ch13: & there's no one to blame
song01:pistacios, brent fiyaz

<redd, bull>

Friday
June 16
1 PM

"𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖉𝖆𝖙?" Redd leaned over Cole shoulder as Cole hung up with Maurice. Cole and Evan were in the cafeteria area of the studio in New York. Redd came out of nowhere, nearly catching them off guard.

"You all in my phone." He frowned, dapping Redd who was still standing over him. He had planned on seeing Redd later on tonight to put down a song Redd been telling him he wrote and produced for Cole's upcoming sophomore album.

Redd looked over at Evan, nodding to him, "Who this? Your boyfriend?" He looked over the young man. Cole scoffed, amused by Redd's antics.

"Wow. You see how this nigga bullies me?" He asked Evan who had never met Redd before but was familiar with his brand and music. "That's my fucking brother, nigga."

"My bad, bro. Dang, I ain't know." He laughs, laying his hand on Cole shoulder, "Since you gay now I have to ask."

Cole shimmied out of Redd's grip on his shoulder, "Get the Fuck off'a me."  He rolled his eyes then noticed the way Evan was avoiding looking at them. He hated when people felt awkward when he spoke to somebody, it made him hyper aware of the connection between he and who ever; in this case, him and Redd. They'd been friends since middle school— both apprentices of Oz and his band mates. Oz is the reason they both got into music. "This my brother Evan." He motioned towards Ev sitting in a chair on the other side of the table in the cafeteria. "This Redd."

"Ev, what up." Redd reached across the table, slapping palms with Cole's brother. He didn't spend much time on him before he looked back at Cole, "Listen though, we gotta move the times around for later on today."

"Wait, how you even know I was here?"

"Geoffrey." He said matter-of-factly. "I'm having dinner with my god-mom. So, we can go earlier or after. I was thinking after so we'd have more wiggle room with the time."

"What's earlier?" Evan asked, pulling out his ipad. Redd looked at him with a slight scowl. Cole caught it before Evan could look up and swatted his arm, making him fix his face.

"Evan my personal Assistant. He got my schedule down to science, bro. Never been so organized in my life."

"Finally, Nigga. I'm proud'a you." He smiled and took a seat from a nearby table and joining them. He sat down, resting his elbows on his knees instead of pulling up to the table and turn his attention to Evan. "Having a personal assistant means you doing your thing for real now. So, i'm going to dinner at 7. It's all the way across town from the stu. So, keep that in mind as well."

Evan was quiet for a minute, looking over his tablet, tapping here and there. He shook his head, rubbing his chin with his thumb, "Well, you might as well keep the original time since it's booked already. Cole can get in some solo time and I'll just see if we can extend the spot instead of having to rearrange altogether."

"I like you Evan. If it was up to this Nigga, we would have to reschedule to next year or some shit." He laughed, looking at Cole. "Aight, I'm not taking up no more of your break. Y'all be easy, aight?"

Then, he got a text from Redd to meet him in the restroom.

He barely got the door closed before Redd started,"I ain't know you was gone have somebody with you. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"So the bathroom of all places?" Cole asked seriously. Already made uncomfortable by the way Evan reacted to their interaction.

"I mean, we can go elsewhere if this uncomfy."

Cole shook his head, hopping up on the sink counter. "Go ahead."

"Aight, so, you obviously got some connections. Yo video disappeared from all platforms like overnight."

"What video?"

"The sex tape with that lightskin nigga."

"I don't know what you talking about. I never had no sex tape."

"Cole. This me. You ain't gotta do all that PR shit. This a private conversation. And, I need to know who you used. I got some of my own shit that I need to get burried." He looked serious, but Cole knew how Redd was, a swindler. He knew how to get what he wanted without it being obvious.

Cole started laughing, watching Redd's body language change. "Yo, stop fucking wi'me Redd. What you want forreal?"

He rubbed his hands together, standing right in front of Cole. He brought up the video again, commenting on the way his moans still played in his head, admitting that he wished he'd saved the leaked video before it was swept. Then he chuckled, "I wanna make you sound like that for me."

"Shii." Cole chuckled but didn't smile. He'd let his old friend get out everything he wanted to say before he responded. "See I knew you was on that bullshit. Asking who my nigga." He put his hands out, illustrating his confusion or perturb, "First off all, my nigga, I ain't gay. Second, I don't think you could do anything to make me sound like anything." Cole lifted off the counter, standing before Redd.

"It ain't what you think, It's what I know." He moved closer. "And you already squirming." He smirked, his hand lightly touching on Cole's hip. Cole held his breath, looking up at Redd who stood almost half a foot higher than him. "Now let it out." He said, voice low, eyes staring into Cole's seductively.

Cole let out a shaky breath concealed as a light chuckle. "Take yo hand down, bruh."

Redd moved his hand down from Cole hip to the top of his ass, "Like this?"

He looked at Cole and smiled with his bottom lip tucked between his open teeth.. Redd ain't know this is what got him caught up with Cobe and Lonnie, that dominant shit. If he was honest, that's the same energy his exes had too. He attracted that energy, thats what flocked to him. And he eats it up each time.

He touched his palm to the back of Redd's hand, slowly and reluctantly lifting his hand away from his body. "Nah, like this." He said surely but not taking his gaze from Redd's dark eyes.  "You thought it was gone be that easy? I don't get down like that. You lucky you my friend, Redd."

He smiled, feeling the energy in the room tell a different story than the words coming from Cole's mouth. "My bad, Cole. I guess I read it wrong, huh?"

"Dead wrong, Bull. Come with different energy for our session tonight." He ordered, calling Redd a nickname he earned back in the day from a crew they used to run with in high school.  Cole let out an exasperated breath walking out of the bathroom. Twisting the hair on his nape, he struggled to regain his composure but was stopped in his step startled by Ev standing up against the wall waiting for him,"Yo." He said nervously.

"They calling you back to set. I was coming to get you."

"Oh." He was short, taking his word for it. The two of them walked back to their golf cart outside the cafeteria and zoomed down the large warehouse looking building.

.

A/n:
Bro, y'all reading or what?

tell me something you thinking so far: good or bad. I just wanna hear from y'all. It's getting boring on here 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

p:11.04.2022
rp:06.08.2024
r/p:07.29.2024