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Bria was focused as she taped her toes and applied some padding.

It was the night of her performance and the only thing on her mind was nailing her solo.

After almost twenty years of dancing, Bria still got jitters before performing.

A perfectionist at heart, she wanted everything to be done with excellence.

Bria grabbed her pointed shoes and laced them up.

Afterward, she stood and checked her appearance in the mirror.

Her hair was pulled into a tight bun with her makeup applied naturally.

Bria’s ears were adorned with small diamond studs.

Looking at her phone, she wished she saw a notification from Lo but there was nothing. Per usual, he had shown no interest in her, and it pushed her farther away from the reality of them being a lovable couple. However, she did see a notification from Dough.

Dough: I’m here, baby. Waiting for you to dance for me.

Bria beamed knowing that there was someone here for her that appreciated her talent. Dough didn’t make every performance, but he made enough to alert her that he cared.

“Bria, you're up next.”

She nodded at the producer of the show and left the dressing room. Tonight, she was performing The Sleeping Beauty. It was an act she had done numerous times before, but each time brought out something different in her.

The other dancers lined along the wall as the orchestra began playing.

There was something about classical music that Bria appreciated.

The rich compositions and melodic notes held so much grace which was the music she preferred to dance to.

Inhaling a deep breath, she noticed the producer give her the cue to start.

Straightening her spine, she tippy toed onto the stage while feeling the warmth from the beaming spotlights.

Her woes and worries evaporated as she swayed to the music.

Nothing fazed her when she was on stage.

Her mind took over her body, moving in such a graceful way.

Performing a relevé followed by a jeté, Bria was in her zone.

She danced with confidence. She moved with such great precision.

Her ability was one of the reasons she had been deemed one of the best ballerinas of the twenty-first century.

Despite her being as accomplished as she was, she still held insecurities inside her heart.

Like jumping on the points of her feet. That move made her nervous after practicing it so many times.

She did it but not to the best of her ability.

Just that one imperfection deemed it a bad performance in Bria’s head.

She was her toughest critic. Her number one enemy at times.

She chased perfection to the point where one small flaw would break her performances.

Bria was harsh on herself. Her mother always told her to give herself grace but Bria couldn’t.

No matter how hard she rehearsed and worked, she still wanted to flawlessly execute her acts.

Bria had been in her head so deeply that she didn’t realize her performance was over.

Smiling from ear to ear, she sauntered off the stage.

People congratulated her on her way to the dressing room.

Taking a seat, she collected herself as the other dancers filed into the room.

She took off her shoes and she rubbed her feet through her white tights.

“Good job, Bria. Even with your small mishap, you still did a great job.”

Bria looked at Katie, who was another prominent ballet dancer as well.

She had known her ever since they worked together on Giselle.

There had been subtle animosity between them.

It was so small that Bria couldn’t call Katie out on her condescending ways or microaggression.

Being one of the few Black women in the industry, Bria had to deal with so many odds that it used to discourage her.

People possessed this idea of what a ballerina was supposed to look like.

It didn’t include a Black girl with skin the shade of coffee with a five-foot-ten frame and muscular build.

Unfortunately, they only wanted the Caucasian girls who were petite and dainty.

“Thanks,” Bria chirped. “Hey, when is your next solo?”

Katie opened her mouth to reply but was derailed when Bria retorted, “Exactly. You can’t even tell me your last solo.”

“Actually, it was six months ago.”

Bria covered her mouth and chuckled. “Oh, wow. Six whole months. Next time you have one, please invite me so I can critique you.”

Katie smirked. “I don't need your critique. I’m a better dancer so maybe you should come and take notes.”

“Well, why is it that I have principal dancer under my resume, and you don't?”

Katie’s thin lips formed into a line as her eyes narrowed. Bria had to deal with the racial undertones of the ballet world, but she would never let them see her crumble. Stuntin’ on the dancers who thought they were better than her would always be her first weapon of choice.

“Now you have a great night.”

Bria grabbed her bag and walked out the room. On the way out, she noticed someone who made her face glow within an instant.

“Hey,” Tori sang, dressed in a beautiful white dress. Her honey blonde locs were styled in a half-up and half-down style. “Bria, right?”

“Yes, what are you doing here?”

“I played with the orchestra.”

Bria gasped. “You did? I wish I would’ve known. I would have come to say hi.”

Tori waved her hand. “It’s cool. I know you had to prepare for your performance. By the way, you were amazing. Your body is crazy. I wish I could dance like that.”

“No, I wish I can play like that.” Bria laughed. “How dare you compliment me as if you're not Satori Harper?”

Bashfully, Tori smiled. She had been so kind at her wedding that Bria wished they had more time to bond.

“These days I’m just mommy and wife but I manage to get out here and play from time to time. Did Lo come?”

Bria’s features fell immediately at the mention of her husband.

“No, he didn’t.”

Tori looked around before stepping closer to her. “How’s it going with him? I ask because I barely know him, and it just seems like he’s hard to deal with.”

Sighing, Bria confessed, “He’s extremely hard to deal with. Every day I question why I even made this move with him. My marriage is very much just a piece of paper.”

“Damn, I was hoping he would open up to you. Honestly, your wedding was the second time I’ve seen him. He doesn’t come around like that. I think he has beef with Ada and Dax.”

Bria recollected the scene at the reception with Ada and Dax leaving after saying something to Maddy. Lo never expound on their rift, and she didn’t want to press the issue.

“So, why is there beef?”

Tori shrugged. “Out of all the time I’ve been in The Crown Family, no one has said why. They're very mum about it. I wish I had tea to spill for you, but my cup is empty.”

“Hopefully, it won’t take years for me to figure out. Are you staying the night here in Miami?”

“No, I have my driver outside.” She glanced at her watch. “I should get going. Hey, let’s hang out sometime. Me, you, and Kaylona since we’re Crown girls now.” She winked.

“Of course, I would love to.”

The two exchanged hugs before Tori walked toward the exit. Bria walked down the hall and grinned when she spotted Dough in the lobby. In his hand were a bouquet of roses while he talked on the phone. As soon as he spotted her, he smiled and ended his call.

“Congratulations,” he said as she approached. “That body looked real good.”

Chuckling, she grabbed the bouquet from him.

Dough made her nervous in a good way. Their chemistry had been overpowering since the day they met.

He stood a bit taller than her, with neat locs that he kept in a low ponytail.

His milk chocolate skin was moisturized.

His smoky eyes held lust as he grinned, showcasing his perfect set of veneers.

The cuts in his thick brows added a ruggedness that Bria loved.

Their bond had been in the making for two years.

There were feelings she possessed that were reserved only for him.

“Thank you.”

Dough wrapped his arms around Bria, giving her the comfort she had been craving for over a month.

Bria had been carrying coldness and his embrace felt like the warmest place on her earth.

She hadn’t felt affection this good since she was last in his arms. He pulled back, gazing at her lips before he pressed them against hers.

This was reckless. Standing in the lobby, kissing on a man that wasn’t Lo was so bold.

Yet, Bria needed this. The iciness that she had inherited from her husband melted right away.

She had needs. Lo wasn’t meeting them, so she refused to halt the affection from Dough.

“Yeah, that nigga slippin’ big time.” He smirked.

Playfully, she rolled her eyes. “I don't want to talk about him.”

“Shit, fuck that nigga. You hungry?”

“Yes.”

“Come on. I got somewhere we can go.”

Dough knew how much Bria loved the ocean.

The splashing waves soothed the unsettled parts of her.

That was one of the things she adored most about him—his attentiveness.

He paid attention to detail. He listened to her when she spoke and most of the time he delivered.

On the rooftop enjoying a meal with one of her favorite people was the medicine Bria needed to put her life into perspective.

“So, you like being in The Mob?” he asked, staring at her intensely.

She motioned doubt with her shoulders. “I don't know. I’m not really involved at all. Nothing has changed for me in that aspect.”

“I still can’t believe your pops went to The Noir Mob. Shit crazy.”

“Yeah, well, that’s life. People leave things that don't serve them.”

He nodded, leaning closer over the table. “When you gon’ do that?”

She forked her pasta. “Do what?”

“Leave the situation that’s not serving you?”