Page 29 of Anonymous Acts


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I shook my head. “I can explain.”

“Don’t have to explain anything,” Marcus said, with a low whistle. “Thatexplains itself,” he added, pointing to a picture that was a side angle of Monica in jeans.

Quentin laughed. “Sure does. Now I’m even more surprised to hear you didn’t seem eager to help. Ren said “Monica” was pretty, but lawd. That’s awoman.”

“Kayla know you’re in here looking up women?” Marcus teased, and Quentin immediately joined in.

“Whew, I hope not. You know she doesn’t play that shit. Gonna roll up here with that Range Rover on two wheels like she did a couple years ago.”

“Okay,” I said, shaking my head. “So, fuck you, and fuck you.” I flipped both of them my middle finger as they laughed, and I couldn’t help chuckling too as I shut my computer down and stood up. “Y’all go ahead and grab a court, I’ll meet you down there. Who’s our fourth?”

“Sam is en route,” Quentin answered over his shoulder as they left, and I went to my desk for my keys and cell. As soon as I picked it up, I grinned at the message on the screen.

“You’re going to be there tonight, right? – Kay.”

When I opened up the text thread, I laughed at the video clip she’d included after the message – puppy dog eyes.

“Where else would I be?”I responded as I left my office.

“Working. As usual. – Kay.”

I shook my head.“I’m not always working, first of all. Second, I wouldn’t miss seeing you tonight for the world. I’m hitting the court with the guys, and then I’m not even coming back to the office. Washing up and heading your way. Or I could just head your way, no wash-up. I’ll have flowers ??.”

“Ewww. Hard pass. Shower please. And don’t play with me about the flowers! – Kay”

“Not playing. Two dozen roses, just for you.”

“… chocolates too? – Kay.”

I chuckled, then typed out a response.“Obviously.”

“Ahhhh! I love you! – Kay.”

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too.”

Kayla was the best thing in my life.

Full stop.

From the time I met her, her presence had brought about a certain sense of fulfillment and peace – feelings that hit me out of left field, just like she had herself. A funny, brilliant, beautiful smart-ass, she was. Her very first words to me, the first time I saw her, nearly eleven years ago, had been“Oh, your mouth must not work, huh?”And then, after I assured her that it did, “Well, use it. Staring is creepy and rude.”

And so it went, from there.

Over the next eleven years, we grew up together – me more than her, because she was already so damned astute. Kay had never been… idealistic. I attributed that to the years before we met – a nomadic lifestyle, surrounded by people who promoted practicality and nonchalance. She didn’t want big grand gestures, had no use for anything fancy. Kay yielded herself to exactly one hobby – one singular imaginative thing that she did with near-obsessive enthusiasm.

She danced.

And as antithetical as they were to her insistence on – mostly – frugal living, shelovedflowers.

So there I was, backstage at the theatre with an armful of roses, waiting to deliver them to her for a job well done. She wasn’t the principal dancer in her ballet company – for now, that title belonged to Anais Campbell, a veteran dancer Kay considered the blueprint of a contemporary Black ballerina.

Heridol.

Kay had been practically vibrating with happiness when she popped up atFive Star Techto tell me she’d been accepted into the company, and that excitement had been magnified ten-fold once she was promoted from the ballet corps into the position of soloist.

Tonight was the culmination of months and months of hard work for her. The joy on her face when she finally emerged from the dressing room, scrubbed free of makeup and changed into sweats was palpable. As she approached me, stopping to sign autographs from other attendees, the smile on her face grew and grew until she was beaming as she stepped into my free arm for a hug.

“I can’t believe you actually made it,” she gushed, looping her arms around my waist to squeeze tight. “And these flowers areamazing.” Her eyes glittered with happiness as she pushed herself up on her toes to kiss me on the cheek before she pulled the flowers from me, practically burying her face in them to inhale. “Thank you.”

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