Between the Lines

ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇꜱ
ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏʀᴋ, ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏʀᴋ
ᴏᴍɴɪꜱᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴘᴏᴠ

Kimora adjusted her leggings as she stood outside the pilates studio, scrolling through her phone while waiting for Darius. The sun sat high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the city streets. She smirked to herself, already knowing today was about to be another good day.. She was taking him to her pilates class, although he didn't know that. She told him to get dressed in something athletic and he was hesitant but he agreed to come.

They had been spending more time together lately, and with every moment, she found herself growing more comfortable around him. It was easy with Darius, he made her laugh, made her feel at ease.

She looked up when she heard his deep voice.

"You really got me out here doing this? The fuck is this?" He said looking up at the building. "Pilates?"

She turned, taking him in. He was standing there with that familiar amused-yet-annoyed expression, his fitted athletic shirt clinging to his build, and his basketball shorts hanging just above his knees. Him being tall and lean, it made him look 10x more attractive, especially with his dreads pulled back. She could see the hesitation all over his face.

"Yes," she said sweetly, slipping her phone into her bag. "You said you was tryna try new things, right?"

He sucked his teeth, shaking his head. "I meant, like, new food spots or movies. Not this."

Kimora laughed, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the entrance. "C'mon, Darius. It's just stretching... with a little bit of more effort"

"A little bit?" He gave her a side-eye but followed her inside anyway.

The studio had a calm vibe—soft music playing, the scent of eucalyptus in the air. A few women were already on their mats, stretching and chatting quietly. The instructor, a woman with curly hair and an easygoing smile, waved at Kimora.

"You made it!" she said brightly. Then her eyes flickered to Darius, eyebrows lifting in amusement. "And you brought a friend?"

Kimora grinned. "Yeah, he's new to this."

Darius exhaled through his nose as he followed Kimora.

The instructor chuckled and motioned to the reformer machines. "Alright, let's get you set up."

As the class started, Darius quickly realized he was in over his head. What started off as simple stretches quickly turned into core work that had his muscles shaking. Kimora was thriving, moving through the poses with ease while he struggled to keep up.

"This ain't normal," he muttered under his breath, gripping the resistance bands.

Kimora bit her lip to keep from laughing. "You good?"

Darius shot her a glare. "Do I look good?" His voice was strained as he tried to hold a plank position on the reformer.

Kimora couldn't hold it in anymore, she burst out laughing. Seeing the man who once used to get on her nerves with his cockiness, damn near fighting for his life in pilates was the best thing she had ever witnessed.

"Nah, this ain't funny," he said, shaking his head. "You set me up."

Kimora shrugged. "You said you were open to new experiences."

He groaned as the instructor called for a move that involved balancing on one leg while pulling the resistance bands. He barely made it two seconds before stumbling, making people look at them.