A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

Author:Tia Williams [WILLIAMS, TIA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2024-02-07T00:00:00+00:00

In the early morning, Ricki opened her eyes to sunlight streaming through her window. Her cheek rested on his chest, her hand in his. She raised her head, seeing that Ezra was awake. He was staring at the ceiling, his eyes bloodshot and damp. He looked like his heart was already broken.

“Tell me now.” She settled back onto his chest, shutting her eyes, steeling herself against whatever he was going to say. “Tell me everything.”

And so he did.

CHAPTER 14

EVERYWHERE AND NOWHERE

February 16, 2024

Tuesday could spot a fake when she saw one. How could she not when, technically, she was fake. Her government name wasn’t even Tuesday Rowe; it was Teodozji Roesky. When her mom, Roksana, named her, she couldn’t have anticipated that her brown-skinned baby would one day be a TV star—with a manager who’d demand a less “ethnically confusing” moniker.

Ezra Walker was also fake. It was painfully obvious that he wasn’t who he said he was. How could Ricki not see it?

Tuesday wasn’t having it. She was no longer in the business of allowing possibly dangerous men to hurt her or the people she loved. Ricki was vulnerable, well meaning, and real in a way that demanded protecting. And she just didn’t trust Ezra with her.

Thanks to a mix of regression therapy and self-actualization podcasts, Tuesday finally saw herself as a real person: no longer a puppet for her managers, a fantasy for her fans, or a punching bag for misogynistic tabloids. It had taken a lot of work, because she’d been indoctrinated at a young age to chase artificiality. In fact, every profile ever written about her was anchored in a very specific lie. That at five years old, she told Santa that for Christmas, she wanted to be a star.

Which was ridiculous. Tuesday never even believed in Santa. Roksana hadn’t allowed it; she’d be damned if some red-faced pyzaty porker would take the credit for the gifts she saved for all year with her coat check tips.

Tuesday did remember wanting to be like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Ashley Banks when she grew up. But what five-year-old is qualified to make career decisions? She’d also dreamed of becoming a horse. Or working at a grocery store. Tuesday used to watch the CTown Supermarket checkout lady, mesmerized, as she packed up all their groceries, making sure each item fit just right. It was like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, just with Eggos and Lunchables! But Tuesday’s mom didn’t drive from Harlem to Hollywood to pursue a career in supermarket sales for her baby girl. No, her mom decided that TV stardom was the plan.

Poverty was on the horizon, and Roksana Roesky was no dummy.

After Tuesday was hired as a spunky cutie-pie on Ready Freddy, nothing was ever real again. Birthday parties? Staged. Mommy-daughter picnics? Staged. At ten, she posed for a wholesome People pic with her on-set teacher, who was also dealing her amphetamines on the side. At fourteen, CosmoGirl interviewed her about the value of natural beauty, but

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