| Some Days Later. . .
The Dance Academy located downtown was toasty and warm compared to the chilling air outside as parents sat huddled in the spacious waiting room by the front office. Christmas tunes blared throughout one of the large dance studios as about ten little girls dressed in black leotards and pink tights danced a simple, adorable routine that Aria taught them while Riley worked out a few kinks.
She was towards the back helping Alana, one of the youngest and tiniest dancers who tended to struggle the most. Alana didn't mind the extra help though, since Riley was extremely patient with her. She knew exactly what to say or do when the young girl was feeling down due to the fact that she was once in this position herself when she first started attending dance classes at the small age of four.
"See? You're getting so good. You'll be ready for the recital in no time." Riley encouraged her, and Alana beamed up at her with her cute little gap donned between her two front baby teeth. "But just remember to straighten your posture when you're doing this dance step, okay?"
She demonstrated, and the young girl easily followed. Riley grinned in approval, then held out her hand for a high five which Alana eagerly responded to.
The music eventually stopped and Aria clapped her hands to get her students' attention. "Okay my little babies, gather round."
Alana gave Riley a quick hug before her tiny feet padded softly across the sleek, wooden floor and her box braids bounced behind her as she went to join the other girls. As Aria talked about some announcements regarding the upcoming Christmas recital and their costumes, Riley relaxed on the long grey couch in the back office while completely immersing herself on her phone. She was in the midst of exchanging a few texts between her and Michael when the girls were finally dismissed for the day, and Aria walked in soon after with an amused expression.
"You've been on that phone more often than usual. You're texting that cute guy who took you on a lunch date a while back?" She teased from the doorway.
Riley made a serious stink face and briskly shook her head, forcing a slew of curse words back down her throat. She went with a more appropriate answer. "No times infinity."
Aria looked at her surprised as she went to sit at her neatly organized desk, then crossed one leg over the other. "How come? He seemed like such a nice guy."
"Far from it." Riley abruptly said without looking up from her phone. She chuckled at a cute, corny text that Michael sent her. "I'm texting someone else. He's a lot better than the other guy I was talking to, trust me."
Aria watched her quietly for a few seconds and noticed the way Riley excitedly bit her lip in anticipation every time the three little dots would appear on her screen where Michael's response would garner. Aria half-smiled when she could see the twinkling in Riley's eyes as her fingers rapidly tapped across the virtual keyboard to send a reply back. Riley eventually looked up when it became too quiet and sheepishly smiled.
"What?"
"You really like him, I can tell." Aria observed. "Your whole face just lights up when he texts you. I wonder how you act when he calls you."
"Like a dumbass." Riley chuckled and Aria laughed. "I've been seeing him for almost a month and I still get butterflies in my stomach whenever I see him or just simply talk to him. That's a good thing, right?"
She nodded. "Most definitely. I hope he's treating you well."
"He is. I thought chivalry was dead and here he comes like a knight in shining armor. He's just... perfect." Riley dreamily sighed and Aria couldn't help but grin.
"Aw, that's cute."
Riley pursed her lips as she put her phone in her lap. "But I know there's a flaw in there somewhere. Just like the last one."
"Don't be so pessimistic because of that other guy. Whatever flaw he has, I'm sure it won't ruin the way you feel about him. Not all flaws are terrible." Aria assured her just as the door sensor at the front of the building gave a loud, cheery bell chime above the double glass doors. They both turned their heads toward the opened office door. "I wonder who that is."
Riley shrugged as she got up and followed Aria out into the hallway, then towards the front office. She stepped out from behind Aria and looked past the glass partition by the receptionist's desk. A wide grin spread across her face when she realized it was her aunt.
"Tia!" She exclaimed as she hurried out the office, then wrapped her favorite aunt in a bear hug. "I haven't seen you in forever!"
Tia laughed as she hugged her niece back. "It's only been a few months, stranger. I stopped by the house but you weren't there, so I assumed you were here."
"You guessed right." Riley smiled, then stepped back. "What are you doing here? Where's CiCi?" Normally, her little cousin always accompanied her mother, but today she was nowhere to be found.
Aria silently left the room to let them have their family moment.
"She's got a cold, so she's at home in bed. She told me to tell you hi, though." Tia said, then sat down on one of the plush seats. "So, how's school going? Any boyfriends or little crushes?"
Riley couldn't suppress the sly smile and Tia smirked. "School's okay."
"Mhmm. So, who is he?" Tia asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Just a guy. Maybe you'll meet him someday; we're still in the early stages." She said, then changed the subject. "You never told me why you're here, auntie."
"I wanted to visit you and see what you were up to. I didn't hear from you guys about Thanksgiving, and nobody's said anything about getting together for Christmas either." She said with a slight frown. "Your mother can be hard to track sometimes."
Riley finally sat down next to her and quietly exhaled. "As usual, they're not doing anything for the holidays. They're going to be working overtime, probably."
Tia pulled her face into a sour expression. "Why?"
"That's all they've ever done since Tristan died. Work, work, work."
"Now playing Work by Rihanna feat. Drake." Siri interrupted the conversation before blaring the music loudly. Both laughed before Riley eventually shut it off.
"Anyway, my parents will be working and I'll probably be doing the same. I'm supposed to help with the Christmas recital here, then after that I have winterguard practice." She said as she stretched out her legs. "I won't get to relax much."
Tia suppressed her frown, but nodded as she patted her knee. "Well, if you ever want to come over to hang with us or whatnot, I'm just a call away. I should get back and check on Ciara. Your uncle panics when I leave him alone with a sick child." She rolled her eyes and Riley laughed.
"Tell my little munchkin hi back and I love her." Riley said.
"I will. I'll give you a call later." Tia gave her one last tight hug, then left the studio with the door sensor going off once more.
Riley slumped back in her seat and laid her head back against the creme-colored wall, not looking forward to the yet again boring, uneventful holidays. Another sudden text from Michael knocked her out of her sullen mood and once again, she was left smiling.
Aria walked back in and shook her head with a smile of her own. "I'm ready to meet this guy. It's so cute how he has you smiling within seconds."
"Actually... I have a picture of him." Riley pulled up one of his pictures that he had sent her by her request and handed her phone over to Aria. "What do you think?"
She was speechless for a moment as she studied the picture and Riley could tell from the faint astonishment on her face that she's seen almost on every single girl that Michael walks by, that she very much approved of him.
"He's waaay cuter than that other guy; it makes sense why you were gushing so hard over your phone. You're a lucky girl, Riley." Aria finally said as she handed the phone back. "And he's a very lucky guy to be dating you."
She smiled softly. "Thanks, Aria."
"You don't have to thank me, it's true." Aria took a seat beside her as Riley placed her phone back onto her lap. "Actually, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?" Riley looked up to see a sense of worry shadowing Aria's freckled face. "Is it about my job or the kids?"
Aria's large brown curls bounced with the movement of her head shake. "No. It's about that first guy. The one that took you out a while back."
"What about him?"
Aria pursed her lips and turned slightly in her chair to face Riley. Their brown eyes locked. "I was going to tell you earlier because I thought you were still into him, but then you told me about this new guy and I didn't know how to tell you about it without coming off as awkward, and-" Her rambling was cut short.
"Honestly Aria, you're starting to scare me." Riley said. Anything concerning Javen had started to make her feel uncomfortable and on edge.
Aria instantly felt bad when she could see the small glimpse of fear in Riley's eyes. She sighed, then got straight to the point, "I'm sorry, it's not my intention to freak you out. Um, that guy came by this past week looking for you." Aria said and Riley became even more anxious. "I didn't tell him where you were or anything like that obviously, but he seemed a bit agitated that I wouldn't give up any info about you."
"Why did he need to know anything about me?" Riley asked but Aria only shrugged.
"I don't know. He came back again after that day and dropped off a few gifts. I haven't seen him since." Aria mentioned before she took Riley's wrist into her hand. "Come with me."
Aria led Riley back into the back office and left her standing by the door as she rummaged through a box of things by her desk. Riley's face contorted into utter confusion and she felt a little disturbed as Aria placed a bundle of wilted flowers, a box of chocolate, and a stuffed animal on her desk. It wasn't the items that shook her up, but the fact that Javen was still trying to win her over.
"I tried to save the flowers but I guess that doesn't really matter, does it?" Aria uneasily looked at Riley who shook her head.
Her intuition felt off again and she no longer wanted to be around those so-called gifts. "Is it okay if I head home?"
"Of course. I can give you a lift." She offered, but Riley declined.
"No, I think I need to clear my head a bit, but thanks. I'll see you soon." Riley grabbed her blue duffel bag, gave Aria a quick hug, then left the office to quickly change in another room. After slipping on a pair of jeans and a coffee-coloured turtleneck, and switching out her pointe shoes with a pair of black boots, she stuffed her work attire into her bag and left the building.
The chilly air instantly began to suck the warmth from her body and she shivered as she pulled her thick black jacket tighter around her. That gut feeling was still bothering her and this time, she felt as if someone was watching her. She looked around her surroundings, but didn't see anything or anyone out of the ordinary. She tried to see if she could pinpoint the car Javen drove the night of their final disastrous date, but not a single white Chevrolet Camaro was around. All she really saw was a silver Mustang, a couple of Ford cars, and that one familiar red Toyota Camry.
A smile reached her lips when she realized it was Michael once he pulled up. But that same eerie feeling of someone watching her still didn't go away.
"Ry, why are you walking?" He asked after pulling up alongside the sidewalk and rolling down the window. He unlocked the doors for her to get in and she quickly did so before he noticed the slight discomfort on her face. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just a little tired." She softly sighed, then smiled from the affectionate touch against her cheek. "You didn't have to come get me."
He raised an eyebrow. "So I was supposed to let you walk home? You didn't tell me anything about Michelle or Jay picking you up."
"I know, but some days I would rather walk home to get my thoughts together." She exhaled again as she rubbed both of her temples. Her thoughts were racing a mile a second. "I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling myself right now."
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked but she shook her head. "Well... let's get you home, then."
After pulling back onto the main road and raising the window back up, Riley focused on the passing scenery in a failed attempt to distract herself as Michael messed with the radio a bit until he landed on an R&B station playing classic throwbacks. He turned up the volume to get rid of the awkward silence. He glanced over at her for a moment and noticed she was lost in her thoughts from her dark eyebrows furrowed deeply in concentration and her blank stare at nothing in particular.
"So um, even though you don't want to talk about, is everything else okay?" He quietly asked and she barely nodded her head with a weak, faint smile. She averted her gaze from the window to her lap. "How was work? Anything interesting happened?"
A memory of the unwanted gifts flashed through her mind and she did her best to hold back her sour expression. "It was good. Nothing worth talking about."
Just like that, the awkward silence had returned and Michael went back to focusing on the drive with an apparent frown.
The instrumental intro of I Want to Be Your Man by Roger drifted from the speakers of the car as Michael silently tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the impeccable beat. He stole another glance at Riley who was still in somewhat of a trance before reaching over to the radio again. He turned the volume up louder and smirked to himself of the idea of cheering her up from whatever had brought down her mood.
He quietly cleared his throat and waited until Roger's intro before loudly singing off-key while holding back his laughter at the way Riley snapped her head over at him with a startled look. He began swaying his head slowly side to side as he sang almost at the top of his lungs, "Hey lady, let me tell you why. I can't live my life without you. Every time I see you walkin' by, I get a thrill. You don't understand, but in time you will."
An amused grin slowly surfaced on Riley's lips before she shook her head with her own laughter and covered her face in embarrassment as Michael kept up with his awful singing. "Really, Mike?" She said over the blaring chorus and through the cracks of her fingers.
"Is this cheering you up yet?" He asked with a chuckle and she looked away with that same grin while shrugging her shoulders. "I'll take that as a no."
He suddenly pressed the button to the window as he slowed down to a red light at a busy intersection and the tinted window began to roll down. A few people were walking by on the sidewalks or crossing the street, and a few cars were pulling up near him. He leaned his head out the window and started singing again, then bursted out laughing when he felt Riley trying to pull him back in.
"Michael, stop!" She said between their laughter while hitting his arm. She inwardly cringed a little from several people throwing strange looks over at them and some were giggling right along with them. "Can you stop embarrassing us?"
"Nope." He simply said before continuing, "My mind is blind at times; I can't see anyone but you. Those other girls don't matter, no, they can't spoil my view. I must make you understand. I want to be your man."
She deeply blushed when he tossed a wink her way, then playfully tapped her chin. Successfully this time, she pulled him out the window just as the light turned green and the window rolled back up. She couldn't help but chuckle at the slow shimmy of his shoulders as he kept up his singing.
"You're such a goofball." She finally said as the song was coming to an end and he stopped yelling off-key. "And before you ask, yes, you did make me feel better."
He grinned widely in return, then left a quick peck on her cheek. Music continued to fill the now-serene silence between them; the worries that once troubled her mind had been shoved away and all she focused on was the quality time she was spending with the man she adored. Another pleasant few minutes had passed until he finally parked by the edge of the empty driveway. She unbuckled her seat belt before leaning over and planting a sweet kiss on his jaw.
"Thank you for picking me up and singing at the top of your lungs to cheer me up. I really appreciate it." She said with a light laugh.
He gently placed his hand against her nape and pulled her back in for a short, tender kiss that neither wanted to part from. He hesitated for a moment to break their locked lips, but he did so to say, "Anything for you, Ry. Trust me, if you ever need any space, just let me know. I don't want to bother you."
Her face contorted into disapproval as she said, "You never bother me." She felt guilty for making him feel anything like a burden. "I just had a... very weird day, that's all."
"Still, if you ever feel like you need a break from me or whatever, just tell me." He replied with a shrug and she disagreed with a frown.
"Stop talking crazy; you know that's never going to happen and I like being around you." She reassured him while playing with the zipper of his black leather jacket. After a moment, she quietly asked, "Come inside?"
He was tempted, but he shook his head. The lone loose curl on his forehead swayed from the movement. "I can't. Your parents will be here soon."
She held in her frustrated sigh before her eyes landed on the gear. Without a second thought, she put it in park and proceeded to unbuckle his seat belt. Before he could utter one word, she had shrugged off her bulky jacket and straddled him in the driver's seat. She ran her fingers over his stretched curls that were pulled back into a low ponytail as her tongue lulled him into an intense, passionate kiss.
His surprise was short-lived as he instantly gave in to her wants and wrapped his arms tight around her as they feverishly made out. His hands traveled slowly up her back, then back down as the soft fabric of the turtleneck was felt beneath the pads of his fingers before he placed his hands on her thighs and slowly felt her up there.
Gradually she pulled away, and both of their breathing were hot and heavy. The entrancing aroma of his aftershave filled her nostrils and she couldn't stop herself from leaning in to leave small pecks along his chiseled jaw. She could feel his smile form against her lips before she moved away to meet his eyes again.
"That's my way of apologizing for ever making you think that you're a burden." She said after catching her breath.
He cupped her chin with his fingers and pecked her lips once more. "You didn't make me feel that way, Ry."
"But still, I don't ever want you to think that. I really do enjoy spending time with you, texting and talking to you on the phone. You're literally the highlight of my day." She said truthfully all while caressing his face, and his smile widened.
"I don't know how the hell I ever got so lucky to run into you, but I'm thankful everyday." He ran the tip of his fingers slowly up the spine of her back again and she slightly quivered. "I can't come inside, but I'll happily spend whatever remaining time I have with you right now."
She matched his smile for a brief second, then leaned back in to continue the intense kiss and enjoy the way their bodies lovingly melted into each other. Nothing felt better than feeling the way his arms pulled her closer until they were pressed flush together and the heats of their bodies mingled. By the time they finally parted, their lips were swollen, their minds were blank, and their lungs were deprived. Their panting breaths mixed as their foreheads stayed connected and the tips of their noses brushed against one another.
"You know you don't have to go home yet." He said after a quiet minute or two of them basking in each other's warm presence.
"What do you mean?" She asked as she sat up straighter, but was careful not to hit the horn by accident.
"There's this place on the other side of town that has the best cakes and hot chocolate. You wanna go?" He asked and she eagerly nodded with a lip bite. "And we can just hang in my car for a bit in case anybody from school is down there."
"I'm down for it." She agreed as she slid off his lap and back into the passenger seat. "But their hot chocolate is not as good as mine, right?"
He looked over and chuckled at her small smile with a shake of his head. "No, of course not. You know yours is to die for."
🌹
After scoping out the premises for any potential risks of being seen by anybody from school and whatnot, Michael had decided to lead Riley inside the small, cozy cafe that made both of their mouths water from the delicious aroma of cake goods and hot chocolate.
They couldn't decide on which cake to try, so Michael ordered a small variety cake and two large cups of hot chocolate with tall whip cream and a dash of cinnamon sprinkled atop.
It was a slow day for the cafe, but the two didn't mind as they sat at the back in a booth and by a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked a small pond out back. The entire place was decked out in Christmas decorations, but not overwhelmingly so, and fairy lights were lined along the top of the brick walls.
Michael glanced down at the mistletoe placed decoratively in the middle of the polished table and smirked. By the time he looked back up at Riley, part of her lower face was covered in whip cream. A humorous laugh left his throat as he handed her some napkins and she wiped it away with a small giggle.
"I'm glad you're in a better mood." He said before reaching over to wipe away a small spot of whip cream she missed by her chin.
She couldn't help but lean into his touch and it made them both smile. His other fingers that were void of the whip cream gently grazed her cheek before he pulled back.
"I told you that I enjoy being around you. It brings out the best in me." She said as she picked up a cinnamon straw laying on a napkin and pushed it through the soft cloud of cream.
"Well, I can say the same." He replied as he did the same with his edible straw. Their eyes met as they both slowly slipped their hot chocolate, careful not to burn their tongue with the delicious drink.
The flirtatious gazes were nothing short of unconcealed while their mouths were occupied. Riley took it upon herself to swipe a bit of cream on the point of her finger and plopped it right on the tip of his nose. Their laughter was hearty but quiet in the lethargic cafe.
He wiped the cream off his nose with his finger and instantly sucked into his mouth. Riley bit the corner of her lip and hid her own smirk as she averted her gaze back to the drink in front of her.
"Not to spoil the mood or anything, but do you want to share what was bothering you earlier? If you don't want to, you don't have to." He cautiously brought up, but she shrugged half-heartedly with a light sigh. She could practically feel the curiosity radiating off of him.
"It's that same guy... he came by my job a little while ago and dropped off some gifts I have no interest in keeping." She admitted, and Michael didn't hide his combination of irritation and disbelief that sprawled across his face.
"That's unbelievable. Has he tried contacting you lately?" He asked and she shook her head.
"No, I blocked him. It's still creepy, though."
Michael nodded in agreement and breathed out a small air of annoyance. He wasn't sure what to say in this situation or the type of the advice to give her. "I know you said you like to walk alone to clear your mind and stuff, but I don't think it's safe for you to do that anymore. This guy sounds like a nutcase, Ry."
"He is." She quickly confirmed. That terrible date still occupied her mind at times. "But I'll be fine; I'm not going to let him control how I live my life."
"I'm not saying you have to, but I want you to be safe. The stuff he's doing isn't sitting right with me and at this point, he sounds like a stalker. You need to start documenting everything this guy is doing to you." He suggested.
Riley didn't reply as she pulled her hot chocolate closer and silently sipped through the straw. She appreciated Michael being a listening ear and offering his take on it, but it was starting to bring the mood back down and she wasn't feeling it.
He noticed her becoming quiet and he sighed as he let the unsettling topic drop. But that didn't stop him from reaching forward and taking one of her hands into his own. His thumb gently caressed her smooth skin and it brought a much-needed smile to her face.
"I care about you, okay? I just want you to be safe." He said.
She nodded as her fingers sensually rubbed the palm of his large hand. "I know and I appreciate it. I care about you, too."
The positive vibes were beginning to rise again and the heavy weight of concern dispersed into the air as they sat there in silence, watching their hands speak for them.
"How come a handsome, sweet guy like you is single, Mr. Jackson?" She suddenly asked with a hint of tease in her voice and he smirked a little.
"Hm, I could ask you the same, Ms. Smith." Their eyes locked again and they shared a small grin. "How come a gorgeous, talented, smart girl like yourself is still single?"
"I asked you first." She replied and he chuckled.
"That's fair. Honestly, a lot of women I came across didn't capture my attention like you did." He could vividly remember the first day he saw her in his classroom; the way he felt his heart throb mercilessly in his chest as their eyes made contact and he heard the pure sound of her dulcet, shy voice when she spoke for the first time. He couldn't complain about her nice figure either. "You really are something special."
A bashful smile glossed her lips before she sipped some more of her drink, then said with a light laugh, "You're always making me blush."
"That's kinda unavoidable at this point, huh?" He chuckled, then further extended his arm across the table to push both of their drinks aside. His hand cupped her chin as he leaned over the mistletoe at the center of the table and they met almost halfway to share a brief, warm kiss that lingered with the cinnamon-chocolate taste of their beverages.
Every kiss between them always felt like the first. The strong magnetic pull that kept them lip-locked for minutes on end and the dazed trance that embraced them after finally parting ways as they adoringly stared at each other.
"Now aren't you going to answer mine?" He whispered.
"You didn't even have to ask; have you seen the idiots that attend my school?" She asked and it made him laugh a little. He pulled back with a shake of his head and sat back in his seat. "I'm not even joking. So many guys there are brainless and easily peer-pressured, it's ridiculous."
"Damn, Ry." He continued to laugh and she only shrugged in response. "I'm guessing a lot of them were like Devante, huh?"
She nodded with a roll of her eyes, then noticed the untouched cake that was pushed against the glasses of the hot chocolates. Michael followed her gaze. "Should we take that to go?"
"We can. You're ready to go back home?" He asked her.
She removed her edible straw from the whip cream and bit off a small portion of it. "No, not yet. I don't mind staying out longer with you."
"Do your parents care how late you stay out?" He asked and she scoffed with a shake of her head. He didn't voice his opinion and deeply sighed as he grabbed the cake and pulled it between them. "Which piece do you want to try first?"
She didn't mind the subject change as she pointed at the small portion of red velvet with cream cheese icing and bits of walnuts donned on top. Michael took a plastic fork and pierced a small piece to feed to her directly. She blushed yet again as she slowly enclosed her lips over the mouth-savoring desert.
"It's good, isn't it?" He asked and she nodded with a smile. "I told you they have some of the best cakes around. So, the cafe doesn't close until another few hours. We can hang here for a little, then drive around for a bit before I drop you back off at home."
"Yeah, that sounds nice." She agreed as she took the fork from Michael's hand and got another piece for herself. He chuckled as he grabbed the other unopened plastic utensil and started to dig in as well. "We should do this more often."
He smiled through his chewing and nodded in agreement as he met her warm eyes once more, then let their free hands slowly entwine again on the table. "Yeah, we definitely should."
(A/N: I hoped you all enjoyed the chapter. It was already prewritten, but the original draft looked like ass and I had to keep re-editing it. I'm still not fully satisfied with it BUT it's further along than it was before. Anywho, I also wanted to thank everybody that's keeping this story going and motivating me to keep working on it; I may not say it all the time, but I really do appreciate those who make it known they enjoy my book. I also appreciate the silent readers because you took the time out of your day to glance at my book. Several years ago, I never thought TTP would be anywhere close to 18K reads and 1K votes. Thank you for your support and stay safe ❤️)