CHAPTER 38
Lex
I forced an eye open just enough to see Theo standing above me in nothing but a pair of gray boxer briefs. He held something in his hand, and I had to squint through my blurry eyes to make out a mug with steam drifting from the top. I moaned and stretched, my body a tangle of satisfying aches. Coffee had never looked sexier.
When I glanced at him again, he had a sly look on his face. I’d quickly grown to love that expression, especially when it was aimed at me.
I was painfully aware that it was Monday morning and we had to leave our sanctuary, but it was the final week of rehearsals. My excitement grew at the thought of where we would be next week—on a plane to Vegas.
Sunday had been a wash. We’d wasted the entire day in bed together, exploring each other and sharing stories of our young dance years. He was fascinated by my boring life back in Seattle, just as I was fascinated by his rise to celeb choreographer status. Things almost felt … normal. As though we could be an actual couple if it weren’t for the damn contract.
And then his phone rang, bringing me back to reality, where I was a secret and he was supposed to be kissing Winter’s ass. He pulled his phone off the nightstand and groaned before silencing it and setting it back down again. “I’ll call her later.”
“Winter?” Of course it was Winter. She’d seen the cut of the zoo video Theo sent her yesterday and wouldn’t stop calling him. They were setting up a meeting to talk about it.
“I can’t move,” I croaked, trying to change the subject and my rapidly declining mood.
He laughed and set the coffee down on the nightstand before stretching out beside me.
Theo’s dimple popped as he ran his eyes over me. “You gonna be okay?” he teased when he dropped the sheet. “Need me to call a doctor?”
“Does he make house calls?”
He smirked. “He does, and he’s more than willing to take care of your aches and pains when we come home. Where does it hurt?”
There was something so intimate about his words. I loved them as much as they terrified me. I smiled as I reached between my legs.
His eyes blazed as he tracked the movement. “Maybe he can squeeze in an appointment right now.”
Theo dropped me off in the parking lot behind Gravity, and I headed straight to the community area. I didn’t expect anyone else to be inside yet. But Reggie, Amie, and a few others congregated there, downing waters and snack bars, their heads bent low as they chatted. Usually I was the first one in the center. But I supposed everyone was eager since it was the final week before we left for Vegas.
My smile stretched wide as I approached them, pushing down the memory of the tension from the previous week. The dancers seemed happy with the selections on Friday. I wasn’t on their radar anymore. I hoped. “What’s everyone doing here so early?”
Amie’s head snapped up as though she was surprised to hear my voice, then she smiled. “Hey, Lex. Reggie was just showing me something he put together for a choreography pitch this week.”
Reggie glanced my way, and his eyes lit up. He patted the seat beside him. “Come check this out.”
Discomfort rumbled within me. That couldn’t have been a coincidence. “Oh yeah?” I asked nonchalantly. I took the seat, leaving a few inches between us. He slid over to close the gap, pressed his shoulder into mine, and held up his phone. “What’s this for?”
“Winter,” Reggie said without even batting an eye. “She’s looking for a choreographer for the ‘Caged’ music video.”
“What about Theo?” The words slipped out before I could think them through. “I mean, he’s already done the choreography, and he’s working with Winter. I assumed that kind of job would go to him.”
Reggie’s eyes narrowed momentarily before he shrugged it off. “She’s holding the pitch meeting this week, which means it’s a possibility. Besides, Theo will be slammed with the show. I can’t see him taking his only three days off to work.”
“You can’t?” I couldn’t help my amused expression. Did Reggie know Theo at all? And why the hell would Reggie go after a job that was so clearly Theo’s?
Reggie set down his phone and leaned back against the couch with a hard look on his face. “Theo Noska ain’t the be-all and end-all of dance, Lex. He’s hit his ceiling. It’s time this industry experiences some fresh ideas. Like in our partner routine.” He pursed his lips, as if making a point. “We took some creative liberties and made it ten times better. Isn’t that right?”
When I didn’t respond, he looked at Amie, who turned away and raised her hands. “Uh-uh. I’m not getting involved.”
He huffed and stood. “Never mind. Y’all wouldn’t understand.” He walked off. “See you in the studio.”
Amie and I exchanged wide-eyed looks at the same time. “What is he trying to pull?” I hissed it as I scooted toward her, minimizing the chance that someone could hear us.
Amie looked around as if to make sure no one was listening and leaned in further and whispered, “I really want to stay out of whatever’s going on, but Reggie’s been on edge a lot lately. He’s been on this kick to get some other choreo work outside of the studio, but I don’t know why he’s got his target on Winter and Theo. There are thousands of other artists, and so many of them come through Gravity.”
“It’s like he wants what Theo wants. It’s a little creepy.”
Amie agreed with a sigh. “I hope he cools it before we hit Vegas. It’s going to be a long six months if he plans to challenge Theo every step of the way.” She looked around again before her brows bent in with worry. “And between you and me, I think he had something to do with the selections Winter made with the featured spots.”
Dread filled me as her words sank in. Amie was only guessing, but Reggie’s nonchalance Friday morning before the announcements made sense now. He’d already known.