Lots and lots of body-numbing fun.

Throwing her hair up on top of her head since she was about to show Mallory a new part she wanted to add, she paused the music and came towards them. They watched as she showed them what she was altering to make the choreography more dynamic. She had been thinking a lot about their dance and figured this part would make them winners. Sometimes she had to make things a little less advanced because Mallory wasn’t the dancer that Brian was. Thankfully, Brian could dance to a dial tone and always make her stuff look harder than it was, but Mallory was another story. She was good, but she wasn’t great. That worried Reese, but they seemed to always bring the title home. So maybe it was Reese, maybe she expected more, she wasn’t sure. She showed them how to do it twice, they even did it with her, so when she started the music, she expected excellence, but that was not what she got.

She wasn’t sure how, or what happened, but the next thing she knew, Mallory was balled up on the floor screaming, holding her knee. Her heart dropped as she ran to Mallory’s side, yelling at Brian to get her mother. During the next few minutes, everything happened so quickly. Mallory’s knee was swollen, her mother was crying, she was crying, and even Reese was in tears. Brian was worried and carried Mallory to the car so they could take her the hospital, her mother promising to call once they knew something. Reese just prayed it was a twist and not a tear.

But an hour later, Reese found out that it was a ligament tear. Mallory was out for the rest of the season. Maybe longer. Reese was heartbroken for her because there was a good chance she was going to lose her scholarship to NYC but, instead of telling Mallory that, she guaranteed her that she would be dancing in no time. Sliding down the wall, she closed her eyes, her elbows resting on her knees and her hand falling between her legs, holding her phone. She was insanely worried about Mallory, she was, but ever since opening her studio, she had always had each category at the competitions filled and this time, she might not. This wasn’t that big of a deal but, at the same time, it was. This was Brian’s senior year. He wanted to go into college with the best competition record possible and having a win in the couple’s category meant he was a team player.

Fuck.

When her phone dinged, she looked at the screen to see that it was Phillip.

Busy?

She smiled as she typed back.

No, can I call you?

Before she could call him, her phone rang, signaling that it was him.

“Hey.”

“Hey, I am on break after a very long meeting,” he said. He sounded tired, and she had no doubt that he was. A flutter tickled deep in her stomach as he said, “What are you doing?”

“Sitting against the wall of my big studio, worried sick about one of my dancers. She tore the muscle in her knee.”

“Oh shit, that sucks.”

“Yeah, so now I am freaking out because my senior dancer, Brian, won’t compete but once, his solo, and I didn’t put him in the group because I felt his duet was so strong. Now I am freaking out, and I sound crazy, don’t I? Do you even care? I’m sorry,” she said, ending with a laugh before covering her face.

“No, not at all. This is important, and it sucks. I’m sorry that happened.”

“Yeah, it blows. I am having a hard time trying to make a decision on what’s right. I guess I could throw him in with the group, or maybe let him do it as a solo.”

“Yeah, or can’t you put him with someone else? Have them learn the dance and hope for the best? I mean, you’re pretty amazing and can probably teach a whole team of hockey players how to dance, so it should be cake for you.”

Why didn’t she think of that? And wasn’t that sweet of him?

“When did you get so smart?”

He laughed, and it made her smile. It felt good to have someone to talk to. Usually she talked to Piper, but she had been so busy with her new family and moving into their new house. Reese felt horrible bothering her with her issues.

“The only problem is that the only girl that could step up is Claire. She is doing a group, a duet with Skylar, and a solo. I don’t know if she could handle another dance.”

“Yeah, I don’t know, ask her. I haven’t even seen the girl dance yet, except when I catch her dancing in her room, but then she screams at me and I run and hide.”

Reese snorted with laughter as he laughed. “I’ll call her, and why don’t I try to convince her to let you see her dance since you helped me? She had mentioned it a while back, but I haven’t heard anything since.”

“That would be great, thanks,” he said. She could tell that this meant a lot to him, and she wanted to make it happen.

“Okay, well, let me let you go. I’m gonna call Claire.”

“All right, I’m about to go take a nap.”

“Sweet dreams,” she said, wishing that she could nap with him, which was completely against everything she believed in. She hadn’t slept, like go to sleep, with a guy in years. So weird, that must have come from him being there for her.

“They will be if they’re about your sweet ass.”

She giggled as she shook her head. “Bye.”

“Bye,” he said.

She hung up, dialing Claire’s number. Claire answered on the fourth ring and after explaining what happened, Claire was all for doing it.

“Are you sure you have the time?” Reese asked. “Can you handle it all?”

“Yeah, no problem. The only thing is… don’t take this wrong, okay?”