22. Harlowe
Iloathed mornings, but I had a job to do. We were having one of those crap ass cold spurts and I’d seen some cats living on campus between the buildings. I’d bought some food and covered shelter with a self warming bed.
I made my coffee, threw on every layer I had, and started hauling it downstairs.
There were only a few people hanging around and I didn’t know any of them.
We all ignored each other as I carried a giant box outside.
The kitties had to be comfortable and warm, so I might have gotten a little ridiculous with the cat condo.
Between the tip and the stipend I was given, Luca was generous as fuck.
I hoped I lived up to whatever he saw in me that had him throwing this much money at me because I kept being reassured I’d probably never see him again.
I set the food down first and the kitties came running.
There were three of them. Two void cats and an orange boy.
My favorite kinds of cats. If I could get away with it, I’d sneak them up to my dorm room and sneak a few cuddles, but then I remembered a bunch of the music department didn’t like me and would snitch.
I heard someone clear their throat behind me and whirled around. I don’t know who I was expecting, but it wasn’t Misha Petrovich looking at me curiously. I just started running my mouth because I was nervous.
“I know they are probably feral, but it’s cold. They need a warm place to sleep and they don’t deserve to starve to death.”
“I know. I feed them every morning. And they aren’t feral. That’s Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham. The orange one is Innis Duke.”
“Forgive me, but I know who Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham are, but I’ve never heard of Innis Duke.”
I took a dance history class in undergrad because I was interested and it counted towards my history requirement. Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham were pioneers of modern dance, but my professor never once mentioned the other name.
Misha just gave me an impish smile.
“You wouldn’t have. He was a choreographer I had to work with once who should have been neutered like I had done to this cat.
The cat had big balls and kept bothering the ladies.
You’ve never heard of Innis Duke because he was more focused on his balls and pestering dancers than creating beautiful dances. ”
“Does he deserve that moniker?”
He ran his hand over his knit hat. Misha really was beautiful, but off limits. He looked sheepish and adorable.
“Honestly, he did when he still had his nuts. I had to tame them so they wouldn’t be rude when I brought them to the vet. By the time I realized he wasn’t a sex pest, he started answering to Innis Duke. Did you buy them a house?”
“Pshh. This is a luxury condo. It’s waterproof, and I got them a self warming bed. I only saw three of them, so I got one big enough. Are there more?”
“No. There was a litter of kittens when I got here, but they didn’t make it. Let me help you put together the house. It’s wicked cold out here and you’re shivering.”
“Don’t you need to get to class?” I asked.
I knew why I wasn’t there. This wasn’t my circus, and I was only going to focus on my education, but I was dying to know what Immortal Nightmare was doing here if it wasn’t teaching. And why did they end up here after canceling a sold out world tour?
Honestly, I should just mind my business. I wasn’t going to press if he didn’t want to answer. Misha just gave me this ethereal smile.
“The dance program here isn’t like the music program. You can play your violin until you die or get arthritis. Our bodies don’t last that long. Forty is pushing it if you don’t land a jump wrong and an injury ruins your career.
“Most people audition for companies out of high school so they can perform longer. Companies also vary by state, but pay isn’t super great and for the most part, we don’t get paid on the off season.
“You need a side hustle and a backup plan if you get injured, so a lot of people double major in undergrad and then audition for companies.
Going to grad school for dance cuts down on years you have to perform professionally.
This one does things a little different, but the people who go here will either perform for a few years and then go on to be choreographers or artistic directors of dance companies.
“Labanotation and the Benesh Movement Method are how choreographers write things down. I already know both. I built a company from the ground up with Orion and Azriel. I could teach the professors here about dance history.
“I just do several hours of technique classes a day and rehearsals for whatever show they cast me in. And I’m sorry, sometimes, I get excited about dance and talk too much, even when someone isn’t a dancer.”
I grinned because people over-explaining their passions was my favorite thing, even if it was a topic that went straight over my head like math and science. It was beautiful. It didn’t matter how random it was, everyone should have something that made their heart sing as long as it was legal.
I still had a million questions about what the fuck Immortal Nightmare was doing here, but Misha didn’t want to talk about it and I wasn’t going to press.
“No, I love it. Ballet fascinates me, but I should stick to music.”
Misha started giggling.
“There are only a few dancers here I don’t find completely insufferable. Someone mentioned Lurch? I kind of want to see that.”
Oh, man. I was going to be dancing for most of the dance department before I knew it. I didn’t mind. I knew I was terrible at it. I pointed the screwdriver at him.
“Cullen has a big mouth. If I showed you that, I’d have to kill you.”
He had a nice laugh. I hadn’t spoken to Azriel yet, but the ballet portion of Immortal Nightmare was pretty sweet. Misha took care of these cats before I got here and that said a lot about him.
“Oh, we’re done. I hope we can hang out again. Maybe we can grab a bite to eat sometime.”
I’d actually like that and I was short on friends. Misha seemed fine one on one and I didn’t know why he rushed out of the dining hall like that. He hadn’t brought it up and it would be rude to ask.
“Do you like grilled cheese? I still don’t know how, but my patron found out it’s my comfort food and stocked my dorm with the fancy stuff.”
“I love grilled cheese. But you’ll have to come over and let me cook for you too.”
“Done. It was nice meeting you and your cats, Misha.”
“You too, Harlowe Lopez.”
I didn’t think that should piss off Azriel Ivy.
I hadn’t hit on him and he hadn’t hit on me.
We just had a normal conversation and could be friends.
I didn’t invite him to my room to date him.
He just seemed overwhelmed in the dining hall and they said he was usually never in there.
Cullen said Orion and Azriel were feral if you just looked at him, but Orion was the one in the relationship and Azriel was getting revenge for a good reason.
I didn’t know these men, but Misha was his own person and he was allowed to have friends.
I really hoped I wasn’t about to become Azriel Ivy’s next target because I built a cat condo and offered to make a grilled cheese for his boyfriend.