Pointe of Breaking (24 page)

Memories of Leo’s light kisses on my neck, rolling down my shoulders, fluttering over my chest, and pooling onto my stomach flickered in my mind’s eye as I pressed my pointe down, finalizing the end of the military dance.

I held my arm over my eyes as the music came to a close. The audience erupted in praise. I still embraced the pains of heartache to portray the sorrowful parts of the dance, but the other parts…the happy parts…I couldn’t shield my smile even if I wanted.

I should have been focusing on the ninety-nine percent of the people who fell in love with the arrangement, but all I could focus on was one couple: In his front row seat, Blake stood up leisurely clapping while his gaze locked onto mine. Felicia was with him, probably sent to spy on me by Sasha. My mouth went dry. I tried not to show the shock on my face as we took our final bows. He’d come here and would be damned if he didn’t make his presence known.

Yes, I’d broken our agreement, but Blake’s possessiveness had reached a new high when he brought the Richards & Brown business under IRS scrutiny. I hated that he had involved Leo’s family. This was between me and him. He’d gotten the ring back, but I assumed that my promise to stay away from Leo meant more to him. I just needed to find the price-point. Asking for cash advances in my contract, liquidating my possessions, picking up another job all came to mind to pay Rossi back the money he’d given me. It was an epic moment of weakness that I even accepted his favor. Heartbreak does that to a person. I was just so lost, tired, hungry, depressed, and living in absolute fear.

And I thought I lost everything.

Nevertheless, I knew that I could give all this up. I raised my hands in the air, waving to the crowd. I would give it all up for Leo. Not because he’d ever ask it, but because I knew that I couldn’t live with myself knowing that R&B went under because of my relationship with my ex.

I couldn’t walk away without leaving Ivan in disarray, which meant I’d gotten myself into the mother-load-of-shit-storms and couldn’t figure out how to right my wrongs. But I’d be damned if I couldn’t make it right.

Blake leaned over and planted a kiss on his wife’s lips. Afterwards, Felicia wiggled her arm under his and smiled a fake smile at me. She leaned over to the side and whispered something into Sasha’s ear.

Oh hell, I hadn’t even noticed her! After a quick observation I realized that she was here, accessorizing her little black dress with a new man. He seemed nice enough, but I couldn’t help but wonder if she was more interested in him or in me. Obviously, them coming here was to inflict some kind of a threat.

It wasn’t all that long ago that she’d been grinding on Leo’s crotch. He’d sworn that it meant nothing. I believed him. It didn’t make seeing her any easier. I wasn’t the type of person to play games, but she was. And not scoring Leo was a big hit to her ego. With her glare all for me, she leaned into Mr. Right Now and made a show of making out with him.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

Turning on my toe, I joined Ivan, wrapped my arms around him, and smacked a kiss on his cheek. “You were on fire, Ivan.”

His smile was one of commendation and admiration. “Right back at you, Addy girl.” He furled his brow and nodded to where the musicians resided off stage. “I think our presence is being requested.”

Mr. Scott was standing off stage just past the front row on the right, waving at us to come over to him. Scott was with another man that looked oddly familiar. It wasn’t until we’d stepped onto the auditorium floor that I realized who it was. He’d been the man who’d run into me after the first performance of
Our Strength.

The man’s comment echoed still in my ears.
Exemplary performance tonight. You’ll make marketing for Focal Pointe Studio quite easy.

Mr. Scott introduced us. “Ivan, Adeline, I’d like you to meet Douglas Richards of Richards & Brown Advertising. He’s in charge of marketing for Focal Pointe studio.”

Leo’s dad! He had the same dimple in his chin and physique as his son. How could I not have put two and two together! He wore the same kind smile but his hair was graying. As soon as I realized my jaw was slack, I snapped it back shut. Douglas Richards was the last person I expected to see tonight, especially with the accusations Leo mentioned before taking off today. Shouldn’t he be—er, saving his company? What was he doing here?

Douglas extended his hand to shake it.

Ivan nudged my shoulder. I pressed my lips together and grabbed Douglas’s hand.

“You’ve made quite an impression on my son, Miss Parker,” Douglas said and then turned to the side so that he wasn’t blocking the view of the audience. “And I must say that you and Ivan are doing a fine job of winning over the hearts of New Yorkers alike.”

“Thank you, Mr. Richards,” Ivan said, speaking for both of us since I’d still failed to compose myself.

“Shouldn’t you be…at the office or something?” I asked, not sure if their visit from the IRS was public knowledge.

Douglas gave me a knowing look but paired it with a kind smile. “Our services do not stop simply because of an accusation.” He straightened his tie. “There is a special someone requesting to meet you two.”

He then led us to the front of the stage, close to where Blake, Felicia, Sasha and the man of the hour were at. They hadn’t gone far, nor had half the audience. Most of them were waiting in line to exit, but a good majority had taken interest in what Ivan and I were doing.

Taking Douglas’s lead, I walked past Blake and his companions. But that didn’t mean I went deaf.

“And there goes the white-trash ballerina,” Sasha whispered to Felicia just loud enough for me to her.

Ivan grabbed my hand and kept walking, dragging me along with him. “Do you want to make another edition of the
Rotten Apples?
Because starting something with her, surrounded by half a dozen reporters, will do just that.”

We approached NYC’s mayor. Dressed in a navy blue suit and red tie, he shook Ivan’s hand and then mine. An American Flag was pinned to his jacket and his white hair was cut short which made it less obvious that his hairline was receding.

“You two have made the City very proud,” he said, shaking our hands.

Second-nature, he looked away from us and to a photographer who I hadn’t even noticed had approached. The camera flashed. Who’d have thought that I’d been deemed a ballet outcast one day and would be shaking hands with the mayor the next? It was all too overwhelming.

And then Douglas introduced me to a woman with short brunette hair, wearing a modest flowery dress and cardigan. Her nose was red. Her eyes were blood-shot. Yet, she managed a weak smile. She held hands with a small blue-eyed, blond-hair child who stood as tall as her hip. He couldn’t be any older than four or five. He looked positively charming in his green silk vest and polka dot, clip-on tie. Judging from their matching dimples they were mother and son.

“This is Mrs. Joline Walker and her son, Ty,” Douglas said and then paused as tears already began to stream down Joline’s cheeks. “Her husband, Captain Luis Walker, gave the ultimate sacrifice on his second tour overseas.”

Joline opened her mouth several times, but all that came out was a sob. Before I could blink, Ivan wrapped his arms around her. I stood in awe as Ivan held up the widower. There was no hesitation for Ivan to take her in his arms. My adoration for him deepened even more, watching him keep Joline on her feet.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek as her cries echoed in the auditorium. The rawness of her pain ripped my heart out. I reached out to her, not sure of what I was going to do or say when I felt a tug on the hem of my tutu.

Ty held up a folded piece of paper. I knelt beside him to get a better look. In crayon, three stick figures were drawn on the paper. The bigger pink one was holding the little blue one’s hand.

“That’s, that’s, that, me and my mom and that one,” he stuttered with excitement and then pointed to the biggest one scribbled in green. “That’s my daddy. Mommy says that he dances with the angels now.”

Tears filled my eyes. I tried to keep my composure and managed to until the little boy hugged me and whispered in my ear. “Mommy says that she can see him dance when she watches him.”

Hugging Ty, I looked to where he was pointing and locked eyes with Ivan. The expression on his face—I’d never seen him cry, not a tear. Tonight was no different, but the grief he carried as he tried to hold himself together, to be strong enough to hold up a woman who fought the battles we illustrated was indescribable. That’s when it hit me: the true magnitude of what we do. We didn’t just dance. We didn’t simply perform. What we did was a form of art, open for interpretation. And to this widow and her little boy—

Ty pulled away from me and blinked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes. “Are you an angel?”

“I’m not, but your daddy is.”

I picked him up in my arms and didn’t let go until his mother could stand on her own accord. Tears ran down my cheeks. I didn’t care. I didn’t care how many cameras flashed. I didn’t care what any newspaper, magazine, or tabloid said about tonight’s performance; for I’d cherish the folded piece of paper of three stick figures over them all.

When Joline had gathered herself, she offered me a wobbly smile of thanks and took her son’s hand and left. She never spoke a word, to Ivan or me. She didn’t have to. I understood.

Ivan put his arm around me like
I
was his rock, not the other way around. I leaned against his shoulder and just let myself live in the moment. We watched them walk out of the building, both of us filled with the most enormous sensation of purpose that we didn’t even know.

I was on autopilot when Douglas brought us back over to the mayor and informed us that he had been working with Focal Pointe to organize a military tour of the show for next year. Something to travel around the world and lift traveling soldiers and their family’s spirits. I listened intently, but couldn’t stop looking back up at the mother and her son.

When we finished our chat with the mayor, Douglas walked us toward the stage. “I remember Leo swallowing peanuts to get out of coming here with my wife and I. It was Evelyn’s mission to make him love ballet… I think she’s a little upset that you were able to do what she couldn’t.”

I think she was a little more upset with me than he was letting on. She yanked the Joffrey scholarship away from me after all. Leo’s parents confused me. I didn’t know what they were up to, but they seemed at odds with each other.

“Congratulations again,” Douglas said to us before he walked up the aisle on the way out.

Blake and his companions were hovering around the exit door. When my ex saw Douglas approaching, he dismissed his wife and sister-in-law, who was busy macking on her date.

Once alone, Blake stepped into the center of the aisle, blocking Douglas from leaving. I instantly felt protective of Douglas because it was my fault that he was in deep with Blake in the first place. If I wouldn’t have broken our deal by getting back together with Leo, the IRS wouldn’t be invading R&B. Suddenly, Blake’s voice raised to a shout.

“Leo
shouldn’t
have disobeyed the order!” Blake yelled and the auditorium fell silent.

“Hello there! I’m Chase, nice to meet you,” Chase said offering me his hand as I strode into the frat house.

“Oh whatever dick.” I pushed his hand away and unzipped my leather jacket.

“No…not Dick. I said my name was Chase. What’s yours?”

I rolled my eyes and grinned. “I get it, okay? I haven’t been around much. Sorry.”

“Hey man, you know I’m just giving you shit,” he said, tucking his wayward blond hair behind his ears.

“What are you up to?” I asked, eyeing his half a box of pizza in his hands.

“I was just going to watch the Giants game. Interested? Or do you have a ballerina to get back to?” He shot me a dirty smile like he knew exactly what I’d been getting up to this past week.

“Naw man, I came here to talk to you actually.”

“Color me intrigued! Come on.” He motioned with his head for me to follow him into the empty living room. He set his pizza down on the coffee table as we both settled onto the huge tan sectional.

“Where is everyone? It’s dead in here.”

“They’re all at the Giants game. Sedric scored the house box seats.” He grabbed the remote and started flicking through the channels.

“Why didn’t you go?”

“Not my scene. Well, I guess it is my scene, just not really my crowd anymore,” Chase said, flipping through TV channels and then flung the remote beside him on the couch once he found the football game. “So what’s up, dude? I’m all for male bonding, but I have a feeling this isn’t just a social call.”

I rubbed my hands down my jean clad thighs, trying to figure out the best way to approach this. “Look, Chase. That comment you just made. About having issues with the crowd. That’s what I want to talk to you about.”

He squinted as he tried to see where I was going with this. I continued, “You and I have become really close the past couple years. You’re my best friend, man. You know that right?”

He flinched like he was disgusted by my sentimental comment. However, he gave me a small, nearly imperceptible nod of agreement.

“You and I have never really talked about how we feel about being members of the Gold.”

Chase’s expression turned suddenly serious. “What are you getting at, Leo?” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

“Fuck, man. I don’t know. Maybe I’m way off here, but I get the distinct impression you’re similar to me in the sense that you’re not exactly copacetic with the shit that goes down at those meetings. I mean, stop me if I’m wrong here!”

I looked at him expectantly. He blinked slowly, silently urging me to continue.

“After talking to my dad, I learned that the brotherhood wasn’t always like this. It wasn’t always this…fucking
dark
. I’m not asking you to help me. I can’t put you in the middle of this shit. But would you be interested in a different type of brotherhood?”

Chase sighed heavily and looked at me with an intensity that nearly knocked the wind out of me. His blue eyes were piercing with his dark skin and light blond hair. He cleared his throat, “Look Leo, I may not be real thrilled by all the actions of the Gold, but I’m still your brother, man. Being a member of this fraternity still means something to me.”

I shifted nervously in my seat. I made a huge error in judgment coming here today. “It’s fine, Chase, I understand—”

He cut me off suddenly. “If you think you’re doing this shit on your own…you got another thing coming. I’m in, man. And you might be surprised to learn you have a lot of other brothers sitting in your corner too.”

“Seriously? Because that’s exactly what I need. I have my dad working on his side of things too. But if I could just get some of our fraternity brothers to support a change. To stand up to the Rossi’s.” I stopped myself, overwhelmed by a blanket of hope that maybe this could turn out okay after all.

He nodded. “A lot of us have hated the way shit has shifted since we first pledged.” He paused and frowned, seemingly deep in thought. “But the guys are scared, man. I don’t think you’re going to get them on board without a legit cause. They need something to fight for. Something real.”

“
Adeline
,” I whispered without even thinking.

He grinned broadly and nodded. “I can tell you love her. I know you enough by now that it’s obvious to me. But I think some of the guys look at your situation and think you’re just dipping your dick in some ballerina tail and that this will all blow over.”

My temper flared at the vulgarity of Chase’s words. But I knew he was just trying to make his point. Reining it in for the cause, I asked, “How do I prove to them that Adeline is more? That we are more?”

He grinned excitedly.