Behind the Curtain

15

As sunlight streams through the window, warm rays land softly on my face, slowly waking me from sleep. I feel the gentle weight of Carys' arms draped over me. A time was had last night after coming back to my place, and the feeling of her closeness is comforting. As I begin to wake up fully, I hear my phone buzz on the nightstand. I glance at it and see a message from Bey. I'm curious but don't want to disturb Carys, so I carefully shift my phone to avoid her noticing, although she's still asleep.

The text from Bey contains a screenshot of a tweet mentioning me. Her message reads:

You really have to be mindful about your whereabouts and what you let others see on social media, due to you being so close in my circle.

I frown, not entirely sure what she's referring to. I type a quick response:

I apologize, it was just a little get together and my close friend Lauren usually posts whenever we hang out.

I see bubbles indicating she's typing. Her reply comes shortly:

If you don't mind me asking, who is she to you?

She's just one of my close friends.

I text back feeling a bit puzzled.
Why? What's up?

Nothing, just wondering why you two were hugged up like that...

I'm taken aback by her response.

What? Why should it concern you Beyoncé?

I text back feeling a mix of confusion and frustration.

Her message bubble appears and then vanishes, leaving me in a waiting game. I can't help but feel a bit annoyed. What I do outside her and Parkwood should be my business, shouldn't it?

At that moment, Carys stirs beside me, her hand lightly brushing over my stomach. "Good morning," she mumbles groggily.

"Good morning," I respond with a smile. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good... Hey, what time is it?" she asks, rubbing her eyes.

"It's 10:04," I tell her, noting the slight groan that escapes her lips.

"I have to go to work soon," she says with a hint of reluctance.

"That's no problem. Mind if I drive you home?" I offer.

"You don't have to do that," she says, looking up at me with a grateful smile.

"It's the least I could do. I'll get you breakfast to start your day right," I reply, smiling back.

"I really appreciate it," she says softly, giving me a gentle rub on my abdomen.

I get up and start preparing for the day, my thoughts swirling around the text messages from Beyonce. I can't help but daydream about the life I envisioned with her, one's filled with moments like I just previously had with Carys, it's the small things. Yet feeling constrained about the restrictions our relationship brings. Our time together was always shadowed by complications, we had the opportunity to act out on our feelings because of their rough patch, leading to an unexpected vacation and sex.

As I gather my things, I meet Carys at the door. "Ready to go?" I ask.

She's admiring the artwork on my wall, particularly a Basquiat piece. "Isn't this a Baquiat? I love his art!" She says excitedly.

"It is," I reply with a chuckle. "Beyonce gifted it to me for my birthday."

"She has really good taste," Carys comments.