Page 10 of Love U Down II

“Fifteen minutes.”

I hung up and pocketed my phone as the elevator stopped on my floor.

The drive to his place was a short one I made while listening to my own music. When I got there, he was waiting outside.

“What’s up?” He hopped in and glanced at me. “You good?”

“Why wouldn’t I be good?” I threw my car into drive.

“I don’t know. I mean, you don’t usually call me to chill with just the two of us.”

“Yeah. Well, this ain’t exactly a social call. I didn’t call you to chill. I called you to shadow. So sit back and enjoy the ride.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“A’ight.” He nodded. “Let’s do it.”

I drove the two of us to the spot where I was scheduled to meet my father. We were a little early, so I just parked, grabbed my phone, and pulled up another video from my email. I played a little bit of their performance then looked over at Alan.

“What do you think?”

“For your label?” he asked. I nodded once. “Nah. I don’t think it’s a fit.”

“A’ight.” I moved on to the next one.

The two of us listened to at least fifteen performances before I saw my parents pull up. We hopped out to meet them. I helped my dad out of the car and into his wheelchair, then the four of us headed to the building I’d parked across from.

The realtor was already waiting for us, a huge smile on her face.

“Mr. King?” she checked as we closed in on her.

“Yeah.” I shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” She shook my parents’ hands then Alan’s. “Ready for the tour?”

“We’re ready.”

“Okay. Let’s get going.”

She turned around, unlocked the building, and gestured for us to walk inside ahead of her.

She took the lead while my parents followed her and Alan and I took up the rear. I nudged him lightly.

“When you don’t know some shit, you find someone who does. That’s why my parents help out with investments and big decisions. I could hire actual advisors, but I trust their judgement and intentions.”

“I get that.” Alan nodded.

“We’re mapping out a spot for the label,” I announced. “This place is already good on zoning and parking, so what we’re looking into today is just how the place is built, how much space would be available, and if it’s enough space for me to do what I need to do. If my parents say it’s worth putting a bid in for, I’ll request forty-eight hours to think about it and have a professional come through to inspect the roof, foundation, plumbing, and HVAC systems. For the second round of inspections, we’d have someone looking for hazardous shit likeasbestos or mold. If both come back clear, we bid and go from there.”

“What happens after that?”

“Maintenance. So cleaning, painting, and flooring if necessary.”

He whistled. “Damn.”

“Yeah. I know.”