CHAPTER 2
Lex
The next audition didn’t appear on the bulletin board in Gravity's community area until a couple weeks later. “You’re coming with me to this one,” Shane had demanded that night over a homemade platter of meats and cheeses.
I hadn’t put up an argument since the Janet audition was a sore subject. Shane hadn’t even made it past the first round of cuts, but at least he had tried, which was a hell of a lot more than I had done since venturing with him to LA. Maybe he was right about auditioning for the experience. When I thought about it like that, the outcome didn’t seem so intimidating.
We were lined up in the hall, waiting to register for a music video for up-and-coming urban pop artist, Dominic Rivas, when a couple of girls in front of us started to whisper.
“Oh my God. He’s here.”
“Who?”
“Theodore Noska.”
A gasp.
“Where?”
“He just walked in the front door.”
As soon as the words left the girl’s mouth, the world around me began to spin in slow motion. Voices played through a vacuum, muffled and quiet, conveniently drowning out their gushing. And my movements decelerated, as if I were being dragged through quicksand.
“Ho-ly shit.” Shane’s voice pulled me to the surface. He’d spotted Theo too.
Refusing to turn toward the rising commotion, I looked up at Shane just as he peered down at me. The sight of his whiskey eyes and jaw agape was enough to warn me that Theo Noska was every bit as delectable as he appeared in the media.
My body began to quake, a ridiculous reaction to a celebrity, but Theo wasn’t just a celebrity. He was everything. He was all that I aspired to be and the one person whose opinion would mean the most, if I was ever lucky enough to have it.
Shane’s warm fingers landed on my shoulders and swiveled me to face front. He turned my head toward the dance god himself.
The first thing I noticed was wild sandy blond hair—a perfect display of controlled chaos that one could happily sink fingers into in the throes of passion. Because clearly, there was only one good reason to have hair that sexy. Paired with the dark shades that masked his eyes, a leather jacket wrapped around his upper body, and ankle-length black jeans, he was every bit as intimidating as his choreography.
“Absurd.” Shane groaned, and I could have sworn drool was pooling in his mouth.
Sure, Theo was all kinds of gorgeous, but it wasn’t his looks that had made me fall in love with him from afar. I’d obsessed over his YouTube channel since its inception and had perfected every single one of his routines that I could lay eyes on.
He was hip-hop and contemporary fused with elements of ballet, jazz, tap, Bollywood, and every other dance style I could think of. His choreography could be epically dark and twisted or immensely beautiful and romantic, sending an audience to the edge of their seats while tears streamed down their faces.
All of America had watched the episode of Dance Idol where he came on as a guest choreographer and taught a contemporary partner routine to the finalists. The dancers executed the number flawlessly, but it was the emotionally charged choreography that made the video clip go viral. I remembered watching the routine and knowing that if Theo Noska wasn’t a household name before that day, he would be after.
My heart beat like crazy just thinking about it.
Theo had put Gravity Dance Complex on the map, so it wasn’t a complete surprise he’d shown up. I even hoped he would offer a class or two so I could mark that one off my bucket list. But I studied the weekly schedules as if that were my job, and Theo’s name never appeared on any of them. So, what is he doing here now?
My eyes followed as he inched his way down the corridor in my direction then stopped briefly and collected a few fist bumps and one-armed hugs. He didn’t stop for long or smile for anyone as he drew closer.
“Yo, Theo. What’s up, buddy?” someone behind me called.
Theo was only a few feet away when he did a quick sweep of the line before giving an uptick of his chin to whoever had greeted him.
Then his head dropped slightly, his gaze connecting with mine—I thought. Theo’s glasses hid everything, so I couldn’t be entirely sure. It was just a second, a flash, but I felt it—a connection I don’t think I could have made up despite my fierce crush on a man I knew only from his interviews. I wanted to stretch time to stay a little longer in the moment because the instant it was gone, I knew I would never get it back again.
I was lost in my thoughts when I felt fingers splay across my back. A shove thrust me onto my toes, tipping me off balance.
What the—?
I shot forward, my hands reaching in front of me, ready to catch my fall, when I realized only one thing was there. Or one man, rather.
Theo’s arms reached out, his expression unchanged, as if catching me were the most natural thing in the world. My palms slammed against his chest just as his arms wrapped around me. Then he stood me up, his grip firm as I stared into his glasses, desperate to see past the reflection of myself.
All I could think about was the sturdiness of his form, the strength of his hold, and how absolutely consuming his rough, calloused hands were as they skimmed the bare skin of my shoulders and arms.
“Think you can be more careful next time?” He grumbled the words over my shoulder, snapping me back to the present.
Shane. A snare shot off in my chest. He pushed me. It had to have been him. But I didn’t want to pull away from Theo long enough to confirm my suspicions.
“This is a dance studio, not a mosh pit.” Theo’s accusing tone was filled with raspy disapproval. He shifted me slightly, scenting the air with fresh apple cinnamon and leather, an intoxicating mixture that left me dizzy. “You don’t want to be responsible for shortening this young girl’s career. Apologize.”
I turned then, ready with my glare as I caught the eyes of my best friend.
I’m going to kill him.
“I’m sorry, Lex.” Shane’s tone was sincere, but there was no denying the hint of amusement it carried. Theo’s arms left me, forcing me to stand on my own. I turned around, ignoring Shane and offering my savior a polite smile.
“Thank you for catching me.”
He didn’t smile. In fact, his brows stayed dented in the center. “Glad you’re okay.” He didn’t ask whether I was, and he didn’t wait for me to reply. Instead, he aimed one final look at Shane, the crease lines in his forehead expressing his annoyance.
“It was just an accident,” Shane pressed, pulling me into his arms in what I’m sure was meant to be an apologetic hug.
But as Theo backed away and continued down the corridor without another pause, I was certain it wasn’t an accident at all.
“I should murder you.”
I was patient enough, waiting until we’d left the dance studio later that day to let Shane have it. We had just started our ten-block walk to our place, and I felt as if I would burst if I didn’t say something.
His laughter started, and I threw an arm out, knocking him in the stomach. He cringed and swooped me up cradle-style, despite my flailing limbs.
“Put me down, you big, giant asshole.”
His laughter never ceased and only grew louder. “You should be thanking me. And I’m not letting you down until you promise to keep your hands to yourself. You heard what Theodore said about being careful. Oh, and what else? Shortening the life of this young girl’s career.” He burst into another fit of laughter. “He thinks you’re twelve.”
I was mortified and completely furious at my best friend.
“Let me down, or I’m moving back to Seattle.”
“Oh, stop it. You would never.”
“You have no idea what I’m capable of doing right now, Shane Masterson. And right now, you are not my best friend. You’re this evil thing of a person sent to earth to destroy me. Right now, I hate you. I can’t believe you did that to me. Why? I just want to know why you felt the need to embarrass me in front of the one person—the one person—I care about impressing.”
Shane put me down, leaving a hand on my shoulder. I shook myself away, and his laughter finally silenced. “Oh, Lex. I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better, I think I’m officially on Theo’s shit list. He was mad at me, not you.”
“No,” I squealed. “That does not make me feel better. We’re in this together, remember? Don’t make me regret signing up for tomorrow’s audition.”
“Okay, okay. But at least you got to touch him. How did he feel? Please tell me his skin is as soft and velvety as it looks.” His head snapped toward me. “Oh my God. How did he smell? Like sunshine and roses? No. I bet it was more like dandelions after a warm rain shower.”
It was Shane’s heavy, dreamlike sigh that broke the spell. I laughed, because laughter was so much easier than staying mad at my best friend.
“Thank God,” Shane said, clearly noting my amusement. “I cannot handle angry Alexandra. You remind me of your mother, all spun up and spewy, like a whacked-out sprinkler system.” He shook his head as if disturbed by whatever visual had played in his mind. “Hey, let’s go out to eat.”
The change of subject happened so fast my brain did a complete three sixty.
“No. Not until you explain to me what the fuck you were thinking back there. You thought that was how to get Theo to notice me? Really?”
He gasped and held up a finger, tsk-tsking me. “Cussing sounds dirty coming from your mouth. Don’t do it.”
“Shane,” I shot out. It was my final warning.
“Fine. He was standing right there in front of you, and I could practically see the little Theo and Lex babies running around in the background. It was this sixth sense. I pictured the entire epic love connection. You know, the ones you see all the time in movies, where the couple makes eye contact for the first time and these little stars and hearts start fluttering around the air.”
“Yeah, pretty sure I’ve never seen a movie like that.”
He stomped his foot and placed his fists on his hip. “Whatever. You’ve only been in love with the guy for the past decade. I was trying to help you out.”
“How’d that go for you?”
He pursed his lips, as if deep in thought. “At least you can count on the guy if you ever decide to play ‘Trust Fall.’ He caught you, didn’t he? And then he asked if you were okay.”
I rolled my eyes as hard as I could. “Wow. Yeah. I think it’s love. Maybe he’ll fly me to his summer house in Spain and propose to me there.”
Shane’s eyes grew wide. “He has a summer house in Spain? Is it nice? I’m sure it’s—”
“Shut up!” I growled.