Her Savior

by Sarah J. Brooks

  She reached over and held onto my hand as I drove us to her apartment, following her directions. The closer we got to her place, the more uncomfortable she seemed to be. But we were pushing through this. We were going to her place. I was going to know where she lived, and I already had plans on taking her out on a real date very soon.

  “It’s up there on the right,” Jenna said as she covered her eyes and pointed to her building.

  Maybe it was because it was a beautiful Sunday morning, but I didn’t think the building looked all that bad. There were bars on the lower level windows and the front door, but the neighborhood seemed alright. At least in the light of day, it seemed alright.

  “It looks like a lot of people live there.”

  “Yep. I’ll just run up and get changed, and I’ll be right back down.”

  “Oh, no, no, no …” I laughed. “I’m coming up with you. I’ve got to know which apartment is yours.”

  “It’s apartment 4c. Okay, you know,” she said as I parked, and she started to get out of the car.

  I turned the car off, though and got out with her. It was so cute to see how uncomfortable she was. She waited for me at the front door, though and showed me how to buzz her apartment.

  “You will be able to see it’s me when I buzz you? I asked as I looked up at the camera.”

  “Yep. I can turn my television to that channel and see you.”

  “So no surprising you. Okay, but at least I know where you live,” I said excitedly as she opened the door by punching in a special code. “What’s that code?”

  “It’s how I get in if I don’t have a key.”

  “It’s the code to your house?” I asked playfully.

  “Do you want the code to my house?” Jenna laughed. “I don’t see why on earth you would ever want to come over here, but I’ll give it to you.”

  “Damn right, I want the code,” I said as I pulled out my phone and got ready to type it in. “Hit me with it.”

  “You’re a goofball. It’s one, eight, five, two. Okay, so now you can get into my front door. But you’ll still have to knock to get into the apartment. I only have one key to the apartment.”

  We took the stairs up to the fourth floor, and I followed her down the hall to her apartment. I kept my eyes out for these mice she had been talking about and didn’t see a single one of them.

  As Jenna opened the door to her apartment the dingy hallway transformed into a really cute little one bedroom apartment. She clearly had great taste in decorating and had been able to turn her old apartment into what looked like a modern getaway for her.

  “Do you really have mice?” I said as I continued to be leery of them and watched the floor as she went to her room to change.

  “Yes, but they hide during the day. At night, I hear them.”

  “Do you have your own ballet shoes?” I asked as I tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.

  “Yeah, they are old but comfortable. Why?”

  “Do you have one of those cute outfits that you wear to dance in?” I said as I moved closer to her bedroom door.

  “Is this one of those kinky dress-up fetishes?” she asked as she opened her door and looked out at me.

  “You have the whole outfit, don’t you?” I said as my eyes lit up. “Will you put it on for me? I would love to see you in it? Maybe you could even show me a few moves?”

  Jenna shook her head and closed the door without answering me. If this didn’t work, I was prepared to go ahead and tell her what I had planned. I would do whatever had to be done to make sure she showed up for this audition.

  “I’m putting this on just because I feel bad about everything else. Don’t go thinking that I’m going to dress up for you in the bedroom whenever you want. This thing is really hard to put on and take off,” Jenna said as she opened the bedroom door and walked out.

  She had pulled her hair up into a bun and had on a black one-piece dance outfit and some pink ballet shoes. She looked like a professional dancer for sure.

  “Perfect, now pack that all up in a bag, and we need to take it with us today,” I said as I tried to hold back my smile but couldn’t.

  “What? Why would I bring this with us?”

  “Remember, you trust me, right?” I said with a smile. “Will you do this for me?”

  “Fine, but I’m going on record again saying that I’m not a fan of surprises,” she said as she went back to her room.

  Ten minutes later, Jenna was dressed in her jeans and T-shirt with a bag over her shoulder filled with her dance clothes. It was a relief that I wasn’t going to have to figure out how to get her all the dance items she needed for her audition. And we could spend the rest of our day relaxing and enjoying our time together until five o’clock came around.

  I was still leery about Cassandra being involved in the process though and made sure to send a text to Mark to see if he would meet us at the studio. Surprisingly, Mark was over at Cassandra’s house when he got the text, and he quickly agreed to come to the surprise with her.

  After a day filled with shopping and talking for hours on end, I was beyond excited when I pulled up to the dance studio. Jenna seemed much less excited about our unplanned pit stop, though.

  “Why are we here?”

  “This is your surprise,” I said as we sat in my car and waited for it to get a little closer to five o’clock.

  There were a couple cars in the parking lot already. Jenna looked confused for a moment, and then Cassandra and Mark pulled up next to us. Cassandra looked markedly happier than I’d seen her the last time I was at the studio. And when she exited her car, she stood and waited for Jenna to get out of our car as well.

  My heart raced to see what this interaction was going to be like. I hoped that Cassandra was going to have something nice to say, but I didn’t expect it at all.

  “Cassandra, do you know what’s going on?” Jenna asked as she looked between me and the pair that had just arrived.

  “I need to apologize to you, dear. I’ve been so stressed out, and I know I’ve taken it out on you. I have a feeling this is going to turn out amazingly for you today,” Cassandra said and then gave Jenna a light tap on the shoulder. “See you inside.”

  Jenna turned back toward me and then seemed to notice a car in the parking lot.

  “Is that Elaina’s car? What is going on?”

  “I’m going to tell you because I think you might need a minute to mentally prepare yourself. I’ve arranged an audition for you.”

  “What?”

  “Yep,” I said as I motioned toward the building. “It’s at five o’clock, so we should probably go inside so you can get changed.”

  “I’m auditioning? I can’t do that, Kevin. I can’t be a dancer. I don’t have the money, and I can’t support myself on that.”

  “Interesting that you’d bring that up because I talked with Ed, and one of the things we decided to do with the new charity is to offer a stipend to dancers. It’s not much, but I think it will offset your living expenses enough that you can concentrate on your dreams.”

  Jenna was silent. I watched her intently as I tried to figure out what she was thinking. Was she angry? Was she excited? I couldn’t tell what was going on, and the silence was killing me as I waited.

  “This isn’t just you paying for me to do this?” she asked.

  “Nope, it’s a long-term program that dancers will be able to apply to. Obviously, I don’t have it fully set up yet, but it shouldn’t take long. And any dancer who needs it can apply. We will tentatively have five scholarships available, and each will be for one year at a time.”

  “And what was with Cassandra? Is she running the audition?”

  “Her, Elaina, and the head of the ballet. It’s going to be like any other audition. At least that’s what they told me. And from what I’ve seen, I’m pretty sure this is just a formality, and you’re about to start your career of your dreams.”

  “I’m going to be a dancer?” Jenna said as she jumpe
d up and wrapped her arms around me. “This is real. This is actually happening?”

  I couldn’t hide my excitement for her. I grabbed her and spun her around while I kissed her neck. This moment was everything I’d hoped it would be.

  “This is the best surprise ever!” Jenna screamed as she grabbed her dance bag. “Thank you, Kevin. This is amazing.”

  “I can’t wait to watch you dance in your first show!”

  Epilogue

  Jenna

  “Ten, nine, eight,” the crowd yelled as we stood in the middle of Time Square looking up at the ball as it started to fall. “Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!” we all yelled as confetti fell around us and a band played in the background.

  Kevin and I were bundled up for the cold event, but I felt warm with his arms around me as we kissed to celebrate the start of a new year. This wasn’t just the start of any new year, though; this was our third year together, and my first year dancing professionally with the New York City Ballet.

  I’d landed the job just a month before, and we’d been in rehearsals for the new show for the last three weeks. I wasn’t the top dancer at this company, but I also didn’t feel like I was the worst dancer either. My skills had been honed over the last three years at the San Francisco Ballet, and my confidence increased tenfold while I was dancing full-time.

  “I love you,” Kevin said as loudly as he could so I could hear him over the crowd.

  “I love you too babe,” I replied as we kissed a few more times to celebrate this incredible New Year.

  Kevin had even made the big decision to move with me to New York and expand his charity. He’d been dedicated to it for the last three years, and he was really quite amazing at running it. Plus, he was happier than I’d ever seen him before. The idea of making his charity a national organization was huge, but if there was anyone that could handle it, that would definitely be Kevin.

  “We need to get you home,” he yelled as we tried to navigate our way through the crowd.

  “It’s fine’ I don’t have to dance tomorrow. We are off.”

  “No, I need you naked in bed,” he whispered loudly in my ear as he playfully grabbed my butt. “I’m starting this new year off with a bang.”

  His jokes were still corning, but I loved that about Kevin. Our relationship had grown into something I’d only dreamed it could be. We laughed together. Enjoyed spending time together. We were making a future for ourselves, and I couldn’t imagine it being any better than it was at that moment.

  We hurried back to our new apartment like teenagers who were sneaking away for a quick love fest. It was exciting to be with him and have him still get me so turned on from just a whisper of his voice.

  “I can’t wait to feel you inside me,” I whispered as we walked toward our place.

  “You’re killing me. Do you want me to faint from lack of blood flow?” He pointed at his hardened body, and it just turned me on more. I couldn’t wait to have him. I always wanted to be with Kevin naked in bed. Even after three years together, our sex life was amazing.

  “I’m going to tease you all night long,” I said as I put my hand on his hard member and grabbed it a little. “Let’s get moving, slowpoke.”

  “Careful, I sort of like this aggressive side of you,” Kevin said as his body pulsed in my hand.

  “Wait until I get my first paycheck. I’m buying some handcuffs so I can use them on you.” I playfully squeezed him. “You won’t be saying that you like this side of me then.”

  “Yes, I will!”

  We both laughed at the idea. It was so fun to be with Kevin. I knew if I ever wanted to try something playful or kinky, he was going to be down for it. I was free in the bedroom and in life now that I had Kevin by my side.

  As we burst through the door to our apartment, we frantically started undressing each other as we made our way to our bedroom. I’d pushed for us to get as normal an apartment as possible in New York, but Kevin insisted on living on the upper east side so we could be in a good neighborhood. Finally, we compromised and got a small two bedroom apartment instead of a much larger one that he could have bought, and we were at the edge of the neighborhood he wanted. It wasn’t much, but it was ours. Our very first place together.

  Making love to Kevin was like home to me. As our bodies moved and moaned in perfect timing, I knew he was the one I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. I wasn’t one of those girls who needed to be married, though, and I wasn’t about to drop hints or push him toward that. What we had was enough for me. What we had was perfection.

  “I love you so much,” Kevin groaned as his body built up closer and closer to orgasm.

  My fingers dug into his back, and my pelvis tilted toward him as I felt my own body building up to explosion. Orgasms were an every night occurrence in our life now, and I couldn’t even imagine what my life was like without this nightly release of pleasure.

  “I … love … you … too,” I screamed as my body released, and I felt the utter shiver of pleasure radiating throughout me.

  The energy and connection between the two of us hadn’t dimmed at all since we’d been together. In fact, the longer I was with Kevin, the more I was positive that he and I were meant to be together. We were the perfect match. He was the Yin to my Yang.

  As we fell asleep in each other’s arms, I couldn’t help being grateful for the way my life had been turned around by Kevin. Not just because of his love, but because of the way he made me a better person. He pushed me to go for the things I’d always been afraid to go after. He stood behind me while I went after those things as well. It was by far the best relationship I could have ever hoped for.

  ***

  By Tuesday morning, I was up early and ready for my show. I couldn’t wait to take part in my debut performance. I was nervous but excited about this first step in my dream job.

  “How are you doing?” Kevin asked as we got up and started to get ready for the day.

  “I’m scared I’m going to fall on my face.” I laughed.

  “How about I walk with you to the theater and then I’ll head to work from there? I’d really love to be there with you for this first day.”

  Kevin had walked me to work a couple other times since we’d moved to town. It was a fun way for us to talk and get our days started in the best possible way. I couldn’t think of a better way to help calm my nerves before the big show.

  “Yes, that would be perfect. Oh, by the way, I heard from Elaina and my family. They will be landing just after lunch. Are you sure you’ll be okay picking them up?”

  “Of course. I can’t wait to have everyone out here. We are going to be cheering for you as loud as possible through the entire show.”

  “My part is so small, please don’t cheer too loud.” I laughed.

  We finished our breakfast and were heading down the street in under a half an hour. Although I still had the whole day before my first performance, I had a day filled with costume adjustments and dress rehearsals. The adrenaline was pumping, though, and I expected I’d be pretty wired for the day ahead.

  “We won’t go too crazy with the cheering. But we will be so excited. I’m really glad everyone could find it in their schedule to come out,” Kevin added as we got closer to the theater.

  I could feel my pulse radiating through my neck as I saw the marquee to the theater. This was it; this was literally my dream, and I was about to live it. It was utterly amazing. We gave each other a few kisses and said our goodbyes as Kevin made his way to his new office, and I went into the theater.

  The day was busy, but this dance company was run so smoothly that I hardly had time to feel stressed out at all. There was a catered lunch for us since we were at the theater all day long, and the manager even came around and wished us all the best for our opening night. It was definitely a better run organization than the San Francisco one, although things had changed a lot there over the past three years. Even Cassandra had turned things around and was ac
tually somewhat decent as a leader.

  When I left San Francisco, it wasn’t because I hated the ballet program there, but instead, I was just focused on my dreams of dancing in New York.

  By the time we got called up to the stage for the opening curtain, the butterflies in my stomach were in full-blown attack mode. I’d never been that nervous before and could hardly feel my fingers as the curtain pulled back and we made our way onto the stage for the opening scene.

  As the evening wore on, my nerves dwindled, and my training took over, though. I hit every mark, and I felt confident in my abilities by the end of the evening. I had been so wrapped up in my dance that I hadn’t even noticed my family and friends cheering for me until the final curtain call as the lights came up on the audience.

  Then as I looked over at Kevin, he started to walk down the aisle toward the front of the stage. Everyone around him was standing, and he kneeled down and pulled a light blue box out of his jacket pocket.

  I’m not sure why it took me so long to figure out what was going on. But I stared at him for a good twenty seconds before it registered what he was doing. Kevin was smiling from ear to ear, and I saw my family jumping up and down with excitement.

  “Will you marry me?” he said loudly.

  Although I couldn’t exactly hear him, I read his lips and knew that was what he was saying. One of the dancers next to me grabbed my hand and squeezed it as I smiled and nodded my head yes.

  We finished our bow and ran backstage to change. I tried to hurry as fast as I could, but everyone kept stopping me and asking me if that was my boyfriend. It was nearly half an hour later when I finally burst through the backstage door and looked frantically around for Kevin and my family.

  I ran up to the front of the building, and sure enough, there they were. Everyone that I loved so much all in one place. My mother, my brothers, my friends, and my boyfriend.

  “Do it again,” Stacy yelled toward Kevin.