Chapter 10 #2
AB was being a goofball in the mirror to make the other girls laugh.
“Honey, you are one of my only students in forty years that danced beyond middle school. None of these girls will dance past that point, and you know what? It doesn’t matter.
” She squeezed Olivia’s shoulder as they watched the girls be silly.
“Parents want them to move their body, make friends, and get confident. You are building life skills with every class. And,” she said, pointing a red manicured finger in Olivia’s face, “that is more important than any recital. Remember: it’s the journey that needs to make you happy, dear. Not the performance.”
Georgia picked up the box. “Plus, they’ll look so adorable in whatever costumes you design, no one will notice it’s a disaster.” She handed the box to Olivia with a smile. “Here are a few leftovers from last year in case it’s helpful. The committee insists that it matches whatever the theme is.”
“Theme?” It had been decades since she’d been to the fall festival. “Isn’t the theme…fall? Every year?”
But Georgia had already left the room and was chatting with the man that had starred in Olivia’s sexy dreams the last six nights. And five vibrator sessions.
Luca’s shy smile and wave were interrupted by Georgia pinching his cheeks.
It made her more nervous, for some reason, that he was here.
She didn’t have a lot going for her. No fancy career, no pile of money, no real skills.
She was good at one thing, and she really, really wanted to be good at it in front of Luca.
“Okay.” She clapped her hands. “I need your help. Come here,” she said, squatting down, and the girls came running. “Who can tell me what a fall leaf looks like?”
They all raised their hands, excited to help. “Yes, Sophie?”
“It looks like our hands!” Sophie said, raising her hand high with fingers spread.
AB yelled out, “And it’s crunchy sometimes.”
Harper was so excited she stood up to answer. “Leaves at my house fall in our yard! Like, a whole bunch at a time.”
Olivia liked seeing the light in all of their eyes again.
“Okay, let’s pretend to be leaves. We’re going to free dance, and you do whatever a leaf does.”
Olivia started the first Autumn movement of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons concerto.
The girls instantly started skipping around the room to bouncy, cheerful violins. Sophie ran like a plane around the room.
“What kind of leaf are you being?” Olivia asked.
“I’m the winds,” Sophie yelled between her “neeerooom” airplane sounds.
AB walked like Godzilla, slowly slamming each foot down hard. “I’m crunching! I’m crunching the leaves!”
Olivia belly-laughed at all the interpretations, even star-jumping with the girls like leaves falling. She caught the eye of Luca in the mirror who tipped his head as if to say, Nicely done.
Olivia mentally grabbed a move from each girl’s interpretation to put in the choreography. The girls were so excited to have helped, and the spark was back in their eyes.
She hadn’t realized how much originality had been beaten out of her by ballet instructors. She’d spent her middle and high school years at ballet-focused intensive training. Technical proficiency had been the most important part of her education rather than enjoying it.
As class wrapped, she gave each of the girls a high five as they walked out of the studio. AB, per usual, was last and hung onto Olivia’s hand. “Can I have pigtails tomorrow?”
“Sure can,” Olivia said, smiling as she smoothed hair from AB’s forehead.
AB jumped up and down as Luca ambled over. “Dad, did you see?”
“I saw. You spun like a perfect leaf.” He slid her tiny unicorn backpack onto his shoulder. “I think you both worked very hard and deserve some ice cream.”
“Yes!” AB pumped her fist up and down.
“Think they’d add a shot of bourbon?” Olivia laughed, tugging on her ponytail that had bounced loose during star/leaf jumps.
“Oh, I want one of those,” AB said, tugging on her dad’s hand.
“No bourbon for either of you, I’m afraid. Just milkshakes at the diner. Hey, goob, why don’t you go toss on your jeans over your tights? It’s getting cold out there.” AB ran over to the bench and dug out her pants to toss over her tights.
Olivia needed to record a new session for her coach and work on her form and work out.
I can't dance after dairy for two hours or I’ll be sick.
“I missed you this morning. I mean”—she squeezed her eyes shut—“not that I missed you, but you weren’t…” She gulped. “I mean, I’ve barely seen you the last few days.”
“Right,” he said. “I, um, was busy dealing with a client call and... couldn’t step away. I, um.” He stopped himself. “Yeah.” He shrugged awkwardly.
They both stopped, waiting for the other to speak.
“I—” they both started, and burst out laughing.
A snort ripped through Olivia’s laugh. Crap. Her hog laugh, her worst ex-boyfriend had called it.
Though Luca had said it was cute. She blushed remembering the life altering moment when he’d mentioned it and she’d blushed like a tomato.
She grimaced. “Oh, god, I’m so awkward. Just go enjoy your ice cream.” She waved him away.
“You’re not coming?” AB’s face fell into a sad pout. “You don’t want bourbon with us?” Luca reminded her that Olivia had work to do.
Georgia’s words rang through her head though.
This is supposed to be fun. This whole thing is supposed to be fun.
She bit her lip, weighing her choices.
I could work out this evening and come in early for practice tomorrow instead.
Luca and AB started toward the door. She’d been responsible and austere for most of her life, eating only exactly what she should, working out almost every day, putting discipline above all else to be a dancer.
And it had gotten her nowhere.
Plus, how often did a hot guy in your hometown ask to buy you ice cream at your favorite diner?
Fuck it. She tossed off her ballet slippers and tugged on street shoes.
“Wait up!” she called as she pushed open the door.
Luca spun around with a blinding smile. It hit her in the stomach like that first time she’d seen him.
“Only an idiot would say no to Pop’s with her two favorite neighbors,” Olivia said as AB grabbed her hand, and they walked down the street through the falling maple leaves as the sun set behind them.
* * *
LUCA
How did your practice go?
OLIVIA
I am curled in a ball, now melded with my couch, courtesy of that milkshake.
Luca
I thought it was just me.
I tried to convince AB that she was full because I knew she wouldn’t feel good afterwards.
OLIVIA
I’m SO CLOSE to telling my 83-year-old stepfather to go back into business just so I can have a decent milkshake and erase all memories of this one
LUCA
Sorry for ruining your evening plans.
OLIVIA
I promise you I had 4000% more fun with you guys eating disgusting milkshakes than I did torturing myself in the studio.
Is AB okay?
LUCA
Meh. We both had some Pepto-Bismol and things seemed to be a little bit better after that.
I can get AB to school if you need to work in the studio to make up for lost time.
OLIVIA
No, that’s very sweet of you. But I’ll figure something out.
LUCA
Just let me know if we are in your way.
I don’t want to take up too much of your time.
OLIVIA
I like it when you take up my time.
LUCA
AB likes it when you’re around, too.
OLIVIA
Only AB?
LUCA
I’d obviously have you anytime.
Have you here I mean.
At the house.
I didn’t mean anything…weird.
OLIVIA
No, no! I get it
LUCA
Sorry, I’m sort of new at this friends-but-work thing.
OLIVIA
But you seem so natural at it?
LUCA
Oh, god, wait, no, that was inappropriate, too.
Oh, god, I’m so sorry.
Fuck.
OLIVIA
Gasp. I am scandalized!!
Hahahahaha
LUCA
Sorry, maybe we should just keep things professional. Need-to-know only.
Sorry for bothering you.
OLIVIA
Noooo
I was teasing. You’re never a bother.
Text any time.
Good night.
I will see you in the morning.
…If I’m not dead from milkshake poisoning.
LUCA
Good night, Olivia.