20
Natalia
It must have been the post-sex glow, but everyone kept asking me what new skin care products I used for the photo shoot.
I laughed them off. “I’ve been drinking a ton of water,” I explained.
Heather eyed me. She was next to me in the row. We were standing on a bridge over the river. “Really?”
“Really,” I responded.
“Nothing else?”
“Nope.” I smiled at the camera. God, I couldn’t remember being this happy. Every part of me felt light and airy. It was strange and unique. It reminded me of how I used to feel on stage. That feeling of euphoria as the prima ballerina.
The photographer asked us to pose for a few more shots and then he called it a wrap. I jogged down the stairs. Heather was on my heels.
“I didn’t hear you come in last night,” she snickered.
She was already at breakfast when I snuck into the room.
“I stayed out longer than I thought—you know, catching up.” I twisted the cap off a bottle of water. This would help with my water story.
“Catching up with your cousin?”
I nodded. “Yep, with my cousin.”
“Hope you had a good time.”
I grinned. “I did. It was amazing.”
There was no way anyone saw Sam and me together. I wasn’t worried there was evidence, but it didn’t mean Heather wasn’t suspicious. And she would keep poking and prodding until she was satisfied.
The same thing had happened at training camp with another one of the new girls. As the captain, Heather felt compelled to know where we were at all times. One girl was constantly late to practice and her excuses piled up. One morning she blamed a faulty hair dryer. Another day she said she lost her shoes. By the third morning, Heather started tailing her and found out she was sneaking her boyfriend into our squad rooms for the night and seeing him off again in the morning. That girl was released from the team and replaced with someone on the waiting list.
“Sorry I missed movie night with you. But my cousin popped in and it couldn’t be helped.”
“Of course not. We’ll do it another time.” She waved her hand in the air. “It’s fine.”
But there was something gnawing at me that said it wasn’t fine. I didn’t know whether she was upset I blew her off for my imaginary cousin, or if she had a theory my cousin was Sam.
***
I turned the lights on in my apartment and looked around. I had been gone a day, but it felt different. I felt different. I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone. Sam’s number was at the top. I hit send and waited for him to answer.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
I smiled and felt the giddiness of butterflies in my belly. I missed him already.
“I’m home.”
“That’s too bad. I wish you were still in San Antonio.”
“Me too,” I whispered. I sat on the couch.
“I was thinking I could drive up Friday after practice. We don’t practice on Saturdays and we have a home game Sunday. I can make it back to San Antonio with plenty of time.”
“That could work. But I do have practice Saturday morning.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep your bed warm for you until you get back.”
I felt the stirring sensation in my core. Holy hell. I hadn’t thought what it would be like to have Sam here in my apartment, or in my bed. Suddenly Friday seemed like an eternity.
“Promise?”
“I do.”
I smiled. I could get used to this. Sexy conversations on the phone. Torrid nights that no one knew about. There was a thrill to the secrecy that I was starting to like.
“What are you going to do for the rest of the night?” I asked. I didn’t know much about Sam’s life other than he played football.
“Probably watch footage for the Sunday game.”
“Oh.” Maybe there wasn’t more to him than football. I felt a slight sinking feeling.
“And probably make some dinner.”
“Do you cook?”
“Yes, I cook. Do you cook?”
“No. I’m the worst cook.” I ate cereal and salads. Anything with more directions and I would burn it.
“Then good thing you met me. I’m basically a chef. Should have gone to culinary school.”
“Why didn’t you?”
He chuckled. “There’s not as much money in whipping up a mean pasta as there is in catching a leather ball.”
“I keep forgetting.”
“I like that you forget. You don’t give a shit I play football, do you?”
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
“And you know I don’t care you’re on a dance team, right?”
“I do know that.”
“Good, because it doesn’t matter to me. But I was thinking about something today after you left.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I want to see you dance.”
“You’ve seen me.”
“No, not like that. The way you love dance. I want to see the ballerina Natalia.”
He took my breath away. I had old dance videos and piles of audition DVDs, but that wasn’t what he was talking about.
“You really want to see me dance?”
“Yeah, I bet you’re beautiful out there.”
And I knew he didn’t mean the same way as when I was a Goddess, shaking my ass for everyone to see.
“I’ll dance for you.”
I was already choreographing something in my head to show him.
“I have to go pick up the film for tonight. But I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“Good night, Natalia.”
“Good night.”
I hung up and stared at the phone. I had no idea this was going to happen, but I felt as if we had officially waltzed right into a relationship.