Carly Sevens
Awkward. This situation was the absolute definition of awkward.
I’d promised Rebecca that I’d call into the dance studio and talk to her about some of her ideas. She was keen to get me as involved as possible so I could help make her dreams of expansion become reality. Only, once I got there, the conversation swerved quickly and I couldn’t help but think it was all by design.
I’d begun the day by having a late breakfast with my family, only this time Mom had invited Lottie, Oli and Sam around. As soon as Sophie and Sam had left the table to go and find today’s version of mischief, the questioning had begun. At first it was stuff about college and what I was learning day to day. I’d grown up seeing Oli as a Grandpa figure. He and Lottie had cared for Lacey when she’d moved to town years ago, and as he was the town’s most successful entrepreneur, he was more than a little keen to make sure what was being hammered into my brain as part of my degree was worthy of the real life teachings only working in a business could give me. He threw question after question about methods and standards at me, often disagreeing with the teachings, which made for an interesting debate. Lottie, however, was not keen on his level of breakfast interrogation and in an effort to cull the business conversation, she made the fatal mistake of asking about my dating life.
The atmosphere in the room plummeted from my dad’s side of the table—he definitely didn’t need reminding that his daughter was growing up—while my mom awkwardly launched into telling the table about Xavier.
“Wait, did you say Xavier Burrows?” Oli said, surprised.
“Yeah,” I answered, silently cussing about how out of control this was getting. My kinda grandparents were now being sucked into it.
Oli whistled in admiration. “He’s got some serious connections, Carls. His family make my lot look like paupers in comparison.”
“Money does not mean he’s a gentleman,” my dad grumbled, clearly imagining things he didn’t want to.
“Just saying, he’s destined for big things, Tommy.”
“Well, he ain’t my daughter’s destiny until he comes and introduces himself and proves himself to me.”
“Dad—” I was about to grumble at him for letting his mood sour something he essentially had no control over, when the house phone rang. Sensing an opportunity for escape, I jumped up to go and answer it. Hearing Rebecca on the other end asking if I could spend the day working at the studio with her was like music to my ears. I’d pretty much agreed before she could finish her sentence.
“I was thinking we could expand some of the classes, you know, open them up to a wider age group, but to do that I will need more dance teachers. I need some ideas for a business plan that lets me do that for profit without actually employing them. I’ve also been approached by the Eaglestown Senior Citizen’s Society. They’d like me to run a regular tea dance club for the members. I think that’s something we should do. The facilities we have should be used by the whole community not just the wannabe ballerinas and crunkers of Hawkstown.”
I was studiously making notes as I wasn’t really sure what my part in it all would be, and I wanted to be sure I’d captured everything when she finally got to that part.
“And here’s the exciting news… A couple of night clubs have approached me to choreograph some routines for their dancers. Basically, they’d send them here, and I’d create and teach them a routine that they could go back and perform. This has massive growth potential. Another club wants me to put prospective dancers through some routines and make recruitment recommendations.”
“Wow.” I could see the sparkle in her eyes. Rebecca was a real dance freak. Her passion lay in every element of this studio. It was like her enthusiasm was alive and breathing in the bricks and mortar. She’d put herself through dance college to have all the required qualifications, but the rhythm and movement was where her heart lay and this was her chance to get back to it, not just teach the little kids.
“Which is why I need a studio and business manager.”
I stopped writing and looked at her. “I mean it, Carly. This place is taking off faster than I ever anticipated. I don’t need an over exuberant dance teacher by my side. I need someone I can trust with a level head and some business acumen. Being away from Livvy to teach classes is one thing, but sacrificing that time and Jake’s time off to do accounts, business plans and figures is not my idea of fun.”
I completely understood where she was coming from. Life was too short to spend it doing stuff you weren’t interested in. Did that make me dull, because numbers and cash flows, forward projections and marketing plans made me tick? “Are you offering me a job? I have to be honest, I don’t have the level of experience you probably need.”
“I am offering you a job. When you leave college and come home, I want you to help me make this place live up to its full potential. I’m not completely inexperienced in the dull stuff. I just don’t want to do it. I think we’ll make a good team and I want this to be a success for our family. You’re practically Jake’s family. Say you’ll do it.”
“Okay, I’ll do it, but if it’s not working for either of us we have to be honest. Deal?”
“Deal. Now the stuffy business nonsense is out of the way. Let’s talk about your love life. I hear you’re living on the wild side, girlfriend.”
Rebecca leaned in conspiratorially, slowing teasing the neck scarf away from my body. This was more awkward than at breakfast with Mom and Dad. I couldn’t exactly stand there and tell her that her brother in law had been responsible for the art work my body was currently displaying.
“Uh…”
“Work rule number one, dish the details.”
I began to dig deep in an effort to locate some serious acting skills when the door opened and Jake wandered in, carrying Livvy in a car seat. Rebecca forgot all thoughts of me spilling the beans and rushed at her husband. Even though he looked like Jack, to me they were completely different. Even as a teenage girl, Jake had never made my heart race like Jack did.
“Just typical, I do my hair and have that shave you’ve been begging me for and you still kiss the munchkin before me.”
“Someone’s jealous,” she whispered and then leaned up on her tippy toes to reach his mouth. It was a special moment. He was still holding Livvy’s car seat in one hand while his other arm wrapped around his wife. It was as if he couldn’t bear to be out of reach of either of them.
“Just thought I’d come by with that stuff for Carly to take back for Jack.”
“W-what stuff?”
“His mail is piling up. I told him you’d drop it off. It’s in the squad car.” Jake kissed Rebecca again and then finally relinquished his grip on Livvy so he could hand her to her mother. “Meet you at Mom’s for dinner later, baby,” he mumbled and then kissed her lips again.
I stood still in the little office of the studio, replaying his words in my head just to make sure I’d not misheard.
“Carls!” he shouted from the other side. “Come get the stuff.”
Bustling into action, I turned and ran into the desk before finally managing to successfully navigate it and head through the door. Jake was stood with the door of the squad car open, gathering a pile of envelopes from the back seat.
“It’s been a while since he’s been home. I’m beginning to wonder if he has a woman tucked away.” He laughed, causing my already dry throat to clog and close up even more. “Tell him I’ll see him soon and his niece misses him.”
Jake lumped the mail in my direction, forcing me to focus. As I was juggling the envelopes with shaking fingers, Jake leaned in to kiss the top of my head. “Safe trip back, Carls. Look after my brother, will you? I think he’s lonely.”
As he drove off, I looked down at the offending items that meant I would have to seek out my ‘for one night only’ lover. Not only did I have to instigate a date with Xavier Burrows, I now had to visit the only guy who had ever coaxed multiple orgasms from my body.
This.
This was what happened when you told lies and kept secrets.
The universe conspired to make it impossible for those lies to stay in the little white lie category. It threw situations at you, which spiraled out of control until they mutated and turned into big, fat ugly lies that threatened to swallow you up and consume you.