POV Akhyra

Valentino and Hannah are both hiding something, but maybe if I pretend to be clueless, they will tell me soon enough what they're miserably trying to keep from me.

All three of us are climbing the grand staircase, leading to the entrance of an interactive museum that has recently opened in the area. Earlier this evening, Hannah had given me the unexpected news that I received an invitation to attend their inaugural exhibition. Valentino assured me that the patrons of the museum are tied to the ballet industry. Therefore, my presence here would reflect well on my public image. 

"How long am I expected to stay?" I ask. After my impromptu karaoke session at Caonabo this afternoon, I've almost run out of social battery.

"It will depend on you," Tino answers vaguely. 

"And on how much you enjoy the company, " Hannah adds with a suspicious hint of excitement in her tone.

These two are definitely up to something. I'm debating whether I should make them come forth about whatever they are plotting before we enter the museum when Hannah stops in her tracks as we reach the top of the stairs.

"We should take some pictures for your socials," she suggests. "This scenery is perfect, starlit sky, full moon, and the baroque architectural style of the museum's facade is chef's kiss!"

Following her directions, I stand in front of the rectangular fountain pool that the architects had strategically constructed right before the entrance of the museum. The neon blue light illuminating the upward jet of water at its center adds a compelling touch of festivity to the atmosphere.

Hannah takes a few steps back to get a wider range for her shots, and when she's ready, I strike different poses. She gives me several instructions about what poses are best flattering to my outfit.

Tonight, I'm wearing a strapless tulle pink dress with a slim black ribbon wrapped around the waistline. The puffy fabric of the bodice is woven artistically to create a cloudy effect over my chest. The A-line skirt reaches just below my knees, exposing my legs that are clad in cream sandal heels with pearl straps completed by a charming silk ribbon at the back. For the occasion, I have styled my hair in a voluminous updo, leaving only two strands of locs falling on the right side of my face, swaying against my hip. 

"Have you gotten everything you need?" I ask impatiently when Hannah makes no sign to lower her phone.

Out of nowhere, a huge grin illuminates her face as her gaze travels behind me.

"What are you smiling at?" I ask as I turn around, curious to discover what has suddenly gotten her attention.

I remain frozen on the spot when I face Lucian Moreno walking toward me, dressed in all black. My lungs forget how to function when I notice that he's not wearing any shirt underneath the blazer that hugs his broad frame. Before I get too lost in ogling him, I spot the bouquet and the gift bag that he's holding.

"Good evening, Akhyra," he greets me in a voice that stirs a dangerous wave in my lower belly.

As I'm standing there hypnotized, he begins to apologize for not being able to contact me those last few days. As much as I would like to pay attention to his words, my brain has decided to shut off. It's too focused on the exposed skin of Lucian's chest. From here, I can see the dark hair shadowing his sternum. This sight awakens a carnal need inside of me to drag my nails through his flesh. And oh my gosh, why does his waist look so fine? There's no reason why I should be looking at the black belt cinched around his hips. I commend my eyes to not glide down any further, but they refuse to obey me. His toned legs covered in black trousers are a sight to behold. 

The more I get lost in my luscious visual exploration of his body, the quicker my heart bounces against my ribcage, a feeling that I've only experienced when I'm performing on a stage.  

Lucian's nervous chuckle brings my attention back to his face, where I notice a worried expression as he says, "I would understand if you want me to leave."

Because I haven't been listening to him, he must have taken my silence as a bad sign. I quickly need to say something before he realizes that I've been internally drooling over his appearance.

"Are these flowers for me, or are you going to hold onto them all night?"

A relieved smile stretches his lips as he crosses the distance between us. When I take the bouquet from him, my fingers brush against his knuckles for just a fraction of a second, but this brief contact is enough to ignite my sensory nerves.

"I'd love to see you carry this bouquet for the whole night," Lucian says mischievously. "However, I have other plans that will require you to have free hands."

He calls over Hannah, who's more than happy to take away the bouquet and the gift. She wishes us to have a good time before leaving with Valentino.

Lucian informs me that there's a digital art exhibition for which he already got us tickets. Contrary to the other exhibitions that are open aired inside the museum, this one takes place in a closed room. A tour guide checks the number of our ticket before opening the door behind him labeled with the title of the exhibition, Spaceship Odyssey: An immersive Journey for Two.

I've heard about immersive art before but had never visited those events because they are known to attract a lot of people. It was a great idea for Lucian to choose an exhibition that only allowed two people per show. 

Lucian and I follow the tour guide inside the exhibition room as he explains to us that we will both be seated on a chairlift that will be maneuvered around the room. The entire space, as well as the floor, is made of screens that are black for now but will undoubtedly lighten up when the show begins. After making sure that we are strapped in our chairs, the tour guide actionates a mechanism that lifts us above ground until we are suspended in the middle of the room. 

"Are you both comfortable up there?" The tour guide asks, and we both answer positively. "Great. The exhibition is forty-five minutes long. When it's almost over, the chairlift will automatically lower itself to the floor. If you want to leave before the end, simply press the Call button placed on the handle above your head. Enjoy the show."

Once he leaves and the door closes behind him, the lights go out. For a moment, we're in total darkness. 

"Are you okay?" Lucian asks immediately. 

"I'm good," I breathe out through clenched teeth. I almost reach out for him but restrain myself. I'm a grown woman, I should be able to handle a few seconds of total darkness.

"I'm starting to think this was a bad idea," Lucian whispers.

I don't get a chance to reply because the screens suddenly come alive, transforming the room into a mesmerizing galactic wonder. We're surrounded by holographic planets, radiant stars, and space debris that float above ground as if gravity has ceased to exist. 

"This is breathtaking," I whisper in awe.

"Agreed," Lucian answers with an admiration that matches my own. 

As the chairlift glides through the galactic scene, vibrant hues of space dust shimmer in the air, casting a celestial glow around us sparkling in various colors, sapphire blue, iridescent purple, emerald green. The holographic elements twirl and sway as if creating their own celestial ballet. 

As shooting stars fly above our heads, Lucian makes a confession about a childhood belief that he used to have.

"When I was little, I thought that shooting stars fell somewhere on earth. Whenever I saw one at night, I'd barely sleep thinking that the apocalypse would happen the next day."

"You can't be serious?" I have to fight the urge of laughing, but when I look at Lucian, he's already smiling as if he doesn't mind that I might make fun of him.

"That's true, I swear. I made the mistake of telling Maëlla once, and she never let me hear the end of it."

"How did your child brain come up with something so dramatic?"

"I have no idea! What about you though, did you have any theories about them?"

"Nothing as horrific as you for sure. Whenever I saw a shooting star, I expected some fairy godmother to manifest right next to me."

Lucian remains silent for a few seconds before letting out with a shake of his head, "This is so Disney coded."

"Hey! No judging."

"I have no right to judge. Apocalypse guy, remember?"

"Speaking of impending doom, how's my father treating you?"

"As expected, but I'll survive. How was your first day of rehearsals?"

As I recount my altercation with Brittany this morning followed by my newfound friendship with Simone, I notice Lucian's eyes soften. I try hard not to focus on how this affects the rhythm of my pulse.

"You're telling me that in one day, you not only made your archenemy bite the dust, but you also made a friend?" Lucian asks with a tone full of pride. "Who are you, and what have you done to my cold-hearted princess?"

I quirk an eyebrow at him. "Your cold-hearted princess?"

"I didn't mean it in a possessive way," Lucian backtracks in panic. "You're not mine yet."

"I'm not yours yet? A little presumptuous, are we?"

Upon hearing how monotone my voice sounds, Lucian begins to panic even more. "I'm sorry that came out wrong."

"So you don't expect me to be yours someday?"

"Of..." he stops himself to scrutinize me suspiciously. "Is that a trick question?"

Not able to hold it in anymore, I finally crack and burst out laughing. Lucian finally realizes that I was messing with him.

"You're evil, you know that?"

"That's something my exes would agree on."

"Speaking of dating. How does that usually go for you?"

"Are you asking for a friend?"

"No, Princess. I'm asking for myself."

My heart does a backflip that I refuse to acknowledge. 

"I've stopped dating somewhere throughout college. Carper would often handle the break up when I noticed that they never took me seriously if I was the one trying to cut ties."

"So you were always the one breaking off the relationship?"

"Not always. One time a guy dumped me right before his birthday, and we were supposed to meet his parents for the occasion. I found this fishy, so I made Carper drive me there. Turns out he had an official girlfriend that he brought home instead."

"I'm sorry you had to deal with such a jerk."

"You should feel sorry for him instead. I sent six strippers there with a bunch of weed as a birthday gift."

Lucian doesn't even blink when I confess this as if he'd expect this kind of excessive behavior from me.

"Did he know it was you?"

"Probably. He didn't have the guts to confront me about it, though. In conclusion, to answer your question about my previous dating life, let's just say that I've got a long list of ex-lovers, and they would all tell you that I'm insane."

"Are you trying to scare me away?"

"Is it working?"

"Not a chance, Princess. Don't be shy about writing my name in your blank space."

I'm briefly speechless, stunned by the fact that Lucian recognized the Blank Space reference that I made. Has he been listening to Taylor Swift lately?

As we continue floating in virtual space, our conversation carries on and we end up talking about family. That's how I learn that the father of Lucian and Maëlla passed away in the tragic earthquake of 2010 that ravaged Haiti. The paternal figure that they had while growing up was their grandfather, Guillermo Moreno, who moved to Haiti in the 80s to marry their grandmother. 

"Up until my grandfather passed away he never stopped telling us about how he met with grandma, fell in love at first sight and decided to never go back to the Dominican Republic. He decided to leave his home because my grandmother would've never left her Haitian family behind."

"That must have been a hard decision for him. What about his family?"

"He visited sometimes but eventually stopped going back because they didn't approve of him marrying outside of race."

"Outside of race? This is grotesque! Are these people aware that our ancestors are connected? We literally live on the same island. These imbeciles... Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I love it when you curse in cursive. It sounds charmingly posh."

"Curse in cursive?"

"It's that thing you do when you use these fancy words to humble people in the most delicate yet deadly way. It's adorable."

I'm so flabbergasted that I end up laughing. "Tu imagines des trucs, je ne fais pas ça du tout!"

Lucian's eyes set ablaze and I realize this is the first time he might have heard me speak French. Back in Haiti, I communicated in English with him and my team, and I only used Creole with locals. Even if French is also our national language, Creole is the tongue that really unites our people, not the language of the colonizer. 

"I'm not imagining things," Lucian answers to my protest with a sly grin. "And yes, you do that. But can you say something else in French? It's for scientific purposes."

"Only if you say something in Spanish."

He doesn't even need to think about it before speaking, as if he'd been waiting all night to tell me this.

"Pensaré en ti cada vez que mire las estrellas, porque brillas tanto como ellas."

I should probably be grateful for suffering through Spanish classes at school because I understood that perfectly. I will think of you whenever I look at the stars because you shine as bright as them.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere between us becomes heavy, fueled by the audacious flame of unspoken emotions. Lucian holds my gaze, waiting to see how I'm going to react. 

"You said it was love at first sight for your grandfather?" I ask to bring us back to safe territory. 

To his credit, Lucian goes with the flow and doesn't seem affected by the abrupt change of topic.

"He always told us it was. The moment he saw Grandma, he knew right away that he was ready to risk it all."

"That's lovely. Though I always wondered how people never doubt their emotions when they fall in love at first sight. How can you look at someone for the first time and just know that they're the one? We're talking about life here. Sounds like a risky gamble."

"I think it's one of those things that you never fully understand until you've experienced it yourself."

When the conversation shifts on me, I expect Lucian to ask about my birth parents, but to my relief, he doesn't. 

"Has Coach Morel ever been married?" He inquires. 

"He was before I came into the picture. His wife died in labor to a still born child, and even though I didn't know Dad back then, when he adopted me a few years later, I could tell that this event had drastically changed him. One time he confessed to me that he'd never marry another woman because it wouldn't be fair to only give half of himself to someone else."

"Is he happy, though?"

"That's a tough question. He does have a fulfilling career and a magnificent daughter, but ultimately, that's a question only he can answer."

"I can only imagine how painful it is to lose your soulmate," Lucian declares.

"That's the tragic thing about love. By coming into your life, one person has enough power to not only alter your brain chemistry but they can also mess with your rational thinking. All of a sudden your happiness depends on them. It's a risky gamble to give away all of yourself to someone who might not always be by your side."

"Some would argue that the risk is worth taking."

Our conversation gets interrupted when the chairlift lands on the floor, and we both unbuckle our safety belts before stepping down.

"Is it over already?" I ask even if the exhibition is still on display.

"No, the best part is about to begin," Lucian answers before taking out of his pocket the card he had taken from my bouquet earlier. "Now is the time to read this," he adds and I reach to grab it.

A thousand butterflies are set free inside of my chest when I read the familiar lyrics: "This is me praying that this was the very first page, not where the storyline ends."

As if on cue, music starts playing from a dissimulated audio system that resonates throughout the room. From the first notes of violin, I recognize the orchestral cover of Enchanted. The timing is too perfect. Lucian must have requested the music to be played as a part of the exhibition. 

"Would you do me the honor of joining me for a dance?" he asks, extending his hand toward me.

I don't have to think about it before I place my palm inside of his. In the blink of an eye, I am brought back to the first time we touched. Any emotion I might have felt back then seems insignificant now compared to the tumultuous whirlwind wreaking havoc in my spirit.

His other hand comes to rest at my lower back and I place mine on his shoulder. As we twirl around the room, the holographic elements envelope us in a cosmic dream, their gentle glow reflecting off my tulle dress, turning it into a cascade of soft clouds that swirl with each movement. 

Lucian's hands on me are a steady force guiding me through this celestial waltz. We never break our eye contact because our lips might not be moving, but our souls are speaking to each other to tell a story that only our hearts can decipher. 

We both know at this moment that our story has only just begun. I might not know what our destination is yet, but I'm sure of one thing: we're in for a wild ride.

᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽

❣︎ꍏꀎ꓄ꀍꂦꋪ'ꌚ ꈤꂦ꓄ꏂ❣︎

🆃︎🅷︎🅾︎🆄︎🅶︎🅷︎🆃︎❦︎

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚘 𝚏𝚊𝚛! 3𝚔 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙳𝙴𝚂𝚃. 𝙸 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖  𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝. 𝙸 𝙳𝙴𝙻𝙴𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚏𝚏! 

 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚝! (;'༎ຶٹ༎ຶ')

🆀︎🆄︎🅴︎🆂︎🆃︎🅸︎🅾︎🅽︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑨𝒌𝒉𝒚𝒓𝒂 & 𝑳𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒏?