The Dancer Read online

  He’s the only one still brave enough to go head to head with me. The only one who’d rein my ass in if I got out of hand. Sometimes I think he thinks he’s my damn conscience.

  Maybe it’s because of some of the fucked up shit we’d been through together, things that not even my mother know about. Life threatening situations that we’d dragged each other out of that had she known at the time would’ve seen my ass sent to the army or some shit.

  But those are the things that had forged the bond between Tony and I. A bond that can never be broken and I know he feels the same.

  So although I wanted to prove my brotherly love and affection for him by giving him a much better position in my company, he’d turned it down in favor of doing what he’d always done.

  Along with my mother, he’s the only other human being I would put my life on the line for without question. Speaking of mom.

  I checked my watch. It was a fourteen hour time difference between New York and Seoul, which meant it was about eight in the morning there while it was six in the evening the day before here.

  I smiled at the picture of her and I on my desk. I must’ve been five or six there. One of the rare times she was able to take her only son to Rockefeller Center to see the tree and go ice skating afterwards.

  I know now how much she’d struggled to afford that as a single mother alone in one of the toughest cities in the world. And for that and lots more, I spoil her ass every chance I get.

  This month it’s South Korea and the next she’ll be on Safari in Kruger national park in South Africa. I usually try to meet up with her on her escapades when I can, but this is my busy season so her best friend, my Godmother, is travelling with her this time around.

  I called her even though the hour was early, because I knew once her eyes opened she’d be on the move and I might not have another free minute for the rest of the night.

  “Mom how are you? You and aunt Nell behaving yourselves?”

  “Where’s the fun in that? Did you get the pictures I sent you?”

  “Yes I did, you look like a true Korean Queen. Tony wants to know the name of that thing you’re wearing. I think he’s thinking of getting one for his mom.”

  “The hanbok? He’s too late, I already picked one up for her. That boy should know better than that.” It’s true, the two women had been close almost as long as their sons have. The only reason aunt Jess hadn’t joined her this time was because she had a new grandbaby to hog.

  She gave me the whole history on the traditional Korean dress and how comfortable it was. And I listened like the obedient son that I am without interruption even though I hadn’t the faintest clue what the hell she was talking about. Points!

  “How are you otherwise, is the guide working out?” I’m sure he was, but it never hurts to ask when dealing with my opinionated mother.

  “Yes son, don’t worry. He’s just perfect, knows all the best places to visit and the food is just beyond. You have got to come here at least once, you won’t regret it.”

  “Maybe next year we’ll go together.” How great is it that we’re having this conversation? Who would

  ever have thought that we’d see days like this. Days where I could send my mother on an all expense paid trip around the world with money to spare.

  The only pleasure I get these days is in the joy in her voice during one of these conversations. When I think of all she’d gone through to get me here, it makes me want to be a better man. Something she’d striven hard to achieve.

  “Hopefully by then I’d have a daughter in law. If you really want to make me happy, how about getting me my first grandchild instead.”

  And then there was that. I don’t remember the last conversation we had where she didn’t bring this shit up at least once.

  “When are you going to stop singing that song? I told you, I’m too young to settle down.” I sat back in my chair and grinned.

  “Who cares how young you are, do you forget I had you at seventeen?”

  “I know, but you were way wiser than me. I’m not ready to be a dad momma, what time would I have for the poor kid?” I laughed it off in hopes that she’d drop it.

  “Excuses, excuses. I’m gonna pray that you meet the right girl and settle down and stop making me worry. I won’t be around forever you know.”

  “Momma, you’re not even fifty yet where are you going? I forbid you to leave me for at least another fifty years.” I hate when she says shit like that, even if she’s just kidding around. I guess you can say I’m a momma’s boy.

  “I’ll try my best son, but I’m sure a couple grandkids would help keep me around.” No wonder I’m accused of being tenacious, I came by it honestly.

  I let her harangue me for another ten minutes before getting her back on track. I should be safe from her tongue for at least another twenty-four hours.

  I made sure she had everything she needed before ringing off and going back to work, smiling to myself at her antics.

  No one does manipulation like she does and I’m sure that wasn’t the last I’d heard about her need for grandchildren. Tony’s damn sister had to go and have a kid and now the heat was on for both of us.

  She’s been bringing it up more often lately as if she thought time was running out or some shit. Either that or she was afraid of the rumors and dreaded having one of my usual fare for a daughter in law.

  Chapter 2

  I kept myself busy for the next couple of hours until I got a crick in my neck, and thirst ran me out to the bar when I noticed my mini fridge was out of my favorite bottled water.

  As I reached the bar the bartender, knowing me very well by now, placed a bottle of water down in front of me with a greeting and a smile.

  I popped the cap and was about to take a sip when some force made my body go on full alert. I took a quick glance around but saw nothing out of the ordinary, though the feeling persisted.

  It wasn’t quite as strong as my danger signal, but it was close. I felt like I was being touched which made no sense, since no one dared get that close to me without an invitation.

  The hair on my arms stood up and my pulse picked up speed. The only other time I’d felt like that was on the field when I was about to make a kickass play, but that was a long time ago.

  I thought maybe one of my old team mates

  must’ve walked in, but a look around told me that wasn’t it. Everything looked normal and no one was paying me any undue attention, so what the fuck.

  I brushed it off thinking that maybe I was just tired from overwork, but I knew that wasn’t it; I thrive on that shit. There it was again. A tingling sensation like I’d touched a live wire. Where the hell was it coming from?

  I kept a wary eye out and took another glance around the room. The feeling grew stronger, more persistent. Seeing nothing, once again, I turned back around to the bar and my forgotten water.

  I unscrewed the cap from the bottle once again and turned, ignoring the feeling. She came through the door just as I was about to tip the bottle to my head.

  I’m not sure what made her stand out among the throng of women crowding the vestibule waiting to come in out of the cold.

  Maybe it was her wild black tresses, or the baggy army jacket she wore that looked so out of place among the more fashionable wear of the others.

  But when she lifted her head after stuffing her scarf in her bag, a lightning bolt hit me right in the gut and stopped me dead in my tracks. I’d found the source.

  I lowered the bottle without taking a sip and watched her as she folded her small frame into the corner out of the way of the throng.

  For the next few seconds I saw nothing else but her. Almost as if caught in a time warp. I shook my head to clear it and time moved once more.

  I stood there looking at her, trying to figure out just what the hell it was about her that had alerted me to her presence. She didn’t look familiar and from what I could see there wasn’t anything outstanding about her. Not at first glance anyway.r />
  Still, I couldn’t make myself look away. Neither could I explain the unusual feeling that overcame me as I stared at her. I guess this it what mom calls someone walking over your grave.

  The door opened and the group of women poured in after the call came over the P.A. system. I guess they were the second or third bunch of hopefuls.

  It wasn’t easy getting a job in one of my places. The pay was good and because of the clientele the tips weren’t anything to sneeze at.

  That meant that my dancers never wanted to leave. But due to high demand we were having to add another shift and we needed new blood yesterday.

  Most of the women looked like more of the same. Blonde, slender, leggy. She was none of those things as was evident by the way the others practically towered over her and her dark hair.

  I didn’t miss the few appreciative glances that were thrown my way, but I hadn’t taken my eyes off of the beauty this whole time.

  I was still trying to figure shit out with no answers. One thing was for certain, something about her had my ass on alert. Could be trouble, but my radar wasn’t giving me that vibe.

  I tracked her as she made her way to the desk where everyone was signing in. Like hell!

  What the fuck is wrong with you Max? I have no idea but I know that shit didn’t feel right, her signing up to be a dancer in my place.

  I waited until she’d added her name to the roster before making my approach. I had to wade through the bevy of women waiting there for their names to be called. “So you decided to join us after all.”

  I ignored the manager as I picked up the roster and read her name. Annabelle Bridgewater. I looked from the roster to her, almost drawn to do so, to get another look at her. She didn’t seem to notice me even though all the others around her did.

  I ignored the interested looks and grabbed her hand, not quite sure what the hell I was doing. It wasn’t my style to manhandle strange women and I never get involved with my dancers or any of my staff for that matter, but there was something…

  I pulled her a good distance away out of earshot of the others and turned her to face me.

  “What are you doing here?” She didn’t belong here. For some inexplicable reason I was pissed that she was.

  My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears and my hand, the one that held hers felt alive. What the fuck is going on?

  “Excuse me?” She tugged at her hand, but I held on even tighter, even when she glared up at me like she wanted to kick me in the balls. I wouldn’t blame her. Just what the fuck am I doing?

  “I own this place, you can’t dance here.” Someone or something had taken over my mouth. There was no other explanation for my fucked up behavior.

  My heart felt weird in my chest, and my head wasn’t doing much better. Almost like I was having an out of body experience. None of it felt real, but there was one prevailing thought in my head.

  This is what I felt when I picked up my first football. This is the feeling I had before every major event in my life. It never happened with a female before though, which was the reason for my confusion.

  Her free hand went to her hip and she cocked her head to the side. The look on her face said she thought I had lost my damn mind. She might be right.

  “And why not, the law…”

  “Because I said so, read the sign. I have the right to deny you entrance into my place if I choose, so kill

  that law shit.”

  I could’ve waited until she auditioned and then nixed her, but I didn’t want her to even get that far. I still had ahold of her hand too and for some odd reason didn’t want to let go. More like I couldn’t. My body was moving faster than my brain could catch up.

  The longer we stood there facing off, the stronger the strange feeling became. I studied her trying to find the cause. What was it about her that had caught my attention so forcefully?

  There was no recognition, I’m sure we’d never met before. But my senses were telling me something different. The shits were practically screaming at me.

  Now there was a strange ringing in my ear and my hand actually tingled, sending shivers up my arm. There was a nagging voice in my head asking me, what the hell I was doing as I felt eyes on me.

  I didn’t turn to see who was watching the show, but I was sure that I was making a spectacle of myself in the middle of the damn club. Fuck, how am I going to explain this shit?

  I was about to offer her some other kind of job, like waitressing maybe, but she pulled out of my hand and stomped her way towards the door before I could get the words out.

  I followed after her and watched her march her way down the sidewalk, still not sure what the hell just happened to me back there, but knowing that I couldn’t just let her get away.

  The farther away from me she got the harder it became to breathe. Who is this fucking girl? I don’t know but I know enough about my fucked up sixth sense to follow through.

  I was about to call out to her when she walked into the place a few doors down. “Like fuck!” No fucking way is she working in that dump. I’d burn the shit to the ground before I let that happen.

  A rush of possessiveness hit me square in the gut and almost dropped my ass on the sidewalk. What the fuck! You’ve finally lost your damn mind haven’t you Max? I was pulling my phone before I gave myself a chance to think twice about what I was doing.

  Never one to make rash decisions, it was the first time since my misspent youth that I found myself guilty of just that. I had lost all control of myself and I knew it, but there was no time to evaluate that shit right now.

  I traced her steps and stood outside the competition, watching through the glass doors as she made her way to the back after a quick word with one of the workers.

  My blood started a slow boil and I barely restrained myself from going in after her. I would’ve if I didn’t have such a strong hate for the owner.

  His place was nowhere near on the same par as mine and it was a bone of contention with him. When he wasn’t trying to steal my dancers in vain, he was always up to some shit that was bound to get his ass fixed one of these days.

  I’ve had to call Tony off his ass more times than I care to remember, but as dumb as he is, I know he’s harmless.

  Just another blowhard who thought the ex ball player didn’t have a head for business and was easy prey. He’d learned different the first time he tried pulling the wool over my eyes.

  Now I guess you can say we have a love hate relationship that can go either way on any given day. He stayed the fuck out of my way, and I barely

  know he exist.

  He answered on the second ring and I got right to the point.

  “The girl that just walked into your office, she’s not to be hired. While you’re at it, spread the word.”

  “Since when do I take orders from you?” I didn’t even bother with an answer. Part of our understanding, after I’d uncovered some of his less than legitimate dealings, was that he never crossed me if he didn’t want his doors to close overnight.

  “What’s in it for me?”

  “What’s in it for you? Your life, you touch one hair on her head you’re dead.” I know how he operates where his dancers are concerned. The little innocent who just walked through his doors have no idea.

  “What’s it to you anyway, you know this girl or something?”

  “That’s none of your concern get her out of your office right now. You don’t want me to come in there Cox.”

  I hung up the phone but had no intentions on trusting him. Not that I thought he was dumb enough to gainsay me on this, but I didn’t want her in his presence a second longer. His slime might rub off or some shit.

  “Tony go get her and bring her here to me.” I didn’t have to look to know that he’d followed me. I knew he was there the second I left my office even though I’d told him to take a breather while I worked.

  “On it!” He walked through the doors and headed to the back office. Two minutes later he walked
out with a very disgruntled female who was spitting fire and trying to wrestle her arm out of his hand.

  “You again, what the hell do you want?”

  “First, don’t ever speak to me like that again. Let’s go.” I took her from Tony and headed back to my place.

  “Hey, where are you taking me? Let go.”

  “Behave or I’ll carry you myself.” Damn hellcat. She had a lot of guts for someone her size because she didn’t heed my words, but instead tried to bite the hand that was holding hers.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, calm down.” It was a little late after all that I’d already done but I thought it would reassure her that I wasn’t an ax murderer or some shit. It didn’t work. She kicked me and almost fell on her ass.

  “That’s it.” I grabbed her bag and tossed it to a grinning Tony before throwing her over my shoulder kicking and screaming.

  We caused quite a stir when I walked through the doors, past diners who were waiting to be seated and workers who were milling about.

  It was her language more so than the spectacle of the big man carrying around a female like a sack of potatoes that had caused them to stop and stare I bet.

  Tony walked behind us reassuring everyone that it was nothing to worry about. I think he told them it was a lover’s quarrel or some shit so they didn’t call the cops on my dumb ass. Somehow I didn’t really care, at this point I was going on instinct.

  I didn’t stop until I reached my office and slammed the door shut behind us. “This is unlawful detainment asshole…” She tried sinking her teeth into my back.

  I pulled her around and grabbed her cheeks and the move shocked her enough to shut her up. “Watch your mouth.” I kicked the chair in front of my desk away and dropped her in it.

  She jumped right back up again. “Sit!”

  “Am I your fucking dog? Why have you brought me here?”

  “Who the hell are you talking to? I’m not going to tell you again about that mouth. Now sit down before I make you.”

  The fuck is going on? My dick was hard; first time in fucking weeks. I didn’t dare look down because I didn’t want her to freak but this was some untoward shit.