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Junior had actually finished up school back in January graduating a term early because he’d spent summers in school for the last three years. Junior has a BA in History and would be walking with his class at the end of May. He’d taken the bare minimum of courses during football season but he’s still always been a full time student. The hours had added up. Completing his course work in January allowed him to focus on the combine. Then once the deal had come from Miami, to get a head start on the playbook and conference with the coach and defensive coordinator without stepping foot out of Port Charles. There had been a high degree of sneaky until draft day. Last years play books and tape had arrived from anywhere but Miami.
Because Tutu hadn’t been in any hurry she’d been able to talk to a few people and find out where the best places and best values are. She’d had a picture in her mind of the perfect place for Junior and done the leg work for her grandson narrowing the possibilities to a couple that she’d run by him. He’d probably run them by Mariah. Hopefully he had. It might save his back after the way he’d acted at the Draft.
The housing market in Miami is a fickle thing. The weather is beautiful; the hurricanes are wicked. The economy runs in cycles; the Florida tax laws favor the rich and greedy. Even with all the reforms over time Florida still has a reputation for covering the assets of robber barons on the run from the law in the other 49 states.
The house she’d finally picked, and Junior okayed, is an older home in the Mediterranean style. It had been updated some but not totally which was something she was actually grateful for. Normal size people complain about the size of a bathtub and not being able to stretch out, or not being able to turn around in the shower... the size of Junior or her son Jesse made a custom bathroom not a want but a need. The Big City designer that One Phone Call had found for her... with the guarantee of absolute confidentiality about who her client was had redesigned the bathroom and master suite. The house had six bedrooms so it’s no big deal if now it has five but the master suite has a bathroom and custom closet that will accommodate Junior’s size 23 EEE shoes. Isaac Upton from the CSMC– Philly branch, familiar with the designer’s work, came down to make sure that the local contractor was getting it done and in a timely fashion. There might have been some on the local contract crew who’d put together Tutu’s presence in Miami and the size of the shoe rack. There had been a few discreet hand slaps and thumbs up when the job had started. While everyone had been grinning, they were also keeping the clues to themselves.
Junior hadn’t wanted a big pool and the house isn’t on a canal. There is an exercise pool and a hot tub all though Tutu figures that is more for the jacuzzi than for the hot tub. Not when it could be 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity. It’s actually hotter here than back in Hawaii where she has a place on the windward side of the island and the breezes blown every day. And here it isn’t just bugs... they have alligators and snakes; something that is definitely not found in Hawaii.
Tutu has a van already purchased and waiting for them in the long term parking at the Miami International airport. The whole family is coming down for the first visit but before the weekend is over Jesse, Gia, Melia and Mariah would be heading back to Port Charles with work or school commitments.
The money for the house and the car and the renovations had come from Junior’s trust. Dara Jensen hadn’t just put a trust together for Jesse back in the day she’d also made sure that the finances were handled for the whole family. Whether it was Jesse or Mariah’s father there had never been any illusion that a sports career would last for twenty or thirty years. The body couldn’t take a beating that long. Whatever big money is offered now is going to have to last Junior his whole life. His dad’s pro career had been twelve years and then he’d moved onto coaching. His dad has also had 3 ankle surgeries, a shoulder surgery and an annual appointment with an orthopedic sports medicine doctor who shoots knee goo into both of his knees to hold off having to have replacement surgeries done there too. The NFL is a phase. A lucrative phase and one he hoped lasted a good long time but it isn’t going to be forever and he has to have a plan... always a plan for what he is going to be doing next. “Hey, Tutu, how far is this place from the practice field.”
“Depend on time a day.” Tutu keeps her eyes on the road. “You got the 5:30 am practice– twenty minutes. You hit 5:30pm rush hour? Bring a book.”
“Just like home.” He quips from the front passenger seat. He glances back over his shoulder. Melia and Mariah are all the way to the back of the van and his parents have the bench seat behind him and Tutu.
“I call Mona at One Phone Call when I was setting up to come out here. She made sure I had a packet waiting for me when I got here. And that Roxie...” Tutu looks in the rear view mirror and sees Gia’s nod of recognition. “She showed me around town the first day after I slept off the jet lag. She’s going to be running your books. Called the service, Miami Nice, they can take care of major cleaning on the house and the yard work too according to Mona. You got a week before rookie mini camp, and then there is the real mini camp, then training camp. It’ll be four months before the first preseason game. Plenty of time to get settled in.”
Tutu hits a switch on her key fob and the gate opens up. She goes down the drive that is familiar from the pictures and video she’d sent to Port Charles. Everyone is leaning forward or toward the windows to see Junior’s house as Tutu pulls up around the circular drive to the front door. “And you better take your shoes off. Just had those floors cleaned.” Tutu reminds even though nobody ever wore shoes in her house. “Melia, you’re staying with me out at the cottage. Jesse and Gia you have the downstairs bedroom. Mariah and Junior master suite and upstairs bedroom.” Tutu knows that Mariah’s bed won’t be slept in but there are still proprieties to be respected.
After dropping his bags on the bed and wandering through the bedroom, bathroom and closet, Junior changes out of his suit and into comfortable clothes and heads down to the family meeting place– the kitchen. First things first he opens up the fridge and is happy to see it stocked with all of his favorites. Tutu had already been hard at work. “Thanks Tutu.”
“Not me.” Tutu shakes her head. She’d done the same changing into her lounging around the house outfit. Melia is already in the wave pool swimming. “It’s that One Phone Call and the Miami Nice girls. You make up the grocery list and they’ll get it for you. I did some grocery shoppin while I was down here just to make sure I know where everything is when I want something special. But easy ‘nough to do with a few computer clicks too.” Tutu flips on the television. They are still within 24 hours of Junior being drafted and the draft is still doing on, and is in round three. Good timing-- here is where a lot of the defensive guys would be picked up.
“Anything on where Case went?” Junior asks about his Syracuse buddy from the Combine.
Tutu points to the computer as if telling him to look for himself and starts putting together a nice dinner they can eat on the lanai. Most of the brass from the Dolphins are still at the draft but getting Junior out of there after the initial press is all about trying to get keep things normal. She goes over to the french doors and hollers out. “Melia, come help with dinner.”
“What are you doing?” Mariah comes over and looks over Junior’s shoulder. She can only get away with it because he’s sitting down at the kitchen computer.
“Seeing who was drafted where in the last three hours.” Junior explains absently. It had been the time getting to and from the airports and the two hour flight.
“You check your email yet?” Mariah asks.
“Oh no.” Junior shakes his head. “I start on that and I’ll be up all night. I just looked at my inbox and backed right back out.”
“Mom, can I do anything to help?” Gia comes in dressed in shorts and one of Jesse’s old jerseys. Her hair style had changed over the years but right now she’s back to the microbraids and has them tied up on the top of her head to keep her hair off her neck.
“Set the table out on the lanai, please, sweetie. Going with cold supper so it’ll just be a few minutes. Where’s Jesse?”
“Look for a place to put in the imu.”
Junior perks at that. “Um... Mariah, can you keep an eye on this and let me know...”
“Go.” Mariah rolls her eyes and gives him a shove taking his place by the computer watching the scroll of who is up, who’d gone where and who is still left to be picked. At a certain point, if not drafted, a player might have a better chance going as a free agent and just picking which team to go to for mini camp see if they can get an invite to training camp. “The things that guy will do for kalua pig.”
Tutu grins and nods. “Food in general.”
“Tell me about it. I’m so glad to have that contract done. Junior can buy his own food now. And shoes! Do you know how hard it is to find 23EEE? I’d buy anything I could find just because they existed. Talk about fugly. Dara and Roxie are definitely going to have to work on a shoe contract for Junior. Dara will make sure that there are free shoes for life in it.” Gia takes out what she needs to set the table out on the lanai. Knowing, the family’s propensity for outdoor cooking, Leilani had made sure that there was an outdoor kitchen. After setting the table, Gia goes over and checks it out. The grill is nicer than theirs back home but not too surprising. Junior would probably be doing more year round cooking down here.
Mariah gets up and starts pouring pitchers of ice water, juice and ice tea that she takes out to the table along with a bucket of ice. With the bucket and tongs in hand she starts loading up the glasses with ice so they’re ready for the beverage of choice.
Melia brings out the serving dishes as Leilani finishes them and when it’s down to the last one goes to get the guys so they’d have time to wash up before sitting down.
The meal is generously sized and the focus of the family until everyone leans back. The pitchers are circulated so that everyone can refill their glasses. Junior leans back in and starts indicating what his plan is for Port Charles while he’s down in Miami. “Mariah will be staying in the house up in Port Charles until it’s time for her to leave for Europe. She’ll be driving my truck too. Since Tutu is going to be staying with me for the next year and Melia is going to be losing her ride to school and the studio... if it’s okay with you guys Melia can have my truck when Mariah goes to school... and once she passes her test.”
“You just say that cause you’re going to get a new one.” Melia nods knowingly. Junior is a great big brother but he’s not that altruistic. There is something in it for him.
“Oh yeah. Probably this weekend. But my rig is big enough to haul the outriggers from the dance studio and I figure you’re going to need that.”
“Already talked to Winona.” Tutu interjects. “She’s talked to the keikes’ parents. They like the idea of you handling the classes for the little ones. So that way you’ll have money for gas and insurance. They’re comfortable with you since you’ve been helping with class since you were a keike yourself. She’s also willing to have you work the front some while she’s giving class. You’re going to have to figure out the schedule.”
Melia nods. She’d already talked to Winona about this, not that she would be making money for insurance and fuel but covering from Tutu while she’s down in Florida. Winona had some other instructors lined up too but she’d been working with the kids for years and she knows what the expectations are both from the kids and from the parents.
“Why don’t you ladies do the tourist t’ing, buy some you won’t be able to wear until June or July up in Port Charles. Junior and I are going to work on getting that imu started. Figure going to have to do at least one practice pig before the big luau the day after your first home game.” Jesse puts it out there.
Gia nods and gets to her feet. “And since Tutu put lunch together you guys can do the dishes.” She comes around and gives Jesse a kiss on the cheek and squeezes Junior’s shoulder. “Melia and Mariah, you’re going to want to change before we go shopping. Tutu, you did find all the best places right?”
“If I didn’t I figure you’re going to.” Tutu shake her head but gets to her feet. “Don’t you have that appointment?”
Gia winces. “Junior, I know you’re going to be back to back appointments for the next week doing PR and then minicamp. Roxie said she’d come into the office at about 6p to go over the house details with you.”
“Tutu..”
“It’s your money, Boy. You’re the one that has to make sure it lasts. You’re the one who has to know what things cost because it’s going to be your bruises and blood that are going to be paying for it.” Tutu interrupts him before he goes any further. “Melia, lets go change.” She gets to her feet and walks off to her cottage that is attached to the back of the house.
Jesse and Mariah go up to the master bedroom. Mariah figures she is ready to go just needs to slide on a pair of sandles. She flops down on the bed. She’s not like Elena who’d have an outfit for any occasion including going on a shopping trip with her boyfriend’s mother and grandmother. “Anything I can get while we’re out?”
From inside the big walk in closet, Junior says. “Red. I like you in red– you know the bright red and something that shows off your shoulders.”
“I meant something for you.”
“Yeah, it’s for me. After you go to Port Charles I’m not going to see you again for a month, not until we walk at Graduation. I want to remember you in a red dress. Maybe with some flowers in your hair.” Junior comes out wearing beach jams in a color so bright it would scare sharks.
Mariah laughs and then comments. “No lavalava?”
“Don’t know the neighbors yet. Got to make it so that they beg me to get rid of the jams.”
“You’re a big football hero now. You might start a trend instead of acid jams. You could be responsible for traffic accidents... for fashion faux pas induced blindness. It could follow you forever like when dad was wearing those saggy jeans that let everyone know he wore hanes– briefs not boxers. He still has people coming up to him to have him sign that picture. I think my mom started picking his clothes out for him not to long after that.” Mariah teases.
“Hell if you’re picking my clothes it will be tshirts, shorts and either deck or workout shoes.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Mariah protests.
“Not a thing. Not a thing.” Taking her hand, Junior pulls her up from the bed and in a smooth motion up over his shoulder.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mariah squeals and grabs on.
“Saving your feet for the serious shopping to come.” Junior replies and with another quick move reverses her so that she is being carried in his arms properly.
“You’re nuts.” Mariah advises even she is running her hand along his shoulders. And he is about the only guy she knows who could do this... with her... and not have a heart attack or even break a sweat and she is no frail flower.
Junior’s signing might have been kept secret outside the office. His appointment at 6pm might have been kept quiet outside the office but everyone in the office knew about it and had shown up for work on a Saturday evening. Everyone is in casual clothing because it is Saturday– shorts and sleeveless blouses for the women. Shorts and polo shirts for the guys. Roxie Jackson is the wife of Cassius Jackson the lead singer of the urban group the Michaelsons. About the same time as Cassius had been signed by CSMC talent, she’d been apprenticed to Jenson, Campbell and Winthrop up in Port Charles. Her goal had never been to be a lawyer.
Roxie is all about Money– making it, investing it, and most importantly keeping it. With that goal in mind she’d studied at the feet of Dara Jenson who despite not being an accountant had managed to make sure that all of her clients made money, grew money and paid just enough taxes to keep the IRS off their asses. Dara isn’t particularly into risk, she’s into long term capitol gains, dividend reinvestment and living off the interest rather than the principle.
Roxie’s first clients, well other than herself, had been the Michaelsons. She still managed to have a little bit of money left over after paying her school loans– Accounting major, Port Charles University. The Michaelsons– all guys whose alleged fathers had been named Michael-- Cassius, G-man, LeVon had signed with her, LeVon’s Gamma had as well. The guys are big on word of mouth. Heck so is Gamma who’d shared her name with all her cronies down at the senior center. Once she was down in Atlanta she’d been hit with enough business to keep her busy while Cassius was out on the road making the money. Musicians, like athletes and other performers, have a shelf life. There are some that might always be familiar and popular but there are darn few that are going to be filling stadiums thirty years after getting started.
Need to diversify, have outside interest, have a plan. Dara Jenson is all about the plan and that is something Roxie had taking to heart as well. The guys had come to her at one of their regular meetings right when they’d come off the road and told her that they wanted to be on the business side. CSMC- talent had been good to them and they know that if they use the same model, hell team up with Alecia, that there is could be just as much green on the A&R and producing side. Roxie had told them that she was sure that Baby would finance them set them up with their own studio, their own club, make it part of CSMC Atlanta and then she’d take half. That’s Baby’s business model. The guys had balked at that. Giving Baby or CSMC talent a percentage is reasonable. Giving her half wasn’t what they had in mind. Roxie had asked for a little bit of time to bring the numbers together now because it seemed like all the guys were in agreement. It had taken her a year, the guys had thought she’d blown it off when she came to them with a deal that would involve them all moving to Miami.
She’d bought a portfolio. It wasn’t Trump standards or even CSMC standards but it was a start. There was a building of condos, industrial size lofts that had 15-20 foot ceilings. If the guys wanted to play bball in the house they could. There had been a small commercial office building that was pretty close to both the county and federal courthouses downtown. That one had been the steep part. There had been two other commercial pieces a club that had been closed by the health department and a music studio. Even if they didn’t make the move to Miami they could have made money off the properties. But this way was better.
Roxie can’t work for CSMC. She’d gotten fired for Conduct Unbecoming from one of the strip clubs and by the time that maybe Mouse or Baby might have welcomed her back into the fold she’d realized the benefit of being affiliated with CSMC but not owned by them. She’d always be under their protection and she had no intention of screwing them... ever. She’d worked in enough CSMC clubs to know exactly how stupid that would be. She liked her life and breathing is a joy.
The Michaelsons are CSMC and are loyal as well. They’d never screw over Alecia or Mouse not after the way that CSMC talent had taken care of them and their families. Cassius, G and LeVon had been straight with Alecia and Mouse. Taken them out to dinner at the Greek place on the first floor of CSMC Boston and kind of filled them in on the plan. They wouldn’t be signing a next contract. It was time for them to stop being so much up front and take up the behind the scenes stuff. They’d be branching out on their own. They wanted to be affiliated with CSMC. Alecia and Mouse had looked at each other and done some kind of mind reading thing. Alecia had nodded and given her blessing. As long as the new label wasn’t screwing the Talent she’d be happy to collaborate with them.
The first year in Miami had been weird. The guys were still touring for their last album for CSMC. Levon’s Gamma had come with her thankfully so she wouldn’t be all alone in the new city even as she was trying to get things set up for the guys. Gamma had stopped being such a bitch to her after about her third year married to Cassius. It had been in the third year when Gamma had finally told her to call her Gamma before that it has been Mrs Adams. She’d been making Gamma money for three years before the old woman had finally relented. Now they fly back to Atlanta together on a monthly basis to check up on Roxie’s clients there and Gamma’s friends from the neighborhood.
Levon had been the Michaelson who had wanted a club so Gamma had worked on getting the club that came with the portfolio all legal and had managed to steal a cook from one of the best bbq places in Miami. Course Gamma had brought her own recipes to the table including one that had her being courted by an upstate New York pit master. The food got noticed and brought the people to the building and about the time the food service wound down the music would start. The club had been the first real success of the portfolio. Gamma had been a big piece of that. She’d been the one there until eight pm every night making sure everything is just so and the money just right. Gamma is also tight with Javier, the head of CSMC– Miami. CSMC Miami has their own club, it’s like a rule of the branches, but Javier is more than willing to make sure LeVon’s place has it’s share of CSMC talent artists working their way through and there are no security issues. Course Gamma had also signed a Miami Nice contract for the club to make sure that the front always looks good. And Gamma had hired Javier’s sister Kiki Ortiz to run the club from 8pm until 4am.
Kiki had basically been born into CSMC... and she’d rebelled against it too. Gone to a college in a town where CSMC didn’t have a presence. Did okay for about a year and then the shit went down. Just about everyone in CSMC knew what had happened to Kiki and nobody talked about it. Or if they did, they talked about the school that hadn’t supported Kiki and what had happened to the pendaho who’d assaulted her. Kiki had transferred to Port Charles University. She’d gone into therapy with Cameron Lewis, Baby’s grandfather, and stayed in therapy with him until she’d graduated from PCU... MBA-- accounting.
Javier had put the big push on for her to come to Miami. Big brother didn’t want her flying solo in a non CSMC town again. Kiki’s always going to have an issue with what happened to her even if Dr Cam had helped her deal with the fall out. Javier had never gotten therapy, well other than a little vengeance therapy, and he’d never forgiven himself for what happened. It had been a compromise... Kiki would come to Miami but she wouldn’t work for Courtland Street. She’d gone to work for Gamma Adams and Roxie Jackson.
Roxie had basically been another course of therapy for her. Roxie is sex on a stick. She’d made no secret about her stripper past or that she’d met Cassius over a lapdance. She’d even admitted to Kiki that she’d had some close calls before she’d gone to work for CSMC. Because the move to Miami had been her idea Roxie frequently showed up at the club especially when Cassius, G and LeVon were out of town to make sure that things are being done right. And Roxie looked so good that she scared most men. Roxie had been the one that had taken her shopping for work clothes, club clothes, the one who had given her pointers on attitude. Who’d made sure that she owned her space and wouldn’t wimp out at the first sign of intimidation from someone who happened to possess a penis.
Roxie had taught her that it was okay to be girl, a good looking girl, and to trust the back of her neck rather than jumping when someone said boo. Roxie figured that she’d graduated that course when she’d said Boo back. So Wednesday thru Saturday night Kiki worked the club 8pm to 4am and Tuesday thru Friday she worked at the office putting her MBA in accounting to work. Normally she wouldn’t be here on a Saturday night at 6pm. Course normally Junior Kahanalua isn’t going to be here on a Saturday night.
As an alum of Port Charles University, Kiki is familiar with both Junior and his girlfriend Mariah Radcliffe. Dara and Gia had managed the guilt money the college had forked over as part of the settlement. She’d met Gia more than a couple of times up in Port Charles. She’d sat in on few conference calls too between Roxie and Dara Jenson. People didn’t normally realize how cautious Roxie is when it comes to her own money or the Michaelsons. Roxie has total confidence when dealing with someone else’s money but when it came to her own or her guys she’d double check things with Dara.
Dara steered business their way. Because of Dara they’d gotten Steve Johnson of the Miami Heat back when he was a rookie. Dara and Gia would also use space in the offices down by the courthouse if they had to be in town for Cat 5 business or working some of their other clients down here in Florida. One Phone Call, Mona Dupree’s business, had also pushed clients Roxie’s way. Javier had done his bit too. When Baby’s brother, Morgan Benson, had finally wanted to get out from under the really stale law firm he’d been working at Javier had let him know about Roxie.... and that she was not CSMC. Evidently that had been a big selling point with Morgan.
So normally when the building would be empty for the weekend and even the over achievers would have cleared out to have some kind of weekend- Roxie, Kiki, Morgan, Morgan’s secretary Maria are all in the office and awaiting the arrival of Junior Kahanalua, the number one draft pick of not only the draft but specifically of Miami. Maria normally ran Morgan’s office but today she’s sitting at the receptionist seat for their building. She wants to be the first one to check out the new guy. And her eyes get wide when he arrives. He is a BIG new guy. She’s familiar with basketball players, Steve Johnson even Pete, one of Morgan’s best friends and an ex roommate but this guy is BIG. Greek god... nah Polynesian god big. She goes over to the front door and unlocks it. “Hi, Roxie is up in her office.”
“Sorry to bring you guys in on the weekend. It’s just that my folks are going back to Port Charles tomorrow.”
“No problem, no problem at all.” Maria stands back to let in Junior and his family. She recognizes Gia Campbell of course and she knows that Gia is tall at least 5ft 9 tall and she is dwarfed by Mariah Radcliff, Junior and Jesse Kahanalua. She locks the door after them and then getting in front leads the way to the elevator. She does a quick best guess calculation and figures that their little elevator can handle the traffic. The building is actually only three stories tall. The first floor is the lobby and reception are with a couple of small leased businesses. The second floor is more leased office space and up on the third floor is the space that Roxie has split with Morgan Benson. On the right leaving the elevator is Morgan’s offices and on the left is JAM. Jackson Asset Management.