“You haven’t seen me either, pretty. Don’t I get some love?”
I bit my lip as I thought about how true his statement was. I certainly missed them both for very different reasons. Still, I couldn’t help myself in replying, “You got baby love for the last few days. That’s better than anything I could give you.”
Blaise shoved his hands in his pockets wearing the most mischievous smile; so mischievous that I just knew trouble was getting ready to spew from his lips. “Eh… I’d have to respectfully disagree with that one.”
“Earmuffs!” I whisper-yelled, putting a hand to baby girl’s ear and pressing her head to my shoulder.
Of course, Blaise was completely unfazed, brushing me off as he replied, “Ah, she’ll understand one day. Isn’t that right, princess?”
“Oh my God. You’re corrupting our child.”
This time he shrugged. “I’d rather her hear it from me than one of those knuckleheads on the street.”
Then he put a hand to baby girl’s back and told her, “Your mommy knows all about that, baby.”
“Oh, that’s a low blow! And I’m pretty sure you fall into that category of knuckleheads. I mean, I just wanted to dance. But you… you wanted to…”
Blaise cut me off before I could go into detail about our early encounters. “Earmuffs, pretty. But for the record, you know good and well your ass was coming in for more than just a rehearsal.”
“I was!”
I mean, sure Blaise being Thee Blaise Anthony might’ve enhanced my enthusiasm. But I certainly hadn’t started at the studio with hopes of having a baby with the man. Not that I was regretting how things had played out. In all honesty, Blaise and baby girl were the two greatest things that had ever happened in my life. But all I wanted to do was dance, and somehow I had lucked out in being able to do that while also finding the love of my life and creating my personal ray of sunshine.
Still, Blaise wasn’t convinced of my intentions as he replied, “Yeah right. More like a rehearsal for love.”
I gave him a little shove that made both him and baby girl laugh as I told him, “Oh, whatever! You act like I came into the studio plotting on you.”
“With those dance moves? You were most certainly plotting. But you know what? None of that matters now. I’m just happy to see the one I love doing what she loves, even if that means getting stuck with baby love only while you’re on tour.”
My heart warmed as I looked at Blaise with a diaper bag slung over his shoulder and an obvious bout of spit-up residue on his shirt. It almost felt like I didn’t deserve to have him here supporting me and my dreams while also taking excellent care of our little one. But here he was, being here for me in ways I couldn’t have even imagined though I shouldn’t have been surprised. He had always been there for me in some way from day one.
“I owe you, Blaise. I owe you a lot,” I told him, swallowing hard to push the ball of emotion back down my throat.
He gave a little shrug, brushing me off again as he replied, “No worries, pretty. I know you’ll do the same for me.”
That was all true, but…, “Wait a minute. You aren’t thinking about getting back into dance, are you?”
His eyes went everywhere but to mine as he answered, “Uh… well… not exactly. I mean, Knox and I were talking awhile back and…”
“And…. what?” If Knox was involved, I could only brace myself for some BS. Sure he was baby girl’s God-dad, but that didn’t do anything to change his always-doing-too-much personality.
Still, I tried to keep my opinions neutral as I listened to Blaise explain, “And he had someone interested in doing a reality show focused around the choreographer life. With him, and me, and Amerie.”
I tossed my head back with a laugh. “Knox and Amerie on the same show? Yeah right. They hate each other. That would never work.” Even when baby girl was born, Amerie had purposely avoided being at the hospital at the same time as him.
“Correction; Amerie hates Knox. Not the other way around. But I’ve already talked to her about it a little bit, and he’s going out to talk to her too.”
I readjusted baby girl on my hip, completely amused as I asked, “Are the cameras going to be with him when he does? I’d definitely tune in to see the look on Amerie’s face when she sees him for the first time. Must-see TV, for sure.”
“It’s all still in development which is why he’s going to see her personally. To get her to sign on.”
“Ha! Good luck with that,” I joked, knowing good and well Amerie would have no interest once Knox showed up. If her hate for him ran as deeply as she acted, at least.
“Anyway. Enough about them. How soon can I get some Mommy love?” Blaise asked as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me as close as he could without smashing baby girl’s legs.
“Well, Mommy has three more stops on this tour before she’s done so… however long that is.”
“That’s too long. I need you now. Go leave the baby with the other dancers or somethin’,” he whined. And I couldn’t help but laugh though I shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Oh my God! You’re really trying to pawn off our kid to get some nookie?”
“No. To get some Mommy love,” he replied with a wink that embarrassingly made me shudder.
So maybe he wasn’t the only one in need.
“Blaise, we can’t have S-E-X here,” I whispered as if baby girl could really understand our conversation.
“Why can’t we? I mean, what’s the point of being your baby daddy if I can’t have special privileges?”
I gave him a stiff push to his chest that made him fall back as I whisper-yelled, “Oh my God! You are not my baby daddy.” Because if he was my baby daddy, that meant I was his baby mama. And that was the last title I was looking to add to my resume no matter how fitting it was.
Blaise smiled, cocking his head to the side as he said, “You know what? You’re right. I’m not your baby daddy. At least I don’t wanna be. Not anymore.”
My heart began to pound the same way it did anytime I was getting ready to hit the stage. I mean, he couldn’t possibly be implying what I thought he was, right?
Maybe I should just ask…
“So what are you saying, Blaise Anthony?”
“I guess I’m saying…”
I watched anxiously as he dug in the side pocket of the diaper bag and pulled out a ring box. Then he dropped to one knee and answered my question.
“Malia, you stole my heart the first day I met you when you strolled your pretty ass past me on the street. And even though I tried to fight it back then, I refuse to make that same mistake again. I love you, Malia… and I’m not talking about the Obama one either,” he said with a chuckle that I tried to match through the tears that were already welling up in my eyes.
I couldn’t believe this was really happening; that this was happening with him of all people.
But I knew it was real once I heard him say, “Malia Philips, will you marry me?”
“Of course!” I screamed, making baby girl let out a squeal of her own while Blaise slid the beautiful diamond solitaire ring on my finger. Then he stood up, pulling us into a hug before giving each of us an assortment of kisses.
As if the moment couldn’t get any sweeter, a roaring round of cheers and applause came from behind us from the dancers who had obviously seen more of the moment than I realized. Blaise took the baby so that I could accept all of their congratulations, even one from Todd who Blaise had eventually grown a liking for.
I literally couldn’t stop smiling as I looked back and forth between my second family of dancers, and my first in baby girl and Blaise. It was a dream come true to be surrounded by so much love and support; to be doing what I loved while having someone that I loved to share it all with.
And while the rehearsal for this exact moment may have been drawn-out, complicated, and downright exhausting, there was no doubt in my mind that I had nailed the final number.
The End
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And be looking out for, An Encore for Love featuring Knox and Amerie, coming later this year!
More Books by Alexandra Warren
Attractions & Distractions Series
Getting The Edge
An Unconventional Love
The PreGame Ritual
Distracted
The Real Deal
A Rehearsal for Love Page 15
