Jack looked at me with an open-mouthed head shake, as if to say, "I had no idea." I nodded because I knew her talent, the beauty, and the strength. I'd seen it once before. The first time we met.
The passion. I'd seen it and dismissed it because my own attraction for her clouded my memories. Suzie had come alive once the music took her. This was her energy source, what drove her. Her art was ingesting the music, interpreting it, driving the power of the emotion. She was living art and an artist all in one. This woman deserved her own stage.
Her emerald eyes opened as the music gave a final gasp of intensity and her gaze locked on me. The same focus and seduction I'd seen that first night at the club ran through me. She could have been communicating with me or she could have been a million miles away. I couldn't look anywhere else.
I smoothed the goosebumps on my arm as the last note of the cello hung in the air. She transitioned into a final slow spin bringing her to the floor. She stopped, her body bent over crossed ankles like a ballerina.
Jack stood to clap, “Bravo!”
It was a minute before I remembered where I was.
* * *
Suzie
Sadness welled up in me so tight I didn’t think I could breathe. If it weren’t for my heaving chest I would have thought I’d died after that dance. I don’t know what came over me, but the piece Ford selected was so beautiful it spoke to me immediately. It reached into my bones. I had shown too much of my soul. That dance hadn’t been sexy. I had been too emotional and that wasn’t what men wanted to see. That wasn’t my job as a dancer. God, I could only imagine the look on the faces of the guys at the G-Spot if I tried something like that.
And yet when I lifted my head, Ford sat entranced, his fist to his chin with his usual frown in place. His expression and glassy eyes gave away the impact I’d had on him. Jack smiled and clapped.
“I like it,” I said. “The pole. And the song.”
“Good.” Ford stood with his frown still in place. “Suzie, there’s a Halloween Fundraiser on Friday. It’s a masquerade ball to raise money for the children’s hospital. A lot of the who’s-who will be there. I thought it might be a good time to see how you’d do in a setting like that.”
Okay, we were moving on and pretending like that hadn’t just happened. This man gave me whiplash.
“But we haven’t fixed me.” I pushed away from the pole still short of breath.
His face clouded over. “You can get a dress. They provide the masks. I think you’re ready.”
His frown stayed in place but he didn’t speak. I didn’t understand his distance. I hated that I couldn’t read him easily like other men. I wished he would just tell me what was going on in his head.
“Are you going?” I asked Jack. Ford stiffened next to him.
“Nah, not my bag. Plus, someone has to be here to hand out candy.”
I frowned because I wanted to hand out candy and now, I was going to be put on display like a pig at the state fair. I let out a breath through puffed cheeks.
“I have to go. Feel free to practice down here any time.” Ford left the room without another word.
I wasn’t looking for flowers thrown at me, but a little bit of acknowledgment over that performance would have been nice. Where’s a stool to throw when a girl needs one?
Jack winked. “Don’t mind him. He’s got a lot going on behind the scenes.” Jack stretched his arms above his head. “Okay, you have got to teach me some moves.”
I gave a stellar lesson and was not surprised to find he picked it up naturally. His tall and lean build gave him an advantage. After we were both exhausted and Jack thoroughly wiped down the pole and mats with antibacterial wipes, we broke for some lunch and juice. We sat eating in the cool basement, our feet propped up on the coffee table.
I was lost in thought when Jack nudged my foot with his.
“So how goes it?” Jack asked around a mouthful. “With all the stuff? You’ve both been quiet lately.”
“It’s okay. Better now I think.” I gestured to the pole. “We had a spat and he backed off a little.”
“Did he apologize?”
“Thank you for knowing it was his fault. Not in so many words, but I think that’s what this was.”
“I know he’s a pain in the ass but he’s a good person.”
I chewed thoughtfully. I didn't hate Ford; I liked him. It was hard to know for sure because when he talked, I felt like punching him. When I wasn't around him I found myself making excuses to find him. I liked that he treated me like an equal, even if he thought I could be better. That in itself was more than anybody else in my life.
