She laughs quietly, opening her eyes to mine. Her eyelashes tickle her skin when she blinks, and the vividness of her eyes has me almost drowning in them. Looking at her like this, this close to her, Mum’s visit is barely even a memory.
Something about Abbi Jenkins has a hold on me I couldn’t break if I wanted to. She’s got me so strongly that I almost forget everything else exists when we’re together, and each touch we share dulls the pain of the past as she drives me to look toward the future.
And I don’t think she knows just how much she amazes me.
Chapter Seventeen – Abbi
My hand hovers over the studio door uncertainly. One phone call from Bianca is all it’s taken to drag me down here, yet I don’t even know why I’m here. It’s not a class day, and I can’t think of anything she could say in person she couldn’t tell me over the phone.
I curl my fingers around the handle and pull it open. The faint sounds of the piano drift back me, and I realize Friday’s are one of the days she teaches her younger class. Now I’m even more confused why I’m here. Still, I walk down the hall and peek through the door.
Two rows of little girls dressed in baby pink, lilac or pale blue leotards face the front, all doing demi-plies perfectly in time with the music. My lips curve into a smile. They all look adorable.
Bianca notices me standing here and says something to the girls. They all nod, never breaking their dancing. She walks toward me, tall and regal, and joins me in the hall.
“I’m glad you came down,” she says.
“I’m a little confused why you needed me here.”
“It’s simple.” Bianca smiles. “A friend runs a ballet studio on the other side of the city for teens, and she’s putting on a production at the end of August of Swan Lake. The group of children she was using for the animals are no longer able to be a part of it, and as the show is a sell-out, she refuses to cancel it. She contacted me last night and asked if my girls would like to take the place of the animals. It means a lot of hard work for them, but I know they can do it.”
“And where do I come into this?” I look from the tiny dancers to Bianca.
“I can’t keep my eyes on every single girl as they learn the steps. Their time to learn their parts is limited, so I need help.”
“You… You want me to help?”
“I can’t think of anyone better for it.” She touches my arm. “I’m not asking this as a favor, Abbi, I’m hiring you to help me. I’ll pay you, and who knows, if everything works well, I may have need of an assistant permanently.”
I swallow, pressing my fingers to the window. “I don’t know if I can do it. I mean, I don’t know if I’m ready to do something like that.”
“I called Dr. Hausen this morning,” Bianca admits quietly. “I asked her for her opinion, and she believes it’ll be good for you. She and I both agree that having a job will focus your mind on something other than the way you’ve been feeling lately-”
“Huh. You noticed.”
“And there’s no better job for you than doing this – the very thing you love. I adore letting myself go and dancing, but my favorite part of everything is watching the delight on one of these girls’ faces when they finally get that step they’ve been stuck on for ages. And,” she taps my shoulder, making me look at her. “There’s nothing better than seeing someone find herself and start to live again.”
“I guess you’re right. It would be good for me, and ballet does make me feel alive. Really alive.”
“Having an incredibly handsome partner with a British accent goes a long way, too.” Bianca winks at me playfully. I blush. “I knew it!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lie, my lips twitching. “Blake and I are friends. Very good friends.”
“Abbi, honey, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. There’s no friendship in that look.” She pats my shoulder, leaning into the door, ready to open it. “But as much as I’d love to go all gossip girl on you and grill you, that’s not my business. I also have a class to teach, and perhaps an assistant to introduce?”
I drop my small smile, take a deep breath in, and gaze at the girls. They’re still dancing, all in perfect sync. It wouldn’t be hard to teach them. I know Swan Lake’s dances like I know mine and Blake’s pas de deux. Besides, if Dr. Hausen thinks it’s a good idea… Maybe it’s time to step outside of my comfort zone again.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
Bianca beams and opens the door. She claps her hands three times, and the girls all stop, moving into first position. I hover by the door, my stomach rolling as nerves kick in. I clasp my hands in front of my stomach to hide their gentle shake.
“Girls, I have someone to introduce to you.” Bianca gestures to me. “This is Abbi, and she’s my new assistant. She’ll be helping me in your classes for the next few months.”
I walk toward Bianca slowly, feeling twelve pairs of inquisitive eyes on me. “Hi, everyone.” I wave slightly.
“You’re all wondering why I have an assistant. Right?” Bianca looks out at the nodding heads. “Well, at the end of the summer, instead of doing our usual production here for your parents you’ll be a part of a larger one on stage. A friend of mine is putting on Swan Lake, and she needs some animals. I told her I have twelve little animals in my lower class that would be perfect for her.”
Gasps and squeals radiate through the group in front of us, and I can’t help but smile at the looks on their little faces. They’re completely shocked but wearing the biggest smiles known to man, and the excitement shining from their wide eyes is testament to how much they want to do this.
“It’s going to mean a lot of hard work from you, girls, and perhaps some Saturday sessions, too. That’s why I have Abbi; she’s kindly agreed to help me teach you your dances. She’s one of the best dancers in my higher group, so in ten years’ time when she’s jetting around the world as a famous ballerina, I expect you all to brag about how she taught you to dance in your first on-stage ballet.” Bianca winks at me again. “Now, I’m going to be really naughty, so sssh. I’m going to get a glass of water and leave you with Abbi to get to know each other for ten minutes.”
All the girls immediately crowd around me, excitedly bouncing. I get the feeling their excitement is more from the news they’ll be doing their first dance in a real theatre, but I feel wanted nonetheless. And it feels kind of… nice.