needed money to do that.
I'd saved quite a lot over the past five years of dancing.
Enough for a down payment on a house. Or a small business.
Maybe both. Not in Miami, but someplace cheaper. Quieter.
Someplace like home.
I'd always looked down on people who lived in small town America. I'd wanted excitement and flash, not contentment and stability.
White picket fences were not in the game plan.
With Caro in the picture though, it actually sounded nice. More than nice. It sounded amazing.
Who would have thought it? Me craving domestic bliss. I'd gone from wanting her in my bed, to wanting to share my life with her. Maybe that's what I'd always wanted but I'd been afraid to wish for it. To dream I could be worthy.
Of course I had to convince her that I was the guy for the long haul.
That wasn't going to be easy.
Nothing with Caro ever was.
I went through the group dance numbers mechanically. I barely heard the music or the crowd. I just let my body move to the beat.
By the time I got to my solo act I was ready to get out of there. I didn't pull anyone on stage tonight. I just danced.
I closed my eyes and let the music take me over, let it drive me. I tried to recreate the night that Caro had been here with me on stage. It actually worked. I was grinding into the floor when I opened my eyes and looked up.
Caro's big eyes were looking back at me.
It wasn't just the fantasy I'd been indulging in.
She was really here. In the back of the theater near the door. The last place on Earth I'd expected to see her again.
I saw her, standing with Mike, one of our servers. Most of the guys who worked here were just killing time until they got a shot at the stage. That's where the big money was.
And the glory.
Not to mention all the women.
Caro wasn't here to watch me to perform though.
I could tell by the way she was holding her arms. Mike wasn't hitting on her, which was unusual for Mike. He was standing watch.
He knew without asking that she was important to me. He could tell she was upset. I could tell it from all the way across the room.
I left the stage mid-song and ran around the theater to the front. I nodded to Mike and pulled her into the lobby. The show was almost over but at the moment, no one was out there but us.
"Caro?"
She looked up at me, her eyes full of tears.
"You were right."
Rage filled me. She didn't look hurt. She looked scared though. If he had dared to touch her...
"Did he hurt you Caro? Tell me!"
She shook her head no.
"He didn't. But he threatened to. I told him- I wanted to postpone. He saw right through me. He- he- put his hands around my neck. He could have killed me Chan. I think he actually thought about it for a second."
I wrapped her in my arms, holding her tight. I wanted to shield her. Absorb her pain. I would do anything to protect this woman.
Anything at all.
"I promise you I won't let that happen. I'm sorry he scared you."
"I'm the one who should be sorry. I- I should have listened to you, Chan."
I shook my head and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"You have nothing to be sorry about. Let's get you home and then we can talk."
She nodded and I put my arm around her, bringing her to the back to get my stuff. It felt so natural. My arm slid down her back to her tiny little waist and squeezed her reassuringly.
JC was pacing back and forth when I got to the dressing room.
"What the fuck, man?"
Chaz was on stage, working the crowd. I had kind of left them in the lurch. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except Caro and keeping her safe.
"Caro, sit down. I'll be right there."
I pulled JC aside. He owned the club and ran it with Chaz. He was a good guy. I gave him a level look.
"I need the week off."
"Fuck man! You are our headliner!"
"I can't explain. I'm sorry JC."
He gave me a level look.
"Everything alright?"
"No."
I looked over at Caro, sitting there. She looked so small and delicate.
"But it will be."
"Okay man, let me know if you need
I'd saved quite a lot over the past five years of dancing.
Enough for a down payment on a house. Or a small business.
Maybe both. Not in Miami, but someplace cheaper. Quieter.
Someplace like home.
I'd always looked down on people who lived in small town America. I'd wanted excitement and flash, not contentment and stability.
White picket fences were not in the game plan.
With Caro in the picture though, it actually sounded nice. More than nice. It sounded amazing.
Who would have thought it? Me craving domestic bliss. I'd gone from wanting her in my bed, to wanting to share my life with her. Maybe that's what I'd always wanted but I'd been afraid to wish for it. To dream I could be worthy.
Of course I had to convince her that I was the guy for the long haul.
That wasn't going to be easy.
Nothing with Caro ever was.
I went through the group dance numbers mechanically. I barely heard the music or the crowd. I just let my body move to the beat.
By the time I got to my solo act I was ready to get out of there. I didn't pull anyone on stage tonight. I just danced.
I closed my eyes and let the music take me over, let it drive me. I tried to recreate the night that Caro had been here with me on stage. It actually worked. I was grinding into the floor when I opened my eyes and looked up.
Caro's big eyes were looking back at me.
It wasn't just the fantasy I'd been indulging in.
She was really here. In the back of the theater near the door. The last place on Earth I'd expected to see her again.
I saw her, standing with Mike, one of our servers. Most of the guys who worked here were just killing time until they got a shot at the stage. That's where the big money was.
And the glory.
Not to mention all the women.
Caro wasn't here to watch me to perform though.
I could tell by the way she was holding her arms. Mike wasn't hitting on her, which was unusual for Mike. He was standing watch.
He knew without asking that she was important to me. He could tell she was upset. I could tell it from all the way across the room.
I left the stage mid-song and ran around the theater to the front. I nodded to Mike and pulled her into the lobby. The show was almost over but at the moment, no one was out there but us.
"Caro?"
She looked up at me, her eyes full of tears.
"You were right."
Rage filled me. She didn't look hurt. She looked scared though. If he had dared to touch her...
"Did he hurt you Caro? Tell me!"
She shook her head no.
"He didn't. But he threatened to. I told him- I wanted to postpone. He saw right through me. He- he- put his hands around my neck. He could have killed me Chan. I think he actually thought about it for a second."
I wrapped her in my arms, holding her tight. I wanted to shield her. Absorb her pain. I would do anything to protect this woman.
Anything at all.
"I promise you I won't let that happen. I'm sorry he scared you."
"I'm the one who should be sorry. I- I should have listened to you, Chan."
I shook my head and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"You have nothing to be sorry about. Let's get you home and then we can talk."
She nodded and I put my arm around her, bringing her to the back to get my stuff. It felt so natural. My arm slid down her back to her tiny little waist and squeezed her reassuringly.
JC was pacing back and forth when I got to the dressing room.
"What the fuck, man?"
Chaz was on stage, working the crowd. I had kind of left them in the lurch. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except Caro and keeping her safe.
"Caro, sit down. I'll be right there."
I pulled JC aside. He owned the club and ran it with Chaz. He was a good guy. I gave him a level look.
"I need the week off."
"Fuck man! You are our headliner!"
"I can't explain. I'm sorry JC."
He gave me a level look.
"Everything alright?"
"No."
I looked over at Caro, sitting there. She looked so small and delicate.
"But it will be."
"Okay man, let me know if you need
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