Alicia Keys' long graceful fingers were tinkering with the keys of the grand piano in the living room of her penthouse suite. She was working on a composition to follow-up her smash hit 'Falling.' She called it "First Love" – a song filled with angst about a young girl who met and fell in love with a guy who after a wonderful brief time they had spent together vanished. Then upon seeing the guy back, she was told that he couldn't remember her. Each time she saw him then, he was often always surrounded by girls and no matter how hard she tried to be noticed by him he paid no attention.
Other than herself in the penthouse suite, was Tex Hardy, a black chef hired to cook her food, fix her drink, and serve them to her at her beck and call. The recording company to which she was on contract had booked her in this suite for as long as she could make her songs for the follow-up album.
Tex was polishing the glasses in the bar when Alicia called her. "Yes, Miss Keys" he said, walking up close to her. "Ah, will you make me some tea with lemon and bring me my favorite biscuits please," she said hardly looking up at him. "As you say so Miss Keys." He made a curtsy bow and retreated to the bar. She was now getting used to the perks of being a celebrity.
Tex carried flitting similarities of Sidney Portier and Denzel Washington but quite a looker in his own right. He was neither tall or short. He stood 5'9," but he moved like a tall guy and the way his clothes hang on him hint of a well-cut body. Two days passed when Alicia realized his talent as a cook. He's very artistic with his craft. She wondered how he fared in the bed stakes. She hadn't tasted her own color.
Every morning, Alicia would stride by clad in a belly baring tank top and crotch hugging white shorts, tiny socks and Reebok trainers for her routine exercises. She would start by stretching, then she would ride the stationary bike, the threadmill and do lunges with light dumbbells, some abdominal crunches and then head for the shower. Afterwards Tex would serve her breakfast, which consisted of a fruit of her choice, orange juice, multi-grain bread, and white egg omelet spiced with herbs.
After eating she would go back to her work playing and singing until past beyond lunchtime. During the day some guests would pay her a visit but not for long as they knew that her time was preciously and exclusively devoted to her creative activity.
When she was doing a cover of a seventies song called "Love Won't Let Me Wait," she began casting glances towards Tex who is ever as always alert for whatever she needed.
"Tex, would you come over here please," she called him.
"Yes, Miss Keys?" he said in his usual low bedroom voice.
"I think you have a nice voice. Do you sing?"