Reckless: A Bad Boy Sport Romance (31 page)

I could figure out part of the reason why Aiden was so overwrought. Not only was his act the only freestyle hip-hop routine, he was dressed nothing like his peers. One after another, each dancer was dressed in sparkly unitards, sequin spandex, and colorful leotards. Then there was Aiden in a white spandex tank, baggy harems, a pair of black-and-red Jordans, and a slouchy black beanie.

I would have liked to give Aiden 2 thumbs ups from my seat if it weren't for the 2-foot-tall floral hairpiece in my way. I craned my neck from side to side, but the fashion forward nightmare in front of me shifted with me, almost as if it was taunting me. But as I gave up, leaning back in my seat, I noticed the suited figure lurking in the aisle near the front. I got up from my seat and snuck towards him.

“There's an empty seat next to me if you'd like to join me.”

Thumper turned around, but he didn't look all too surprised to see me.

“No, thanks, Ms. C.” He gave me a small smile, uncrossing his arms. “I don't think I could sit down for this.”

“Okay.” I took a step forward, standing alongside him. “You look real handsome tonight, Thumper.”

“Thanks, Ms. C.” Thumper grinned, smoothing out the creases on his skinny gray blazer. His locs were tied back neatly in a ponytail. “But it ain't mine. Borrowed this suit from my cousin, Jerome.”

We looked back at the stage in silence. For a few minutes, not a word was exchanged between us. Then, Thumper sighed, knocking the tips of his dress shoes together.

“So, how long have you known, Ms. C?”

“Not too long. A little after the video surfaced, I suppose.”

“Listen, I'm real sorry Aiden and I ain't come forward sooner – we didn't want –”

“It's okay, Thumper,” I reached over, squeezing his arm lightly. “I understand. You don't have to explain yourself to me.”

“Good, good.” His eyes widened abruptly. “Wait, Ms. C – you ain't tell anyone about this –”

“Of course not,” I replied firmly.

Thumper nodded, his head drooping.

“Right, right. 'Cause I'ma get around to it. I just – it'll come out eventually, I just don't know how I'm finna break it to them –”

“It's okay, Thumper. Really.” I stepped in front of him, looking him dead in the eye. “You do this at your own pace. There's no pressure. Just remember, whatever you think they might say about you, remember who they are to you, and who you are to them. We're all family here –”

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention please.
”

Thumper and I turned back to the stage. I looped my arm into his, the pair of us leaning forward with bated breath. As the emcee floated to the front of the stage in her emerald-green ball gown, Aiden clamped his lips shut, still staring straight ahead.

“
After much deliberation, the judges have chosen our winner.
” The woman beamed, pausing for dramatic effect. “
And so, on behalf of our esteemed judges and the National Association of Dance Conventions and Competitions, it is with great pleasure that I announce our 2016 winner and recipient of the $10,000 scholarship to Julliard School.
”

I could feel Thumper's arm tensing up in anticipation.

“
Congratulations, Aiden Chen!
”

Thumper and I sprang forward, cheering, whistling, and stomping with glee. Judging by the frenetic roars of applause next to us, the audience couldn't have agreed more with the board's decision. Still hopping up and down, we watched as Aiden walked across the stage to accept the plaque. A man in a tuxedo strolled up to the stage, carrying a giant check.

“
Would Mr. Chen's family like to join us on stage?”

Thumper and I grinned at each other, making our way up front.

XXX

“Hey, Ms. C.” Thumper called out from behind me.

“Yeah?” I stopped, peering over my shoulder.

“Thanks again for hooking us up with that reservation at Blue Swan.” Thumper glanced over his shoulder at Aiden. When he turned back to me, he had this sweet, shy smile on his face. “That was real cool of you, but I can't even imagine what the bill's gonna be like. It's gonna take me some time to get you back –”

“No. I made the reservations, it's on me. You kids have fun, but make sure you have him home by 11 tonight. And no drinking.”

“Thanks, Ms. C. You're the best.” Thumper pulled me in for a quick hug before hurrying back off to Aiden.

The boys waved before slipping out the exit of the theater behind me. When they were gone, I turned back around. I walked against the myriad of attendees heading in the opposite direction and headed for the lingering attendee sitting on the end of the second row, waiting for me. I took the empty seat next to her.

“Hey, Brooks.”

“Hi, Tab.”

Tabitha turned to face me, her stiff back inches away from the back of her chair.

“Aiden was amazing. That kid was born to be on stage.”

“He was.” I smiled fondly, Aiden's unbelievable performance replaying in my mind's eye. “He did good. Real good.”

“Good,” said Tabitha, drumming her fingers on her knees.

“Good.”

“I don't even know where to begin, but here goes. I'm sorry, Brooks,” said Tabitha softly. She took a deep breath, holding her knees. “I was drunk, pissed off, and so very, very wrong –”

“Tab, when I saw the 2 of you, I'm not gonna tell you I wasn't fucking furious.” I paused, swallowing hard. “But I've thought about it, and I mean – it's you. How can I stay mad at you, after everything we've been through? I know nothing happened, and nothing would have happened. I just wish you'd have told me, Tab.”

“How could I?”

“How could you not?” My throat was starting to sting a little. “We tell each other everything – nothing is off the table. We could have talked about this, figured this out together – I would have understood. I love you, Tab.”

“I know, I know. I love you, too.” Tabitha laughed nervously, fanning her brimming eyes. She exhaled heavily through her mouth, rubbing her lap. “I don't think I've ever gotten the chance to thank you for everything you've done for me – ”

“C'mon, Tab, you're gonna make me cry, too –”

“Which is why,” Tabitha persisted, grinning at me. “I've talked to my manager, had him pull a couple of strings, and well, long story short, he found you this amazing studio across town. It's half the rent of your current studio –”

“You did what?!”

“And the chairman of our group was so moved by what you're doing for the kids, he's sponsoring the first 3 months of rent, and is willing to put together a charity event to help your studio raise even more funds. If this takes off and the studio expands, there might be a full-time job in it for you.”

“Oh my god, Tab, I don't know what –”

“That's not all.” Tabitha winked at me, her grin stretching wider. “This isn't a sure thing, but I got you an audition – one of the backup dancers in Lady Cocaine's new music video. The pay isn't spectacular, but if you nail this, you get your name out there –”

I snapped out of my daze and threw my arms around her. I was hugging her so tightly I'd cut off the air in her windpipe for a couple of seconds. When I finally released Tabitha, she pulled away from me, caressing her throat.

“Oops. Sorry about that.”

Chuckling, Tabitha glimpsed at her watch.

“Come on. I think it's time you skedaddle.” She peered up at me with a knowing smile on her face. “I've got a feeling someone might be waiting for you...”

Chapter Fourteen:
Brooklyn

2005

I shifted my head against Ace's chest, staring up at his reflection in the rearview mirror. As I lay on top of him in the reclined driver's seat, he relaxed against his headrest with one arm behind him. His eyes were shut, but he swirled his fingers against my scalp with his other hand.

But when the itch on the back of my knees came back, I sighed irritably. I yanked the itchy gauzy lining away from my leg and reversed my crossed legs. The tiny breeze blowing through the rolled down windows wasn't helping at all. My thighs were starting to get all sticky and humid from the heat of this stupid ball gown.

“You mind turning on the AC? I'm dying here.”

“The AC's busted,” said Ace, his eyes fluttering open. “Sorry. You wanna go outside?”

“Yes, please.”

When I got out of his car, my sagging up-do tickled the back of my neck. I glanced around at the empty parking lot, zipping up the side of my dress and stooping down to roll the waistband of my panties back into place. Ace hoisted himself onto the hood of his car. I pulled out the loose bobby pins and shook out my hair, joining him.

As Ace lay against the windshield, my head found its way onto his shoulder. We stared out at the beautiful scene in front of us. Beyond the tall steel fences and barbed wire was an open field and winding paths of concrete. A row of small planes with different colored wings was parked in the distance.

All of a sudden, the car started to shake with the rumbling ground. We watched as a plane with a red-and-gold wing rolled past us. It soon gained speed, lifting off and soaring into the blue-orange sky.

“This was so worth ditching the stupid pageant.” My sash was sitting crumpled somewhere in the backseat. I leaned up, pecking Ace on the cheek. “Thanks for coming to save me. Another minute around those annoying country club girls and I would have been brain dead.”

“Happy to do it.” Ace wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. “You sure you don't wanna grab a bite to eat?”

“In a bit.” I rested my chin on his chest, gazing up at his pretty brown eyes. “Hey, I need to tell you something.”

“What's up?”

“You know how sometimes I get these 'feelings' – and they always,
always
come out true? Well, 98 percent of the time, anyway.”

“Yes?” Ace raised an eyebrow. “Not so sure it's anywhere near 98, but go on.”

“Well, I think I'm gonna be spending the rest of my life with you.”

“Sure you are.” Ace grinned, leaning over to kiss me on the forehead.

“What?” I leaned away from him, pulling a face. “You don't believe me? Wanna bet?”

“Yeah, okay.” Ace shrugged

“If I'm wrong, you're handing over your favorite Boomer Esiason score card.” I paused, thinking. “And 2 boxes of Milk Duds.”

“I think you've got yourself a deal.”

We shook on it. But as I started to pull back my hand, Ace tugged me towards him. He held my chin, kissing me softly.

When the kiss ended, my heart fluttered like it did when we shared our first kiss. I filled the gaps of his fingers, laying my cheek against his strong chest. And together, we watched as the sun drifted behind the hills, vanishing from the horizon.

Chapter Fifteen:
Brooklyn

2016

The second I stepped through my front door, goosebumps covered every inch of my arms.

The sofas in the living room had been pushed aside. The coffee table was set up in the middle of the living room, draped with red tablecloth. 2 white candles sat on the center of the table, surrounded by a bottle of wine, ceramic dishes of pot roast, salad, and a tray of lasagna. The edges of the lasagna were slightly burnt, but I wouldn't have changed a single thing. It was perfect.

“Hope you don't mind. Aiden lent me his keys.”

As Ace straightened the throw pillows on either side of the table, I closed the door behind me slowly.

“Not at all.” I hung up my purse behind the door and joined him in the living room. “This is beautiful. What is all this?”

To my surprise, Ace wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his lips against mine. I held on around his neck, inhaling the warmth of his lips and the familiar musk of his aftershave. Eventually, our lips parted, but we stayed in place, clinging on to each other.

“I love you, Brooklyn. You know that, right?”

“Of course I do.” I looked up at him, my stomach squirming in wonder. “I love you, too.”

“I didn't know what to do when I had to leave.” Ace licked his lips, clenching and unclenching his jaw. “I thought I'd lost you for good. Then again, it's like they always say, shit happens for a reason.”

I held his gaze, but my palms were starting to tingle.

“And when you walked back into my life, I knew that wasn't a coincidence.” He unlocked his hands around my waist. His fingers curled around my wrists. “I don't know what god out there's been granting me all these second chances, but one thing's for sure. Now that I've got you here, I never wanna lose you again.”

As Ace dropped to one knee, so did my stomach. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box. I gawked at him, almost forgetting to breathe.