Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Riley
As soon as I step out of the lecture hall, I find myself bumping into other students. The exam had just ended but the day is far from being over, and I struggle to keep my eyes open as I make my way through the crowd.
I can hear the conversations surrounding me. Some students are comparing their answers, others are complaining about the questions or making plans for the rest of the day.
My head is throbbing after spending most of the night studying, and I adjust the strap of the bag on my shoulder.
All I want is a few hours of sleep and to shut my brain off…
But neither of the two are going to happen any time soon. Instead of resting, I have a rehearsal at Eden. A nervous flutter settles in my stomach at the thought.
The memory of last night’s audition is still fresh in my mind.
Getting hired should make me feel relieved, yet the reality of it still hasn’t fully sunk in.
I still haven’t fully processed the fact that the next time I get up on that stage it won’t be to audition and there will be a lot more than two guys in the audience.
The thought sends shivers down my spine.
“How did you do?” Sofia, one of my classmates, approaches me as I step out on the lawn.
“Not sure, really,” I admit. Usually, I walk out of an exam knowing how I did, but today the exhaustion has turned everything into a blur. “I didn’t have as much time to prepare as I would have liked.”
“Oh, I’m sure it will all be okay,” She smiles. “You always get the best grades.”
“I hope you’re right,” I mumble, although my mind keeps circling back to a handful of questions I wasn’t completely sure about. “What about you?”
“Hmm,” she blushes, looking away. “Not great. I had to redo the middle section so I didn’t even get to finish the last three questions.”
“Sorry to hear that,” I pat her on the back gently. Sofia is one of those students who gets along with everyone, but her social life gets in the way of her grades.
A part of me wishes I could afford to get distracted like that and just spend my college years socializing and making memories that one day will bring a smile to my face.
Between studying and the internship, I can barely afford the time to hang out over a cup of coffee with my friends.
And with my new job in the picture, I will probably have to say goodbye to that as well.
Yet, I chose this. Everything I’m doing serves a purpose, even when it gets overwhelming. I promised myself I’d build a life I can be proud of. One where I don’t have to depend on anyone. One where I’m free.
“It’s okay,” Sofia says cheerfully. “If I fail, I’ll just retake the exam and do my best.”
“That’s the spirit,” I laugh. “You can borrow my notes if you want.”
“That’d be great,” She grins, her eyes beaming. “Thank you so much, Riley!”
“Don’t mention it,” I smile back. “But let’s hope it doesn’t get to that and you pass on the first try.”
“Ugh, I hope so,” She sighs, clearly exhausted. “Would you like to grab a coffee later? I don’t have classes today, so I’m free.”
Before I get a chance to answer, we get interrupted by my loud ringtone. I look at the screen to see Mia’s name. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
“No worries, see you tomorrow!”
“See you!” After Sofia leaves, I answer Mia’s call. “Hey, what’s up.”
“Where are you?” Mia asks immediately, skipping the greeting. “Are you close by?”
“Oh, crap!” I pull my phone away and look at the time, realizing I’m already late for the rehearsal. “I completely lost track of time, I’ll be right there!”
“Hurry up, I’ll cover for you,” Mia says.
“Thank you, love you!”
“Love you, too!” She then laughs and adds. “You owe me one.”
“What would I do without you?”
“Just hurry, ‘kay?”
“I’m on my way.”
I end the call and immediately reach for my wallet. A cab would get me to Eden in half the time, but after counting the cash inside, I already know that’s not happening. My credit card is sitting on the kitchen counter back at the apartment.
“Crap!”
Looks like I’m taking the bus.
Luck seems to be on my side and I arrive at Eden not long after hanging up the call with Mia.
The first thing I notice when I walk in, is how different the club looks in daylight.
Last night, everything had been bathed in neon light, making it difficult to focus on anything besides the stage and the audition.
And getting out after the encounter with my now boss.
My heart skips at the memory and I quickly push the thought away.
He’s not someone you should be thinking about.
Today the place looks almost ordinary.
Almost.
The expensive furniture, polished floors, and the elegant décor still make it clear that Eden isn’t just any club, but it still feels far less intimidating than it did the night before. For a moment, it’s easy to forget what happens behind closed doors in this place.
I try to find the dressing room from memory, but every turn only leaves me more lost than before.
“Excuse me, I’m late for rehearsals and I…”
“Say no more,” the bartender smiles. “You’re looking for the dressing rooms, right?”
“Yes,” I nod.
“Don’t worry, following that hallway,” he turns around and points in the direction he just arrived from. “You’ll see the changing room, and from there, you’ll be right on stage.”
“Thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome!” He shouts as I’m walking away in a rush. “My name is Cohen, by the way. Feel free to reach out if you need help with anything.”
“Thanks.”
Just as I’m about to walk into the changing room, my phone buzzes with another message from Mia.
This is a lot of fun!
I don’t get a chance to respond before she sends another one.
Okay, but seriously… How far away are you?
No, don’t respond. It will only take up more of your time.
Xx
“You’re one of the new girls, right? Everything okay?” I get pulled back into reality when another dancer in the changing room speaks. I look up from my phone to see her analyzing me with a kind but worried look in her eyes. “Sorry, you just look super pale.”
“Oh…” I smile back at her. “Yeah. I’m just late, I was rushing to get here and I’m a little out of breath.”
She nods, turning around in her chair and continuing to do her makeup. “Don’t worry, they’re pretty understanding here. Just don’t let it turn into a habit.”
“Thanks,” I place my things on the empty chair. “I don’t need to do my makeup for the rehearsal, right?”
“No, you’re good,” She responds. “But hurry before they reprimand you for being late.”
“Right,” I’m already exhausted, and the day is nowhere near over.
A heartbeat later, I’m in the same room where I did the audition last night.
To my surprise, the place is crowded with staff.
Everyone is focused on their job, so no one is really paying attention to the girls rehearsing, aside from someone wearing a black t-shirt that has ‘rehearsal coach’ written on it.
“Can I get a glass of water?” I ask the bartender.
“Here you go,” he hands me a tall glass with a polite smile on his face, not seeming to care in the slightest about anything that is going on, which is a great sign.
Maybe no one will pay attention to me dancing and things will go smoothly after all.
You can do this, Riley.
“Hey, girl!” As soon as I approach the stage, I’m greeted by the rehearsal coach. “Riley, right?”
I glance at Mia, who’s the next in line waiting to join the other two girls on stage, and she gives me a thumbs up. She’s wearing a short black skirt and a sports bra, fitting right in with the rest of the girls. Suddenly I feel overdressed.
“Yes,” I reach out to shake hands with the tall, incredibly sexy woman speaking to me.
“I’m Jena, nice to meet you.”
“You too,” I smile.
“You’re right on time, Riley,” she pulls her long hair in a messy bun, and picks up the note pad from the table. “Right after Mia finishes her set, you’ll be up on stage, joining Diana and Hana. After the group dance, you’ll do a solo, but don’t worry, I’m here to guide you through all of it.”
“Okay.” My hand grips tighter around my belt and Jena seems to notice how nervous I am.
“You don’t have to take your clothes off during rehearsal,” She adds, as if she can read my mind and I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
I’ve always loved dancing and I’m not someone who’s afraid of their body or their sensuality.
But what freaks me out is the thought of being naked on stage.
Dancing is the only thing that allows me to fully be present and free and that’s the part that I’m really excited about when it comes to this job.
When I was ten years old, I won a dance competition at school and was gifted a month of free dance lessons at a professional studio. That’s how Mia and I met and became inseparable. “Oh, here comes Diana,” Jena’s face lights up as another dancer joins us.
I recognize the senior dancer to be the girl I met in the changing room earlier. Just as she joins us, I spot a familiar figure at one of the tables. The lights are low and I wasn’t scanning the room for him when I walked in, thinking he wouldn’t be interested in watching the rehearsals.
I was wrong. Ezekiel Kavanagh is staring at me as if he’s debating whether he wants to feed me to the alligators or…
Don’t be ridiculous.