Page 20 of Lucky Dance Date
“Well,” Scott said, handing me another paper shamrock, “tonight that all changes. You’re opening your own studio. You won’t be renting time-slots anymore. You’ll be the one collecting the checks. Even if they try that bullshit by bad-mouthing you to their patients, they can’t attack all the dance instructors. It’ll be harder to try to force you to run to them for help.”
“It’s still going to be tight for a while. I ended up putting my deposit for the space on a credit card. My goal tonight is to earn that back and enough for another month of rent.”
“What about the floor?” Sean asked.
“It’s not ideal, but we can get temporary floor tiles. They’re cheaper. It’s not a long-term solution, but as time-slots fill up and cover more than rent each month I plan to put the excess into a floor fund.”
“Man, I wish the bank would have just given you a loan,” Scott huffed. “It’s such bullshit.”
“I know, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Well,” Sean said, “that’s in the past. Let’s finish decorating so we can relax before the dance starts.”
I smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”
∞∞∞
“Looks like a good turnout.”
I glanced up at Cameron and smiled. “Yeah.”
“Think you’ll make enough?”
I looked around the barn. It was fairly full, but not bursting.
“I think I’ll cover a month’s rent at least.”
“Well, it’s something.”
“A couple other instructors are on the fence. They still haven’t found another studio, so I think they’ll come over.”
“That should give you more of a cushion.”
“Yeah. It’ll be tight with insurance and everything, but as long as I can cover rent I’ll have the ability to grow it as necessary.”
“I’m happy for you.”
I shook my head. “You were one of the people pushing me in this direction. I don’t know if I’d have taken this step if not for you.”
“I think you would have eventually. We just helped make it happen sooner.”
I smiled, then turned my attention to the line of people coming through the door, where Sean was currently on ticket duty.
Then I saw José with a gorgeous omega and it was like all the air was sucked from the room. He’d moved on.
“You ok?”
“José…” I whispered.
Cameron looked around. “Where?”
I pointed to the line. “Waiting to pay, with the blond omega.”
There was a sharp intake of breath from Cameron, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask what had caught his attention.
My mate, my alpha… he’d finally moved on, and it hurt. I wanted to cry, scream; run away in the hope that distance could ease the pain.
“Are you ok?” Cameron asked.
