“I can’t say Ian is the answer to any of it, but…” She laughed. “But I’m afraid to let go of being close to that excitement.”
“You know, you say this is about Ian, but none of this came up until after Jas—”
“Oh, no. Don’t…” She shook her head, warning Anna as she stood to her feet.
“I’m just questioning how much of this is actually related to Ian and not that other man.”
“‘ Other’ man? Being a little judgmental aren’t we?”
“Being a worried friend.” Anna smirked as Gray pulled her up from the floor. A few minutes later, they were working their asses off for Daniel as he appraised them, nodding with his arms crossed on his chest as he always did during practice.
Fortunately, she had a pas de deux practice that afternoon for a contemporary pointe piece she’d be performing at the upcoming annual donor appreciation night. They kicked off every season with this short invitation only performance in the studio theater at Butler Center. It was the company’s way of saying, “Hey, we like your money. Give us more, please.” And free champagne, hors d’oeuvres, and a performance seemed to be the way to do it.
How it translated to Gray on this day? Quiet time with Blake, her pas de deux partner, who knew nothing about her bizarre love life and was too busy worrying about his own to care what crazy jumbled up thoughts were floating through her head. And by the time she and Blake had finished with the choreographer, it was mid-evening.
* * * *
Gray trembled as she walked into the restaurant the next night. She gave the maître d’ Ian’s name, and she twisted her fingers tightly, feeling the clammy skin rub together. She followed the maître d’ to the back of the restaurant, and when he opened a door into a small private dining room, she took a deep breath and followed him.
But that deep breath didn’t help her a bit when her eyes met Jasper’s as he looked up to her. She gasped, and his eyes popped open wide in shock. Ian’s back was to her, but as he clearly caught the shocked expression on Jasper’s face, he turned toward her, smiling broadly.
“I was starting to think you were standing me up,” he commented casually.
“What…?” She shook her head.
Jas stood at that moment, glaring angrily down at Ian. “You just don’t know when to leave well enough alone do you?” And then he looked to her, his face softening visibly. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“Wait!” Ian cried, but there was a smirk on his lips. He stood then, holding his hands up to both of them. “It isn’t about that. I just wanted to make amends. You’re my best friend, Jas, and Gray, you’re my girlfriend. I need things to be okay—”
“You need to get your fucking head examined,” Jasper muttered as he stalked out of the room, breezing by her on the way.
She glared at Ian for a moment as he watched her, and then she shook her head. She followed Jasper’s lead, walking quickly from the room. She had no idea if she was trying to catch up to him or if she was just plain fleeing, and she was leaving it entirely up to whether he was still in the parking lot when she reached it. Her heels clicked on the pavement as she started quickly down the aisle, and then she stopped walking altogether.
He was there. Not even attempting to leave—just leaning up against the hood of his car, watching her as though he’d been waiting for her to find him. She slowed her gait as she closed the space between them, and he studied every step she took.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here either.” She wasn’t really sure what else to say.
“That was quite clear given the expression on your face. I’m sorry.” His ankles were crossed as he leaned casually against the hood of his car, but however casual his posture might be, his intense eyes were boring holes into her skull and sending an invisible shudder through her body.
“Jas … I’m really sorry about
“You know, you say this is about Ian, but none of this came up until after Jas—”
“Oh, no. Don’t…” She shook her head, warning Anna as she stood to her feet.
“I’m just questioning how much of this is actually related to Ian and not that other man.”
“‘ Other’ man? Being a little judgmental aren’t we?”
“Being a worried friend.” Anna smirked as Gray pulled her up from the floor. A few minutes later, they were working their asses off for Daniel as he appraised them, nodding with his arms crossed on his chest as he always did during practice.
Fortunately, she had a pas de deux practice that afternoon for a contemporary pointe piece she’d be performing at the upcoming annual donor appreciation night. They kicked off every season with this short invitation only performance in the studio theater at Butler Center. It was the company’s way of saying, “Hey, we like your money. Give us more, please.” And free champagne, hors d’oeuvres, and a performance seemed to be the way to do it.
How it translated to Gray on this day? Quiet time with Blake, her pas de deux partner, who knew nothing about her bizarre love life and was too busy worrying about his own to care what crazy jumbled up thoughts were floating through her head. And by the time she and Blake had finished with the choreographer, it was mid-evening.
* * * *
Gray trembled as she walked into the restaurant the next night. She gave the maître d’ Ian’s name, and she twisted her fingers tightly, feeling the clammy skin rub together. She followed the maître d’ to the back of the restaurant, and when he opened a door into a small private dining room, she took a deep breath and followed him.
But that deep breath didn’t help her a bit when her eyes met Jasper’s as he looked up to her. She gasped, and his eyes popped open wide in shock. Ian’s back was to her, but as he clearly caught the shocked expression on Jasper’s face, he turned toward her, smiling broadly.
“I was starting to think you were standing me up,” he commented casually.
“What…?” She shook her head.
Jas stood at that moment, glaring angrily down at Ian. “You just don’t know when to leave well enough alone do you?” And then he looked to her, his face softening visibly. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“Wait!” Ian cried, but there was a smirk on his lips. He stood then, holding his hands up to both of them. “It isn’t about that. I just wanted to make amends. You’re my best friend, Jas, and Gray, you’re my girlfriend. I need things to be okay—”
“You need to get your fucking head examined,” Jasper muttered as he stalked out of the room, breezing by her on the way.
She glared at Ian for a moment as he watched her, and then she shook her head. She followed Jasper’s lead, walking quickly from the room. She had no idea if she was trying to catch up to him or if she was just plain fleeing, and she was leaving it entirely up to whether he was still in the parking lot when she reached it. Her heels clicked on the pavement as she started quickly down the aisle, and then she stopped walking altogether.
He was there. Not even attempting to leave—just leaning up against the hood of his car, watching her as though he’d been waiting for her to find him. She slowed her gait as she closed the space between them, and he studied every step she took.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here either.” She wasn’t really sure what else to say.
“That was quite clear given the expression on your face. I’m sorry.” His ankles were crossed as he leaned casually against the hood of his car, but however casual his posture might be, his intense eyes were boring holes into her skull and sending an invisible shudder through her body.
“Jas … I’m really sorry about
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