Love and Truth (19 page)

I was instantly angry. He just stood out in the parking lot preaching to me about this rule and how there were no exceptions. Now I find out he was whoring around with dancers in the program last year. I knew I shouldn’t be surprised after what he did to Mina.

“Can we just focus on the handbook?”

He patted me on the leg.

“Sure thing. Sorry to run on like that. I’m a talker, but I’m sure that’s obvious.” He chuckled and flashed his dimples. I knew it wasn’t his fault that I was so edgy and defensive. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to find a new seat.

We listened as Ms. Murakami went over the entire handbook from front to back. Most of it was common sense. The only rule that stood out was the strictness of the scheduling. I had never endured such longs hours of training. This was really going to make me push my body to its limit. I was intrigued by the meditation portion of our daily schedule though. I thought a half hour of meditation every morning to start our day would be refreshing.

“Okay, everyone. If you’ll head to the locker rooms and get changed into your dance attire, we’ll get started. Meet back here in Studio A for ballet class in ten minutes.”

“Okay, newbie,” Chandler said. “I’ll see you back out here and you can show me what you got.” I started to gather my things when I glanced up and saw Jonathan walking toward me.

“I see you have already made a new friend, Ms. Harrison,” he said, cocking his head to the side. I hung my head. His voice was so sexy, and I knew this was never going to work. I rose with a forced smile.

“Yes, Mr. Hayes. I have. Everyone’s been very nice. Please excuse me while I go get ready for class.”

I threw my bag over my shoulder and started to walk away, but I heard him whisper.

“Bus stop, Nicole. After classes today and I mean it.” Then he raised his voice back to normal and turned his mouth into a big fake grin. “Good luck with classes today, Ms. Harrison. It was so nice meeting you.” I was enraged as I turned and walked toward the locker room silently.

The locker room was huge. I was impressed. It looked like a massive gym locker room, but the walls were covered with mirrors on one side and there were shower stalls and a large bathroom area with room for doing hair and makeup. I stared at the bank of lockers, trying to pick one, when a peppy blonde with bright blue eyes popped up beside me.

“Hi, I’m Stacy. You must be new. Oh, and I love your leotard! Very smexy with all the straps in the back.” I looked at her with confusion. She radiated enthusiasm and perma-smiled at me, as I wondered if she really just said
smexy
.

“Hi, I’m Nicole. Nice to meet you. Yes, I’m new and thank you, I think. I’m not sure what
smexy
is.”

”Oh, smexy is like smoking hot and sexy all mixed together.”

“Oh, okay. Smexy, right.” She seemed like the happiest person in the world. I took off my shrug and leggings pulled out my ballet shoes and put them on. I was wearing my
SMEXY
black Balera strappy lattice-back leotard and tan tights.

“So did you see him?” she asked, smacking me playfully on the shoulder. “Oh come on. You couldn’t not see
him
. The hot-sex-on-a-stick Mr. Hayes.” I didn’t know what to do. It was like Jonathan torture chamber. I couldn’t seem to escape him. “He’s so hot and you know he’s only like a couple years older than us,” she continued. “What I wouldn’t do to get a taste of him. Smexy for sure.” She couldn’t have known that smexy didn’t come close to describing him, but that was beside the point. I looked at her and smiled. Annie would have a field day with her.

“Yup, he’s cute, I guess. I didn’t notice.” I walked to the mirror and checked my hair. Stacy skipped right up beside me.

“So where you from?” she asked.

“Texas.” I smiled and said nothing else. I wanted her to go away because talking about Jonathan with her was uncomfortable.

“Oh, cool. I’ve always wanted to ride a horse but I’ve never got to. I bet it’s lots of fun.”

Someone please murder me now and put me out of my misery, this girl can’t be for real. Ughh.

“Yup, it sure is,” I drawled at her and walked away. I had to remember to stay away from Stacy. I made my way back to Studio A and saw Jonathan in the hallway just outside the studio door, talking to Ms. Takahashi. She looked like she was thirty, with flawless skin and shiny black hair pulled back into a perfect bun. She wore tan tights, a black leotard, and a sheer black ballet wrap skirt. She was staring up at Jonathan like she was starving and he was her last meal. I knew if I had to watch all the females in this place drool over him every day I was going to be sick. I understood what Chandler was saying. He stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his broad chest, and talking. Ms. Takahashi seemed to hang on his every word. I watched her and realized Jonathan was looking at me. I blushed and looked away.

“Excuse me, Takahashi San. I’ll see you in a moment.” He walked purposefully toward me. “You look amazing,” he said, making me freeze. “I know I shouldn’t be telling you this because…well, because I shouldn’t and because I am pissed at you.” He traced my body with his eyes and bit his bottom lip. “But Nicole…” He leaned in so only I could hear him and my pulse quickened. “Your body is a work of art and I can’t wait to watch you move to the notes of my music. Every time my fingers stroke a key on the piano today, I’m going to imagine that they’re touching you.”

He turned and walked away, just as I was losing myself in his eyes. My breath grew ragged and I felt dizzy. I needed to compose myself before entering the room with him again. Suddenly, Chandler appeared beside me.

“Hey, you gonna stand out here in the hallway and be late to your first class? There’s no reason to be nervous.” He smiled reassuringly and we walked in together.

Jonathan sat on the far side of the room, sitting on the piano bench and facing me. He glared at me as Chandler placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me to an empty place on the ballet barre. His glare made me uneasy. He looked at Chandler with a furrowed brow and shook his head before turning around and setting up his sheet music. I felt more tormented than ever as I took my place at the barre.

Ms. Takahashi motioned to Jonathan by smiling and nodding in his direction. He nodded back and began to play. This was my first time hearing him play and I was instantly regretting being on a barre where I faced his back. Watching him play was the new biggest turn on of my life. The melody of a Tchaikovsky composition filled the silence of the room as his fingers gracefully moved across the ivory keys. He played beautifully and I suddenly wished I could run over and melt into him.

“Ms. Harrison.” A voice interrupted my daydream. It was Ms. Takahashi. Apparently, she had already begun instruction as I stood motionless. ”Is everything alright?”

“Yes. Ms. Takahashi. I apologize.” She smiled and nodded as she continued class. “Again, everyone first position and demi-plie. Please make sure knees are only bent halfway. I see some of you bending too low.”

I concentrated on my demis and tried to focus on a blank spot of the wall rather than look at Jonathan. “
Grand plie
and
releve
, making sure you are lengthening your legs as you rise up onto the balls of your feet.” Our barre workout continued for an hour, and everyone was growing tired.

“Students, please remember, once you are dancing in fifth position when the working leg, execute a step to the front or back. It will need to close to the same fifth from which it began.”

Ms. Takahashi continued by differing combinations while correcting and guiding us. We began our last combination and I was relieved because I needed a a break from staring at Jonathan’s back.

“Very nice lengthening of your leg, Ms. Harrison,” Ms. Takahashi said, startling me. I was stunned and elated. I smiled and continued my grand battement.

“Okay, everyone please take a fifteen minute water break,” she said. “I will see you all back in here for another hour of advanced barre.” Each of us glared at her, thinking she must be kidding. “That was only the first half of barre for the day,” she added. “Once we are done with the second half, we will move onto Balachine technique class and
pas de deux.
Then we will finish with a short, grand allegro instruction.”

I rolled my head from side to side to loosen my neck muscles while I pondered the rest of the day. I was going to pass out when I hit my bed tonight. I grabbed my water bottle from my bag and gulped it down. I was damp with perspiration and I breathed heavily

“So how was your first class, teacher’s pet?” Chandler asked. I hadn’t seen him behind me and he sat down next to me. I wiped water from my mouth and rolled my cold water bottle across my forehead.

“I’m not a teacher’s pet and I do recall hearing a few compliments thrown your way as well.”

He looked over at me with hesitation. “You want to do lunch together today?” He looked at his feet and I wondered if he was nervous; he didn’t seem shy. He looked adorable and helpless.

“As friends?” I asked.

“Absolutely, just friends, like I said before.” I studied his face and I could see that he was sincere.

“Sure, that sounds great.” I glanced over my shoulder feeling the weight of eyes on me. There Jonathan was, leaning against the far wall beside the piano, drinking a cup of coffee and staring fiercely at me
.

Chapter Fourteen

I was exhausted after a long and demanding first day. I was also mentally exhausted from the mind screw unfolding with Jonathan. He seemed angry about my friendship with Chandler, which was too bad because I enjoyed having lunch with him. It was refreshing to feel no pressure or expectations. I told him about perky Stacy and he laughed uncontrollably, as if he agreed.

“She’s like the most, like, hyper and, like, happy but annoying girl I have, like, ever met,” he said, and I laughed.

After lunch we headed back to classes and finished out the day. There was never an absence of Jonathan’s stares, which made for a tense day. As I walked to the bus stop after class, I heard his roaring engine pull up alongside me on the tiny side street. I looked behind me and saw that no traffic was coming.

“Get in the car, Nicole,” he said as the window rolled down. I grimaced and shook my head.

“No, Jonathan. You practically ruined my first day of classes and I’m pissed. The last thing I want is to get in your car. I’m exhausted and I just want to go home.”

I kept walking as I looked around, worried that another student might see him following me. “Go away,” I said. “Someone is going to see us talking and start speculating and then we’re going to be in trouble. Please just go.”

“I’m not taking no for an answer, Nicole, so just make this easy and get in the car before I pull over and stop. If I have to I will get out of this damn car and physically put you in it.”

Has he gone mad?
I thought. Now he wanted to resort to kidnapping. I figured maybe he should pick up one of the other girls who seemed so enamored with him.