Power of the Empire
Authored By: MadgeWriter
.empire isn't mine.
New York City, New York
April 16, 2017
She sighed, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her sweatshirt as she walked down the busy New York sidewalk. The music from her cellphone blasting in her ears, she lightly sang the words, "You're so beautiful. You got me watching you like a camera do. I'll still wait for you. You got me. Girl I'm countin' the ways."
Unaware of a particular Lyon woman walking beside her, she didn't notice when the other stopped and watched her walk away for a while before deciding to follow. So lost in her own world, she didn't hear the elder woman call out to her until she felt her arm being grabbed. Reacting off impulse, she turned; her hand poised to spray the mace she held until she blinked; taken by surprise at who it was that had actually stopped her.
Carefully tucking the spray away as she pulled her earbuds out of her ears, she openly gaped at the woman. Of all the people that could have possibly stopped her; she never dreamed in a million years that it would be one of the famed Lyon's that did so.
"I'm sorry to just grab you like that, I should have expected you to react the way that you did," Cookie explained to the shocked young woman. "After serving seventeen years in the penitentiary, I know I would have reacted the same way. Anyways, I'm Cookie Lyon, ex-wife of Luscious Lyon and one of the original founders of Empire Entertainment. I heard you singing when you walked by, you have a beautiful voice. Have you ever thought about getting into the music business professionally?"
Swallowing thickly, she nodded her head before she spoke, "Yes, but my Dad thinks that singing isn't a real career, just a waste of time. He prefers that I go to school and study to be a doctor or lawyer or something. And Mom doesn't really have an opinion about it but the thought has crossed my mind several times before."
"Well sweetie pie, I'm here to tell you that your dad is completely wrong," Cookie laughed as she touched the other's arm lightly. "You have an amazing voice and with the right songs and the right management, you could be a big star. My ex-husband would say the same thing." She then reached into her purse, pulling out a business card before handing it to her. "I want you to think about what I said and if you change your mind, give me a call. We'll set up a meeting and see about cutting you a deal. How does that sound?"
Light grey eyes blinked rapidly as she took the card, looking down at it before smiling at the Lyon woman, "Thank you, I'll think about it." She turned to walk away before she realized that she never gave Cookie her name. "Oh, I almost completely forgot, I never introduced myself. I'm Malia, Malia Anderson. It was nice meeting you Ms. Lyon." Then she turned and began walking away again, returning her earbuds to her ears.
Cookie smiled, waving a hand to the young woman before she too turned to continue in the direction she had been heading again. She hoped that the girl would call. She had talent and with the right people behind her, she could be as big as some of the hottest stars to date.
"Only time will tell," Cookie said laughing to herself as she walked up the steps to the entrance of Empire Entertainment.
…
"I'm home," Malia called as she walked into the Victorian style home a few hours after her run in with Cookie to find it completely void of life. "Mom, Dad, anybody here?"
Her brows creased when she didn't get a response, deciding to head to the kitchen where she was likely to find her mother if she was actually home. Walking into the dark room, she flipped on the light to see it completely empty. A lone note, she noticed when she looked around, was stuck on the refrigerator door. Stepping towards it, she reached out and grabbed the piece of paper.
"'Malia, we've gone on a little spur of the moment vacation to Hawaii. Your sister and brothers are with your aunt and uncle, so you have the house to yourself for the next few weeks'," she read aloud. "'Make sure you keep things clean and water Mom's plants so that they don't die. There's leftovers from last night in the fridge. We'll see you when we get back. Love, Dad. P.S we left three hundred dollars and the car keys. Go grocery shopping before we get back please.' Nice, they up and go on a vacation while I'm at school and I'm stuck here on my own for the next few weeks."
She sighed, plopping down on a dining room chair, "Whelp, I guess the whole little talk I had planned out is just going to have to wait. I need to think about if I'm even going to go through with it anyways."
Picking herself up from her seat, she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind her. Throwing her jacket and school bag on the bed before lying down, she curled up, pulling her phone out of her back pocket. Scrolling through her contacts, she stopped on her best friend's phone number and pressed call.
Placing the phone to her ear, she listened as it rang before a female voice answered, "This is Nelly."
"Hey Nelly, its Malia," Malia said as she turned over on her side. "I'm home alone for the next few weeks. Mom and Dad decided to go on a spur of the moment vacation to freakin Hawaii while I was at school so I was calling to see if you'd like to stay the night with me?"
"Wow Malia, no text, no call, no nothing? They just up and left," Nelly asked. "Where are your little sister and brothers?"
"At my aunt and uncle's house," Malia answered. "Like I said, I'm here alone for the next few weeks. So, did you want to come over? Please say yes because besides being here by myself I have something big to tell you about that happened to me today during lunch."
It was quiet for a moment before Nelly spoke again, "Give me thirty minutes and I'll be there."
Malia nodded to no one in particular, "Alright, see you when you get here."
Then the line went dead, and she threw the iPhone 7 Plus to the side of her.
…
"She has an amazing voice Jamal," Cookie gushed as she walked around the office in circles; arms flailing with excitement. It'd been a long time since she'd noticed talent like that and she prayed to whatever God that was listening that she would accept her offer. "You should have heard her singing your father's song. I haven't heard a voice like that in forever. It was so refreshing, nothing like these little heffas that have deals these days. She can actually sing, Mal, better than anyone I've heard in a while."
Jamal laughed at his mother's excitement as she plopped down on the couch beside him, "Well has she called you yet? Let you know if she was interested?"
"Not yet," Cookie answered dejectedly. "She said she had to think about it. So, I'm going to give her a few days. But if she does decide to go through with it and come in for a meeting, she could be the next big thing for Empire. Having a powerhouse voice like hers in our arsenal will benefit this company greatly. Especially after all the bullshit that's gone down over the last couple of years."
"You've always had an ear for talent," Luscious spoke for the first time. "If this girl is as good as you say she is, then I do hope that she decides to take you up on your offer. After that fiasco a few months ago, we need something that is going to help Empire sky rocket back to where we were before. And this girl could be it."
Cookie rolled her eyes, glancing over at her ex-husband, "She is good, Luscious. If you heard her sing, you'd understand what I meant. And if we can get her to sign on with us, well, hah, look out world. There's a new diva on the block. Move over Mariah Carey, Rihanna and Beyoncé."
"I believe you, Cook," Luscious said laughing lightly. "So, what's this girl's name?"
"Malia Anderson," Cookie answered.
…
"No freakin' way," Nelly said holding her hands over her mouth at the news her best friend had just bestowed on her. "Cookie Lyon wants to offer you a record deal?"
"Yeah," Malia laughed nervously. "I was on my way back to campus after lunch and she heard me singing her ex-husband's song and asked me if I ever considered going into the business. I told her about how dad feels about me singing but I assured her I'd think about it so she gave me her card and asked me to give her a call once I made a decision."
"And have you decided," Nelly asked as she leaned back on the bed.
"I want to sing so badly," Malia answered. "But I don't want to disappoint my dad. You know how he feels about me going into the music business. He thinks it's all just a big scam."
"Malia, you are twenty-one, almost twenty-two years old," Nelly said leaning forward on her knuckles. "You are a grown woman. You can make your own damn decisions. If you want to sing then goddammit, you sing. If you want to be a doctor, be a goddamn doctor. Your father, once he actually takes the time to realize what an amazing voice you have, will be so proud of you, he won't give a shit that you're a singer or a doctor, or a lawyer, or what the fuck ever. So, this is what you're going to do. You are going to call Cookie Lyon and you're going to set up a meeting, then you're going to go in there and fucking wow them, and you're going sign an amazing contract, and you're going to become as big a star as Be-fucking-yoncé. Do you understand me Malia?"
Malia laughed, nodding her head to her best friend of almost eighteen years, "You're right. Fine, okay, I'll call her in a few days and try for a meeting in the afternoon after my classes."
"Now that's my best friend," Nelly said as she flipped off the bed and made her way over to Malia's closet.
A brow irked as she leaned over to see what her best friend was doing, "What are you doing?"
"Finding the perfect outfit for you," Nelly answered. "You can't very well walk into Empire Entertainment in any ol' thing. Oh, hey, if you do get a contract with them can I be your stylist?"
A snort of laughter escaped the curly haired woman as she nodded her head, "I wouldn't want anyone other than you deciding what I was going to wear so you have the job."
"Yay," the redhead chimed as she returned her attention to the clothes that littered the hangers in Malia's closet.
…
Cookie had been looking over a few things on her iPad when her phone rang a few days after first meeting Malia. Placing the device down, she picked up the phone, "Empire Entertainment, this is Cookie Lyon speaking."
"Ms. Lyon, hi, it's Malia Anderson," Malia's voice came over the line. "You and I ran into one another a few days ago."
"Malia, thank goodness, I'm so glad that you called," Cookie said smiling from ear to ear as she sat up in her seat. "Have you thought about what you wanted to do as far as a career in singing goes?"
"Yes, I have," Malia answered almost instantly. "I've decided to go for it. Is there a good time for you to meet say, this afternoon?"
Looking down at her calendar on the desk, Cookie nodded lightly, "Yes, if you could drop by around 3:30 or so, we can meet then. Luscious and Jamal should be here around that time too."
"3:30 works," Malia said happily. "I'll be out of class by 2 so I can make it there in time for the meeting. Is there anything specific I should tell security when I get there?"
"Just let them know that you're here to see me and I'll come down to meet you," Cookie answered. "Oh, and if you have any material that you've prerecorded or anything, please bring it with you."
"I'll do so," Malia assured her. "So, I'll see you around 3:30 this afternoon. Bye."
The line went dead a moment later, and Cookie smiled as she placed the phone back on the hook. "Score one for team Cookie, baby."
…
After a long day of classes, a very anxious Malia quickly made her way to Empire's main office building. Taking a deep, reassuring breath, she quickly walked up the steps and into the building. Making her way to the first security guard she saw, she tapped the burly man's shoulder, "Excuse me. Hi, my name is Malia Anderson, I have a meeting with Cookie Lyon. She told me to just let you guys know?"
"Just a second," the man said before murmuring into his walkie talkie. A few seconds later another voice spoke before the man turned back to her. "Please step through the metal detector."
Malia nodded, knowing full well that the buzzer would go off due to her belt before she stepped through. When it beeped, she opened her jacket to show the man that she wasn't carrying anything, it had just been her belt buckle that set the alarm off before he directed her to stand to the side and wait a few feet away. She stood where she was told and waited until she heard the click of heels against the marble floor heading her way.
Turning her head, she smiled when she saw Cookie headed straight for her, "Malia, it's so good to see you again. Please, follow me this way. Luscious and Jamal are waiting for us in Luscious' office."
Grabbing her hand, Cookie all but dragged the younger woman behind her to the elevator. Pressing the button with more vigor than necessary, she turned to her again; her smile still on her face. "I'm glad that you decided to call. I've told Jamal and Luscious about your voice and they're curious to see what you can do." They two stepped into the elevator together and Cookie pressed the button for the seventh floor. "So, I want you to shake off the nerves because you look nervous as hell and blow them both away."
Malia nodded, taking a deep breath, "Is there specific material that I need to sing or can I just pick any song be it written by me or another artist?"
"You can sing any damn song you so choose," Cookie said placing her hands on her hips.
"I know the perfect song then," Malia said as the doors to the elevator opened and they walked out together.
She followed Cookie to a set of French double doors where she knocked before opening the left door and stepping inside; gesturing for Malia to follow. She stepped in, looking around in awe at the beautifully decorated office.
"Well," a man's voice said causing her head to snap back to the trio of family members that stood by the desk. She'd been so caught up in looking around, she hadn't noticed that Cookie had left her where she stood. "So, this is the young woman Cookie spoke so highly of. You are definitely beautiful my dear." He stood, stepping past his son towards her and held out his hand. "I'm Luscious Lyon. You've met Cookie." He gestured to Cookie before holding his hand out towards his middle son. "This is my son Jamal. It is a pleasure to have you here today."
"Thank you, Mr. Lyon," Malia said shaking the hand she held. "It's an honour to be here."
"I'm sure it is," he said releasing her hand before going to join his family at the desk. "So, what is it you were going to sing for us today?"
"One of my favourite songs ever," Malia answered. "You're So Beautiful."
…
After allowing her to sing a few verses of the song, the Lyon family gave Malia a standing ovation. Still clapping, Luscious walked back down towards her, "Cookie was right. You do have an amazing voice." He held his hand out to her which she happily took. "Welcome to Empire. We'll draw up a contract and get in touch with you in the next few days. Cookie here will be your manager. It's only right since she was the one who discovered you."
A bright smile graced Malia's features, "Thank you, Mr. Lyon. Thank you so much."
"No thank you, Ms. Anderson," Luscious said. "Thank you for blessing us with your beautiful gift. I look forward to seeing you again in the next few days. But for now…" He reached into his jacket pocket, producing a handful of crisp hundred dollar bills neatly folded in half and placing them in her hand. "You go celebrate the beginning of a new life for you."
"Oh Mr. Lyon I can't take this from you," Malia said trying to give the money back, but Luscious stayed her hand.
"Just think of it as a miniature advance," Luscious said smiling at the raven haired woman.
"Thank you again," Malia said gratefully before tucking the money away and turning to leave.
"Call me next week," Cookie called after her. "We'll set up another meeting to go over your contract, alright?"
Malia nodded, walking out of the office.
"I got to hand it to you Cook," Luscious said, "You definitely have an ear for talent. That girl has the whole package. She's got the looks, she's got the voice, now we just need the music and we can make her into the next big thing."
"See, I told you," Cookie said leaning back on the desk she was standing in front of. "Next time just take my word for it when I say I've found someone that will blow your socks off."
"She definitely blew me away," Jamal said taking a seat on the edge of his father's desk. "Now the only problem we're going to have is trying to keep Hakeem from trying to get into her pants the second he meets her."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Luscious said joining his family again at the desk. "For now, we need to focus on getting some writers in here and composing songs for Malia. Then we've got to get her in the studio, ASAP. I want her out and on the charts by June."
"Don't get your panties in a bunch Luscious," Cookie said pushing at the side of his head before she stood to make her way out of the office as well. "I'm all over it. I've already started scheduling meetings with writers to see if I can get a good song out of at least one of them when she called this morning and told me she was going to take the deal. And…" She opened the door and prepared to walk out before continuing, "Word of mouth is she writes most of her own stuff. So, I'll see what she's got the next time we meet; maybe it'll be good enough to get her on the charts."
Then she walked out the door, letting it close behind her.
"Mom's on it for this one," Jamal said laughing slightly. "I don't think I've seen her go this hard for anyone before… well, aside from you in the beginning."
"She did promote the hell out of you too," Luscious reminded his middle son. "Made you into the big star you are today." Leaning back in his seat, he folded his hands over his chest, "Cookie puts in the work for anyone she sees has a lot of talent. That's just the type of person she is."
"You're right," Jamal said as he stood. "Well Dad, I need to get out of here. I've got a guest appearance at Leviticus in a bit for that Billboards party."
"See ya son," Luscious said, waving his son off.
"Bye Pop," Jamal called over his shoulder as he too left the office.
…
"You're not going to believe what happened," Malia screeched as she slid into the seat across from her best friend at the local Starbucks.
"They didn't like you," Nelly teased.
"Not even close," Malia answered rolling her eyes before she pulled out her wallet to show her the money Luscious had given her. "I'm officially an Empire artist and, Mr. Lyon gave me a fifty-two-hundred-dollar "miniature advance", as he called it. This is just before I sign the contract."
"Oh my God," Nelly said looking from the money to her best friend before throwing her arms around her. "Congratulations Malia! You're going to be a fucking star!"
"Thank you, thank you," Malia said hugging the redhead back before they released one another. "So, I was thinking maybe we should go do something today, my treat of course, to celebrate."
"What do you have in mind," Nelly asked irking a brow.
"Whatever we want," Malia said as she stood, grabbing her best friend's wrist and pulling her along with her.