Page 12 of Believe in Me
Trish took the order of the man in line at the counter, trying not to think about what Debbie had said to her. She turned to the coffee machine and built the customer’s latte and as she handed it to him, directing him to the flavor bar if he wanted to add sugar, Mike approached the counter.
“Thanks for giving the boys the cookie. Are you sure I can’t pay for it?” he asked.
“Nope. They earned it.” Trish wasn’t taking money for that cookie. Those boys were just too cute for words.
“Okay. I won’t push. Do I need to apologize for anything Debbie said?” Mike glanced over his shoulder and when Trish looked the couple was watching the two of them. Her heart seemed to be open to something with Mike; her head wasn’t too sure but she was going to take a leap of faith.
She ignored Mike’s question, she asked one of her own, “So you don’t seem allergic to children. Want to come watch my niece dance in something I choreographed?”
Chapter 8
The final notes of Judy Garland’s voice holding “Jitterbug” faded through the auditorium as Shelby and her friends twisted and twirled around the stage before throwing their hands in the air and freezing. There was a brief silence before the girls sitting in the audience starting cheering.
Trish stepped out from the backstage and walked to the front of the frozen girls. She winked big at them which seemed to be their cue to curtesy then turn and walk off stage. Nodding, Trish faced the audience and said, “Well?”
Stephanie was at the end of the stage in a moment. “You did amazing with them, Trish. I love how you paired them to do a partner move of almost a mambo in the middle. You’ve highlighted each of them too. I’m not sure how you did that with the short amount of time you had but…” Stephanie started clapping. “Brava. Brava.”
“Thank you. They are a bunch of little talents. Most won’t stick with it but those that do, you’ve got some good ones that’ll be outstanding in a few years.” Trish moved to go find her little dancers, but Stephanie called out to stop her. Instead, she went and squatted next to Stephanie on the edge of the stage.
“So Trish, any chance you can help out in another spot for the recital too?” Stephanie asked, not quite meeting Trish’s eyes. Trish didn’t know Stephanie too well but that didn’t bode well in Trish’s mind.
“Doing what? I’m not sure there’s time to choreograph another group before next Friday. Maybe a solo but it couldn’t be a long number.” Thoughts were already dancing through Trish’s mind. If the dancer was talented enough, it could be fun.
“It’s a solo. Have you heard the song fromGlee, “I Feel Pretty/Unpretty”? One of our teens is supposed to dance to that.” Stephanie hummed a few bars of the song.
“I remember watching them perform it in the show. One of the teens is scheduled to do that and doesn’t have enough ideas? That surprises me.”
“Actually, Keira had her number down flawlessly. When she rehearsed last night for the hip hop team’s number, she landed wrong on a jump and broke her ankle.” Stephanie looked at her watch then turned to the girls in the seats. “Okay, those in “Big Electro Swing Mix” go get ready.”
“You want me to work with someone to replace Keira?” Trish could but the other instructors at the dance studio were talented and knew the girls.
“No, we want to know if you will replace Keira. We’d like to show the girls and parents that if you dedicate the time and energy you can perform on Broadway. You volunteering to help you, with your experience gives us the opportunity that most don’t have at their ages to see a Broadway dancer live. So will you?” Stephanie asked.
Trish kneeled there in shock. How could Jess do this to her? “Did Jess put you up to this?” She was going to kill her soon-to-be-ex best friend.
“Jess? Shelby’s mom? I haven’t spoken to her since she said you’d help with Shelby’s group. Should I have asked her first?” Stephanie seemed confused and not covering up anything.
“So Jess didn’t ask you to have me dance?” Stephanie shook her head. “I don’t know if I can…” Trish trailed off. She hadn’t performed in front of an audience in five years since she “hung up her tights” to marry Joe.
“Can you try? I’ve watched you work through the routine for the girls. Okay, I spied on you in the studio while you warmed up and figured out how to make the girls shine.” Stephanie stood there and Trish watched a blush go across her face.
Maybe doing this would help her heal. Trish smiled which caused Stephanie to squeal. Ideas and dance combos were already running through her head. “I’m going to need time in the studio.”
§ § §
Mike looked down at the Post-It that Trish had given him the other day when he stopped in for coffee. Okay, he’d been there every day for coffee in the morning and lunch. It was quick and easy and yeah, even he wasn’t buying what he was trying to sell, to steal Mooney’s taunt.
Pershing Elementary – 600 Sandmeyer.Yup, he was in the correct place. All the cars in the parking lot should’ve clued him in but it was the first dance recital he’d ever attended. He looked at the passenger seat and checked on the bouquet that he’d bought for Trish. You gave the instructors flowers too, right? The store clerk had told him to “go original” and sitting in the cooler, he saw this combination of flowers. The guy had told him that it was made of lavender roses, button poms, pink roses, Peruvian lilies, lime green carnations, and blue trachelium. Mike didn’t know what most of them were, but it was gorgeous and reminded him of Trish. They were eye-catching in a non-traditional sense; once they caught your attention, you couldn’t see anything else.
When he got to the doors of the school, there was a woman standing there that looked familiar to him. She seemed to be watching for someone. Mike went to walk by her and she stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Excuse me, you’re Mike right?” she asked. Her question made his awareness increase.
“I am. And you are? You look familiar but I don’t know where from.”
“I’m Jess and I own The Bean Ground. Trish asked me to watch for you and make sure you found a seat. She’s busy with the girls and getting ready. We saved you a place on the aisle. Follow me,” Jess said as she held open the door for him.
“Let me get that. I’m sure if I didn’t grab it, cosmically my mother would know and I’d get a lecture next time we spoke.” Mike shifted around Jess and held the door.
