Center of Gravity Read online

  “Think you can be more careful next time?” He grumbled the words over my shoulder, snapping me back to the present.

  Shane. A snare shot off in my chest. He pushed me. It had to have been him. But I didn’t want to pull away from Theo long enough to confirm my suspicions.

  “This is a dance studio, not a mosh pit.” Theo’s accusing tone was filled with raspy disapproval. He shifted me slightly, scenting the air with fresh apple cinnamon and leather, an intoxicating mixture that left me dizzy. “You don’t want to be responsible for shortening this young girl’s career. Apologize.”

  I turned then, ready with my glare as I caught the eyes of my best friend.

  I’m going to kill him.

  “I’m sorry, Lex.” Shane’s tone was sincere, but there was no denying the hint of amusement it carried. Theo’s arms left me, forcing me to stand on my own. I turned around, ignoring Shane and offering my savior a polite smile.

  “Thank you for catching me.”

  He didn’t smile. In fact, his brows stayed dented in the center. “Glad you’re okay.” He didn’t ask whether I was, and he didn’t wait for me to reply. Instead, he aimed one final look at Shane, the crease lines in his forehead expressing his annoyance.

  “It was just an accident,” Shane pressed, pulling me into his arms in what I’m sure was meant to be an apologetic hug.

  But as Theo backed away and continued down the corridor without another pause, I was certain it wasn’t an accident at all.

  “I should murder you.”

  I was patient enough, waiting until we’d left the dance studio later that day to let Shane have it. We had just started our ten-block walk to our place, and I felt as if I would burst if I didn’t say something.

  His laughter started, and I threw an arm out, knocking him in the stomach. He cringed and swooped me up cradle-style, despite my flailing limbs.

  “Put me down, you big, giant asshole.”

  His laughter never ceased and only grew louder. “You should be thanking me. And I’m not letting you down until you promise to keep your hands to yourself. You heard what Theodore said about being careful. Oh, and what else? Shortening the life of this young girl’s career.” He burst into another fit of laughter. “He thinks you’re twelve.”

  I was mortified and completely furious at my best friend.

  “Let me down, or I’m moving back to Seattle.”

  “Oh, stop it. You would never.”

  “You have no idea what I’m capable of doing right now, Shane Masterson. And right now, you are not my best friend. You’re this evil thing of a person sent to earth to destroy me. Right now, I hate you. I can’t believe you did that to me. Why? I just want to know why you felt the need to embarrass me in front of the one person—the one person—I care about impressing.”

  Shane put me down, leaving a hand on my shoulder. I shook myself away, and his laughter finally silenced. “Oh, Lex. I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better, I think I’m officially on Theo’s shit list. He was mad at me, not you.”

  “No,” I squealed. “That does not make me feel better. We’re in this together, remember? Don’t make me regret signing up for tomorrow’s audition.”

  “Okay, okay. But at least you got to touch him. How did he feel? Please tell me his skin is as soft and velvety as it looks.” His head snapped toward me. “Oh my God. How did he smell? Like sunshine and roses? No. I bet it was more like dandelions after a warm rain shower.”

  It was Shane’s heavy, dreamlike sigh that broke the spell. I laughed, because laughter was so much easier than staying mad at my best friend.

  “Thank God,” Shane said, clearly noting my amusement. “I cannot handle angry Alexandra. You remind me of your mother, all spun up and spewy, like a whacked-out sprinkler system.” He shook his head as if disturbed by whatever visual had played in his mind. “Hey, let’s go out to eat.”

  The change of subject happened so fast my brain did a complete three sixty.

  “No. Not until you explain to me what the fuck you were thinking back there. You thought that was how to get Theo to notice me? Really?”

  He gasped and held up a finger, tsk-tsking me. “Cussing sounds dirty coming from your mouth. Don’t do it.”

  “Shane,” I shot out. It was my final warning.

  “Fine. He was standing right there in front of you, and I could practically see the little Theo and Lex babies running around in the background. It was this sixth sense. I pictured the entire epic love connection. You know, the ones you see all the time in movies, where the couple makes eye contact for the first time and these little stars and hearts start fluttering around the air.”

  “Yeah, pretty sure I’ve never seen a movie like that.”

  He stomped his foot and placed his fists on his hip. “Whatever. You’ve only been in love with the guy for the past decade. I was trying to help you out.”

  “How’d that go for you?”

  He pursed his lips, as if deep in thought. “At least you can count on the guy if you ever decide to play ‘Trust Fall.’ He caught you, didn’t he? And then he asked if you were okay.”

  I rolled my eyes as hard as I could. “Wow. Yeah. I think it’s love. Maybe he’ll fly me to his summer house in Spain and propose to me there.”

  Shane’s eyes grew wide. “He has a summer house in Spain? Is it nice? I’m sure it’s—”

  “Shut up!” I growled.

  CHAPTER 3

  Theo

  As soon as I was safe from the crowd, I hurried the rest of the way down the hall and closed—and locked—the staff room door behind me. “Holy shit, someone should have warned me there would be a crowd today.”

  Laughter filled the room while one of the voices yelled jokingly, “Did you check the schedule?”

  “Nope.” I had no clue who I was responding to. I didn’t care. I never checked the schedule before making my pop-in visits.

  Taking a quick look around the room, I found fellow choreographers, Gravity staffers, and Lifers, our name for the dancers who had found a home there, like me. None of them would fangirl over me like the crowd outside. I was safe.

  Reggie knocked into me while opening the fridge and grabbed a water, his scheming grin stretched wide. “Got that worldly sex appeal thing going for you with those aviators and leather, man. Nice touch. You see anything out there you liked?” He stuck his tongue between his teeth and threw me a suggestive glance, as if we shared some secret language. “Lots of fresh meat lately.”

  I rolled my neck, the tension already building. I’d never been a Reggie fan. He was the epitome of a snake in the grass, just waiting for the opportunity to strike. And I felt inclined to egg him on.

  “Yeah, some nice ones, Reg. If sloppy seconds are your style, head on out there.” From the look he gave me, I knew my sarcasm was not lost on him.

  “You’re a chump, Noska.”

  “As are you, Maynor.” I elbowed past him and yanked out a chair at Janelle’s table.

  She smiled, her expression playful as she leaned in. “That’s Dominic’s mob scene out there. It’s gonna be a good one tomorrow. Hope the ladies didn’t hurt you, though. Clawing and purring all over you and shit.” She laughed. “That’s about how it went, right?”

  I tipped my head, considering her comment. “Pretty damn close.”

  Long, wavy blond hair, sapphire eyes with swirl of green near the center, and a smattering of freckles on a small button nose flashed through my mind. I had noticed her before that asshole boyfriend of hers shoved her into my arms. She had that “fresh meat” look Reggie was referring to. Doe eyes, flushed cheeks, timid smile. A girl like her would get eaten alive at Gravity.

  When my thoughts turned slightly lewder in appreciation of the girl’s … assets, I swiped them away. “I really should learn how to check the audition schedule.”

  Reggie grabbed a chair near Janelle, swiveled it around, and sat on it. He leaned in, his arms folded on the table. “If you had taken a look at the schedul
e, hotshot, you would have seen that nothing’s changed around here. In fact, things are busier than ever. Rooms are booked solid for the month.”

  “Shit,” I muttered under my breath. My eyes turned away, my mind reeling at how much I’d managed to fuck up lately.

  I could tell Reggie’s curiosity was eating him alive. “You here to take a class? I’ve got a master class coming up later tonight if you want me to fit you in.” His condescending tone bled through his words.

  I would have rolled my eyes if a gesture like that weren’t beneath me. “I’m good. Thanks.”

  His gaze hardened. He knew I was up to something.

  “What brings you back to LA, Noska?”

  “Winter.” I blurted it out and watched every inch of Reggie’s arrogant expression fall into something resembling annoyance then anger. I loved it.

  He tensed further. “The Vegas gig?”

  He and I were the only two in the room who knew what we were talking about. Winter, the one-name-only pop sensation with an obsession for the color white and anything Dior, had scored a six-month Vegas residency series that was nearly sold out. She’d recently been on the search for a choreographer, and Reggie wanted the gig. Badly.

  I nodded and watched his expression settle into his natural “I don’t give a fuck” face that I knew was a lie. Reggie had been a contender for the Vegas gig, and it would have been his big break into professional choreography outside the studio.

  Unfortunately for him, I was the better choice. Apparently, he just hadn’t been told yet.

  “So, that’s it, huh?” Reggie’s nose flared. “Gig’s yours? Officially?”

  I shrugged. It wasn’t my job to babysit Reggie’s feelings. “Yeah, but you can still audition for backup.” I knew I was being a prick. I just didn’t give a shit.

  Janelle snorted, and he shot her a glare. “Sorry.” She threw her hands up but couldn’t stop laughing.

  “Oh, I will,” Reggie said, shoving his spoon into his yogurt cup, most likely scheming about my demise. “And don’t you worry, Noska. When you fuck up, I’ll be right there to save the day.”

  My teeth ground, a completely unintentional response. It wasn’t like me to let Reggie wind me up, but that comment did the trick. I had already fucked up. I’d fucked up with my last assistant, big-time, which started a domino effect of mess up after mess up. I was back in LA to pick up the pieces and somehow put on the award-winning show I had promised Winter.

  I cleared my throat. It was time to focus. That was why I came to Gravity today. There was no better place for me to get back in the game. “Who’s got the performance center this week?” I looked around the room, my question directed at anyone who would answer. “The studios are booked solid, but the stage should be open, yeah?”

  Janelle reached for her phone and nodded. “It’s all yours, baby. I’ll book it for you right now.”

  I reached over the table and squeezed her arm affectionately. “Love ya, Nellie.”

  “Love you more.”

  I almost smiled.

  CHAPTER 4

  Lex

  “I can’t believe you talked me into this.” I was squeezing the shit out of Shane’s hand, making him wince, as we stood in line to collect our audition badges for Dominic’s music video. Yesterday at registration, I hadn’t felt this quick fluttering in my chest, as if my heart had just grown wings and I couldn’t trust the flight pattern.

  “Damn, Lex. I need those.”

  I pulled my hands away. “Geez, sorry. I’m just so nervous.”

  “Good. You always dance better when you’re nervous.” He massaged his hands. “Besides, the people in this room don’t care about anyone but themselves. You’re as ready as anyone else here.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “And you don’t know that you’re not. Not until you suck it up and go out there and try.”

  Sometimes, Shane could be so irritating. But I knew he was right, and my attitude deserved a swift kick in the ass.

  The wide hallways were so crammed on our way into the studio, I could barely see the entrance. Dancers were shoulder to shoulder with no end in sight. And not a single one of them looked half as terrified as I felt.

  We made it to the front of the line and slapped on our stickers that identified us as numbers eighty-six and eighty-seven. I wrapped my arms around one of Shane’s to stay close as we followed the herd into our audition room. Or rather, the audition room.

  Above the door, the sign labeled “Main Studio” did nothing to describe what existed beyond the solid mahogany double doors. The room was reserved primarily for bigger auditions—like this one—and rehearsals. I was well aware of the Grammy and Tony award winners who frequently graced the room with their presence. I was also aware of the groundbreaking choreography that was birthed in the very room we were stepping into.

  Nerves lit up my body like rapid fire as Shane pulled me across the threshold. My eyes widened, immediately taking in every inch of the room. The walls were a shimmery light gray with black and red diamond accents, mirrors spanned the entire front of the room, and the light-wood floor looked so polished it could have been used as a Slip ’N Slide.

  “Wow,” I gushed. It was as if I’d just stepped into Theo’s YouTube channel.

  “Amazing, right?” Shane grabbed my hand and pulled me to the only free space in the room big enough for both of us.

  The studio was packed already, wall-to-wall with dancers who were chatting, stretching, getting ready for what might have been the biggest opportunity of their careers. I should have been doing the same. Instead, my eyes connected on the center of the room. My entire body tensed.

  Every dancer had their sweet spot, their special place on the studio floor where they believed they focused best. Some gravitated toward the right, some the left, some the front, some the back. My special place was the dead center of the room, and someone was already standing there.

  Shane put an arm on my shoulder. “Sorry, Lex. There’s no way you’re getting in there.”

  With a heavy sigh, I knew I had to acknowledge he was right. “Damn it.”

  I sat, throwing out my legs in a V and leaning back on my palms. “Yeah, well. It’s not like I’ll last very long.”

  He gave me a lopsided grin as he sat facing me and mirrored my stretch. “Turn that bad attitude around. Or do we need to have the self-fulfilling-prophecy talk again?”

  I groaned. “Ugh, no. Please.”

  “Then grow some confidence, and trust me when I say you’ve got this. I’m not going to tell you again.”

  Shane and his damn pep talks. I bit my lip, trying not to smile.

  Another thing I loved about my best friend: he kept his promises. If he said he wasn’t going to pump me up anymore today, he wouldn’t. He wanted me to battle my insecurities as much as I wanted to. The funny thing was that having confidence on the dance floor wasn’t my problem. That came naturally. It was the “getting there” I was having trouble with.

  My thoughts were jarred by the sound of the main doors to the room clanging shut. I looked up to see Janelle weaving her way through the mess of stretched-out limbs as she walked to the front of the room.

  “All right, all right,” she said, her voice carrying over the excited chatter. “Let’s get the party started.”

  A cheer rose from the crowd, and my heart thrummed a mile a minute.

  I’d taken a few of Janelle’s contemporary classes before, so I wasn’t a stranger to her choreography. But it wasn’t just her compositions that made her a star choreographer. Everything about Janelle’s energy screamed sass and confidence—my favorite combination—and watching her filled me with a certain buoyancy just waiting to be unleashed.

  I aspired to be on the other side of things one day. To create. To teach. To inspire. And being here at Gravity, especially in this room, was the biggest step I’d ever taken toward those dreams.

  “I’m gonna lay it down real quick so we can get started, so liste
n up.” Janelle clapped her hands, demanding silence.

  In seconds, all eyes and ears were on her. Why wouldn’t they be? Even I could admit she was hard to look away from. She had the most amazing hair—a pouf of dark brown with blond highlights situated in tight rings around her head. Her bronze skin was radiant under the harsh glare of the studio light, and the smile that lit her face also lit up the entire room. She was a star.

  “There are over two hundred of you in here right now auditioning for one of eight spots for an upcoming music video.” Her wide eyes drifted over the room. “So, if urban dance is not your thing, get the hell out now before I tell you it’s not your thing.”

  Laughter shook the room, and she responded with a grin.

  “We’re going to need to keep things moving quickly so we can get into the meat of the choreography. Dominic will be joining us in one hour, and we’ll only have room for fifty of you. That means cuts will be frequent, possibly when you least expect it. So, if you’re asked to leave, please make your way out the door swiftly and quietly. Got it?”

  Everyone nodded and muttered their agreement. When Janelle seemed satisfied with the response, she gestured for us all to rise.

  After centering herself in front of the mirror, she delivered the first eight count, walking us through the fancy footwork a few times, letting us get the feel for the moves before we ran it with music. She didn’t pause to reteach the steps as an instructor would in my studio classes. She blazed forward, moving through phases of music with a clear expectation—Keep up. Looking around the room, I noticed many dancers were struggling to do just that.

  “Holy crap, she’s going fast,” I hissed to Shane when Janelle jogged to the front of the room and guzzled some water.

  He was focused on his reflection, practicing what we’d learned so far. “Welcome to auditions,” he said without stopping. He shot me a quick look. “Why aren’t you running it? Your brain needs to be on hyper-focus mode now. Don’t get distracted.”