Page 55 of Perfect Rhythm
“Thank you, and yeah, he knows. He’s super excited.”
“And you? Are you excited?”
“I am now.”
“Now? You weren’t excited at first? I thought you were ready to settle down and have kids.”
“I am, but this means we’ll have to push back the wedding. There’s no way in hell I’m walking down the aisle with a pregnant belly. Not about to mess up my wedding photos.”
I laughed. “Well, why not just get married before you start showing?”
“Because I’ve started gaining weight,” she replied. “My ass is already too fat for the custom made dress I ordered.”
“Oh, please, you’re nowhere near being fat,” I said while squeezing her hand. “Youareglowing, though.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course.”
“Anyway, let me get my butt back to the front and teach this class. I’ll give you a few more minutes to stretch.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
I watched as she walked away.
Brookia really was glowing, and I was so happy for her. Especially after everything she’d gone through with King.
Well, more like everythinghe’dgone through with her.
Since I’d known Brookia, she’d struggled with staying faithful while out on the road. She loved to have a good time, which meant lots of drinks and lots of sex.
When she finally settled down with King and decided to do right by him, I was shocked as hell. But it made me proud, and it let me know that for some, change was possible.
As expected, Brookia didn’t hold anything back during her class. Her steps weren’t easy, but I was a quick learner. Soon enough, I fell right into place.
After a few run-throughs, she had everyone move to the back of the room. “Alright, I’m going to have my girl, Maggie, break everyone up into groups of three and let you guys go through it a few more times. Then, we’re going to go live again and put on a good show for social media. Sound good?” Everyone nodded and cheered in excitement. “Great. I’ll be right back.”
After being grouped with the two girls who were closest to me, I told them I would be back. My bladder felt like it would explode if I didn’t get to the bathroom ASAP.
Tightening my hoodie around my waist, I turned the corner and headed down the dimly lit hall.
Almost to the bathroom, I heard Brookia’s voice. It was coming from a small area that housed a vending machine.
“I’m done having this conversation with you,” she snapped. “I’m keeping the baby. End of discussion.”
I frowned.I thought King was happy about the baby.
Stepping back, I shook my head.Let me get out of this woman’s business.
I turned back around, deciding to hold off on my bathroom break. But as soon as I was about to turn the corner, I heard, “Mecca, this isn’t your decision. It’s my body, not yours.”
Wait, what?
“What happened between us never should’ve happened, and I’m going to keep pretending like it didn’t,” Brookia continued. “You need to do the same. You can start by forgetting that this baby even exists.”
I couldn’t hear the voice on the other end, but I was desperate to know if it was the Mecca that I thought it was. I mean, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was some regular ass nigga that carried the same name.
“Trust me, I already know what could happen if this shit gets out,” she said. “Why do you think I’m saying what I’m saying?”
