“Damn, are you girls ever ready on time?” he teases as he takes a seat next to me on the couch.

I roll my eyes, “Shut your face, I’m ready.”

“Well, where’s your other half?” Rex banters back.

“I’m right here. Let’s go, pain in the asses.” Summer answers before I can even get a word out.

“Damn Sum…” Rex whistles.

Rex and Summer have been dancing around their feelings for a while now. It’s only a matter of time until they screw each other’s brains out. I’ve tried to meddle in their relationship, hoping to help, but both of them deny they have feelings for each other. I know it’s all just an act and time will tell.

“I have to be at work in an hour,” I tell them both. “I forgot that I’m filling in today.”

After lunch, I haul my ass down three blocks to make it to my class on time. If I wasn’t there to start the girls with their warm ups right away, it would be complete chaos for the rest of the class. As soon as I place my bag down on one of the empty chairs along the side of the room, two of the girls come skipping in the door.

“Ok girls, you know the deal. Start doing your warm ups until the others get here.” I wave to the moms on their way out the door.

I shake my head in disgust thinking about my conversation with one of my girls’ moms just the other day. Apparently, when the moms drop off the girls most are dressed like they are going to the gym to meet up with their “trainers” and others are dressed to the nines going to meet their “sugar daddies”. I live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, which is safer and more upper class, but it’s repulsive to think of what the moms are really doing when they drop their daughters off.

A few days ago, the mom of one of my favorite girls, Mia, asked me to babysit for her because she had a business dinner on a Saturday night and her normal sitter was home with the stomach bug. She offered to pay me two hundred dollars for two hours of my time. I think I had a lapse in judgment that day. When she got home that night, the two of us sat around and finished off a bottle of wine in front of the fireplace. When Mia fell asleep, she spilled the details of some of the other moms. It was more than I ever cared to know about.

Within ten minutes my jazz class is full of eight year olds and we get down to business. I work the girls hard but I know they can handle it. A few of the other dance instructors have commented to me a few times about how well they are doing. I smiled and told them of course they were doing well; they had one of the best teachers. If there was one thing I was good at, it was dancing.

Two hours later, class is over and the girls are ready to drop. You’re welcome moms! As for me, I was just getting warmed up.

2

When I arrive home after dance class, Summer and Rex are cuddling awfully close on the couch. I shut the door harder than normal giving them a heads up that I was home, they both jump apart and I try to hold back a giggle. Busted!

A pizza box is opened on the floor along with a tipped over cup. “Um, you gonna pay someone to clean that spot off our rug?” I joke with Rex.

“Shit.” He jumps up off the couch to retrieve some paper towels and starts cleaning up his mess.

“So what’s the plan for tonight?” I ask the both of them as I grab a slice of pizza from the box. It’s cold but I don’t care, I’m too hungry and lazy to warm it up.

Rex walks into the kitchen and answers, “I guess we’re going to Club Two Twelve. My brother is going to be there tonight.”

“Your brother?” Summer and I say in unison.

Rex laughs, “Yeah, I know, you’ll finally get to meet him. He just finished wrapping up some new clubs and setting up a new apartment building out in California. I didn’t expect him to be gone for this long.”

“So wait, is he older or younger again? I forget.” Summer asks.

Rex glares at her and I snicker.

“He’s twenty-six, but before you girls start getting all crazy, he’s a bit of an ass**le. He’s still dealing with some shit that happened a few years ago.” Rex walks over to the pizza box that’s lying on the floor and picks it up. “He’s not the same person he used to be.” He says quietly.

I’m not the same person that I once was either. I’m not that shy, sheltered girl my parents made me be. What my parents said went, there were no ifs, ands or buts about it. My father wanted me to take over his company when he retired, but that was something I had no desire to do. Did he care? No. I applied to colleges I wanted to go to, my parents applied to colleges for me that they wanted me to go to. My parents refused to pay for me to go to school unless it was one that they chose, they had me by the balls so what did I do? I went to the school they chose. I took the classes they chose and they paid for them. The day I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Business Management was the same day I cut all ties with my parents.

Summer wouldn’t go to college without me so she applied to the same school I did. That’s the only thing that made college bearable for me. Summer and I have been best friends since kindergarten; she’s the sister I never had. Summer has the parents I wanted, the ones that listen and pay attention to their daughter. I wanted to be heard, they couldn’t care less. My best friend and I are opposites; which is why we get along so well, I think. She’s tall, I’m short. Summer has shiny sunshine blonde hair, I have chocolate brown. She’s pale skinned, I have olive skin. Summer has striking blue eyes, I have green. The only thing we aren’t opposites on is our love for dancing. We should have gone to Julliard but my parents wouldn’t hear of it.

Dancing is my outlet now, my way to rebel. It’s my way of facing everything. When I’m sad, I dance. When I’m pissed off at the world, I dance. When I’m happy, I dance. Dancing is my way of living.

Summer is eyeing me, gauging my change of mood after Rex’s comment. I shrug my shoulder letting her know I’m ok. “So what kind of clubs does your brother run?” I probe Rex.

“Knox runs night clubs up and down the East and West coast for the most part. He also owns a building development company.” Rex stares off into the distance. “He took over everything after Dad died.”

I snag another piece of pizza and head into my room. I take my time eating and gathering my things for my shower to get ready for tonight. I don’t know why I bother showering before the club; within five minutes of being in there I’ll feel like I need another one, but since I’m all sweaty from class and we are meeting Rex’s brother, I thought maybe it would be a good idea.