Page 134 of Emergence and Ascendance

Her smile expanded. "Ms. Whitney, welcome. We've been waiting on you. Mr. Devereaux has an amazing day planned for you and your guest."

I blushed and cut my eyes at Tezni who was burning a hole through my profile. The woman rounded the desk and motioned for us to follow.

"Okay, sir, add another check in his approved column," she whispered as we were led to a dressing room to change then a private suite with side by side massage tables. For the next hour, we didn't talk at all, just let the massage therapist work out every knot and bit of tension in our bodies.

When that was done, we were taken to a mineral pool to relax and soothe our muscles, then facials.

"I have no idea how you're going to top this. I think I'm officially in love with your man, Scot."

I grinned, enjoying the lavender-scented gel mask currently resting on my face.

"You're going to love him even more when you find out what we're doing tonight."

"Oh hell, are we about to fall out over a man? Because if it's better than this, I might have to fight your ass for him, friend."

"You can try but my hands are pretty nice."

And I'm not giving him up for anyone…

"Okay, fine, back to living vicariously. What's the plan?"

"Sol is performing at McCall's and Christian got us one of the blackout rooms."

Tezni sat up so fast her eye mask fell off. "Sol? Our Sol? That fine ass man I'm secretly married to?"

"That fine ass man Cadence Barrett is married to."

"Girl, fuck that, we're sister wives." She lay back again and repositioned her mask. "You know I wanted to go to his show in New York but it was sold out."

"I know, and when I found out that he was here, I mentioned it to Christian and he said he could get us tickets."

"If you don't marry that damn man…"

"Over Sol tickets?"

"Um, yes the fuck ma'am. Your man, your, man, your man, is granting me access to my man, my man, my man."

I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"You're that easy to buy off?"

"When it comes to Sol? Absolutely. That man's voice is pure magic and his body is proof that God exists."

"You're shameless."

After our facials, we sat in the relaxation lounge with cucumber water and herbal tea with our skin glowing and our bodies completely relaxed. As much as I enjoyed my day, the night Christian dedicated to me with a bath and massage with him was a million times better.

Even when he refused sex…

"I haven't felt this good in months." Tezni sighed, stretching her arms above her head. "We're making this a regular thing when I'm here."

Her words were like a gut punch. She was already processing that things were changing in my life, which meant things would be changing with our friendship.

"Tez…"

And like always, she read my mind.

"You're going to be wherever your man is and he's here. I'm not mad at that. You're my girl for life, so if you're here, I'm here as much as I can be and your ass had better not try to replace me with anybody here."

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