Chapter 18
If I was going to actually choreograph with corporate and our dancers in mind, I decided to do it right and go all out. I had the playlist that Kyria and others had compiled and listened to it several times. We also had some of our other choreographers and trainers joining us.
Basically, it was going to be a fucking collective—brainstorming session and melding of ideas to get this idea off the ground.
Evan was there looking way too excited, and I was a bit shocked that Aidan was too wearing a glamor. Okay, sooooo he wanted to see this part of me?
That was actually ridiculously sweet.
“Where do you want to start?” Kyria asked me as we got settled into the dance studio corporate had.
“With everything of mine we already have and I will finally listen to you,” I told her with a smile. “Let’s adjust some of them to different levels and—you’re right and I’m a pain in the ass.” I winked at her when she snorted. “And record it all.”
Everyone froze.
“You never let anyone record you doing—we were shocked you let us here to be involved since it’s all so personal to you,” one of the trainers worried.
I smiled at Evan. “Yeah, but it’s time to be Jasmine Stewart and do this part better. We can only build then, and Superwoman needs to declutter and reorganize her closet too.”
“Yes, yes, she does, love,” he agreed, giving me a wink.
“Okay, let’s get it all set up and start from your oldest—the ones most people use and work from there. That gives you more time—this is—we can do this and make it painless so you’re helping,” Kyria rambled, not having seen this coming.
People moved fast and once the cameras were set up and I made my intentions clear.
It wasn’t just to show the difference or changes.
I wanted our people to see the process. Learn how to adjust their own dances or—grow.
Maybe they’d never seen a choreography session.
Kyria and Natalia—even Elijah was right that others didn’t have my training.
Time to do better.
I went through my oldest flawlessly even if I hadn’t danced it in years. It took me only a moment, but then when I felt the music it was simply in my soul.
Dancing was a part of me like that.
Which was also why it was difficult to teach that.
“Okay, let’s run it back and start going through what we would change to make it more for the JV dancers,” one of the choreographers said. Most of them knew it and two of the trainers took positions on other poles.
It took us an hour, but we readjusted about a dozen moves so newer dancers could easily do the routine confidently.
And building their confidence was more important than the best dance ever… Actually, not just for the newbies.
We all needed that readjustment and confidence rebuilding.
A few didn’t need many adjustments and we found a good rhythm, so by lunch we had six done. Others were taking a break and I stared at the poles and tilted my head. We had a few clubs that had multiple poles on stage like this layout.
Someone called over to me and I held up my finger, wanting this to play out. One of the songs on the list stood out to me—called to me.
I loaded Two Feet’s “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” and started when the beat did. I moved between the poles like I was dancing around different men—different issues even. Then I flipped up on one and started but did more floor work in between. It was fun.
It would be specific to those clubs, but when I was done, I glanced over to Kyria. “If we could get three to go at once—even two to partner up and dance a bit together, it would be fucking hot.”
“Beyond hawt,” Evan agreed.
“Let’s try,” one of the lust demon choreographers agreed. She’d be able to sense me and my mood, so that was the right pick.
We reloaded the music and she let me take the lead, making it clear this was my show.
“You are so talented,” I praised when we were done.
“Coming from you, that just made my day,” she said with a wink.
“I’m seeing another and you—or the strongest dancer—as Beyonce in “Single Ladies” as the lead and we’re backup.
Even if they jump on stage for this and then go back to private dances.
It’s a good way for newer dancers to have a strong lead and more time. ”
“Love it,” I praised.
Everyone did.
After a break, we worked on that and locked it down for three dancers. It was delicious when I watched it back.
I beamed at Evan. My sexy Brit helped me get to this spot even if it was Kyria, Natalia, and others who had pushed me.
I sauntered over to him and gave him a soft kiss. “Expect rewards. Lots of them.”
“I’m already fucking hard and panting over you, love,” he murmured as he nuzzled my neck. “Don’t drive me completely mad.”
“It’s one of my gifts,” I teased, throwing back my head and laughing when he simply patted my ass and sent me back to my task.
We reworked more dances before calling it a day. It was beyond productive and people were excited to update club managers and dancers. Some clips were cut and sent out to make it clear we were serious and working on it.
Working hard for them to be better and have help.
The only hiccup was no one was into my idea of a male and female pair dancing for a set. It wasn’t our normal brand and—people weren’t seeing the vision.
“So show them,” Aidan cut in when the conversation was over and it was clear that I was frustrated.
He smirked at me when I raised an eyebrow.
“You have a very popular club right here that does shows and rotates a lot of everything. During buffets—you have the audience. Show them in one quick performance. You would all sense how well it works.”
I beamed at him and winked, letting him know he would get rewards too. That was brilliant… And super fucking simple. We should have thought of that instead of arguing.
But we were all so tired. The seven of us were beyond exhausted, overwhelmed, and struggling. Time to admit that. We were completely overhauling our organizational structure. It was too much change and we were all going to struggle.
But we were too smart to be stupid and adjust while overhauling so much else. I pulled Kyria aside and asked her to make it work with the new club managers that were taking over for her.
And she did. In two days, I told all the other VPs to just give the idea a chance. They’d sense it all, and if it didn’t work as I thought—or at least have a decent positive—then I’d drop it.
I was glad when they all agreed. It wasn’t asking too much, and they also needed to acknowledge that if they shut me down as Jasmine… That was why I went off on my own.
Not as the owner. They listened to her when I wore the boss hat. It was when I was Jasmine.
Yeah, it was super confusing for me too, but that was life.
Mason was on board because he just wanted to dance with me and any chance to enjoy each other.
The second day, Evan was late, but when he showed up he winked at me. I found out later that he’d had a good talk with Mason about what had happened and where they were both at. And Owen didn’t even need to interject or back things down.
I was thrilled. None of this was easy, and I could never share my lover, so them trying so hard—thinking I was worth trying this hard for healed a lot of my past pain. Made me feel like I could deserve their love.
Aidan wasn’t there the second day which was fine since he had so much going on. But he’d sent many messages letting me know how much he enjoyed watching me work.
And that he wanted me to dance for him… And on him.
Duh.
The second day was just as productive. Reworked a list of dances and came up with a few Cyr wheel routines.
The third day, Owen was actually there and just as into seeing all of this as his twin was. There was something else swirling around him and he was gone for a bit, but that was fine.
I was so ready that night to get this idea out of my head even if it didn’t work as I wanted. So after we wrapped at corporate, I went home—a word that still seemed a bit foreign to me—and made sure to take a long shower with Mason.
“You want the sparks between us to be overpowering just as much as the dance, don’t you, muffin?” he checked, searching me.
“Yes. I want—it’s supposed to be like foreplay. It is for us. We can find couples that dance. It doesn’t have to be demons. There are lots of supes or even humans who dance together and would love to travel between clubs and—this has a lot of possibilities.”
“Then I won’t let it fail,” he promised with a wink. “But you’re hungry, so let’s eat so you stay strong.
His words hit me when we reached the kitchen. “Don’t cheat.”
“Not what I meant,” he promised. “And I’m not going to take offense that you basically just accused me of planning to use magic to sway people.”
I winced. That was horrible of me. “Sorry. Yeah, I mean…”
He did a double take. “Sorry. You’re used to using your influence and—sorry. It’s different with magic. You give them a bit of a hit and magic is more like possession.”
I’d done that as well, but it was instinct and self-preservation at times. I wouldn’t ever apologize for it.
I didn’t do it just for shits and giggles to fuck with people. I understood where his head was too. It made me smile at him.
“What?” he asked and then smiled as he searched my aura. “Me too.”
Good. He understood I was happy we could handle something so easily being on the same team. That was what I’d always wanted when I’d dreamed of ever being able to have a relationship one day.
We ate and got ready, Mason making sure to pick out my outfit if he was going to “share” me with so many others. It wasn’t jealous or over the top but… Cute.
It was cute the way he said it. At least to me.
But we looked good. Our glamours and outfits complimented each other.
“As much as I love dancing and I knew we had eyes at the club when we met, I’ve never been in a performance like this,” he said with a nervous chuckle.