The Hookup Handbook(54)
“It’s the parents I’m more worried about. If I’m not there to approve their buns and tutus, they’ll just start wreaking havoc.”
? ? ?
The three of us carpool to the dance studio together, chatting and laughing the whole drive over.
Her little dancers are the most adorable things I’ve ever seen, second only to watching her interact with them. I always knew she was good with kids, but seeing her in action? That’s another story, and even I’m a little surprised by how into it I am. I have a stupid grin plastered on my face for a full two hours, starting from the second she walks onstage and lasting until we meet her backstage afterwards, bouquets of her favorite flowers in hand.
“Everything’s good here, so we can leave for dinner whenever. Are you ready?” she asks, tucking a loose strand of her golden hair back into her dancer’s bun, those big blue eyes looking up at me.
And in that moment, all the possibilities that lie ahead of us flash before my eyes, and that stupid grin returns. My answer is easy, the easiest one I’ve given in a long time.
“More than I’ve ever been.”
Epilogue
Case
Three years later
“You ready for this?” I place my palm against Sienna’s lower back, my thumb gently caressing in small circles.
She draws a shuddering inhale. “I have to be, don’t I?”
I dip my chin, meeting her eyes with a playful expression. “I could always sneak you out the back exit.”
My angel chuckles, shaking her head. “I love you, but no. I’d better go out there and face the crowd.”
She means crowd in the literal sense. There are about two hundred people in the audience this afternoon.
I give her butt a firm pat. “Then go. You’ve got this.”
She smiles warmly at me. “You sure about that?”
I nod and press a chaste kiss to her lips. “I’m one hundred percent positive.” Peeking beyond the heavy curtain we’re standing behind, I point to the front row of the audience. “And I’ll be sitting right there. Feel free to picture me naked if it helps.”
A dry laugh tumbles from her beautiful lips. “I may just take you up on that.”
I press one more kiss against her knuckles and then head back behind the stage and toward the exit so I can go and find my seat before the recital begins.
Sienna opened her own ballet studio earlier this year, and everything has been building toward this moment. She’s rented a performance hall for the day, which came at a steep price, and with all the other expenses and uncertainty of running her own business, I know the pressure is getting to her.
It’s compounded by the fact that she’s also four months pregnant, and we haven’t told her family yet. We’d planned to before now, but she was so sick those first few months and had some cramping, we were afraid to tell anyone. Shit, we were afraid to breathe for fear something might happen to the baby. Now, her obstetrician has assured us that Sienna and the baby are both perfectly safe and healthy. We plan to tell our families over dinner tonight when we’re celebrating after the first recital of Sienna’s own studio.
I stand and cheer the loudest when Sienna emerges onstage in her simple black sheath dress and black tights. Her belly is hardly noticeable. I notice it, of course, because I know her body like the back of my hand, but I don’t think anyone else suspects anything. Although her mother did comment about married life agreeing with her the last time we were over for dinner. I couldn’t agree more.
I grin hungrily at her, and she gives her head a tiny shake. She knows how I feel about her in tights. They usually end up ruined on our bedroom floor not long after she’s put them on. Why should tonight be any different?
Stopping in front of the microphone, Sienna smiles brightly at the crowd. Her eyes light up whenever she talks about dance, and in this moment, she’s practically beaming.
She’s been supportive of my career change too. I’m now a full-time author and motivational speaker. Who would have thought, right?
It turns out, men need more help in the bedroom than they’d been letting on, and the seminars I’ve given around the country have all sold out. I help couples achieve greater intimacy, and I help guys learn to slow the hell down and make everything about pleasing their partner.
I’ve released two books and am currently writing a third—with Sienna’s help, of course. I also sold the company, Allure, to my friend Gia, who expanded the operation to include high-end female escorts too. Ryder is still happily employed there. I guess some things never change.
“Thank you all so much for coming,” Sienna says sunnily into the microphone. “The children have worked hard, and I’ve been so pleased, along with our entire teaching staff. Thank you for trusting us with your precious ballerinas. We have a wonderful show for you today. Enjoy.”
And with a small smile and a dip of her head, Sienna scurries back behind the curtain and the lights dim. An older instructor with a gray bun emerges first, and ten miniature ballerinas follow like little ducklings in a row. With a slow beat, the music begins, and I can see Sienna peeking from behind the curtain, obviously pleased. When her eyes meet mine, I give her a wink, and her smile grows.
Later, once all eight classes have performed their routines, Sienna closes the recital with words of gratitude. Her voice is a little shaky, and it kills me not to be right by her side, holding her hand. But I know they’re happy tears forming in her eyes, and I also know she’s more than strong enough to handle this and anything else that comes her way.