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“Can I buy you a drink, Serena?”
“Thank you,” she said, looking flustered as she reluctantly accepted the glass a fan pushed at her.
“I love your music, Serena.”
“You’re so sweet.”
I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t reason with myself as to why, but my anger had me hot-headed in a march toward the locker rooms. I needed to dress myself for my match, but I realized as I walked into the staff rooms what it was that was under my skin.
Her. She was too trusting with her fans. It didn’t settle right with me. I had the mind to talk to her about it, but what I found when she joined me a few seconds later left me stone-cold with nothing to say.
“Jalik,” she said casually as she stepped into the costume room. Even in a sea of sequins, she stood out.
“I enjoyed your set.” I should’ve been scolding her for accepting drinks from fans. But I didn’t. “The last song was my favorite, the one about your parents.”
“Thank you.” Her face became dark. “That one’s a little more personal than the others.”
I wanted to know more, but I knew I wasn’t in a place to pursue her actively. Showing interest would only cause drama if she took me too seriously.
“I saw your fight the other night.” She bit her lip at the end of her sentence.
Fuck, that was hot. I knew I couldn’t seek her as a girlfriend. I couldn’t handle the distraction. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little casual flirting fun with her.
“Oh, you did, huh? What’d you think?”
She leered a moment. “Sweat. Like so much sweat.”
She was so cute when she made that joke that I needed more.
“Too much for you, huh?”
She smiled, turning her body to the women’s dressing rooms. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
Fuck, if that wasn’t a challenge.
“I need to get out of this gown,” she said like she was reluctant to go.
The thoughts that simple statement shot into my mind were immediate and unbearable. I wanted to offer my assistance. I wanted to ask if she needed help peeling off those silk stockings or unbuckling her shoes. Maybe even a massage to soothe her aching thighs…
“I need to get into mine,” I instead teased her, flaring my boxer shorts like a dress. The light that met her face made the encounter all the more worth it, even if I couldn’t milk it for a minute more.
I wanted to stay, but my feet dragged me back towards the men’s rooms. I hung there for half a second hoping for something more, but she disappeared behind the door.
I knew I wasn’t supposed to be so focused on her, and I told myself that the half smile on my face wasn’t caused by her. But a few seconds later, I heard a bang and scream from the women’s dressing room. My mind immediately jumped to the picture of her I had stamped in my brain.
I set to running back in her direction.
Fuck.
My first instincts were right.
SERENA
Itumbled to the ground, curling into a fetal position, and hoped that if nothing else, I’d live to see another day. Small pieces of debris settled on my skin. When no further banging noises ensued, I got to my feet and prepared myself to run for it.
But then I saw what I thought were small chunks of my dressing room all over my body was just… glitter. Everything around me was fine and intact. There were no signs of an explosion. No fire, debris, or smoke.
“What the hell?” I asked out loud. I traced the moment back to the makeup dresser drawer I’d opened right before the ‘bomb’ went off. Inside was even more glitter and a folded-up piece of paper. I carefully grabbed it and, when nothing else exploded in my face, carefully unfolded it.
