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I started jiggling my leg. What would she need to talk to me about? “Okay, what’s going on?”
“I know you know about the moms and their . . . excitement over Blake.” Blake was our newest teacher. She was in commercials, a former backup dancer for Stella Knight, and overall incredibly talented. The moms were thrilled to have her on our staff, to the point that they asked to have her coach their girls.
Instead of me.
“Yep, I remember,” I replied.
“I know you’ve been the main coach for our winning teams for the last few years, but—”
“But you’re giving the top teams to Blake.” I knew it could happen, but I didn’t want to admit it until now. Scott sat up and pushed his sunglasses up to sit on his head, his eyes wide. I couldn’t look at him and turned away.
“Yes.” Lisa paused and took a deep breath. My heart sank down into my stomach. I didn’t think there was any room after all those cinnamon rolls and bacon, but my heart sank like a rock and pushed it all aside. “You know how it is. We have to keep the parents happy. They’re paying the tuition for the students. But I would really love for you to help Blake get her teams where they need to be to win.”
I furrowed my brow. “What does that mean, exactly?”
She cleared her throat. “You’re special, Ivy. You know what the judges like. You have a talent for choreography, technique, and the showmanship that’s needed to win. Blake doesn’t know all of that yet. If you could help her out, mentor her a little, I think that would be best for everyone involved.”
Maybe this isn’t so bad after all.“Okay, so are we coaching the teams together?”
“Not exactly. I still need you to take the more recreational teams. You know, the girls who want to compete for fun but aren’t necessarily going to win. So I can’t pay you to help with another team. But whenever you would like to volunteer to help Blake, that would be great.”
Volunteer. Meaning for free. I squeezed my eyes shut. Thoughts flew through my mind. Hurt that Blake was taking over my teams. MY TEAMS. These were my girls that I had trained since they were toddlers, including my little sister, Katy.
But at the same time, Lisa was like another mom to me. Well, not exactly. More like a crazy aunt. I had grown up at this studio, and we were family. I couldn’t sit by and watch while the girls didn’t reach their full potential, just because of my own hurt feelings.
“Okay,” I said, blowing out a breath. I could do this. “I can be there for both teams.”
Lisa sighed with relief. “Thank you, Ivy. You’re so understanding. I’ll see you Monday.”
I hung up the phone, staring at it in my hands as I processed the news. I’d have the novice girls. The ones who had never competed before, had mediocre technique, and never won a single title. All my experience and expertise wasn’t enough. Once again, turning down that job eight years ago cost me the chance for credibility in the eyes of the parents. I wasn’t a professional dancer, now or in my past, so the accolades I had won over the years weren’t enough for them.
“She’s not giving you the top teams?” Scott asked, interrupting my pity party. “What is she thinking?”
“She’s thinking that she wants to keep the parents happy.” I swung my legs over the chair so I sat facing Scott. I threw my phone in my bag and looked back at him. “I don’t necessarily blame her. The dance moms can be really demanding and difficult to manage. But she wants me to help mentor Blake so the teams will still win.”
“Oh. That’s not so bad.” He laid back in his chair.
“Yeah, except she’s not going to pay me.”
“What?” He sat back up. “Ivy, you have to tell her no.”
“No, I said yes. The studio is like family to me. I want to help wherever I can.”
He shook his head, then gently placed a hand on my knee. Fire and ice erupted where he touched. “You’re spreading yourself too thin.”
Too worked up to enjoy his touch, I gently took his hand off my leg and laid back in the chair. “It’s fine. I need to help my studio.”
He turned sideways in his chair. He brushed the back of his hand down my arm, leaving goosebumps in his wake. We had linked arms a few times, given some sideways hugs, and even slow danced together at Hannah and Evan’s wedding. But this skin-to-skin contact was a little more than I could handle. “You’re incredible. Kind, generous, and you go out of your way for everyone else.” He leaned over to me and looked into my eyes. Those dark, chocolate brown eyes were dangerous. “But at a certain point, you have to say no.”
I blinked a few times, shaking off my daze. “Well, I’m not at that point yet. I’ll be fine. But thank you for worrying about me.”
He sighed, then laid back in his chair. “You drive me crazy.”
“Right back at you,” I laughed.
He shook his head, pulled his sunglasses back over his eyes, and rested in his chair. I knew he had my best interests at heart. But we were just a couple of friends who sometimes hung out. Sure, I harbored a mad crush on him, but that didn’t mean we had anything romantic here. Light and fun. That was me in a nutshell.
“Do you think we should tell Amy about us?” His voice interrupted my thoughts.
