“Oh, that shit?” I mocked him. “You ain’t know you were secretly dating your co-star for that movie you got a couple lil’ lines in?” I asked, waving my hand to downplay his accomplishment.
He sucked his teeth. “Oh, now it’s just some lil’ movie and shit, but when I first told you about it, your ass was all gassed talkin’ ‘boutoh, bae, what am I gonna wear the night of the premiere? Blah, blah,” he mocked in a high-pitch voice.
I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. “Whatever! This is the shit I’m talkin’ about though, Hendrix. I like the lowkey vibes we’ve got goingon except for when I have to read about you in the blogs with someone else, knowing it’s not true.”
He slowly sauntered up behind me, kissed my neck, and started massaging my breasts through the sheets with a high thread count. “Having you at my game as my lady will put all that shit to rest, again, only if you’re comfortable,” he reiterated before pecking my rose-pink lips.
“I’m not uncomfortable,” I confirmed. “Or at least I wasn’t.”
“If there’s something you want to ask me, then you have to floor to do it,” he asserted.
“Fine. I guess I just want to know if I should be concerned or not.”
“No. It’s just these dumb ass gossip bloggers our agents are paying to cooking up a story about us to generate buzz for the movie. That’s it and that’s all. She got a man and I got you. It’s childish gossip. You’re all I want. I promise you that. The only question now is do you believe me?”
I tipped my head forward. “I do. It’s annoying because I was just talking to Lauryn about this shit a few weeks ago, and she was getting on me about us not being all out in the blogs and on the ‘Gram and shit. I know for damn sure she won’t shut up when she sees this shit on The Shade Room.” I said, puffing air through my nostrils.
“Tell your girls you with a real one, so they can calm they asses down. We ain’t gotta be postin’ our every move on the ‘Gram. We got our own thing going on, and we doin’ shit how we wanna do it. I told you from the beginning, I’m just along for the ride with you. If you’d rather sit in the stands instead of with all the other player’s wives and girls, I’m cool with that, too.”
“Yeah, I’m not rushing to be the center of attention on anyone’s blogs again, but I’m ready to do this with you. The timing feels right,” I told him.
“I’m a firm believer that if it’s real, then everything should be effortless, you know?”
“I completely agree, and I’m glad we’re both on the same page,” I said with an agreeing plunge of my chin.
“Just know I’m yours. Mentally, spiritually, and physically.”
“And I’m yours. Now go get in the shower and get ready.”
He pecked my lips once more before disappearing into the bathroom. Hendrix was my drug in human form. There was more between us than just the symphony of our bodies. Even after our bodies parted, my soul was still intertwined with his. I’d done things with him I’d never imagined doing with anyone, let alone someone in the limelight, and I didn’t want anyone else.
Twenty minutes later, Hendrix’s legs jolted in motion as he exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“I want you waiting for me under the covers when I get back. I’m still feignin' for you, but I gotta get to the arena,” he announced.
“I’ll be at the game. And then I’ll see you back here later.”
“You promise?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss waking up next to my favorite person on my favorite holiday.”
Hendrix smiled to reveal his canines. “Bet.” He swaggered over to kiss me goodbye, and I pulled him in for a deeper kiss. “You better stop before a nigga slip back inside you,” he mumbled against my lips in his sexy, panty-dropping tone.
I pulled away from him and felt dizzy. “Okay, okay. Bye. Have a good game.”
Hendrix left without telling me he loved me, and I didn’t question it. He hadn’t said it since the night he’d surprised me in my apartment, and I didn’t say it back. Not saying it back still fucked with me because Ididlove him—it was one thing, butsaying it? Saying it took on a whole new thing that I didn’t know if I was ready for, even if my heart was.
Walking into the arena, I felt the tension and excitement coursing through the air. Hendrix had a point to prove to almost everyone under the roof, and I was glad I could be there to support him. Knowing I was there solely to support my man didn’t help to put my own anxieties to rest when it came to taking my place in his world, but I trekked on accordingly.
The arena attendant scanned my mobile ticket and escorted me to the private VIP suite with the rest of the players’ wives and girlfriends. From the looks of it, none of them had heard of a bad hair day or ever experienced a chip in their nail polish. Everything from their designer bags to their French-tipped toes being paraded around in designer shoes were flawless. I couldn’t help but drag my eyes down to the outfit I’d chosen to wear. I had on a custom-fit jersey with Hendrix’s name on the back, jeans with a Gucci belt wrapped around my waist, and my favorite pair of Christian Louboutin heels, yet I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb and completely out of my element. I still felt awkward about going to his game alone and trying to play nice with women I didn’t give two shits about, but I knew how to play the game. It was his workplace, and as an extension of him, I wanted to make sure I made a good first impression.
Bass-heavy music blared as the smell of freshly popped popcorn wafted past my nose. I grabbed the first available seat I could find and parked myself there, wishing I had my girls there to mix and mingle with so I could loosen up more quickly. I wasn’t looking for new besties in the WAG community, but I also didn’t want to come off stuck-up and reserved and end up causing more drama. It was hard for me to identify as anything or anyone but myself. Up until then, I’d been careful not to envelop my life into his, yet these women embodied high fashion, good looks, and flashy lifestyles I saw on reality shows. I didn’t see how I fit into that.
“Here, have a glass of champagne,” a young woman of mixed descent offered. “It’ll knock the edge off.”
I obliged with a smile. “Thanks.”
“Is this your first time here?”
