you keep on doing this."

She dropped her head and said, "Ah! I know that."

I went over to her and grabbed her jersey's collar and screamed," Don't give me that! What will I do without you? What do you think I have been grinding for all this time?"

"But- "she took a pause, "You left me alone."

I let go of her collar and looked her in her eyes," Just because I have whipped something up for you."

She looked at me with a straight face when I explained what I had been doing for the last year. She was surprised what I had done with her singing and rough rapping. She seemed happy when I told that she had a label contract worth four million dollars for three albums based on the songs me and Cline had assembled. She was excited to step into her hobby more professionally.

"So, when can I step inside a studio?"

"Exactly nineteen days from now on. 10o' clock. We'll be doing some demos for the CEO of Max Fury Entertainment. He will also have some label talent and in-house producers there too. Ofcourse, I will be representing you."

"Wait Madonna, I have my game coming up. It is also on the same day as you mentioned."

"Well, drop it. Its only a game. One college game or millions of dollars. You won't have to ask your dad for any pocket money too."

Priscilla took a defensive position and said," It's not just a game. the whole team depends on me. I am their main setter. And this opportunity is not going to come again."

"Well, the opportunity I am talking about is not going to come again either. So use your brain and think about what will make you money in the future. Bouncing your boobs in the air or going all over the world, discovering new things, and making millions?"

"This is my passion!"

I was getting impatient. "I basically am serving you a career on a silver platter, and you are still talking about your passion which has a short shelf life to begin with! Have you gone crazy in the time I have been gone?"

Tears started forming in Priscilla's eyes as she said," But, this is important to me!"

I looked away from her, "Yeah, and this is important for me and you. Please don't be selfish."

I dug in Priscilla's jersey and found pouches of cocaine.

I shoved the pouches in her face and made her realize the consequences which waited her once again.

I dropped all the pouches but one and pocketed one. "I'll be taking this. I'll try it tonight. Ill see why people like it so much. But god knows what will happen if I get caught."

Priscilla opened her eyes wide as tears rolled on her cheeks. She dropped on her knees while digging her face in her hands.

I opened the main door and said," I'll wait for you in the studio."

Nineteen days later, Priscilla showed up for recording.

I blinked, and the road was visible to me once more. The engine was humming in a rhythm and Priscilla was sleeping in the passenger's seat. It had been ten minutes since we left the studio. The path to this success had been a long one. Four years in the industry. Third album in the making. We were blessed that success knocked on our doors as conveniently as it did.

I took my cellphone out of my pocket and opened the call logs.

On the top stood the number I had received my last call from.

+977-332-####

I put the phone and stared at the cold road in front me.

Was all just a fleeting moment?