An Encore for Love Read online

  “Meaning Steven?”

  My sister rolled her eyes as she pressed a dramatic Send on whatever appointment she was making with her pointer finger. “Come on, Amerie. Keep up. Of course I’m talking about Steven.”

  “Right. Of course,” I repeated, nodding my way through what I refused to actually consider normal.

  Then again, maybe that was my problem. Maybe I was stuck in the past, stuck in the times where a man would court a woman for a little while, get to know her, and then present the dick on an optional platter. Sure, that whole process might’ve been expedited when it came to Knox. But my expectations still hadn’t completely changed.

  Thankfully, my sister changed the subject before I could get too into my own head about it. “Now tell me more about this reality show. More importantly, tell me how I can get a cut of the check.”

  “It’s for choreographers, sis. Knox, Blaise, and myself will all be shooting out in California for a month, doing things that choreographers do. You know, teaching classes, doing tour rehearsals, running auditions, etc.”

  Now that I could really think about it, it sounded like a dream come true to get paid twice-over for what I was already doing. But then again, Knox’s inclusion guaranteed things wouldn’t be as easy as they seemed.

  Either way, my sister still pushed her case for a way in when she replied, “It’s still a reality show, meaning somebody has to be the drama queen. Somebody has to be the drink thrower, the shit-starter, the two-faced slimeball who tells everybody else’s business. I can be all of that and more.”

  While I knew she was telling the complete truth, I refused to get my sister involved in what was already bound to be a sticky situation. So I attempted to let her down easy when I told her, “As much as the cameras would love you Miranda, I think it’s probably best if you sit this one out.”

  She rolled her eyes, returning to her phone as she convinced herself, “I’ll just be a special guest or something. You know, the character everybody wishes was full time but only shows up sparingly.”

  “Sure, sis. Whatever you say,” I replied with a laugh before I went to my own phone, knowing I had an important message to send myself.

  And while I certainly didn’t think the conclusion would come so fast, I also knew that once the text was sent, there was no turning back.

  Knox

  “I’m in.” - Amerie

  I smiled down at my phone, reading the two-word text like it was a philosophical quote; something much more profound than what it actually was. But then again, it was partially profound considering who it was coming from and how much work it took to earn it.

  I wasn’t expecting to actually hear from Amerie directly. Completely expected her to chicken out and send some vague ass message through Blaise. But not only had she gotten back to me within the time frame that I asked, she had actually reached out to me herself.

  “That happened a lot quicker than I expected it to, babe. Glad to hear it though.” - Knox

  “I’m still in town BTW. You wanna grab a late lunch?” - Knox

  Now seemed like a better time than ever to shoot my shot, especially considering how bored I was sitting in the hotel by myself after paying her a visit earlier this morning. Usually I’d go hang out at the studio with Blaise and Malia, or steal baby girl for a trip to the zoo or the children’s museum. But since Malia’s mom was in the hospital, they were spending most of their time there; the absolute last place I wanted to be.

  “Already ate.” - Amerie

  “So, dinner?” - Knox

  “Already meeting someone.” - Amerie

  I had to laugh to myself, knowing this was just Amerie trying to stay as far away from me as possible the same way she had done for the last few years. And since she wanted to play hardball, I decided to join in on the fun.

  “Who? Your man? Tell him something came up. Something more important.” - Knox

  I could only imagine the look on her face once she read my reply. And her attitude was apparent when I read hers.

  “Not my man. Not your business.” - Amerie

  I smiled to myself once again as I typed out my response.

  “Good to know. But can I bring you this paperwork later tonight, or is your man gon’ trip on me?” - Knox

  I knew her answer could go a handful of ways. Yes, her man - if he existed though I hoped he didn’t - would trip. Or Amerie would play the independent woman card and say something about how her man doesn’t control her. Or she’d give me the answer I was hoping for and deny having a man at all.

  “Knox, cut the crap. Just leave it with my assistant tomorrow.” - Amerie

  So she doesn’t have a man…

  Since she didn’t mention him at all, I could pretty much assume that was the case. So once again, I pressed my luck with my response.

  “I fly out first thing tomorrow morning, Ri. Just let me swing by your place and drop it off. I won’t even come inside.” - Knox

  “Unless you want me to, of course. ;)” - Knox

  If Amerie was still the same person she’d always been, I imagined her rolling her eyes at her phone while also squeezing her thighs together to suppress what she knew I could do if I were to come inside.

  And that definitely seemed like the case once I read her reply that honestly sounded like an even better option than the one I had presented. One that included Amerie coming to my hotel whether she realized it or not, seeing Amerie way earlier than I expected to, and providing the opportunity for me to fuck up whatever dinner plans she thought she had for later.

  “Send me your location. I’ll swing by when I leave the office.” - Amerie

  “Sounds like a plan, babe. See you then.” - Knox

  Once the second text of the hotel’s address left my hands, I rushed around my suite to straighten things up. I thankfully hadn’t made too much of a mess; just a few fast food wrappers here, pair of socks there. Nothing major but also enough to give Amerie an excuse not to be comfortable, and the last thing I wanted to do was take another step backwards.

  It honestly amazed me that she had been able to hold on to her hate towards me for so long. Holding onto it by thread considering her reaction to my presence, but holding onto it nonetheless. Then again, I shouldn’t have been so surprised knowing what I had done to her, one of the few things I actually regretted in my life.

  I wasn’t even sure why I had been so afraid of what was happening between Amerie and I that I ran to someone else, wasn’t sure why I was so pressed to avoid what happened regardless - falling in love with her. But I also knew there was no better time than the present to start the repairs on the damage I had caused her years ago.

  I could only hope she was actually up for it.

  &

  “Gotdamn, Ri. That’s not what you had on earlier.”

  I wasn’t sure what had prompted the change, but the dress she was wearing now was far from the innocent one she was wearing during our meeting. This one clung to places that hung looser before, was in a deep shade of burgundy giving off sexier vibes compared to the bright pink one she had on hours earlier. And she even had on fuck me pumps; a complete change of speed from the flat sandals she had on before.

  She crossed her arms over her chest as she challenged, “Since someone couldn’t follow simple directions, I had to get dressed for dinner earlier than anticipated. Now give me the paperwork so I can go, Knox.”

  “I don’t have it pulled yet, babe. Here. Come inside. Don’t want anybody mistakin’ you for an escort or somethin’,” I teased, taking a step back to let her inside. And it took her a moment before she actually listened, releasing an annoyed grunt before strolling past me and giving me the perfect whiff of her sweet perfume along with the perfect view of her ass.

  I could tell she was scoping my suite as she rattled off, “Must you make everything so damn difficult? I wouldn’t have to be here at all if you would’ve just done what I asked you to do and dropped it off tomorrow.”

  “But what fun w
ould that have been? And besides, I told you I gotta fly out first thing in the mornin’, babe.”

  She smacked her teeth, turning back to me with a scowl and swinging her purse with her as she asked, “Would you stop calling me that? And stop calling me Ri too while you’re at it. It’s Amerie.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at her ridiculous request considering she and I both knew that wasn’t happening. Still, I was sure to cash in on the free opportunity to annoy the shit out of her by teasing, “Fine, Amerie. Would you like a drink, Amerie? Maybe a glass of wine, Amerie? Or a bottle of water, Amerie?”

  She let out a heavy groan, turning her back to me before mumbling, “Knox, just give me the paperwork before I’m forced to stab your ass.”

  “Damn, girl. You ain’t gotta go that far. Just give me a second,” I told her, taking her threat completely serious as I made my way to the briefcase I hated carrying.

  But while I was busy digging through the stack of papers for the contract directed to Amerie, I heard her screech from the couch, “Oh my God. No!”

  Without even thinking twice, I dropped the papers on the desk and rushed to her side, only to find her staring at her phone and shaking her head in disbelief.

  “What’s the matter, babe? What’s goin’ on? What happened?”

  She peeked over to me, her eyes already glossing over when she pushed out, “Malia’s Mom. She… she passed away.”

  My heart began to throb as it attempted to digest her words. “What? When? How do you even know that?”

  She held her phone up as she answered, “Blaise just texted me. Said Malia’s a mess, and asked me to come to the hospital and get baby girl.”

  “Well, shit. Let’s go,” I told her, standing up and offering her my hand so she could do the same. But instead of taking it, she pushed it out of the way and chose to stand up on her own power.

  “I got this,” she stated confidently, dismissing my offer to join her. And while I understood her attitude - and honestly wouldn’t have expected anything else - my reasons were a lot bigger than just being able to spend some extra time with her.

  So I had no problem putting her in her place when I told her, “Amerie, that’s my Goddaughter too. And I wanna be there for my family. Now put that bitter shit aside and come on.”

  I was already heading to the bedroom of the suite to grab my shoes when she fired off from behind me, “Bitter? Bitter? The only one who’s bitter is you!”

  I shook my head, laughing as I stuffed my feet in my Nikes as I yelled back, “Fine. I’ll be the bitter one for now, Ri. Now come on so we can go see about our folks.”

  “I told you to stop calling me that, Knox,” she said with a usual roll of her eyes, crossing her arms as I brushed past her towards the door.

  And with my hand on the door handle, I tossed over my shoulder, “Old habits die hard, Ri. I mean, Am-uh-ree. How’s that? I’ll just drag it out so you know I’m really tryin’.”

  I pulled the door open, letting her step out first and then followed behind her. But it was clear the conversation was far from over as Amerie asked, “Since when do you actually try at something?”

  “Damn. That was cold as hell. Plastic surgeon must’ve put your heart on ice when he was dropping off those silicone-balloons in your chest,” I teased as we walked down the hall towards the elevator.

  And without giving me her eyes, not even breaking her stride, Amerie was quick to threaten, “Will you shut up before I leave your black ass here?”

  I shrugged, stuffing my hands in my pockets with a grin. “You’re the one takin’ cheapshots, babe. I mean, Am-uh-ree.”

  Again, she rolled her eyes, taking a quick second to sweep her bang to the side just as the elevator chimed. “Must you really be this annoying all of the time?” she asked as she stepped on the elevator, pressing the down button to a glow.

  “Not all of the time. I mean, you’ve been a willing witness to plenty of the other things I’m capable of,” I told her with a wink that forced her to divert her eyes to the ground, letting me know I still had it.

  At least I thought I did until Amerie muttered, “Yeah, along with a busload of other women.”

  “None of them have ever been like you though,” I clarified with a teasing smirk, even though I was dead ass serious.

  While I had definitely explored my share of women, Amerie had easily set the bar to unreachable heights in more ways than one. The flexibility she had worked up from her lifetime of dancing was something I prided myself on taking advantage of. The stamina she had from years on the stage was thankfully something I was at least able to match. And her head game?

  Good Lord.

  Instead of just taking the compliment, she plastered on an arrogant grin as she replied, “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  With almost perfect timing, the elevator chimed letting us know we had arrived at the lobby. And as we stepped off, I thought about a clever answer her question.

  “Something you don’t know? Hmm, let me think. Oh! I still have every video we ever made saved on my phone, along with a backup hard drive copy and a copy in my safety deposit box at the bank just in case a disaster strikes or somethin’.”

  I fully expected her to slap the shit out of me even though there were plenty of people around us. But she surprised me when she only offered a shrug and replied, “That’s the least you could do. I mean, since you’ll never be able to touch me like that again.”

  “You wanna bet?” I asked as we stepped outside and Amerie handed her valet ticket over to the attendant.

  Then she crossed her arms and stated, “I don’t need to bet when I know it’s the truth.”

  While her words might’ve been convincing to the next man, it wouldn’t have been me to not challenge her about it. “Well if you’re so confident, put your money where your mouth is. Matter of fact, how about you put your money where your mouth will be when you lose? You still remember what it’s like, right? Or has it really been that long?”

  “Fuck you, Knox,” she spewed just as the valet attendant pulled her Benz to the curb. And while Amerie made quick work of taking over the driver’s seat, I was practically moving in slow motion, too amused by our conversation.

  I eventually made my way into the passenger seat while also being sure to tell her, “You’re obviously not too good at this whole bet thing cause that’s exactly what I want you to do, Am-uh-ree.”

  “You know what I meant, asshole. And stop being so damn extra before I make you walk to the hospital,” she threatened just as she skirted off the premises like a damn Fast & Furious driver.

  “I’ll shut up once you make this bet a deal. I mean, there’s really no reason not to. Unless…” I trailed, forcing her to defend herself.

  “Unless, nothing. I don’t want your sorry ass, Knox. Get over it,” she stated with another roll of her eyes before slamming on the brakes in response to a car cutting her off in traffic. And while I should’ve been more worried about the close-call, I was too distracted by our conversation to care.

  “You tryna convince me, or you tryna convince yourself?” I asked, probing a little deeper and hoping for a legitimate answer.

  But of course, I didn’t get one.

  In fact, the only thing I got was a threat as she replied, “Don’t make me pull over and push you out of this car, Knox. You know I’m good for it.” Before switching lanes to catch up to the car that had cut her off and flipping the driver the bird.

  Since it was clear she was on high alert with everything that was going on, I decided to scale it back a little bit when I told her, “Alright, alright. Just get us to the hospital safely. We can talk about this later.”

  She barely let my words settle before she fired back, “There isn’t gonna be a later, Knox. What part of I don’t want your sorry ass don’t you understand?”

  “I heard your words loud and clear, but I also know you. You tellin’ me you really didn’t miss me, babe?” I asked as I grazed a hand against her thigh t
hat was mostly exposed, making her swerve the wheel a little bit as it tightened in response to my touch.

  Instead of answering my question, she only grunted with annoyance, surely frustrated by how turned on she got from the simple action. But since I valued my life a little more than making a point, and knew I’d have the opportunity to make my real case later, I traded my grazing for a few pats when I told her, “Like I said, we can talk about this later.”

  Amerie

  Torture.

  That’s all I could call it when my ovaries started bouncing around at the sight of Knox holding Mackenzie; Malia and Blaise’s beautiful baby girl and the Goddaughter Knox and I shared. Even though her mother was in complete disarray - and understandably so - baby girl was laughing her little diapered ass off whenever Knox tickled her as we sat together in the waiting room.

  But it wasn’t just her reaction that had my ovaries playing ping pong; it was his too. The full-blown grin, the genuine energy, the love he obviously had for her. It almost seemed too natural for him, even when she began to drool all over his arm.

  “Aww, pretty girl. Why you gotta do Uncle Knox like that, huh? I thought we were buddies,” he said, making her giggle again as if she actually knew what he was talking about.

  I was so in awe that I didn’t even blink until I heard him ask, “Ri, can you hold her for a minute so I can go grab some napkins?”

  “Uh… yeah. Of course,” I told him, awkwardly extending my arms to take her from him without having to touch him.

  And my efforts must’ve been obvious as Knox chuckled when he said, “Loosen up, babe. She won’t bite.”

  “I know that, Knox,” I replied with annoyance as I ducked Mackenzie’s attempt to pull at my earring.

  “Obviously you don’t know that cause she actually will bite. She doesn’t need all of her teeth to make a good dent either. Ain’t that right, pretty girl? You be good for T.T. RiRi,” he told her in his best baby voice, taking another pinch at her cheek.