"Dangerously"
Her phone buzzed and she grabbed it quickly before it buzzed again and woke him. She disabled the alarm and looked over at him lying on his stomach with his arms sprawled out, his nose deep in the pillow. She wanted to kiss his cheek but didn’t want to wake him as he lay there sleeping as she imagined he did when he was a child with not a care in the world. His lashes, so long, they curved against his cheek.
She slipped out of bed, her sock clad feet making a soft thud on the floor and grabbed the clothes she’d laid out on the bench, getting dressed softly.
Rasta, her dog, lifted his head and looked at her, put his head back down and repositioned for sleep.
In the bathroom she brushed her teeth and washed her face, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail and then headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. Grits, scrambled eggs, and Canadian bacon. She put a plate in the microwave covered just as Rasta decided to come see what she was up to and she handed him a piece of bacon.
He sniffed it and turned around, walking out of the kitchen.
She laughed at how finicky her pooch was.
After she scribbled him a note, she placed it on his nightstand and, she couldn’t resist. She bent down and kissed him softly on his cheek. He moaned gently and put his nose deeper into the pillow. She was almost out the door when he realized she wasn’t in bed next to him.
“Hey.” He said slowly. “Where are you going?” He looked at the clock. “It’s six in the morning.”
“I know. I’m sorry but I promised a friend I’d help out at a food bank. I’ll be back before noon.” She went back to the bed and sat on it. He lifted a muscular arm and pulled her down sitting up in the process.
“So…you volunteer too huh?”
“Yes, you knew that.” He was nuzzling her cheek.
“Why didn’t you ask if I wanted to go?”
“Because every time you’re visiting you sleep until noon.”
“Oh…you think I don’t have what it takes?”
She kissed the inside of his hand. “Well, you hands ARE kinda soft and manicured. You know how you celebrities are….used to folks doing for you.”
“Yeah, whatever. Don’t let the lights fool you. Come on…I’m getting up.”
“Um…do you have to check with someone first?”
“Huh?” He was getting out of bed. His gray boxer briefs a contrast with his caramel skin.
“I just don’t want any trouble.”
“I’m a grown azz man Steph. I can do what I want to do.”
“Okay. Like I said. I don’t want any trouble.”
He got dressed quickly, noting the note on the nightstand. “You made me breakfast?”
“Of course. Don’t I always?”
“Yes, but you did it before you were going to leave.”
“I didn’t want you to wake up and be hungry.”
He looked at her and smiled. Walked over and kissed her on the forehead. “Come on. Let’s go so we can get back.”
“Oh…I was going to take the Metro.”
“So…we take the Metro.”
“Is that going to be okay? You know…security wise?”
“Come on woman. I’m not soft.”
After taking Rasta out for a bathroom break they walked the block up to the Metro station and hopped on headed for the city. They shared a newspaper and read in silence until they had to change trains at Metro station. They got off and headed downstairs when a young man recognized him. “Yo man…aren’t you Dangerous?”
He nodded and smiled at the young man who promptly whipped out his cell for a picture.
“Would you mind?” he asked Steph.
“Of course not.” And she stepped back and took the picture.
“Man we have to head out. It was nice meeting you.” He grabbed Steph’s hand and started walking off.
“Yo man, you mad cool. Can’t believe Dangerous rides the Metro.”
As they made their way down more people recognized him and Steph found herself the unofficial photographer as people couldn’t believe one of their favorite celebrities was at the Metro just like they were.
They missed two trains while he tried his best to politely depart from everyone’s questions and well wishes. He kept Stephanie in his site the entire time noting how she stepped back to let him talk to people and didn’t have a problem taking pics for people.
When they finally got to where they were going he stopped and apologized. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come with you, huh?”
“It’s okay. It’s who you are. I’m okay with that.”
At the food bank she walked in and grabbed two shower cap things and two plastic aprons.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
“You have to wear this.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes. I’m serious. And you have to wear this apron and gloves at all times. Okay?”
“The things I do for you ma’am.”
She giggled and helped him get “dressed.” They walked into the kitchen area where food was being sorted and they got to work. Everyone was hard at work so no one noticed him and he got into the swing of things and no one noticed him.
Two hours later he found himself alone and walked around the corner to where he’d seen Steph go. She was dragging a large plastic container of can goods and had her head down. He watched her for a minute and walked over to her and picked it up.
“Where do you want this?” he asked her.
“Over where we were working.”
They walked over to the stainless steel table. “I don’t want you trying to move something this heavy again okay?” He put container down.
She looked at him with no expression on her face. “Okay.”
Quietly he watched as she started taking the cans out of the container, wiping them off with a damp cloth. He caught her hand. “I love you.” He stated mater-of-factly.
“Huh?”
“I love you.”
“How do you know?” she whispered.
“I don’t know. I just do. It's a feeling. Like...right now...I feel like I won't be able to breathe again if I ever lost you.” He stared down at her.
“Hey! See! I told you that was Dangerous!” yelled the young man leading the group of people heading their direction.
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