Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
I had a sneaking suspicion Emil was trying to release some tension, given his hectic schedule, but our sex wasn’t always fast and hard. Sometimes, it was slow and toe-curling, with our mouths joined and our touches soft as we whispered our feelings in the dead of night. I never realized sex could be like that with someone I loved. Frantic or tender. Sometimes a mix of both.
And I certainly hadn’t expected to appreciate any of it. Or all of it.
It also wasn’t a good idea to be reminiscing about morning sex while sitting in the audience at the Performing Arts building, wedged between my parents and Emil’s.
I leaned forward to talk to Henners, who was seated next to his parents and Lark’s mom and sister. “Thanks for the tip with the flowers.”
“How could you forget after all the hype about it last year?” he muttered. We’d ribbed him for days after he’d attended the dance recital and brought Lark flowers after the performance.
“Because I was clueless back then?” I replied.
He smirked. “You said it, not me.”
I chuckled and sat back, making sure not to squash the bouquet at my feet, next to the one my parents brought. Guess they were better versed in this stuff than I was.
When the lights dimmed, Emil’s mom whispered, “Ooh, the curtain’s going up.”
There was a quiet buzz in the audience before the opening remarks from the dean of the program, pointing out the time and commitment the students and teachers had put into producing an amazing show. That was followed by an energetic hip-hop opening act featuring all the instructors, which I wouldn’t have even known was a thing if I hadn’t read about it in the pamphlet. But damn, they were good, and I supposed that was a dumb thing to think since they’d probably taught dance their entire careers.
“That was a lot of fun,” Mom said after it ended, and Dad agreed. It was so awesome that they’d shown up tonight to support Emil. It meant so much to both of us.
I had to admit my mind wandered during the next portion of the show because it was sort of boring, as was the music. The only time I perked up was when I saw Lark and Justin walk onstage for a tap-dance routine. Damn, the footwork was impressive, and I felt bad for all the times last year I’d never given them the benefit of the doubt when they’d argued that dance was an art as well as a sport. Given Emil’s recent schedule, it was clear they worked as hard, if not harder, than other athletes.
Emil’s first performance was next, and I held my breath in anticipation.
“There he is!” Mrs. Ettinger said like a proud parent, and Mom leaned forward to smile at her.
This was a modern-dance routine, and for the first time, I paid attention to how it differed from, say, ballet or tap. For one, the clothes were contemporary and trendy, even if they were all blinged out with shiny material and rhinestones. Emil said that was so they stood out onstage. It was why they wore glittery eye shadow too, which I’d admit was hot.
For this performance, the dancers wore joggers with one pant leg pulled up and loose, boxy sweatshirts exposing their shoulders. I didn’t know how they maneuvered with the extra bulk, but they mastered it. Some of the moves were like something you’d see on a street corner from kids with raw, untapped talent, and I supposed that was the point.
“Amazing,” Dad said at the end, and our moms beamed at each other. I felt like standing and whistling, but that wasn’t allowed in the auditorium, not until the end when the audience was encouraged to let loose during the finale.
I yawned my way through a few more song-and-dance numbers—damn, how long did this thing last?—when finally, I saw Emil cross the stage in tights, ballet shoes, and a glittery tank top that showed off his lean muscles. I thumped Henners’s shoulder when the female dancers followed and Lark was among them in a bouncy, white tutu. There was another male in a skirt, and the audience seemed to become more animated as a result.
Lark’s sister, Star, squealed upon seeing her brother, and Henners pulled her on his lap so they could enjoy the performance together. It was sweet, and I’d be sure to tell him later. Or maybe not. I’d tell Emil instead. I had a dude-bro reputation to maintain, after all.
Speaking of my boyfriend, he was mesmerizing to watch as he partnered up with Lark in fluid movements until Emil lifted him into the air like he weighed nothing at all. I could hear the gasps from the audience, but I was transfixed by how delicately Emil moved in ballet compared to the modern-dance number. Damn, he was obviously multitalented in both dance and music.