Page 13 of Falling for the Bosshole

6

Ana donned her jazz pants.The rehearsal was about to start. The dressing room was empty except for a few stragglers who came in late, she included. Traffic was terrible because of a sudden downpour in the city. She hurriedly tied her shoelaces and scrambled to her feet. If she were lucky, she’d still be able to do some warm-up stretches before rehearsals began.

She rushed down the hallway leading to the studio then came to a stop. Most of the dancers were huddled together in the hallway, chattering and giggling as they passed a magazine around. Ana joined the group.

“What’s up?” she asked curiously.

Someone handed her the magazine. “That’s Lash’s latest conquest. Lili Chong.”

The pages were splashed with photos of a striking model in a lingerie pictorial. Ana scrutinized the face, unintentionally racking up pluses and minuses like she was looking at a precise equation. Lustrous jet-black hair, doe eyes in a unique shade of amber, a swan neck that she used to full advantage, breasts that were neither too big or too small, narrow hips that flowed down to legs that went on for ages. Perfect.

There was no flaw that Ana could find. The green-eyed monster reared its head. She stomped it down immediately.

“Are they committed?” Ana asked, feeling a lump in her throat.

“With Lash, one can never tell,” someone replied.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ve been around long enough to know that the list is longer than his arm. But none has been lucky enough. The man is slippery as an eel,” another dancer testified.

“He’s never fallen in love with anyone?” Ana asked.

“I doubt he was ever serious with any of his exes. I think he uses them for sex then moves on to the next conquest.” A girl opined as laughter broke all around.

“Maybe he just hasn’t found the right one yet,” Ana defended.

She had been at the receiving end of his kindness and refused to believe he was heartless. Ana never let on to any of the girls where she was staying. These girls could be quite nasty. Then there was that morning she read about her mom’s abduction when he comforted her. That was a side of him she did not expect to find.

“Well, he’ll never find the right one even if she were staring him in the face unless he stops fucking them first.” The girls howled with laughter. “I doubt he even has to woo any of them. They fall right into his arms. Then its sex, sex, and more sex,” the girl added.

“Lash can fuck me anytime. He won’t hear me complain,” the statement came from a dark-skinned dancer.

Ana didn’t know what to say. She wanted to defend him. But what the girls said rung true. Men were more interested in sex than a meaningful relationship. Her own experience proved that. Lash couldn’t possibly be any different, Ana thought, remembering the day she auditioned. That was all about sex with dance as the variation.

Even if he wasn’t what all the girls thought him to be, Ana knew deep in her heart he would never fall for someone like her. “She’s not good enough…” Lash said that to Jonathan when she overheard both men talking about her talent as a dancer.

The girls had lost interest on the topic of Lash Mancini though they continued with their gossip.

“Did you hear? Romina will be joining us today for rehearsals. Can you imagine that? The diva gracing us with her presence…”

“We shouldn’t keep the bitch waiting then…”

“I heard Jonathan is less than happy, though…”

“I wonder if Lash ever fucked her…”

“Why do I even care?” Ana reprimanded herself. “I came to a new city to pursue a dream. I took a gamble and left my job to become a dancer. It’s only by chance that he owns the dance company that hired me. I should focus on that. I don’t give a fuck if Lash fucks every girl in New York City.”

Ana joined the rest of the girls as they trooped outside. She was sure her brain was screwed on correctly. She vowed not to think about him or the warm fuzzy remembrance of being held in his arms.

If Romina was joining them for rehearsals, Ana expected the day to be long. She was part of a group of 20 back-up dancers. Their purpose was to enhance Romina’s performance and give it more flair. It was also their role to adjust themselves around the star, never to crowd her so that her performance alone would stand out. Ana was confident. She had memorized her steps, and it felt safe being one among many. If she botched any of the steps, it would simply go unnoticed.

But she wasn’t aiming to get lost among the many back-up dancers. The image of Lili Chong’s perfect magazine spread was still on her mind. It was annoying. “I may not be as pretty as she is, but I bet my ass she can’t dance the way I do,” Ana thought. She knew she was silly for wanting to prove she was better than Lili.

A strange sense of competition propelled Ana. She did the dance routines like her life depended on it. Her arms were more graceful, her hips more suggestive, her turns more precise. She carried her head like she was wearing a crown while she danced.

Jonathan called for a break and praised her loudly. Even Lash looked at her appreciatively. Ana beamed because she knew he was impressed by her performance. And for a little while, she knew she was better than Lili Chong.

Ana was ready to leave the studio when she bumped into Lash at the foyer.