Page 28 of Love In The Air

“Yeah?”

“Can you stay with me for a bit and help me work on that last move. I just can’t seem to get it.”

Tori smiled. “Yeah sure, babe.”

They worked for twenty minutes before Tori got an emergency call from work.

“Shit, I have to go, but I told Meg and Jen I’d lock up the studio after we were done.”

“I can do it.”

“You sure?”

Iz nodded. Tori breathed out a sigh, relief filling her face. It wasn’t a big deal. They’d all learned how to close the studio the first week. Jen and Meg were great about letting people stay late for extra rehearsal. As long as no one ever worked alone. Rule one of aerials.

“Go,” she waved her bestie away. “I got this.”

Iz moved over to the cleaning bottles, preparing to spray down the mat.

“Thanks, I owe you!”

Tori grabbed her stuff, blowing Iz a kiss on her way out the door.

Iz moved to start cleaning, but the dangling hoop caught her eye. She had come so close to getting the move that last time. If Tori hadn’t had to leave, she would have gotten it. She glanced around the silent studio. Everyone had gone home. She was all alone. Her logical brain knew it was a bad idea to even get in the hoop, let alone practice. But she wanted so badly to nail this move. She already felt like a failure because of her poor rehearsal with Chance the other night. If she kept going like this, they’d kick her from the show for sure.

Logic and pride warring within her, Iz placed the spray bottle on the ground and moved to the hoop.

One more time.

Just once more and then she’d go. If she didn’t get it this time, she’d pack it up and go.

Grabbing the bottom of the hoop, she straddled up. Once she sat in the hoop she moved until her back rested against the bar, slinging her left leg back and off the hoop she caught it with her right knee adjusting her shoulders until she was comfortably in Lion in the Tree. She placed her hand on either side of her body, cup gripping with her top hand so she could easily grasp the bar and swing under the bar and slid her left shoulder through to get the bar against the back of her neck for the hang.

“Don’t think, just do it,” she muttered Tori’s words to herself. “Use your momentum and don’t think too hard. Through the hole, head back and to the side to grip.”

Taking a deep breath, she executed the move, shutting her brain off as she felt the motions, allowing her body to take over. She rolled into Alien Neck Hang, feeling the rough grip of the hoop’s tape catch the sensitive skin of her neck. She quickly squeezed and gripped the best she could, a surge of pride filling her as she felt her grip secure enough to let go with both hands and hang by only her neck and knee. She’d done it! Finally, she got it!

She started to pull back up into the hoop when the sound of the studio door opening hit her ears. Fear clenched her heart. Shit! If anyone caught her practicing alone and told Jen and Meg, she’d be in so much trouble. Oh no! What if it was Jen or Meg? They were the last two people she wanted walking in on her practicing alone.

She moved to dismount from the hoop, but in her haste, her hand missed the grip and she fell to the floor with a thud.

“Iz!”

She breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized the terrified voice calling her name. Thankfully, it wasn’t Jen or Meg. Unfortunately, it was the third least person she wanted to see right now.

“Hey, Chance.”

He rushed to her side, kneeling down on the mat and running his hands gently over her body, checking her limbs. “Are you okay? Did you hurt anything when you fell?”

Thankfully, the hoop had been low to the ground, and she was dismounting, so it wasn’t really a fall, more of a stumble. Her ass was a little sore, but what part of her wasn’t after rehearsal?

“I’m fine.”

“What the fuck, Iz?”

She glanced up into his face to see his eyes burning with anger. And something else…fear. He’d been afraid? For her?

“You know you’re not supposed to practice alone!” He glared down at her.

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