Epilogue-Eighteen Months Later
What a Feeling
My palms slick with sweat, I sit in the waiting room of a grand, old building, anticipation thrumming through me for my dance audition this afternoon.
I wouldn’t let the boys come in here with me, even though Jagger was adamant I was not left alone.
Ever. Nothing’s changed there, even if we haven’t heard a thing from my family since the contract was signed a year and a half ago.
I knew my brother’s threats were empty. He had lost his right-hand man and the backing of his company.
I’m not sure where he is now, but I hope the slap back to reality taught him to be more humble and less selfish. Only time will tell.
I feel sorry for any girl who walks into this building after me, she’ll have to pass my overprotective boys lurking out front. They hardly fit in with the upper-society people who run this place.
In front of me stand three incredibly beautiful girls, the grace of their athletic bodies testament to their dedication to dance.
My stomach twists. Just because they look the part doesn’t mean they have anything over you, Daisy.
When I change out of my combat boots and into my pointe shoes, I shove my headphones over my ears and listen to my audition song again, letting the melody take me back into my head, going through the motions I know off by heart.
I have worked tirelessly with Paige over the last six months.
The routine is perfect, and she assures me it’s a winner with the judges.
The boys wanted to offer them a bribe to make sure I was accepted.
I lost my shit with Jagger when I overheard that conversation.
They might have gotten me this audition, but I’m going to win my spot at this school because of how I can dance, not because they have more money than sense and some underworld influence.
I stand and use the chair to stretch out my muscles, fiddling with my shoes to make sure they’re on perfectly.
I can’t risk anything going wrong, not when it’s taken me so damn long to get back here.
A girl comes running past me, nearly hitting me on her way through, her head buried in her hands.
I slip my headphones off as she scurries past, obviously bawling her eyes out.
“Poor girl,” I whisper, swallowing down the lump in my throat, hoping that won’t be me next.
“Some girls can’t take the heat. Looks like she cracked under the pressure,” says the redhead in a skintight black leotard beside me. She’s bent over a chair stretching out her quads and doesn’t look fazed by the other girl’s clear meltdown.
“Hope I can,” I whisper mostly to myself.
“Daisy Stryker.” My name is called from the double doors at the front of the hallway. Suddenly it feels as though all eyes are on me and my heart is about to stop. You can do this, Daisy.
I suck in a shaky breath as I move down the hall toward the dance studio.
When I’m inside, the door closes with a thud, and I flinch at its finality.
There’s no going back now, not with all assessing eyes on me.
My heart starts to hammer against my rib cage, the thump of it like a beat of its own in my head.
I know I can do this, but with the lineup of five judges’ beady eyes on me, I’m scared I’m going to fumble.
This is worse than taking the stage at The Raven’s Nest for the first time.
So much worse. Back there, as long as I showed some skin, I could get away with fumbling my moves out.
Here, one little slip-up will see my dreams shattered.
“Daisy Stryker?” the woman in the center of the judges asks with a perfectly manicured brow raised, like she’s not so sure if she has the right girl.
“Yes.” I force a smile, doing my best to act confident, hoping my surname won’t interfere with my chances. There aren’t many around these parts who don’t look at me twice when they hear it. This dance school might be one town over, but my family are known by reputation wherever we go.
“Let’s begin.” She nods, shoving her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.
My head spins just a little, and I suck in a full breath to calm the tremble in my hands as I take my starting position.
My audition song plays through the speakers, and I let the music take me away with it, feeling it vibrating through me as my mind goes blank and the moves flow.
I gracefully execute leaps, pirouettes, promenades, and an arabesque as I dance my way through the routine.
When the music ends, I’m left almost breathless and panting as I stare down the judges, not from exhaustion but fear that this might all be over faster than it had time to begin.
I fucking nailed it. I can feel it deep within my soul. I just hope it was enough for them.
It’s like time has stopped as I wait for one of them to say something. Anything.
“Give us a minute, Daisy,” the woman who spoke to me earlier says, holding up a finger.
The judges turn around, leaving me waiting with my heart in my throat and my stomach churning like I’m about to puke all over the floor in front of me.
Normally they would tell you we will be in contact and you either receive a call with an offer or a letter in the mail with a “sorry, but you weren’t successful” type of message. I have no idea what this is.
When they finish talking in hushed tones, she stands, takes a couple of steps off the platform where they are all sitting, and approaches me.
She’s a nicely dressed woman probably in her mid-fifties, with her hair in a low bun.
“I took this audition as a personal favor to an old friend. I didn’t expect you to be able to dance like that. ”
“Oh,” is all I can say. I have no idea if this is a good thing or not. Her expression doesn’t give a lot away.
She takes my hand in hers and gives it a squeeze, her light blue eyes lighting up just a little. “We wouldn’t normally do this, but Daisy, you’re transcendent. We simply must have you as a member of our school.”
I stare back at her, my heart feeling as though it’s about to stop. Am I hearing her correctly? “I got in?” I whisper.
Her ruby lips turn up at the sides into an all-out grin. “You got in. And we will be expecting great things from you.”
I throw my arms around her and squeal at the top of my lungs, unable to help myself.
She pats my back, clearly uncomfortable with my overreaction.
I take a step back. “Sorry, I just can’t believe it.”
She laughs, handing me the folder she was holding.
“Well, do, this is happening. I hope you’re ready for the commitment.
You will find everything you need to know here.
Classes start at the beginning of next month.
You might have to tell Paige she needs a new dancer down at The Raven’s Nest, we’re going to keep you way too busy. ”
I beam back at her. “You know I dance at The Raven’s Nest?”
“We might keep that between us, doesn’t look great with the high-society backers around this place, but everyone has to start someplace, and if that’s what brought you here, then I’m grateful.”
“Thank you, you don’t know what this means to me.”
“I think I do. Now off you go, we have more auditions today.” She wanders back to the other judges, and I turn and leave the room with a smile on my face so damn big nothing will be able to remove it. I did it.
I find my stuff and slip my pointes off and my combat boots back on, then toss my leather jacket over my shoulders. I can feel the other girls’ eyes on me, but I don’t look back at them.
Like walking on air, I float down the hall and throw open the front door to find the boys waiting. Cruz is leaning into the brick wall smoking a cigarette while casually chatting to Asher who’s taken a seat on the stairs. Jagger is on his phone and hangs up immediately when he spots me.
I bite the inside of my cheek and hold up the paperwork. “I got in,” I squeal, not able to keep the exciting news to myself a second longer.
Asher and Cruz are the first to congratulate me. Rushing toward me, they shower me with compliments and kisses, while Jagger stands back, watching us.
“You didn’t do this, did you?” I ask, just to make sure.
He huffs out a laugh. “This is all you, flower. Congratulations.” He closes the gap between us, kissing me quickly before he tosses me over his shoulder, ass in the air.
“Jagger, put me down!” I cry, slapping his back, not wanting to make more of a scene than I already have.
“No fucking way, we need to celebrate.” He carries me to his bike and sits me on the back, handing me a helmet.
I throw it on, and he kicks the engine to life, taking off up the road with Asher and Cruz right behind us on their own bikes.
I have no idea where they’re taking me, but right now, I don’t care.
We do need to celebrate. I’m thinking a quiet night at home with my boys, maybe some games. And most definitely screwing.
We pull up at The Raven’s Nest and park in the alley down the side.
To think, only eighteen months ago, I was here stepping off that bus with no idea what I was walking into.
All I wanted was to be free and to dance on the stage in Sloane’s club, make a little money of my own.
I got a whole lot more than I bargained for; my life is now so damn full.
I have friends, a business working with Sloane at Moretti Media, a home, and the most important thing, a family that loves me and that I adore. I’m the luckiest girl in the world.
“I was hoping for a quiet night at home.” I smirk at him.
“We can fuck later. Right now, I want to show you something.” With an arm slung over my shoulders, Jagger walks with me through the front doors to The Raven’s Nest with Cruz and Asher at my side.
As soon as the doors open, streamers fly in my face, and the screams of congratulations coming from my coworkers are deafening.
Music blares through the air, “What a Feeling” by Irene Cara.
The perfect song, and I know the boys set this up.
A cute little nod back to our first movie night together, even if Jagger slept through it.
“What the hell is all this?” I gape back at the boys. How did they?
“Congratulations, baby, we knew you could do it.” Cruz hands me a shot glass of fireball whiskey straight from a tray held by Myriah, the sparkling diamond on her ring finger twinkling under the low light.
I give her a soft smile; happy she’s found the one, and it turns out it’s the dude she met playing Sloane and Romeo’s game.
I throw back the shot, feeling the burn hit the back of my throat. Every damn time. “You’re lucky I did. It would have been embarrassing for you if I didn’t.”
“There was never any question, princess.” Asher plants a kiss on my lips.
Paige and Sloane approach me with stupid grins on their pretty faces. “I hear you’re quitting on me,” Sloane snips like she’s cranky about it.
I pull a guilty face. “Sorry, sis. Only the club, though. I’ll make time for Moretti Media.”
Her lips turn up in a stupid grin. “I can make that work.”
“So proud of you, girl.” Paige kisses my cheek and gives me a quick hug. “You worked so hard for this and pulled it off.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you.” I hug her back, so grateful for everything she’s done for me.
My heart feels like it’s going to burst with joy as I look around the room.
I locked away my heart, hoping it would keep me safe, but in reality, it kept me from experiencing all that life could offer.
Now look what I have. Family, friends, my dreams coming true right before my eyes.
I know every day won’t always look this perfect, but as long as I have these people around me, I know I will be okay.
The End