Collaboration 27
*NOTE* I do not claim to know the celebrities mentioned below or their sexual preferences. This fictional story was written solely for entertainment purposes only and does NOT imply the sexual preferences of said celebrities or anything about their personal lives. Enjoy!
The warm air and sunshine streamed into the house and Nelly began to feel it on his face. He looked over at the clock and saw that it was a couple of minutes after nine. He rested in bed for a while longer, staring at the ceiling, before getting up to brush his teeth and shower. He felt relaxed and safe here as he started remembering the conversation he and his mother had last night. It felt good for him to get some things off his chest and he took in all of his mother's advice because she was right. He couldn't give up on what he wanted and had to fight with everything he had to get it back. After showering and changing, he walked downstairs and his nose was immediately assaulted with aromas that smelled delicious. Making his way into the kitchen, he saw his mom cooking something.
"Morning mom," he said as he walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek.
"Hey baby! How'd you sleep last night?"
"Great! I needed it bad. So what's all this?"
"Breakfast sweetheart. A nice home cooked breakfast for a change."
"Well I'm looking forward to it," he said as he got the orange juice from the refrigerator. "You need any help?"
"No. You just sit down and relax. I'm almost done here anyway."
He sat at the table, after pouring two glasses of orange juice, and waited until his mother started bringing the dishes to the table. First, she brought the bacon and pancakes. She went back for the eggs and hash browns shortly after that. After that, she got the syrup. She sat in the same exact spot she sat in last night, with Nelly doing the same. They started serving themselves breakfast. Nelly took some of everything because he was hungry this morning and everything smelled so good. He was so happy to be doing this with his mom. His mother took two pancakes, a couple slices of bacon, and a hash brown.
"Do you like it sweetheart?"
"Of course mom! This is better than any hotel any day. Being out on the road, I forget how good home cooked food tastes."
"Well whenever you need to be reminded of how some real food tastes, just come and see me."
They both laughed and continued eating. After breakfast, Nelly offered to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen, with no objection from his mother. He then remembered that he had to get the necklace fixed while he and his mom were out doing whatever they decided to do for today. Thinking of the necklace got his mind on T.I. once again. He missed his man badly and desperately wanted to hold him right now. He washed and wiped everything down before he met up with his mom in the living room. He sat next to her and she instantly stared at him.
"You're thinking about it aren't you?"
"Yea. How can I not mom? I want it back so bad!"
"It's okay Cornell. I understand. Just fight for it as hard as you can. That's all I can tell you," she said as she took her son into her arms.
"I know. It just hurts. I never wanted any of this to happen."
"Don't worry. You two will get through this sooner or later. I promise."
"Thanks mom."
"For what?"
"For everything! You are the best."
"Well what can I say? It's a gift," she said a she laughed. "So what do you want to do today?"
"I don't know."
"You going to see how some of the boys are doing?"
"Mom you know I can't. I can't walk down the street like I used to do before."
"Oh yea! Sometimes I forget that you're this big celebrity now."
"How else could I afford to pay for your expensive shopping habits?" he asked jokingly.
"Shut up! Well don't forget this, whatever you do and wherever you go in this world remember that you will always be my little boy Cornell Hayes Jr!"
"I could never forget that mom. I can't forget the best and strongest person in my life."
"Good reply son," she teased. "Good reply."
"Do you know a good place that repairs jewelry around here?"
"Yea there are a couple really good ones that I know of. Why?"
"I need to get something fixed and it can't wait."
"Okay we can go do that today. You have anything else in mind?"
"I came home to spend time with you. It's on you. Whatever you want to do we'll do it together."
"Okay. Well we can go to the jewelry store and drop off whatever it is you want to get fixed, do some shopping, and how about we barbeque for dinner?"
"Mom it's kinda hard for me to go out in public without being mobbed."
"Don't worry son. Just put on a cap and shades and you'll be fine. It won't be for long anyway."
"Okay. For you."
"You okay with the barbeque for dinner?"
"Yea!" Nelly said like an excited child. "I can already taste it."
"Okay. We'll hang out here and leave like at one or so. So is it that you need to get fixed?"
"It's a necklace. I bought it while I was in Miami," he lied.
"You guys and your bling! I bet that it cost more than this house!"
"Nope. Not this time anyway," Nelly slightly laughed.
"Honestly Cornell. I do not see your obsession with such expensive jewelry."
"I have to look good mom. I need ice because I'm a rapper and we're expected to look certain ways with certain amounts of bling on us at all times. Plus I like all the jewelry I have a lot because they all mean something to me."
"Okay son. Just remember that all these diamonds won't bring you happiness."
"I know. It's just nice to have."
"Just don't get too carried away baby boy!"
"I never do," he said as he flashed her one of his trademark smiles.
"Right!"
The continued talking to each other while daytime talk shows played on the TV. When it was around twelve, the both decided to go and get ready. Since Nelly already took a shower this morning, he just ransacked his suitcases for something to wear. Something that wouldn't bring much attention to who he was. He decided on a plain pair of black jeans, a silver button-up shirt, and one of the first pairs of Nike shoes he bought after he hit it big. Going through his large closet, he found a black du-rag and hat to match the rest of his outfit and put them on. He heard his mom tell him that she'd be ready in a short while as he went and picked up the broken necklace from his nightstand. He couldn't help but remember the night T.I. gave it to him. Trying as hard as he could, he managed to push the memory out of his mind because he was too weak to handle it at the moment. He grabbed the necklace and made his way downstairs, waiting for his mom. After he got bored of flipping through the channels, he went to see what was taking him mom so long.
"Come on mom!" he yelled from the bottom of the staircase. "You ready yet?"
"I'm coming. Let me just find a jacket in case it gets cold."
He went into the kitchen to fetch himself a Gatorade while he waited. It wasn't long before his mother emerged in the kitchen, letting him know that she was ready. He grabbed the set of keys to the brand new Mercedes SLK350 he bought her a couple of months ago and they were off. Nelly walked into the garage and saw the shiny baby blue roadster he bought his mother, among other expensive cars. He clicked the alarm, opened the door for his mom, and hopped in the driver's seat. He started it up and the engine roared throughout the garage and, he was sure, the rest of the street.
"You haven't even driven it yet mom?" he asked, noticing that it has zero miles on it.
"You know I can't drive a stick Cornell. You say you bought this car for me but it's more like you bought it for yourself baby boy," she laughed as they buckled their seatbelts.
"Oh yea. I meant to get it fixed. Sorry mom I forgot."
"Don't worry about it. I still have three other cars I can drive."
"Maybe I'll buy you another one."
"That's not necessary. I think I'm fine with three, son. I was fine with one but you know I can't say no to you. Your heart is in the right place."
"Yea," Nelly said as he laughed. "You ready?"
"Yea. Let's go."
Nelly flipped a switch and the garage door began to slowly open. His mom pressed another switch and the roof began to retract itself. Shifting the car into reverse, he carefully backed out of the garage and out to the street, as the warm days' air greeted them both. He quickly switched to first and sped down the street. The car drove like it looked, powerful and sleek. Nelly was extremely happy that he purchased it. Being chauffeured around all the time was great but getting behind the wheel once in a while wasn't so bad either. The baby blue Mercedes glistened in the St. Louis sun as Nelly heard him mom giving him directions to the largest mall in St. Louis, screaming over the wind.
He handled the new car like a pro. The engine hollered through the streets of the city, causing people to turn their heads as it passed by. The breeze hitting his face was refreshing and was actually making him feel better. He'd been so caught up in work and everything with T.I. that he forgot how good the simple things in life could feel sometimes. His mom turned up the radio when she heard "Errtime" come on. He smiled a little when he heard his mom attempt to sing out the rhymes. She didn't know most of the words but was still trying. Shortly after the song finished, Nelly pulled into the parking lot of the mall, seeing no place to park for what looked like miles. After driving around for a good ten minutes, they finally parked close to one of the mall's many entrances. He flicked the switch and the roof of the car slowly began to come into view again. Once he set the alarm they walked together into the mall.
"It's okay son. No one will recognize you if you keep your hat on and pull it a little lower over your face. These people are too busy shopping and having a good time to notice that you're in their presence anyway."
"Okay. Let's go see about the necklace first and then we'll walk around the mall."
"Okay. This jewelry store is high end baby boy so you should have no problems. They respect your privacy and everything."
"Just what I need. This mall is huge. Where is it?"
"It's over in this direction," his mother said as she pointed.
While walking through the mall to the jewelry Nelly felt people's eyes on him, both men and women. He just ignored it because he figured if he said something that people would find out who he really was. He just walked close to his mom until they came upon the store they were looking for. It wasn't that busy but the few clerks that were there was busy helping other customers. The two walked along and looked at all the fine jewelry displayed. Nelly saw a watch that he really liked but decided not to get it seeing as he already had so many. After looking around for a couple of minutes they both saw a pretty female clerk walking their way.
"Hello. Is there anything I can help you with?" she courteously asked with a smile.
"Yes," Nelly said, reaching into his pant pocket and pulling out the box. "I'd like to know if you repair jewelry here."
"Well that depends on what kind of repairs need to be done sir. Let's go over here and I'll see what I can do for you."
She ushered them both to a secluded area of the store. So that he wouldn't cause any sort of commotion, he removed the nameplate from the chain and left it on his nightstand at home. He only had the chain in the box. The clerk shortly disappeared and returned with some paperwork and booklets. She sat across from them and waited until he and his mother finished talking before they got started.
"So what can I do for you sir?"
"You can call me Cornell."
"Okay Cornell. What do you need?"
"I need you to repair this chain," Nelly said as he pulled out the platinum chain from the box.
"Is a link missing?" the clerk asked as she took the chain and began examining it.
"Yea but I don't have it."
"Oh yes. I see where it broke."
"So can you fix it?"
"Well," she said as she looked up at him, "without the link it would take more time because we would have to find the exact link for this chain and then replace it."
"How long will that take?"
"Maybe one or two weeks."
"Aight. Mom can you get it when it's fixed?"
"No problem Cornell."
"How much will it cost?" he asked, looking back at the clerk.
"Well a standard repair is seventy-five dollars but you'd have to pay for the link in this case and, by the looks of this chain, it won't be cheap."
"That's not a problem. I just need it fixed fast."
"Okay si--- Cornell. All you need to do is leave a number so we can call when it comes in and you're set."
"Leave my cell baby boy."
"Aight."
Nelly finished up the paperwork and waved to the lady as she escorted them out of the store. The mall was more packed now than when they first arrived as Nelly's mother grabbed onto her son's strong forearm so they wouldn't get separated. They cruised the mall, stopping in any shop that looked interesting. Nelly couldn't remember the last time he did this. Everywhere he went now he needed to be surrounded by bodyguards, according to his management team. He was having a good time just being a normal guy and being far away from "Nelly", the world-famous rapper and entrepreneur. He, of course, went into every shoe store they came across on their path through the mall, picking up a few fitted hats, some tank tops, and a few other miscellaneous items. He bought his mom an expensive bottle of perfume and she treated herself to come clothing from Saks Fifth Avenue and the Dolce and Gabbana outlet store. They spend a good amount of the rest of the day in the mall, shopping, talking, and having a good time. He was both surprised and excited that no one recognized who he was.
"Is that the time?" his mother asked, shocked.
"Yea it's almost six."
"We should get going then. The meat shop closes soon and it's a little way from here."
"Oh yea. The barbeque. Let's go!"
The quietly made their way across the mall to where they parked. Nelly didn't quite remember exactly where he parked but he figured how many people would be driving a brand new baby blue Mercedes Roadster. Once he found it, they both walked to it as he noticed two teenage girls acting weirdly. Deciding nothing of it, he continued walking until he saw them coming toward him. He clicked the alarm off and opened the door for his mother and turned to see them right next to him.
"Hi! We're sorry to bother you but are you Nelly?"
He saw no harm in telling them the truth. "Yes."
"I knew it! We're big fans of yours Can we please have your autograph?"
"Sure sweetheart."
He signed the paper and handed it to them. "There you go."
"Thank you so much!" one managed to say. As they were leaving the both turned around, "Oh and by the way, you're really hot!"
"Thanks," he said, sounding modest.
They both giggled and walked away. He sported a faint smile as he climbed into the car. His mom just looked him and smiled. She knew what was going on; she always did. He sped out of the parking lot and towards the meat store, with his mother's directions. Once there, they picked up some fresh, large shrimp, various vegetables, and two pounds of chicken wings. His mom was planning to make shrimp kabobs, with the barbeque chicken wings and yellow rice. As soon as she told him what was on the menu, he sped home because he instantly got hungry. It was hard to hide his emotions when T.I.'s "Bring `Em Out" came on the radio but luckily his mom was on the phone and didn't notice him. His voice pushed Nelly over the edge.
Once they got home he opted to leave the car parked outside in the driveway in case he wanted to go somewhere later on but he knew that it was highly unlikely. They bought so much stuff that it almost didn't fit in the trunk. Nelly grabbed all the bags they got from the mall, his biceps rippling because they were so heavy, and his mom took in the stuff they got from the meat store. After getting in the house, he sat the bags down in the foyer and sorted what was his and what was his mother's. He then took them upstairs and put them in their respective rooms. His mom had already put the rice up and started seasoning the meat when he returned to the kitchen. She told him that he could start skewering the kabobs so he fetched the skewers, grabbed the bowl of shrimp his mom already peeled and seasoned, and coarsely chopped the red onion and bell peppers into medium-sized chunks. He skewered a large shrimp, a red onion chunk, a small white mushroom, a piece of bell pepper, and finally, a medium-sized grape tomato. He repeated this pattern until he had ten full skewers. While his mom was still preparing the wings, he went into the large patio area and began pouring charcoals into the almost brand new grill. Once the fire was lit he stared at the flame, remembering the barbeque he had at his house before the tour started. The fights they had in the pool and how happy he was at that point and time. He stood there and watched the flame go out before putting the kabobs on the grill.
They didn't take that long to finish and then the wings made their onto the hot iron bars of the grill. The yellow rice was done and his mom brought him some extra barbeque sauce for the chicken and a beer to drink. Night was upon them. The sun was slowly setting on the horizon, creating a bright orange medley in the sky. The crescent moon's light illuminated the water of the pool, making it even more inviting. He decided that he would take a swim later, if he felt up to it. He and his mom sat down to dinner outside in the patio, as it was so nice. The food tasted great and the talked about any and everything that came to their minds.
After dinner Nelly helped his mom clean up the kitchen and promised that he'd take care of the grill tomorrow. They sat together in the great room and watched TV for a while. His mom told him that she was going to take a bath to relax, kissed him on the forehead, and went upstairs. Nelly, left alone in the great room, flicked through the channels to see if anything interesting was going on. As usual, nothing piqued his curiosity so he decided to go take that swim. He walked upstairs and found a pair of silver swimming trunks. He grabbed a towel from his bathroom and made his way back downstairs. The night was cooler than before as he stepped outside into the patio. He felt the water and knew that it was too cold to get into. He flipped the switch to the pool heater as he disappeared back inside to get a beer. Sitting in a lounge chair to give the pool time to warm up, his mind raced on everything from his upcoming album to T.I. He wanted so bad to call him, just to hear his voice but he knew he wouldn't pick up. Deciding that he couldn't wait anymore, he got up from the chair and jumped into the deepest end of the pool.
The water was slightly warmer than when he first felt it but he felt his body slowly getting used to it. He swam a few laps around the pool, just to get his mind off everything. Although it did work for a while, he knew he couldn't avoid the disaster that was his life for very much longer. Surely enough, innocent thoughts of T.I. began seeping into his brain. They steadily became more and more intense within his mind. He thought for a moment that he was going crazy as he swan to the shallow end and sat on the steps there. He rested his head on two steps above the one he was sitting on and stared at the dark sky, sprinkled lightly with stars. The water was the perfect temperature now as all the thoughts of T.I. and all his love for him consumed him.
If you have any questions you can e-mail me at jc71883@hotmail.com or hit me up on AIM ~ Dragon93085.