“Really?” she gushed.
“Yeah, let’s walk back to the truck.” Lo shook Nate’s hand. “Good looking out, OG.”
“No problem. Anytime.”
The couple headed back to the truck just as the sun had set. He opened the back and revealed a basket of food he picked up on the way to the dance studio.
Bria gasped. “Lo, you didn’t.”
He chuckled, moving her ponytail away from her neck. “I figured you would be hungry after rehearsal. Let’s eat right here and watch the sunset.”
“I would love to.”
Lo helped Bria sit in the back of the truck before he joined her. Because he was a man who didn’t half-step, sandwiches and chips just wouldn’t suffice. Lo had a chef prepare steak and shrimp nachos with homemade salsa and guacamole. There was also fruit and cans of soda.
“Oh, I’m about to smash this,” she declared excitedly. “I’ll take the seafood one.”
Lo passed it to her and cracked open his container. They ate in a comfortable silence until Bria confessed, “This is one of the best days I’ve had recently. Thank you, baby.”
He smiled at her. “Me too.”
“It’s so peaceful out here,” she noted, looking at the sky. “I love sunsets. If I could watch one every night, I would… Hey,you ever wonder why the sky turns orange and red when the sun is setting?”
“Because of the angle of the sun’s light as its going down and Rayleigh scattering.”
Bria side-eyed him, wearing a smirk. “I forgot I was married to a borderline genius.”
That tickled him. “Don't be a hater, Bri-Bri.”
“I’m not. I actually think it’s cool that you're an undercover nerd. That means our children will be highly intelligent, athletic, and creative.”
Lo didn’t think about children until he got with Bria. He secretly couldn’t wait for her to carry his offsprings.
“How are you doing, mentally?”
“Straight because I’m next to this bad-ass ballet dancer who got me hooked like a fiend.”
Blushing, Bria leaned in for a kiss. “I appreciate you. I know you haven’t been doing well after the situation with your mom and aunt, so thank you for making time for me.”
“You don't have to thank me, Bria. I told you it’s up between us.”
She bobbed her head. “So that means you’re still going to come to my performance, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
Initially, Lo had taken this time strictly for Bria, but he’d needed this break more than she did. Being with her and drowning in her presence was like receiving a prescription for pain. His agony had been blocked out because his happiness with Bria didn’t leave room for it to enter. Lo didn’t have a name for this feeling, but he knew he didn’t want to be without it.
“What are we doing after this?” she asked, before taking a sip of her soda.
Lust danced in his orbs when he responded, “Watching you ride that horse made me want you to ride mine.”
Bria licked her lips. “Then get us home so I can show you how good I can ride.”
Bria dabbed her forehead with face powder while looking at her reflection in the mirror. It was the night of her performance, and she attempted to get her mind into dance mode. For most of the day, she prepped for her solo and pampered herself with a facial and body massage. When it was time for Bria to dance, she didn’t allow anything to deter her. Not her family, her marriage, or the injustices of the ballet industry. She was locked in on making this performance better than her last one.
After applying her makeup, she put her hair into a tight bun. While laying her edges down, her phone rang. Immediately her eyes darted to the screen, not recognizing the number.
“Who is this?” she whispered to herself.
