“Mahari!”
Releasing a hearty laugh, Mahari backed away. “My bad. It was a reaction.”
“Why are you avoiding my question?”
“Because you already know the answer to it, Aspen.” With one hand on her hip and the other folding her bottom lip, Aspen paced back and forth in front of Mahari. He felt bad for the way he answered, so he gently gripped her wrist and turned her toward him. “I didn’t mean to say it like that, but you can’t act like you don’t know what it is.”
If Lance wasn’t his blood, Mahari would beat his ass for every tear that dripped down Aspen’s rosy cheeks. He thumbed them away and kissed her forehead. Seeing her hurt always bothered Mahari, but in the end, it was her choice to stay and deal with it.
“Why is love so hard, Mahari?”
“It’s not.” He placed his fingers underneath her chin and gazed into her red rimmed eyes. “You see how easy it is for me to love you.”
“Why can’t he love me like you do?”
Mahari and Aspen stood there, breathing in one another’s air and getting lost in one another’s eyes. The pad of his thumb ran over her chin, slowly trailing up to her bottom lip. Aspen’s lids shut, and Mahari inched closer, feeling Aspen’s breathing quicken.
Just as his lips grazed hers, Aspen’s phone ringing separated them. He watched as she quickly walked over and picked it up.
“It’s Lance,” she spoke more to herself than Mahari.
Nodding his head, Mahari went to sit at his desk and watched as Aspen stepped out to answer the call.
If she only knew, no one could love her like he did.
“Lavender,please tell me you can come,” Aspen begged as she finished getting her makeup done.
“You know I wouldn’t leave you hanging, girl. Plus, if Lance tries to be on some stupid shit, I can pop him for you.”
Aspen giggled and shook her head, knowing Lavender was serious. “I hope he’s not stupid enough to show his ass in front of me, but we’ll see. I honestly don’t even feel like going. The twins have worn me down today, and I’m exhausted.”
“Tell his ass you don’t feel like going and make him stay home and cater to you.”
“We both know that won’t work. He’ll be out the door by himself before I can finish the sentence. We haven’t been able tospend much time together lately since he’s been so busy, so I’m going to suck it up.”
“And whose fault is it that y’all haven’t spent time together? I mean, Mahari is just as busy and finds the time.”
Aspen was grateful she had her earbuds in, or she was sure someone from Lance’s team would’ve snitched. She had to agree with Lavender, though. Lance and Mahari were in the same industry, but Mahari made time, unlike Lance. Being a producer and a rapper were different, so Aspen tried to be understanding, but her patience was beginning to run thin.
Just as Aspen opened her mouth to respond, Lance swaggered into the room looking good as ever, and he knew it. He placed a quick peck to Aspen’s cheek and studied himself in the full-length mirror.
“Your man looks good, doesn’t he?” Lance inquired, running his hands over his waves.
“You do, baby.”
She couldn’t deny that. The nineties’ inspired look Lance’s stylist had put together looked divine on him. From the hat sitting to the side to the oversized jeans, everything looked good on him. The bright colors brought out his cocoa skin and maple-colored irises. When he turned and flashed her a smile, revealing a gold tooth, Aspen’s center quaked.
It’d been too long since they’d had sex, and while it could be uncomfortable at times, Aspen needed Lance. Not just for the euphoric feeling, but for the intimate connection. They were truly lacking in that area, and Aspen desperately wanted it back.
After her hair and makeup were finished, Lance’s stylist helped her get dressed into a colorful sweatsuit and gold jewelry. His photographer and videographer snapped a few shots of Aspen and Lance together before they left out, hand in hand.
On the ride over, Lance was engrossed in the instructions his manager was giving him. Aspen half listened, surprised atthe small moments of affection he would give her. He would randomly rub her belly or place kisses on her cheek. It felt good to Aspen. She felt noticed by him, something she hadn’t felt in weeks.
Mentally, she prepared herself for the red carpet when they arrived at the club. Cameras and people were everywhere. Aspen slowly took deep breaths to calm her rising anxiety. Lance never seemed to notice how the events affected her. He lived for the moments and believed she should, too, since she was on his arm.
“You ready, baby?” Lance quizzed, lacing their fingers together and kissing the back of her hand.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
