38. Chapter 38
Chapter 38
“Great job, Lyric,” I praised. “Run it one more time for me, and watch the line of your chin on that third eight-count.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said politely, walking back to the center of the floor on graceful feet. Lyric Jones was sixteen and one of the most talented contemporary dancers I’d worked with.
I watched, nodding along with each movement she performed, my smile growing wider as she neared the ending. The music ended, and I did a slow clap, making my student giggle.
“Fantastic. I think you’re ready.”
“I’m so nervous,” she said, fiddling with the hem of her pink sports bra as she blinked at me, her eyes screaming, I need reassurance.
I made it my mission to give that to my girls. Always.
“You are going to kill this audition, Lyric. And you know I would never blow smoke up your dance skirt. I mean it.”
That made her laugh. “Thanks, Ms. Mallori.”
“Just don’t look at your mother while you’re dancing. She makes you nervous.”
“Okay, I won’t. It’s hard though because she’s constantly trying to get my attention and give me all these hand signals she’s made up. ”
“I’ll talk to her,” I said, handing her the black dance bag and leading her toward the exit. She stalled a little before I opened the door, and I asked, “Is there something else?”
“Yes,” she breathed, her blue eyes darting to the floor before rising to meet mine. “Do you think… I mean… are you busy on Saturday?”
My heart warmed. “You want me to come to your audition?”
Lyric swallowed hard, and she nodded. “If you can. Or if you even want to. But don’t tell my mom I asked you.”
“I would love to come,” I told her, meaning every word. “Now, let’s go set Mother Jones straight.” She looked relieved, and we went out the door and down the path Hawk and I had laid weeks ago.
Gabrielle Jones was out of her car the moment she saw us. She was a stage mom through and through, which wasn’t always a bad thing. Most were supportive and only wanted the best for their kids, but a lot were way too overzealous. Gabrielle was one of those, much like my own mother.
Luckily, I had the experience now to deal with these kinds of women. When I started this business, my second most important goal was to help my students become better dancers. My number one goal was to be an advocate for them.
“Gabrielle, so lovely to see you,” I said, playing my part. “Lyric is beyond ready for this audition. I’m so excited about it, I’ve decided to come.”
“Oh,” she said, seeming taken aback. “Well, that’s very nice of you, Mallori.”
I leaned forward like I was imparting some secret, very important knowledge. “Most auditions don’t allow parents backstage before the dancer goes on, but they will allow teachers back there.” I reached out and grasped the mother’s hand. “That way I can give her the pep talk I know you wish you could give her just before she goes on.”
“Oh, yes. That would be wonderful. I’ll make you some notes of things she needs to remember.”
And I’ll throw them directly in the trash as soon as you turn your back.
“Excellent!” I gushed, letting go of her hand. “Now, I put a list of tips for a successful audition in Lyric’s bag. You can go over them, but I’d like to point out the most important ones.”
“Of course,” she said, her eyes rapt on mine.
“The night before the audition, she needs to practice no more than one hour.” When Gabrielle sputtered, I held up my hand. “Trust me on this. I’ve been to over fifty auditions, and I know the body and mindset of a dancer. The last thing Lyric needs is muscle fatigue on the day of the audition. She knows the material backward and forward, so there’s no need to tire herself out. A fresh dancer is a successful dancer.”
I totally made up that last line on the fly, but I thought it was pretty damn good.
Her lips tightened, but she nodded. “Okay, I can see your point. What else?”
“This one is vital, Gabrielle. The most important thing during this audition is eye contact with the judges. It’s the mark of a well-trained dancer. So I always ask family members to sit further back in the auditorium and not directly behind the judges.”
“But… but she needs to be able to find me. I’m her mother.” Her voice was a near whine, and I barely refrained from rolling my eyes .
“Lyric knows you’re her number one supporter,” I told her. “That’s why I need you to stay out of her direct line of sight. If her eyes flit to you every few seconds, it makes her appear less confident. I guarantee you, that will lose her the role quicker than anything.”
“Ohhh, I never thought of it like that,” she mused, chewing on her bottom lip. “It makes sense, I guess.”
“You are so important to your daughter,” I said, laying it on thicker than jelly on toast. “We don’t need her focusing on you and using you as a crutch. That might have been okay when she was five, but Lyric is at a higher level now, and this comes with the territory. I mean, if you want her to be an elite dancer.” I let that last part hang in the air, almost like a question.
“Elite dancer? Yes, that’s exactly what we want,” Gabrielle said, nodding her head vigorously. “I’ll make sure to look over the rest of your rules and follow them to the letter.”
“Great. I knew I could count on you, Gabrielle. I also put a couple recipes in there, just some suggestions for audition-day breakfast foods. The yogurt pancakes are delicious, and I’ll tell you a little secret.” I bobbed my eyebrows, and she leaned forward eagerly. “Those are my lucky pancakes . I’ve never lost an audition when I ate them the morning of.”
She nodded, a gleam in her heavily mascaraed eyes. “We’ll stop at the store on the way home and get the ingredients.” When she turned to get into the car, her daughter mouthed a thank you at me.
Yep, Mother Jones fell for that hook, line, and sinker, and I dusted off my hands in victory as I walked back up the path to the door.
“You got a package,” I said, walking back into the house and tossing the large, flat envelope to Hawk on Saturday morning.
He stared down at it for a long moment, turning it over in his hands as a distant smile played across his lips.
“What is it?” I pressed.
“If you needed to know that, it would have your name on the envelope, wouldn’t it?”
“Wow. A mysterious smartass,” I commented, picking up my purse.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said, standing and pressing a kiss to my forehead. “You look really pretty today.”
“Thanks,” I said. I was wearing a royal-blue dress, fitted through the bodice but flaring at the skirt. It had cap sleeves and tiny buttons down the front. I’d chosen nude flats for comfort.
“Tell Lyric your favorite roommate said to break a leg.”
“You’re my only roommate,” I said dryly, but he simply shrugged.
“I’m choosing to focus on the favorite part.”
“Soooo, are you going to tell your favorite roommate what’s in the package?” I cajoled in my sweetest voice.
“Nosy-ass woman.”
I pouted. “Is it something for tonight?”
He pulled me to him, and I could feel his cock jerk. Guess that’s a long, hard yes. “It is, but we don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. We don’t even have to go into that room. ”
“I want to.” Pressing my mouth against his, I stroked my fingers through his sex-mussed hair before reiterating, “I want to.”
He hardened even more against my stomach and growled, “You better get out of here before I bend you over that couch.”
I looked down between us at the rapidly growing bulge. “That thing is out of control. We just had sex less than an hour ago.”
“I know, and you’re welcome,” he said with the sexiest cocky grin ever.
“You are too,” I said, sliding my hand up his inner thigh and giving his balls a soft squeeze. “Make sure these are filled up for me tonight.”
I turned and walked out the door, my laughter not quite covering up the groan from behind me.
I entered the lobby of the auditorium to find Gabrielle in full stage-mom mode, giving Lyric random, unnecessary advice.
Letting out a sigh, I walked toward them. I knew she loved her daughter. She just needed someone to rein her in, and that was hard for kids to do with their own parents. They lived with them and depended on them for every single thing, so that meant I had to be the heavy. I wished someone had done that for me with my own mother.
The poor girl’s eyes found mine and widened with a plea.
Dance teacher to the rescue!
“Hey, ladies,” I chirped, giving them both a quick hug. After what had happened to me with Moreau, I was cautious about touching my students, but she looked like she needed it today .
“I was just telling Lyric to watch out for her first two fingers on her left hand. They tend to droop during her turns.”
“Excellent advice,” I lied. “What did you two have for breakfast?”
Gabrielle preened. “I made your lucky pancakes. You were right; they were delicious.”
“You’re such a good mom, Gabrielle,” I told her, patting her arm, and she beamed at me. “Now, I need you to do a couple things for me.” She nodded eagerly, ready for duty. Really, I just needed her out of the way so her daughter could relax.
“Anything.”
“First of all, grab Lyric a bottle of water and one of those protein bars she likes. This routine really takes a lot out of her, and I want her to stay hydrated and fed afterward. Then scope out our seats in the auditorium. At least ten rows back from the judges and slightly to the left. She does a lot of floor work on that side, and we want to have the best view.”
“Yes, yes.” Her head looked like one of those bobble head figures. “Good idea. I’ll get on it.”
“Awesome. I really appreciate you. Now go ahead and get your hugs because this will probably be the last time you’ll see Lyric until she rocks the hell out of that stage.”
Her face fell. “Oh. Wow, the last time?”
“We have to meditate,” I said sagely. “Very, very important to have her in the right frame of mind.”
“Very, very important,” she repeated, her head nodding again. “You’re right.” She turned to her daughter, her voice stern. “You need to meditate, Lyric. It’s very, very important. ”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said solemnly, though I could tell she was fighting a smile.
“And don’t lose your smile in that one part. You know where I’m talking about.”
“I do, and I won’t,” Lyric said, leaning in for a hug. “Thank you, Mama. I love you.”
Gabrielle’s eyes filled with tears, and she stopped her advising while they held each other. “I’m proud of you, baby,” she said, patting her daughter’s face. “And remember…”
“Okay, Mallori’s Meditation class starts in three minutes,” I interrupted, clapping my hands once. “Let's do this. Gabrielle, you’re officially on dance mom duty.” I gave her a high five, and she grinned before scurrying toward the concession stand.
“Wow, you’re good at handling her,” Lyric said with a giggle. “Thank you.”
“No problemo,” I assured her, gesturing to the auditorium. As we walked, Lyric reached over and took my hand, and I gave her a reassuring squeeze. “You’ve got this.”
And she did. I was well aware that Lyric was a phenomenal dancer, but when she had an audience, she came alive. Or maybe it was her competitive spirit that came out to play when she was in front of judges.
Whatever it was, she freaking killed it, and as we waited for the next few hours, I watched every other dancer with a keen eye. By the time everyone was done, I had no doubt Lyric would be awarded the lead role in the show. No one else had even come close .
She sat onstage with the other dancers as names were called, her eyes flicking to where I sat with her mother in the audience as various smaller roles were announced.
“Please, please, please,” I heard Gabrielle whisper as she reached for my hand when they got to the final announcement. When Lyric’s name was called, we both leaped to our feet and made total asses of ourselves, crying and waving and jumping around.
Lyric didn’t seem to mind. She was too damn happy and waved back at us as she took her place at the front of the stage, bouncing on her tiptoes.
Gabrielle and I walked to the side of the auditorium to wait for Lyric. Tugging at my elbow until I tilted my face to look at her, the woman said, “I wasn’t so sure about some of your rules, but it’s obvious you know your stuff. From now on, you just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
“I’m here to help in any way I can. I know we’ve only worked together for a few weeks, but Lyric is truly gifted, and beyond that, she is a hard worker. She takes notes well, and I never have to tell her the same thing twice.”
She looked at the stage where Lyric was now chatting with other members of the cast. “She’s my entire world,” she said softly, and that stirred something inside me, reminding me of my own mother.
Maybe I was overstepping, but the words came out before I could consider shutting my trap. “That’s wonderful, Gabrielle, but make sure to let her be a kid sometimes. And you take time to be an adult. I know dance is important to you both, but it’s not everything.”
Her brow crinkled like she couldn’t fathom such a statement. “What do you mean? ”
“My mom and I were much the same as you and Lyric. We were together so much, we drifted apart. I know that sounds weird, but when you don’t have a life outside of dance… I don’t know. Just don’t let dance be the only thing. Take her out for ice cream sometimes and talk about something other than dancing. Let her have a slumber party with her friends. You and your husband go out on dates, just the two of you.”
Gabrielle’s eyes dropped to the floor. “Jake and I have been having trouble. He says we never do anything together anymore, but I’m just so busy with Lyric.”
“Take the time,” I said gently. “That will give your daughter a chance to do the things normal kids her age do. Like talk on the phone way too late. Make crazy TikToks with her friends. Discuss which boys are cute and which ones are gross.”
That made her laugh. “So you’re saying I need to back off.”
“Just a tad. Lyric pushes herself hard enough. Take a step back and let her . It will make her accomplishments so much more rewarding for both of you.”
“I’ll try,” she promised.
“I don’t mean to overstep,” I told her. “I’m just seeing some familiar patterns. My mother got sucked in and went too far with some things, and I don’t want to see that happen to you and Lyric. You love her so much.”
“I do,” she said, but that’s as far as she got before a screeching Lyric barreled into her mother with tears and hugs.
I watched them with a smile—and maybe a few tears in my own eyes—until Lyric ran to me. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and after congratulating her and letting her know how proud I was, I went home, hoping her mother would consider what I’d said.
Hawk had made dinner for us, grilled chicken and veggies, and it was delicious. “I got a call from an animal shelter today,” I told him, trying to hide the quaver in my voice. “They can take Coconut, maybe next week.”
His fork paused halfway to his mouth. “A no-kill shelter?”
I nodded and took a long gulp of my iced tea. “Of course.”
A furrow appeared between his eyebrows, and he poked at his chicken. “I think she should stay until you have to leave. There’s no need for her to go to a shelter yet.”
My heart lifted. “Really? You don’t mind?”
His answer was a nod and a grunt, so I took it as a win and shut the hell up.
When I went to put my plate into the sink, Hawk followed, seeming somehow even bigger than he usually did. Like maybe the kitchen was shrinking until he was the pervading presence in the room, leaving room for nothing else.
“I’ll do the dishes,” I informed him, trying to find room to breathe. What was it about him tonight? Why did he seem to completely dominate the entire space with little effort?
“No.” One simple word, but it sent a tremble down my spine. His hands went to my waist, and his front pressed against my back, pinning me to the counter. Warm breath gusted across my ear. “I want you to go take a shower. Use that body wash I like. The one that makes me want to devour you whole.”
Cue more shivers. The words were delivered softly, but it didn’t lessen their commanding effect.
I glanced up at him, finding that obsidian gaze on mine as he brushed a strand of hair away from my forehead. “You can back out if you want to.” His eyes flitted toward the back of the house—where his sex room was located—before coming back to mine. “I’m different in there, and you might not like it.” The tightness around his eyes reflected his worry.
“If you’re there, I’ll like it,” I told him, and I wasn’t sure truer words had ever been spoken. It had been two weeks since Hawk had taken my virginity, and I was completely addicted.
To the sex. Not him.
Okay, maybe him a little bit. Or a lot.
Sigh. I knew better than to go all dreamy-eyed schoolgirl on him because of the way he was, but he made it difficult not to like him. The whole thing with Coconut and the shelter? Yeah. What the hell was I supposed to do with that? Besides melt like butter on a hot tortilla.
Hawk drifted his open mouth down the side of my neck before scraping his teeth against the spot where it met my shoulder. “I want to spank you, Little Bee. Then I want to fuck you hard and without a condom. I’ve never felt anything better than when I spilled into you last weekend.”
“M-me neither,” I stammered. I’d loved it but thought that was a one and done thing because we didn’t have protection available when he took me against the side of the barn. He’d used condoms every time since then. But he wanted to go raw with me again?
“That’s okay with you? Even the spanking?”
God yes! I wanted to scream that but refrained, instead nodding my head. “Yes. All of it.”
His hands dropped to my butt and squeezed. “I want to leave my mark on your skin.”
“Like an ass tattoo?” I asked and felt him chuckle into my neck.
“No, nothing permanent like that.”
“Then what?”
“You’ll see,” he told me mysteriously. “I’d also like to video what we do tonight, but I won’t do that without your permission.”
That gave me pause, and I turned in his arms to look up at him. “Have you done that before? The videoing, I mean?”
“Yes,” he admitted without even blinking.
“Oh,” I said, letting my eyes drop. For some reason, the thought of him watching himself with other women made my stomach hurt.
“And only if the woman wants to.” He lifted my chin and crooked his lips up on one side, flashing me a hint of white teeth in that sexy little smile he had. “Ladies’ choice, always.”
“So you have, like, your own personal porno library or something?”
That made him laugh. “No, sweetheart. I destroy them as soon as she leaves.”
I frowned. “Then why video it?”
“Some people like watching, and others like being watched,” he explained simply. “The camera gives the same excitement in a safe environment, without actually having to be an exhibitionist. There are clubs and internet sites for that, but I have no desire to be a performing artist.”
My tongue darted out to my bottom lip, and Hawk leaned forward to trace the same path with his own tongue, his voice lowering to that seductive timbre that never failed to get me wet. “Did you like when I fucked you out in the open last Saturday, Bee? Did it excite you to know anyone could walk up and catch us?”
Um, yeah.
“Was it not obvious?” I asked cheekily, and he laughed a mere inch from my face, his warm breath dusting over my lips.
“I thought I could video us, and it would be like the camera is the voyeur. Then we could watch it back together so you can see how beautiful you look when you’re getting railed.”
“Okay, my panties are obliterated now. Are you pleased with yourself, mister?”
“Extremely. So that’s something you’re interested in?” He kissed me softly. “No pressure, Bee. Ever. And I’ll delete it after we watch it together,” he added, answering the question that was on the tip of my tongue.
I couldn’t deny the thrill that went through me when I thought of being filmed with him. The mental pictures that painted…
And Hawk would never put me in harm’s way. Ever. I trusted him.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pressed my lips to his and whispered my answer.
“Yes.”
His smile was positively wicked. “Go get ready. I bought you something to wear. It’s on your bed.”