Free Player Haters by Carl Weber

looked over at a smiling Beverly, who nodded.
    Oh, great. That was all I needed. I was trying to figure out ways to tell her I was wrong, that she doesn’t have a career, while Mike and Beverly were telling her she’s the next Whitney Houston. What the fuck was their problem, anyway?
    “Big Mike said that, huh?”
    “Uh-huh.” She smiled.
    “Well, that’s great. Where is Big Mike, anyway?” Indigo shrugged her shoulders, and I glanced at Beverly.
    “He’s in his office. He’s waiting for you,” Beverly replied.
    “I’m sure he is.” I walked to Mike’s office door and opened it. Big Mike, a handsome, clean-shaved, brown-skinned man, was sitting behind an old metal desk, talking on a cell phone. He gestured for me to sit down, but the empty chairs were covered with electronics and paperwork.
    “Just move some of that shit, Trent. I’ll be right with you,” he told me as he continued his conversation. My eyes traveled around the shabby room while he finished his call.
    “Hey, Trent. Sorry about that.” We stood and grabbed each other’s hands in a brotherly hug, then sat back down. Mike offered me a cigar, which I gladly took. He only smoked expensive cigars. “So what’s up? You got something for me?”
    I tossed an envelope on his desk. He opened it and counted the contents with a smile. “Five hundred, just as we agreed.”
    He picked up a manila envelope from his desk and handed it to me. “There’s two demos in there.”
    “Cool,” I told him as I stood.
    “Hey, Trent. You got a minute? I wanna talk to you about a couple of things.”
    “What’s up? Why you look so serious?” I sat back down, giving him my full attention.
    “I didn’t wanna tell you this earlier in front of Indigo, but Beverly and I seen your girl Michelle at IHOP this morning.”
    “Jesus, not you too, Mike. What the fuck is it about this fucking girl? Does she have everyone under a spell? Look, Mike, I don’t fuck with Michelle no more, okay?”
    “Please, man, you know you love that girl. Trent, I been knowing you for most of your adult life. I’ve never seen you as happy as when you’re around Michelle. You can’t see it, but she the one.”
    “No, Mike, Indigo’s the one. She’s the one with the money, remember.”
    “Well, you might wanna rethink that, ’cause, man, Michelle was looking good as shit when I saw her. And believe me, money can’t buy you love. Besides, what you gonna do, run out on your kid? You might have everyone else fooled but I know you better than that. You love kids, Trent, and that little boy of yours is cute as hell. You can’t deny that one, can you?” Mike laughed but I didn’t join in.
    “Yeah, I can. ’Cause he ain’t mine.”
    Mike leaned back in his chair, eyeing me strangely. “Please, Trent, I don’t know who you think you foolin’, ’cause that boy looks just like you. You both got them round Charlie Brown heads.” His comment pissed me off and I leaned forward, pointing my cigar at his face as I stared him dead in the eyes.
    “Yo, Mike, let’s get something straight. That’s not my baby, aw’ight. I don’t know what the fuck Michelle told you, but that bitch is lying.”
    “Hold up, man.” Mike sat back in his chair, the expression on his face very serious. “There ain’t no need to call the sister a bitch. She ain’t even tell me that was your baby. I came up with that assumption on my own.”
    “Well, then you need to stop assuming shit.”
    “You’re right, I should.” He hesitated, smiling as he sucked on his cigar. “Besides, it’s probably that guy she was with anyway. He sure was acting like he was the baby’s daddy.”
    “Guy? What guy?” Mike’s words hit me like a ton of bricks. Could Michelle be seeing someone? I know it seems selfish but I never even imagined her messing with another guy. Not this soon. Damn, she’d only had the baby eight months ago. “What guy, Mike?”
    “You know who I’m talking about. That guy.” Mike