Boarded by Love (43 page)

“Yeah, I don’t know, but if he is, Claire, I swear I’ll kill him. That’s the worst thing you can do to someone you love – lie and cheat like that. Just be truthful, you know?”

My heart is pounding against my chest as I slowly nod. “Yeah.”

“Yeah, so I’m gonna go. I’m going to nap before heading to the rink,” he says, leaning over to kiss my mouth in a lusty but quick way. He reaches for the door handle and is about to step out, and I know I should let him go, but his words play over and over in my head.

Just be truthful. Just be truthful. Just be truthful.

“Hey Jude,” I say suddenly. He looks over at me with a grin on his face.

“Don’t be afraid?” he asks and I smile.

“Yeah, but I want to tell you something.”

“What?”

I take in a deep breath and say, “Have you heard of that burlesque club, Ms. Prissy’s?”

He nods. “Yeah, I’ve been there a few times with the guys. Not since I started dating you, though!” he adds and I smile.

“You’re silly,” I say, looking for the courage to say what I need to say. “Anyway, I…I…um… well, you see–”

“What? Why are you stuttering?”

I laugh, letting out a long breath, my heart pounding against my chest. “I work for her,” I say and then meet his inquisitive gaze. “I choreograph the dances for the burlesque side and even the pole dancing. I’m doing like six numbers for some investors that are coming, and I’m hoping to land them.”

“That’s awesome, babe. I told you you’re the best,” he says with a grin. “Is that why you asked if I would support you in any job you chose?”

I nod. “Yeah, it’s not the best kind of job, you know.”

“How do you figure? You could choreograph, like, shows and stuff. That’s amazing,” he says, and it’s what I want to hear. I want him to be supportive.

“Yeah, I could be picked up to run clubs and stuff. It’s a huge opportunity.”

He smiles. “That’s wonderful, baby. I’m proud of you.”

“So you’ll support me?”

He laughs as he reaches for me, pulling me close. “Of course. It isn’t like you’re on the stage taking your clothes off, so no big deal. I’m excited for you. Make sure you let me know how that goes.”

He kisses me again and then he’s gone as I sit in my seat, completely stunned. The tears threaten to fall, and my heart feels like it’s about to explode. I was truthful, but the only problem is I only told half the truth.

It isn’t like you’re on the stage taking your clothes off, so no big deal.

No big deal, but if I was, it would be a
huge
deal and probably would be the end of my relationship. I need to quit, I need to stop, but can I lose that money? Can I really let go of the opportunity of thousands to secure my future? I know the answer is no, but can I risk losing him?

No. I can’t.

So what the fuck do I do?

There is really only one answer and that’s to work my ass off, get the money, and then quit and never look back. I’m not completely lying to Jude anymore. I told him most of the truth; I just left out the part about me on the stage. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, and it’s only for another month and then I’ll be done. That can’t be that bad…right?

But if so, then why does it feel like it is?

Standing in the dressing room outside of the rink, I hop on my tippy toes, warming my legs up. Pulling at the bottom of my uniform, I curse the dance gods above for the monstrosity I’m wearing. I mean, I guess it’s sort of cute, but with an ass like mine, it’s falling out the bottom. Even with my tights on, I feel like the bottoms are creeping up my ass, giving me the ultimate wedgie. I don’t know if Rachael ordered me a smaller size – which I wouldn’t put past her – or what, but if it actually fit, it would be cute. It’s a one-piece shorts set that is solid black except for the sheer black lace that goes over a teal blue bra. Crystals stud every inch of it, and on the back are our names in crystals along with Bellevue Bullies.

Looking the mirror, I’m pleased with what I see. My hair is up in a high ponytail with a black and teal bow at the base. My makeup is done very dramatically, bright teal and a smoky black covering my eyes, making them seem bigger and brighter. Rachael may be a bitch, but the girl has some great skills at applying makeup. Pulling at my shorts, I turn and look around the room. All of us look so good, and I’m really excited for this performance. We have been training for weeks, and I’m ready for my family and the arena to see us kill the choreography I put together for us.

“All right, come together,” I hear Rachael say.

I look around the room to find Skylar standing beside me. She grins at me and I return the grin before together we go to the circle, holding hands with our teammates. Rachael bows her head and we all do the same as she prays for a good performance and for each of us to be strong and safe throughout the performance. She then thanks the Lord above for all of us, and I have to admit it’s nice. I like seeing this side of her; it makes her less of a raging bitch.

When she glances up, she says, “Now don’t y’all get out there and fuck up.”

But then she says things like that.

Rolling my eyes, I listen as she says, “Claire has worked hard on this dance and this is our debut to the whole school. Be on point, hit the marks, and rock that ice. This is our time to shine, and we’re going to make everyone in the place drool. Make sure to stay on the gray tarp. I am not responsible if one of you dumbasses goes off it and slips on the ice.”

Some giggle but stop when her eyes cut to them. “When we’re here to cheer the boys on, you know not to talk to anyone. You stay in Bullies dance mode. No messing around. I don’t care if your boyfriend is hollering at you, your family, your friends, or some random dude. It doesn’t matter. You are working tonight. Remember our dances for the particular songs, and if you get lost, find Claire or me. I’ll be behind the home team, and she’ll be behind the away.”

Everyone nods and then she glances at the clock before clapping her hands together. “Okay, let’s go kill this,” she says before heading to the door. As I follow behind her, my heart is pounding in my chest, but then the adrenaline takes over and I’m ready.

In a straight line, our hands on our hips, we strut to the ice on a teal carpet in perfect unison. As I walk, I see Phillip and Reese sitting across the ice behind the home team. Reese is waving like a maniac as Phillip stands with his arms crossed across his chest. When his gaze meets mine though, a small grin appears on his face, and like he always did when I competed, he gives me a thumbs-up.

At that moment, a calm comes over me because I got this. This is what I’m meant to do.

“And now, give it up, Bellevue, for your Bellevue Bullies’ dance team!”

The crowd loses it as we take our spots. I wish Jude were here watching me, but I know he’s in the back, prepping for the game. He promised he would watch the video later, and that’s fine with me. I know, no matter what, he’ll be proud of me.

When the music to “Animals” by Martin Garrix starts, the crowd gets louder. I’ve performed in packed dance competitions and even for a club full of grown men, but nothing can compare to the sound in this arena. It’s almost hard to hear the music, but right on cue, we all start, killing the hell out of this dance. A smile so wide spreads across my face as we dance, all in perfect unison from what I can tell. I know Rachael and I are on point, moving as one to the music. Mouthing the words to the song, I move my body like it is part of the beat before jumping up into a split leap. Landing on my feet, I start to turn, over and over again until the music stops with a funny little noise, and I stop with my hands on my hips as the whole place goes nuts.

We just killed it.

Now it’s Jude’s turn.

C
laire is mesmerizing.

That’s all there is to it.

There are over nine girls I think on that damn team, and the only one I can watch is her.

After sneaking out to watch the girls hit the ice, I know that Coach will rip me a new one, but I had to catch a least a little bit of Claire’s dance. When I found that Shane had left too, to watch Amy dance, I figured that Coach will be a little lenient about it since both of us came to watch. We aren’t missing anything yet. Everyone usually just sits with their headphones on their ears, getting ready for the game. Maybe the way I get ready is to watch my baby tear the ice up.

And once she starts, that’s exactly what she does.

It’s downright unbelievable the way she moves. The music is hard-hitting and very techno, but she moves to it like it’s a lullaby. I swear this is what she’s meant to do for the rest of her gorgeous life. She’s amazing and I swear she steals the show. I couldn’t be prouder of her than I am right now, especially with the fact that my whole family is watching my girl make the dance floor her bitch.

As the song ends, she goes into a series of turns and then stops right on point with her hands on her hips and a grin on her succulent mouth. The crowd is deafening, and I find myself cheering along with them. Even Shane is hollering for them and that’s probably how we got caught.

“What the hell are you two doing? You are supposed to be prepping for the game!” Coach Moss yells.

“Right, Coach, going now,” Shane says, waddling in his big goalie equipment back to the locker room, but before I follow, I look out just in time to meet Claire’s gaze.

Her face breaks into a grin as her cheeks warm, and my heart explodes with love for this girl. “Great job, babe!” I yell out.

She blows me a kiss, and I am two seconds from catching it and tucking it in my girdle, since that is what a pussy does. Since my coach is standing beside me, I wave and turn to head back to the locker room, pride seeping out of my pores for my girl. I can’t wait to get my hands on her so I can tell her and show her how proud of her I am.

After a very long speech from Coach, we start to file out for warm-ups. As we head down the tunnel, I hear the crowd getting louder, and when we hit the ice, everyone loses it. You could honestly confuse this with an NHL game. The Bullies’ fans are hardcore and I like that. I like that hockey is so important to our college, to our community, especially in a football state like Tennessee.

Turning in circles, my skates cut into the ice as I dig in, picking up speed to warm up. We’re playing our rivals, Vanderbilt, and we’re ready to whoop some ass. As I make my second pass around, I spot my family, even my dad, sitting, watching as I play. Angie is sitting on Jase’s shoulders, cheering me on, and I smile even though they can’t see me through the cage of my helmet. I can’t wait till I get in the NHL when I can start wearing visors instead of full cages. While I like to protect my pearly whites, I hate how I feel so trapped inside this thing.

Letting my gaze leave my family, I look around the crowd, finding Phillip and Reese next. He’s watching me, and for some reason that makes me want to play better. He makes me nervous, and I want to be the best in his eyes. Letting out a breath, I turn again and this time I find Ralph with his family. He’s not talking to his wife though; he’s talking to some guy who is holding a clipboard.

A scout.

Adrenaline is coursing through me, my palms sweating in my gloves, and I know that I can’t worry about impressing Phillip; I have to impress this scout. He’s my future. He’s Claire and my future. I can’t fuck this up. I have to win, and I have to impress.

For Claire.

I want to give her the life she deserves, and the only way I can do that is by being signed by a great team. That’s probably the only way Phillip will ever respect me, and since I want those two things more than I can breathe, I am going to play my heart out every single game I play.

Rounding around the goal, I take a puck and practice my puck handling as I continue making my circle. When I hit the blue line, I turn and take a shot, getting it right past Shane. He gives me a look that says I got lucky, but I know the truth – I’m the best out here. With a grin on my face, I turn around the goal again, and this time, I find Claire behind the visitor’s bench, her hands on her hips, holding pom-poms. She looks hot as hell in her little Bullies uniform. It may be a little tight, but I’m not complaining at all.