An Encore for Love Read online

  An Encore

  For

  Love

  Alexandra Warren

  An Encore for Love

  Copyright 2017 Alexandra Warren

  Cover Art by Visual Luxe

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real locations, people, or events is coincidental and unintentional.

  Knox

  “I think she’s the one, bruh.”

  My eyes were wide - and probably a little glossed over - as I watched the future love of my life drop from the top of the pole into a split, giving her ass a shake as she peeked over her shoulder at me with a smile.

  Even though the club was relatively dark, I could still feel my brother Elijah giving me a side eye as he said, “You ol’ T-Pain-in-love-with-a-stripper ass mothafucka. Act like you’ve never seen a fat ass before.”

  Truth be told, it had been far too long since I saw a legitimate fat ass. You know, one with a nice jiggle to it, a little cellulite, a few stretch marks; things only a real man could appreciate. Being a choreographer, the variety of ass I saw on a daily basis was limited in circumference considering most dancers I worked with were usually petite and firm. But every once in a while, I’d come across one with a nice little wagon on her.

  Like Amerie.

  The first thing I noticed about Amerie when I met her years ago was her ass. I mean, it almost seemed impossible that she’d be able to make it through the audition carrying that… small child on her back. But she did, and she was incredible. So incredible that I booked her immediately for a tour spanning many months and multiple countries.

  It wasn’t her first tour. In fact, she was already a pretty experienced dancer by the time I got my hands on her. But that was the thing; I literally got my hands on her. And once that happened, there was no turning back.

  It was like I couldn’t get enough of her. And she felt the same, eagerly participating in every rendezvous we found ourselves in whether it was in private, in public, or some gray area in between. But the situation was obviously too good to be true as somewhere along the way real feelings began to get involved; feelings I had no interest in addressing since I knew we’d be going our separate ways once the tour was over.

  So as the leftover tour dates became numbered, so did my attention towards her. And when she worked up the nerve to ask what was going on...

  I fucked up.

  I acted like I didn’t care about her, like she wasn’t that important to me, like she was just a… fuck buddy.

  Once the tour was officially over, I purposely lost all contact with her so that I wouldn’t be tempted to let her in on the truth I wasn’t ready to accept at the time. I mean, I was younger, and dumber, and nowhere near ready to settle down with one woman.

  But if I was…

  Amerie was most certainly the prototype.

  Not only was she an incredible dancer with a fat ass, she was beautiful beyond belief; like nothing I had ever seen before. Her maple-syrup skin was always glowing as if she was fresh off of a beach vacation. Her pixie cut hair was always perfectly styled, usually with some random pop of color that depicted whatever mood she was in. And though her smiles were limited in the last days I spent around her, I could still remember them vividly, lighting up any room she walked in.

  Okay, maybe I had a little refresher course on her Instagram from time to time too. But they were only pictures, she was only a memory, because now she wanted nothing to do with me. The only thing that kept us relatively in contact was our mutual friend and colleague Blaise, and the fact that we were both still in the dance industry. But even with those connections, nothing between Amerie and I over the last few years amounted to anything more than hearsay.

  Lucky for me, things were finally getting ready to change.

  In a few days, I’d be heading to her turf for a meeting that she had finally accepted after months of ducking and dodging me. I suppose it took Blaise explaining that I was actually coming for business for her to take it seriously. And while I should’ve been a little offended, that was completely overridden by my excitement to see her in person. I mean, sure the bland updates from Blaise and the social media-shared highlight reel were somewhat fulfilling. But there was nothing that compared to being in the same room as Amerie, even though I could pretty much guarantee she would stick firm to the grudge she had been holding against me.

  But I also knew there wasn’t a lot that Amerie could do to fight off my charm, part of the reason why she had avoided me for all this time. With distance between us, she could flood herself with everything I did wrong and justify her lifetime attitude towards me. But when I was close to her, close enough to touch her and flood her with everything I did right, she was bound to cave.

  That alone was enough to excite me as I shoved a few dollar bills in the stripper’s G-string, making her give another little shake in hopes of earning more. And since I was in such a good mood as I thought about seeing Amerie, I did exactly that.

  “Damn, Knox. You do realize we just got here, right? I mean, it’s one thing to tip well. But you don’t have to pay the girl’s tuition on the first dance,” Elijah said before telling Sparkle, “No disrespect, love.”

  “None taken,” she tossed back with a smile while simultaneously shaking her ass in front of me.

  This time, I tossed a few dollars on top of it as I replied, “I’m just rewardin’ her talent, man. And besides, your broke ass should be throwin’ some too. You think she’s shakin’ all this ass for free?”

  Elijah only laughed, plucking a few ones from the stack that I had in my hand and using them to make it rain. Any other time I would’ve pushed him dead in his chest for taking money from me, especially directly out of my hand. But tonight we were here to celebrate, me finishing my latest run around the country teaching dance and him launching his new blog.

  While I was considered the heavily right-brained creative of the two of us, Elijah perfectly balanced that out by being more left-brained. Though he didn’t look or act like your average nerd. In fact, growing up, he had kept his interest in computers under the wraps of sports, and girls, and everything else that typically captured the attention of a teenage boy regardless of our living circumstances. But once he got old enough to see how much money and opportunity being tech-savvy could pull in, even without the college degree to back it up, his perspective changed completely.

  He started off by building websites for different local companies, word of mouth being his best friend in our relatively small hometown in the South. But once he built his portfolio, making the move with me to California when I decided to pursue dance full-time was a no-brainer. And now he was taking a different kind of leap, creating his own website focused on black people in every facet of the entertainment industry.

  Living in California definitely gave him access to all of the resources he needed to be successful. And since I had a foot in the door, I knew I’d be able to help him as well.

  But for now, my only focus was on the new ass that had just arrived for her set and the perfectly-familiar ass I’d be seeing in a few days.

  &

  “Knox, I swear to God if you fuck this up, I’m kicking your ass.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at my brother from another mother, Blaise, as he uncovered his daughter’s ears once he finished his threat. Blaise and I had been homies for years, growing up together through the dance industry and staying close ever since. But while I was still busy touring the country teaching choreography and dance classes, Blaise had settled down for good, run
ning his own dance studio with his fiancé Malia who was also a professional dancer.

  I would be lying if I said their love didn’t inspire me, especially whenever I got to see them dance together. But I knew it was a longshot for me to be able to find anything even remotely similar.

  Unless….

  “Bruh, I’m not gonna mess anything up. You know Amerie loves me,” I said as I reached to pinch baby girl’s nose, causing her to giggle.

  And Blaise smiled as well, continuing to bounce his daughter on his knee as he replied, “Amerie despises you, Knox. And for good reason.”

  “That’s an exaggeration. I mean, it’s not like we were official or anything when it all happened,” I defended, as if I hadn’t already acknowledged I was wrong as hell to myself. But I suppose since it was a personal confession, that didn’t necessarily mean I had to share it with the masses.

  Still, Blaise already knew the truth when he replied, “You know good and well that doesn’t mean shit. You fuc… messed her over. And to be honest, I don’t know if she’s really recovered since.”

  Now that I could brush off of my shoulder with a clear conscience because, “Yeah right. I know her ass has been gettin’ piped down on the regular. She’s way too fine not to be.”

  Blaise’s hands flew to cover his daughter’s ears once again as he whispered, “Knox… baby girl… right here...”

  “What? I could be talking about her plumbing.”

  Blaise shook his head with a laugh, setting baby girl on the ground to play with her toys as he said, “Anyway, man. I had to do a lot to convince her to take this meeting with you. So if you mess it up, that’s something you’re gonna have to deal with on your own.”

  “Bruh, have some confidence in me. Have I ever missed a step during a performance? No. Have I ever been late to a show? No. Have I ever done something bad for business? No.”

  He jumped in on my resume to add, “Have you ever toyed with Amerie’s heart? Yes.”

  “How come none of y’all ever wanna talk about my feelings, huh? That shit messed me up too,” I admitted, hoping to gain a few sympathy points from the actual truth.

  While Amerie had been the one to share the situation along with her feelings towards me afterwards with our small circle, I had taken a different route, choosing to keep my dealings more private. Though it was clear Blaise didn’t believe me when he said, “Come on now, Knox. You’ve been blowin’ through chicks ever since. Your feelings couldn’t have possibly been that hurt. And besides, it was you who refused to acknowledge your feelings for her. That’s what caused all of this mess in the first place.”

  I waved him off, returning my attention to baby girl’s cheeks for a pinch as I told him, “Man, whatever. All I know is, I’m gonna go see Amerie so we can seal this deal and get this money. If anything extra comes from it… well… that’s yet to be determined.”

  I had no idea what Amerie’s reaction to me would be, but I was definitely excited about the possibilities. Still, Blaise’s stern tone made it clear I may have been being a little too optimistic when he said, “Knox, I’m serious. I love you like a brother, but I love Amerie like a sister. And I’ve already taken your side once, so she gets the next turn automatically.”

  I shook my head, extending my hands to baby girl and appreciating the fact that she crawled right into them. If no one else, at least she trusted me.

  “Well I hope you had this same talk with her cause she’s perfectly capable of breakin’ my heart the same way I supposedly did to her,” I told him as I gave baby girl a tickle that put her newly acquired teeth on full display.

  But even that wasn’t enough to stop Blaise from scolding, “Knox…”

  “What? Don’t let that pretty face fool you, B. Amerie is a force to be reckoned with.”

  And if anyone knew that, it was his fiancé who had already toured with her a few times and shed plenty of tears in the process. Sure they might’ve been friends now. But when it came to dance business, friendships were an afterthought; especially between a lead choreographer and the crew he or she was expected to whip into shape.

  “I know exactly who she is, and I know exactly who you are. So when I tell you I’m nervous as hell for this meeting, I mean it,” Blaise admitted with a concerned expression.

  Since he seemed legitimately worried, I suggested, “You might as well just come with me. Play mediator or somethin’.”

  But he quickly fired back, “Hell no. I’m staying as far away from y’all issues as possible. And if y’all really want to do this show, y’all will make it work.”

  “Well hopefully my boo feels the same way,” I teased as I gave baby girl another tickle, her giggle warming my heart.

  And while she enjoyed my presence, Blaise felt the complete opposite about my words when he said, “Knox… stop. You know Amerie won’t take kindly to that charmer stuff you always try to pull.”

  “That’s how I got her in the first place, Blaise. She can’t deny me,” I stated confidently, though I knew the situation really had closer to a 50/50 chance of being successful.

  And it was clear Blaise felt the same as he said, “Yeah. Whatever you say, bro. Just make sure we don’t miss out on this money because of your ego.”

  I’d be a fool to not take his words seriously. I mean, he was right. My ego had certainly gotten in the way of some of our dealings in the past. But I was ready to prove myself, ready to make it happen, ready to capitalize on the opportunity in more ways than one.

  So I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder while also giving him my word. “My ego is the last thing you need to be concerned with. Just let Amerie know I’m coming in peace and we’ll have nothing to worry about.”

  Amerie

  “Hey God. It’s me. Amerie. And uh… I wanted to tell you that… if you take me now, I’ll totally understand. I mean, I’ve already accomplished a lot in my life, and… the only person that might miss me is Miranda. And maybe Zalayah. And maybe my mom… okay, probably my dad too. But I’d rather be anywhere than here right now. So if you have to go all the way to make that happen, I get it. I mean, there’s music to dance to in heaven, right? Well… if there’s not music, maybe we should just…. zap me out of here. Like those State Farm commercials?”

  “Amerie, you have a visitor.”

  My assistant’s voice cut me from my prayer that was induced by the exact visitor she was talking about.

  Knox Riley.

  I knew he was coming today; it had been on my calendar for months. But there was nothing that could’ve prepared me to actually be in a room alone with him.

  It had been a few years since the last time that happened. And though I remembered the feeling like it was yesterday, not even that much time apart was enough for me to be ready to, “Send him on in, Draya.”

  I stood up from my desk, pacing back and forth until his heavy knocking caused me to leap into the air like I was performing the perfect assemblé. I smoothed my hands down the front of my dress, hoping I wasn’t leaving any streaks of sweaty nerves. And then I headed to the door with my shoulders high and proud because I was in control. This was my territory. He was just a… visitor.

  A normal, everyday visitor.

  I repeated the lie to myself over and over again as my hand hovered the door handle. But the second I pulled it open, I… melted.

  I fuckin’ melted.

  All of my pride, and confidence, and boss bitch vibes were suddenly in a pile at my feet as I looked at Knox who looked way better than I remembered; and I remembered him pretty damn well. From the faint scar right under his left eyebrow to the curve of his dick, I knew Knox almost as well as I knew myself. But now he looked… different; more mature, more distinguished, more… handsome.

  And that was insane.

  What was I supposed to do with an even better version of an already perfect specimen?

  He’s not perfect, bitch.

  And don’t you ever forget that.

  “Amerie,” he stated with
a little hint of his southern twang that always made my name sound even more unique.

  “Knox,” I replied as stiffly as I could.

  His eyes were dancing along my skin as he propped himself against the frame of my door. “You gonna keep me out here, or am I actually worthy of your office hours? I mean, it only took four months for your assistant to pencil me in.”

  Though my schedule had been pretty full over the last couple of months with the wrap-up of Zalayah’s latest promotional tour, I had purposely set the date for this little meeting months away hoping that by now he or I would’ve had something better to do with our time. But unfortunately, I hadn’t paid good enough attention to my schedule until it was already the week of. So I had no legitimate excuses other than, “I’m a busy woman, Knox.”

  “Of course you are, babe. But I waited all four months and actually ironed my clothes to come see you. The least you could do is let me get a chair, maybe a bottle of water, or some of that stale ass candy out the bottom of your purse.”

  My God, I wanted to laugh so hard. Only Knox would remember the candy that always got purchased impulsively only to be forgotten about, over and over again. But laughing would’ve created the perception that we were friends, and that was far from the case.

  So instead, I crossed my arms over my chest, gnawing at my lip before I told him, “You can have a chair, I’ll have Draya get you a water, and the only candy I have are the peppermints in that bowl on my desk.”

  He sized me up, in all his still-in-incredible-shape glory and said, “Amerie, don’t tell a story. I know you have somethin’ in the bottom of your purse. Or has it really been that long?”

  I shrugged, looking down at my feet instead of into his eyes. “I guess it’s been that long. A lot has changed since the last time you saw me.”

  And that was true. For one, I was no longer a dancer lusting after the lead choreographer of the show. For two, we were no longer in some whirlwind romance. And for three…