Page 113 of The Dance

Jogging down the stairs, I waved goodbye to Jennifer at the front desk and rushed to my car. Once there, I drove to Spencer’s work, but no one had seen her. They all thought she was at the expo in LA, too. From her job in downtown San Francisco, I crossed the Golden Gate, called Spencer’s cell over and over, and made my way to their house in Kentfield. I no longer lived there, and had my own apartment close to Club 24, but I still had a key, just in case. When I got there, it was empty. Their dog Niner wasn’t there either and I wondered if Brandon had taken him to Jason’s.

My phone rang as I slid back into my car. It was Brandon. “Did you find her?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, but it didn’t sound like a sigh of relief.

“Good, because I hadn’t seen her, and I was beginning to worry. She wasn’t answering my calls, either.”

“You want to know why she wasn’t answering anyone’s phone calls?” he asked, raising his voice.

“Calm down. Why are you yelling?”

“I’ll tell you why I’m yelling! Spencer walked in while you and Teresa were fucking. Fucking inmyoffice.”

“Shit.” I blew out a breath.

“Fuck, Blake. After everything I’ve done for you, you have to go behind my back. You know the fucking rules. And my office? You’re so fucking lucky that I’m not there right now because I would beat the shit out of you. You’re an immature, self-centered bastard. And you know what? You’re fired!”

“What? No! You can’t fire me.”

“I can’t? I just did!”

“Bro, listen to me—”

“No, I have other shit to deal with. A man is dead, and I have to help my wife deal with a loss of an employee. So, Blake, fuck off!” He hung up the phone.

His words left me staring at my phone.

A man was dead?

37

Stacey

Nine MonthsLater

You would thinkthat in the last nine months, Eddie and I would have worked out our misunderstanding. We hadn’t. I’d tried calling him numerous times when I got back to Houston, but he never answered. It was shitty of him to think I would ever cheat on him, even though it had appeared that way, but given he wouldn’t listen to me, I let him leave the wedding, and that was the last time I’d seen him.

It was the last time I saw Blake too.

I congratulated and said goodbye to Brandon and Spencer, then left without saying anything to the man who caused my breakup. Maybe it wasn’t entirely Blake’s fault, but if he wouldn’t have taken me into the bathroom, Eddie wouldn’t have thought I cheated on him. Eddie and I already had a slow leak in the little bubble we were living in, so maybe it was only a matter of time before we went our separate ways. I just thought Eddie would have fought for me or something, especially after everything we’d been through.

Maybe I loved him more than he liked me.

Molly and Theo were still going strong. Theo went on a third tour with Maze, but I didn’t bother trying out, given the Karla ordeal. I didn’t want to see her again for fear she would gloat about me and Eddie. It was childish, but I was heartbroken when they held tryouts three months after my breakup, and I couldn’t bear showing my face.

There was also no way I could go back to being a baby for Sweet Encounters. I figured my profile would have been deleted by Eddie and his team anyway, and I didn’t bother looking it up. Luckily, I was able to find a marketing job in downtown Houston, and after work and on the weekends, I taught hip hop at a dance school for girls thirteen to sixteen. My focus was on work, and I didn’t worry about dating anymore. Granted, I wouldn’t say I was dating anyone before Eddie, and even then, it was once a week while on tour.

But I was happy.

Sitting in the break room at work, my phone chimed with an incoming text.

My Favorite Bartender: Hey stranger! As promised, here’s the flyer for my nightclub. Hope you can make it. Would love to catch up.

I scoffed at his text. Why would he think I would ever want to see him again?

Me: Why would I want to go to your opening when you caused a scene at your brother’s wedding and my boyfriend broke up with me?

My Favorite Bartender: Not my fault he’s a pussy.