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“What is she doing?”

A minute ago, Tiffany got a knot in her stomach. Her client seemed slow wrapping things up. With Markus in the way, she couldn’t see the end of the line. She fiddled with her earrings as she waited. The large hoops clinked against her nails. The last few fans always made her nervous.

The knot in her stomach tightened when she saw Markus flinch. She thought a fan jumped the line. She didn’t realize her client elbowed him. Once the big man bent down, she slapped Jamal in the arm to put him on alert. Markus was supposed to bring her back. He signaled for them instead.

Before he finished, Tiffany’s long legs were in full stride. Her heels clacked on the sidewalk. Jamal struggled to keep up. He was still winded from bringing the car around.

Aliyah employed two of her cousins as her bodyguards. They lived with her, traveled with her, and were brothers themselves. They played football in college but went undrafted after graduation. Aliyah liked how they protected the quarterback. Both men dressed in big suits with impeccable grooming. Their goatees matched.

Unlike Markus, Jamal wasn’t just her bodyguard. He was also her chef and driver. He didn’t look as mean as his partner, but he shaved his head to appear tougher. In his role, he spent more time in the kitchen than the gym. His rounder face showed his passion for cooking.

Nobody said anything during the exchange. Markus stayed behind while the rest of them returned the way they came. Jamal walked along the rope, watching the crowd. A few fans loitered in the alley. Tiffany kept glancing over her shoulder.

“What’s going on?” she asked, “What’s Markus doing?”

“He’s taking a fan around back,” Aliyah said, “We’re gonna pull around a minute, do a little meet-and-greet.”

“What? Who’s the fan?”

“I don’t know. I wanna find out.”

“Are you serious? What happened?”

She smirked. “He rapped for me. While I was signing, he just started spitting. Thought it was hot. I might want some more.”

Tiffany scoffed. Meet-and-greets were the worst.

The three of them turned the corner before either spoke again. Around the building, the hotel offered a private driveway for their VIP. Trellises of ivy and jasmine stood between the buildings. The wind swept through the area, smelling of the sweet flower. Aliyah loved the scent.

A line of SUVs were parked along the curb. Jamal pulled to the front in case they had to leave quickly. They drove Aliyah’s Escalade that day. They recently got it waxed and added a layer of tint to the windows. The all-black exterior shined in the sunlight.

The paparazzi spotted Aliyah as she climbed in the backseat. They swarmed her, thrusting their microphones in her face. They brought up her ex, asked about her next project. The actress simply smiled until her driver shut the door.

Inside, Tiffany buckled with a decisive click. The two women picked up immediately where they left off.

“So, is he a rapper, or just a fan?”

Aliyah crossed her legs. “I don’t know, but I can ask him for you.”

“That’s not funny. You know I hate these things. Fans can be dangerous.”

“Nah, not this one. If you would’ve seen him. He’s harmless.”

Jamal turned the music up after he pulled onto the main street. The bass shook the interior. The song was fast. The lyrics, aggressive.

“Okay,” Tiffany said, unable to mask her frustration, “Well, in either case, do you really think now is the best time to be adding more of that energy?”

Aliyah squinted at her. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing bad. Only, since you started hanging out with Aja, there have been more rappers around.”

“Yeah, and I thought you liked Aja.”

“I do, of course. And nothing against her, but some of the guys she brings over— they’re pretty hard.”

“Well, like I said, this guy’s harmless. I hear your concern, and I always appreciate you looking out.” She sat up straighter. “Things have just been rough lately, and I got a good read on this guy. I think I could use the positivity.”

Tiffany tapped her nails against the armrest.

Her client wasn’t wrong. Things had been rough lately. At the start of the year, she had a role in a movie, a part in a show, and the lead in an indie film. Now they barely had a radio appearance.

From the main street, Jamal pulled into an alley beside the hotel. The passage was narrow with cracks in the pavement and graffiti on the walls. Markus waited by the loading docks. An industrial air conditioner hummed beside him.

Tiffany glared out her window, scrutinizing the lucky fan. She recognized his type. His shaggy hair and skate shoes gave him away. The grungy alleyway suited him.

“So, you’ll be meeting with him outside here?”

“Not quite.” Aliyah kicked off her shoes. “My feet hurt. I’m not going out. He’s coming in.”

Tiffany whipped her head around so fast her ponytail wobbled. “You can’t be serious. You’re gonna be alone with him?”

“I know where my weapons are. Give him a hard time beforehand— I don’t care. If he fights at all, boot him.”

Outside, the boy fidgeted enough for everybody to notice. He was bobbing his head, rapping to the song playing inside. His reflection danced in the windows.

When Tiffany stepped out, he snapped to attention like a soldier. She was glad she wore her four-inch heels that day. The lofty woman towered over him. It was the only part she liked about meet-and-greets: making fans sweat.

“Despite my objections,” she said, “Aliyah would like to meet with you inside the vehicle.”

The young fan swallowed his surprise.

She gestured for his phone. “There will be no recordings of any kind. No more pictures of autographs unless Ms. Gavins agrees otherwise. I don’t even want you reaching for a handshake, you understand?”

He nodded, handing over his phone. It slipped between them and almost fell. He set his folder and hat on the ground. He ran his fingers through his hair afterward.

“Aliyah’s granted you one minute.” Tiffany stepped aside to hold the door. “Don’t make me regret it.”

Air conditioning dumped from the backseat. The interior smelled like new. The boy froze in awe.

“Is there a problem?” she asked.

“Nope. Just a little starstruck. That’s all.”

“Fair enough. But your minute’s already started.”

He cursed, crawling in without further hesitation. She slammed the door behind him.

Markus chuckled. At the front of the vehicle, he and Jamal watched the alley. When Tiffany joined them, she slapped him in the arm.

“And what do you have to say about this?”

Markus shrugged.

“Well, did you get a read on the guy?”

He nodded.

“And?”

He shrugged again. “He’s harmless.”