Angel

I’ve learned three things since leaving California four weeks ago. One, flying doesn’t agree with me, so much so that I’m considering a cross-country drive for my trip home in two weeks.

Two, New Yorkers aren’t as mean as I thought they would be. I’ve only been flipped off once, and Felipe says that’s amazing for a tourist. The National Ballet Company assigned him to me to show me around while I’m here, and he has been my savior.

And three, absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder. It breaks it.

I have spoken to River a total of two times over the past four weeks. Once was to tell him I made it safely to New York, and another to tell him I got to see the Statue of Liberty.

We exchanged a couple of texts, but other than that, it’s been total radio silence. What’s worse is I think he’s doing it on purpose.

The story of his brother’s beating and the police’s suspicion that River may have something to do with it has been clogging the Internet and tabloids since I left.

There was tension in his voice the first time I called him. He’s protecting me from his corrupt media by distancing himself. I get it, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

For the first time in my life, I have a boyfriend who gives a damn about me and wants what’s best for me. River isn’t in it for what he can get from me. He loves me for who I am, a passionate, focused dancer. Or at least, I hope he still does.

The problem is that River loved me so much, he encouraged me to spread my wings and fly. But when I did, he went back into his mansion and closed the door.

I miss his hands on my curves and the way he made me laugh, our playful bickering, and even tickle torture.

A knock on my door interrupts my mini pity party. I jump up to answer it and instantly sit back down on the edge of the bed. My head is spinning, and I see a halo of tiny speckled stars.

“Just a sec, I’ll be right there.” I take several deep breaths and try again. No stars this time, and the slanted room has righted itself.

Felipe is on his way to take me to lunch with three women I’ll be dancing with tonight at IBC.

I swing open the door, and instead of my new French friend, I am face to face with my old best friend, Cat.

“Oh my God, what are you doing here?” I yell and wrap my arms around her neck to hug her.

Cat’s never been the touchy-feely type, but she laughs and hugs me back.

“You borrowed my dress and never gave it back.”

I release her and step aside so she can come into my hotel room, rolling my eyes. It’s just like her to play nonchalant about visiting me in New York.

“So you came to the east coast to get it back?”

“Yeah, where’s it at?”

“Sorry, it’s back in Cali. You should have called first.” I close the door and stand with my hands on my hip and my eyebrows lifted, playing her game.

“Oh shut up, I came to see my big shot best friend dance in the big city. You didn’t even tell me you were leaving. I had to find out secondhand from your boyfriend at a dinner party my parents had.”

Every muscle in my body locks up. River was at a dinner party? It dawns on me just how out of touch I’ve been with him. I know he’s been doing a grueling pre-season training camp, but I have no idea what he does in his limited off-time.

“Don’t worry. Pretty boy is behaving. Or at least he was a week ago when I saw him. I don’t expect he’s doing anything in his downtime this week other than icing his sore muscles and sleeping. My brother says training camp is the worst.”

“What did he tell you?”

“That you jetted out here on the National Ballet’s dime and that Cammie Onyx is your manager! What the fuck, Angel? How could you not tell me about that?”

“You don’t even know who Cammie Onyx is, do you?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I watched a documentary on public television about famous prima ballerinas once. Every one of them had her as a manager, and every one of them is a world-famous dancer.”

She sticks out her tongue and crosses her eyes, and I laugh.

“I’m sorry, things happened so fast with River and then this, and every second of my time has been scheduled since I stepped off the plane. I’m so exhausted, and the stress has my stomach in knots.”

“Oh, poor baby. Being famous is so draining,” she says. Her voice is dripping with sarcasm, and she’s pouting and pretending to rub her eyes with her fists like a baby crying.

“I’m serious. I don’t know if it’s the time change between the west coast and the east coast or what, but I’ve never been more tired.”

“Well, you’d better not be tired tonight. We’re going out on the town. I have a room down the hall, and I’m ready to cut loose.”

I sigh and sit down on the edge of the bed next to her.

“I’m dancing tonight. It’s my debut with the National Ballet Company. There’s a dinner first, though, at seven. You wanna go too? You could come to the show after. I’ll get you backstage.”

There’s another knock at the door. It’s got to be Felipe.

“I have a lunch scheduled with the dancers I’ll be performing with tonight. Do you want to come to my room around six? It’s a formal thing. Did you bring a dress?”

“No, dummy, I came to get my dress back from you, remember?”

Felipe knocks again, and I get up to let him in.

“Hush, I don’t have your damn dress, and I know you didn’t come all the way out here with no fancy dresses. Get your butt back here at six so we can start catching up.”

“Damn, Angel, you’re gonna kick me out when I came thousands of miles to visit you?”

I open the door for Felipe.

“Hey, sorry about that. This is my best friend. She just decided to fly all the way across the country to get back a dress I borrowed from her,” I say to Felipe and gesture toward Cat.

“I’m Cat. Don’t let her borrow your clothes. She’s an Indian giver,” she says.

Cat turns to her side and slides past Felipe so closely, her breasts brush against his chest. She’s a shameless flirt.

If this were a cartoon, little blue birds would be flying in a circle above Felipe’s head and fireworks would be going off in his eyes. My poor new friend is instantly smitten with my old best friend.

“Nice to meet you … Cat …” he says as she walks away, swinging her hips, not even waiting for a formal introduction.

She waves over her shoulder. “Later, Angel. See you at six.”

Felipe is so hypnotized by Cat’s sexy hips, he doesn’t hear me invite him in. I shake my head and grab my purse.

“Let’s go, Romeo. We don’t want to be late.”

I gently push him out of my way, shaking him from his trance.

“Wow, she’s amazing.”

“Yeah, she is. She’s also a non-committing, heartbreaking party animal who will chew your heart up and spit it out. Come on, let’s go eat.”