by Alison Mello
“Here.” She hands me a beer. “You know, if you keep drinking beer, your six-pack abs are going to disappear,” she says with amusement.
I laugh. “You’ve noticed my abs?”
She rolls her eyes and takes the seat next to me. “Bentley, let’s be real, I’m not dead. I still see men.” She takes a sip of her drink.
“It’s the part about you seeing me that I’m interested in.” I take a pull from my beer. I work out hard for my abs. Between dance and my community gym, there’s no way I’m losing my abs to a couple of beers.
She leans back in her lounge chair, crossing her long, lean legs at her ankles as she sips on her spiked seltzer. I never realized how much I noticed her until she became single, and I made it my mission to make her mine.
“Bentley, I want to move on, but when you’ve been hurt the way I have, it’s hard to trust.” She glances over at me.
I inch our chairs a bit closer to keep our conversation private. Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on my knees. “I’m sure it is, but what if I told you I was willing to earn that trust?”
She sighs. “I’d say, I need to think about it.” She glances over at me. “I swore off dancers five months ago and now...”
“Jade,” I say her name, stopping her from going further. “It’s not dancers you have to watch for, some men just suck. They are pussies and can’t admit when things aren’t working out for them.”
She nods, watching the waves crash upon the shore. “It’s all over the studio that we’re going to end up a couple because of the connection we have when we dance.” There’s uncertainty in her voice.
“Do you deny the connection?” I’m not sure she can. It’s obvious.
She grins. “No, there’s no denying that.” She sits up and turns in her chair, our legs intertwined, and she looks me in the eye. “The problem is dancing is my escape. I leave everything out on that dance floor, my heart, and soul.” She shakes her head. “I’m not sure I can handle being hurt by another dance partner.”
Her words cut me to the core. I want to knock Jackson the fuck out for hurting her the way he did. I lean forward on my lounger and lift her chin, forcing her to look at me. “Listen, Jade. I know you're hurting right now, and this isn’t a good time for you. You need to know that I’d never pressure you to do anything you’re not ready to do.” She bites her lip. “The connection is there. We continue on the path we’re on, and if it progresses naturally, so be it. If not, then I guess we weren’t meant to be.”
She shakes her head with a chuckle. “Bentley Taylor, are you real?”
I throw my head back in laughter. “Nope, I’m fake.” I joke with her.
Some of the dance crew come over, interrupting our conversation. “Who’s down for going in the water?” Aaron asks.
“Me.” Jade jumps up, taking off her top and her shorts. “Julie, you got a bathing suit?”
“Of course.” She strips her clothes as well.
“Good. Let’s go…we’re hitting the water with our partners.” She furrows her brows. “We’re doing this Dirty Dancing style.” And just like that, our conversation is over, but I’m okay with that. We made some serious progress. It’s time to show Jade she can trust me.
The four of us run toward the water. It’s cold at first, but once we’re in, it feels great. “Okay, Julie, the trick to stunts is to pull up in your body and have a firm core, but without stiffening up. That and sinking into your partner will make lifts hard.” We practice the easier stunt she was doing earlier for a bit. When she’s mastered that and is no longer uncomfortable, we move onto a tougher stunt.
Jade instructs Aaron on how to grab Julie so he can try one of the tougher moves. He picks Julie up, and she arches her back, leaning back over his shoulder, but you can see how uncomfortable she is. When Aaron brings her back down, she hits him off the back of the head.
“Oh my God, Aaron. I’m so sorry.”
“You’re good. It didn’t hurt.” He ducks under the water, wiping the water away from his face. “Let’s do it again.” He lifts her over his shoulder, and she leans back.
I stand behind Aaron. “Relax a bit, Julie. I’m right here. You’re not going to fall.” She takes a deep breath and let’s go a bit. “That’s it.” Aaron puts her down.
“Have you ever done gymnastics?” I ask her.
“For a short time, when I was young.”
“Good, think of this like you’re going into a back handspring over his shoulder. You want to pull up but arch your back.” I explain to her.
She nods her understanding. “Got it.” She lets out a deep breath and tries again. This time it goes much better.
“Good.” Jade encourages her. “Now from here, you can kick over and land it, or Aaron can switch his hands up and catch you to extend the stunt. For now, he’ll just put you down.”
They try the move a few more times. When Julie is comfortable being on his shoulder, he tries it again, but this time he lifts her in the air without her even knowing he’s going to do it, and she does it seamlessly.
“Wow!” She screams out when she lands. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“See how relaxed you were. If you knew I was going to lift you up like that, you probably would have tensed up, but because we just did it, you were relaxed.” Aaron explains to her.
“Let’s do it again.” She bounces excitedly.
We continue working with Julie in the water until we’re all shivering and need to get out. “Thank you, guys, I can’t wait to try some of this at the studio.”
“No problem. We’ll see you Monday after work.” Jade assures her.
We all take seats around one of the fire pits to dry off. Jade stares off into the distance. She’s lost in her thoughts. I can see the wheels in her head spinning. It makes me wish I could dive in and read her mind. She has no idea more people have joined us and are laughing and joking all around her. Missy comes over, taking a seat next to her. She bumps her, making Jade smile.
“I think it’s time for me to take off. I have some work to do from home tomorrow.” I stand up from my seat. My shorts are still wet, but I have a bag and a towel in my car.
“Oh, come on, you always bounce early.” Ky busts my balls.
I shrug. “I didn’t get where I am by sitting on my ass. I work for it.” I slip my shirt back over my head. “I have goals, kid.” I give him a fist bump. Ky shakes his head, but he’s a bit younger than me, and from what I’ve heard, he doesn’t have the drive I have.
Jade looks at me and then stares back out at the ocean. Missy whispers something to her, but she never looks back at me, so I take off. I hate seeing her struggle like this, especially when I know there’s nothing I can do about it. I know it's hard. She wants to move on, but she’s scared, and I get it, but I’ll help her heal even if it's the death of me.
Chapter Five
Bentley
Tonight we are celebrating Jade’s birthday. I’ve gathered all of our friends for a fun night out. I made us reservations at this great restaurant in downtown Miami. The downstairs is a restaurant and dinner show, and the upstairs is a club. I toss my shirt over my head, spray some cologne and then head to the kitchen to feed Mushu, so I can head over to pick Jade up.
When I get to her place, she’s already outside waiting for me. “I would have come up to get you.”
She shakes her head. “No need.”
“Is Katia coming?”
She sighs. “No, I told her she was welcome to join us and that you included her in the reservations, but she said she would make me dinner to celebrate tomorrow night.” She shrugs and climbs into the car. I close the door and race back to my side. “Where are we going?”
I narrow my eyes playfully. “I thought I told you it was a surprise.”
She laughs. “You did, but I figured since we are on our way, you would tell me.”
I shake my head. “You figured wrong.” I laugh.
“Bentley Taylor. You are not funny.” She
crosses her arms over her chest and pouts as I drive down the highway toward our destination.
Her expression causes me to laugh. I turn off the highway and stop at the light. “Hey.” She looks over at me. “Are you seriously going to pout the entire ride?” She nods. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing that we’re almost there.” I take a right when the light turns green. The restaurant is just up the street.
Her face lights up when we pull into the valet parking lot for Mango’s. “You’re taking me to Mango’s?”
I nod. “We have dinner reservations, and then we’ll head upstairs for a night of dancing.”
“I’ve heard this place is so cool, but I’ve never been.” I climb out of the car and open the door for her.
“Happy Birthday, Jade.” I hand her a small gift.
“What is it?” She tears the box open to reveal a bangle bracelet with a dancer hanging from it. “Bentley, I love it.” She slips it on her wrist and tosses the box back in the car. “Thank you.” She jumps into my arms and wraps me in a hug.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.”
I hand the valet my keys and we and approach the podium outside the door to go in. “Bentley Taylor.” I give her my name.
“Has your entire party arrived?” The woman asks.
“I don’t think so.” I glance around, noticing a few of our friends are waiting outside. “We are waiting on a few more.”
She nods. “Okay, when everyone is here, let me know, and I’ll get you seated.”
Jade calls our crew over. “Destiny, over here.” Destiny grabs them and brings them to where we’re standing. “We’re just waiting for Missy and Micah, and then they’ll bring us in.
“Micah is here.” He says, dancing his way over to us. He puts his arm around Jade. “Happy birthday, girl.”
“Thanks.” She smiles and claps excitedly. “I can’t wait to get inside. I’ve wanted to come here.”
“Nice bracelet.” Destiny grabs her wrist to check it out.
“Thanks, it was a birthday gift from Bentley.” Now they’re grinning ear to ear.
I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”
Missy is finally here, so I let the hostess know, and they bring us right in. Jade’s eyes go wide when she sees the dining room. There are rows and rows of tables set up in front of a huge bright stage. The music is loud, and the stage is full of dancers. I made sure to reserve a table center stage so she would have the best view of the show.
She looks over her shoulder at me as I’m pulling out a chair for her. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
I shrug. “It’s no big deal.”
She chuckles. “But it is.” She takes a seat as I push her chair in for her and take the seat next to her. She drops it, but I’m willing to bet from her comment her ex never did anything like this for her.
Missy takes a seat on the other side of her. The two of them are clapping to the music as the dancers are finishing their routine on stage.
“Is this the birthday girl?” The waiter asks.
“It is,” Jade says with excitement.
“What can I get you to drink?” He leans in so he can hear her better.
“Long Island Iced Tea.” She shouts over the music.
He looks at me. “Water with lemon.” He nods and continues on down the line getting everyone’s drink order.
Jade’s looking over the menu when I lean in. “Order whatever you want. It’s on me.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
I smile. “I know, but I want to.” I wink at her.
“What are you getting?” She asks me.
“The steak.” I love a good steak, and from what I’ve heard, it’s pretty amazing here.
“I’m going to have salmon.” She closes the menu and starts dancing in her seat to the music.
Micah is sitting beside me. He taps me on the arm and leans in so no one else hears him. “Dude, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy.”
I smile. “That’s my mission.”
The waiter comes back and delivers our drinks. As soon as he’s done, he takes our order. The restaurant is filling up rather quickly.
There are multiple dancers coming onto the stage. Some dance, some sing and dance. The costumes are bright and fun. It’s like being in Vegas. When this group is done another group will come on and do the next song. There are two shows and they serve a round of guests during each. When our show is over, we can either go upstairs to dance or we can go somewhere else.
I glance over to catch Jade and Missy whispering. I’m not sure what they’re talking about, but they burst into laughter, clapping, and dancing in their seats. Destiny, Breigh, and Julie all come over to take a picture with Jade. I took a few photos for them, and then Jade leans in and takes a selfie with me.
She posts it to Instagram and tags me. Thanks, @BentleyTaylor, for setting up an amazing night for my birthday!
I can’t help but smile at the fact that she put our picture first. I, of course, respond right away. @Jadedancer you’re so welcome. You deserve the best beautiful.
Because she tagged me, I’ll get notifications for everyone who comments. I’m watching to see if her ex will and sure enough within minutes, he wishes her a happy birthday.
Our dinner is delivered, so we all dig in. A guy comes on stage dressed up as Michael Jackson, dancing to Billy Jean. After a few minutes, the song switches to Thriller. You can tell who the older people in the crowd are because they’re cheering him on where some of the younger diners look bored.
“This is so good,” Jade shouts over the music.
I nod. “I agree. Want to try my steak?” She shrugs, so I cut her a piece and fed it to her off my fork.
She closes her eyes and moans. “That is good.” She returns the favor by feeding me a piece of salmon.
Once we finish our meal, I inform the waiter that I’m paying for Jade’s meal. He nods and asks everyone else who is together and who isn’t, so he knows how to divide it up. The funny thing is no one here is a couple. We’re all friends.
As soon as we finish paying, we leave the table and head upstairs. We find a huge seating area out on the patio. “Want another drink?” I ask Jade, who takes a seat next to Missy.
“Sure, I can get it.”
I wink at her. “It’s your birthday. I got it.” I’m watching them from the bar. It takes a matter of minutes before the girls are out of their seats and dancing around on the patio. I’m so glad Jade is having fun with her friends.
When I return with her drink, she takes a sip and then grabs my hand, pulling me out to dance with her. “What are you doing?”
“Dancing with the incredible man who set up the amazing night for me.” She explains.
“I wouldn’t say incredible, considerate maybe.” I laugh, and so does she. Her arms are around my neck as we sway to the beat of the music. “Are you having a good time?”
“Yes, thank you. I really needed this.” A smile lights up her beautiful face.
I nod. “I’m glad.”
“My turn.” Micah taps me on the shoulder and takes over dancing with the birthday girl.
The night is flying by. More and more photos pop up on social media, tagging us as our friends post them. The night has been a complete success.
Jade collapses on the couch beside me and sips her drink. She fans herself. “Woo. It’s hot.”
A waiter walks by. “Excuse me.” He turns back. “Can I get two bottles of water?” He nods and strolls off to get them.
“Water?” She questions. “Jade, you’ve been drinking all night, and you’re sweating. You’re going to dehydrate if you keep this up.”
She nods. “You’re right.” The waiter hands us the two bottles of water and a slip for me to sign. I’m not surprised that it just cost me seven dollars for two bottles of water, but Jade catches a glimpse of the slip and freaks out. “That’s insane.”
I shrug. “It’s a bar.” She’s not wrong. That’s a lot
of money for two small bottles, but it is what it is.
She jumps up when Strip That Down by Liam Payne starts playing. “One more.” She holds her finger up.
I shrug. “It’s your birthday. We’re here until you’re ready to leave.”
The ladies join her, and the guys sit around, keeping an eye on them. We’re protective of our crew. Our girls never have to worry about anyone messing with them because we take care of this little family we have.
Breigh goes up behind Jade, and Missy is in front of her. The three of them are bumping and grinding with one another. Aaron’s jaw drops when Julie joins in. It’s not unlike the other girls to dance like that, but Julie is quiet and a bit shy.
“Dude, is that your partner?” Micah asks Aaron. He nods with his jaw on the ground. “We have to get her drinking more often.”
Aaron laughs. “Apparently.”
Ky shrugs. “Maybe she’s getting comfortable with our crew.”
“I don’t know, but I like it.” We all start laughing.
She’s like a totally different girl.
“Okay.” Jade fans herself. “I’m ready.” She collapses on the couch one more time.
I laugh. “I can’t take you home if you’re sitting here on the couch.”
“I need a minute.” She pants and then downs the remainder of her water. When she’s done, she stands back up. “Thank you all for an amazing birthday, but I’m exhausted, so I’m going to head home.”
Everyone hugs her and wishes her a happy birthday. When she’s done making her rounds, I help her down the stairs and out to the valet. I hand the gentleman my ticket. Jade leans on my arm while we wait. It takes just a minute for him to pull up with my car. I open the door for her and help her in.
When I get in, she expels a deep breath. “That was an amazing night. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I pull out of the driveway and head toward her house. “I’m glad you had fun.”
The remainder of the ride to her house was quiet. When I pull in, she quickly jumps out of the car. “Jade.” I stop her from running.
She turns back. “Thank you again.” She runs over and kisses me on the cheek.
