Breaking Hearts (B-Boy #2) (18 page)

Chapter 36

Past

“Sit down.” I pointed toward the little vinyl stool perched in front of me. It was the most I could do at such late notice and a far cry from the comfortable environment of my office.

Jacob ran his fingers through his thick mess of brown waves and plopped down, attempting to fold his body onto the tiny circular seat. He wasn’t as tall as Kurt by any means, but still looked gigantic on top of the tiny chair.

He folded his legs uncomfortably and grunted. “I guess you’re going to interview me? Ask the hard hitting questions?”

There was no mistaking the malice in his tone. Still, I couldn’t help but think it was misplaced. Sure, I ran away after kissing him, yes, but only because Gemma had walked in on us. Speaking of which…

“So what happened to Gemma?” I arched an eyebrow, staring into his deep chestnut colored eyes. He wasn’t the only one who had the ability to sniff out bullshit. In fact, I’d become somewhat of an expert.

His eyes widened and the vein in his neck throbbed visibly just a few times. “Whoa, that’s a bit abrasive, no?”

I placed my tablet on my lap and crossed my arms tightly. “I think it’s an answer I deserve, don’t you think?”

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip so methodically that I wondered if he knew exactly what he was doing to me. He should. The last time I felt that tongue was…

Stop it, Estelle!

I smoothed back my hair and took a deep breath, filling my diaphragm up completely before exhaling slowly. “You know what? Forget it. Let’s move on.”

Jacob stretched out one leg and crossed his arms. Bowing his head forward, he peered up at me through hooded eyes. “Okay, ask away.”

I picked up my tablet and opened up my notepad app. “So—”

“Why do you want to know about Gemma?” he cut me off.

My head snapped up as if a puppet string was tugging it. “Huh?”

“You asked and now I want to know, why do you care so much?” He puckered his mouth, and despite my negative feelings, I couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to kiss those lips again.

I blinked my eyes, shaking those thoughts out of my head. “I…I was just wondering why she wasn’t here. Seems like the whole crew stuck together. What happened to her?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Mmhmm? What’s that supposed to mean?” I shot back.

“Are you sure your question doesn’t have anything to do with…”

My eyes darkened. No. I was not going to think of the most humiliating night of my life again and I was not going to allow Jacob to steer me into that direction.

I cleared my throat. “Never mind about that. So, Mr. Silas—”

“Seriously?” he muttered. “Mr. Silas? Are you talking to my father or to me?”

I ignored him and continued speaking, “Tell me, what have you been doing for the last five years?” It wasn’t one of my prepared questions and not one I would ever think of asking another interviewee, but I needed to know.

I was selfish as hell.

To my surprise Jacob answered right away. “I finished up my degree at Cal U—”

“For teaching, right?”

He nodded, peering into my eyes.

I quickly averted mine and muttered, “Sorry for interrupting. Please go on.”

It was like pulling teeth to get his answer. He sighed and relented. “The guys and I continued competing throughout the years and even moved in together in L.A. before coming out to New York. Needless to say, I put my teaching career on hold to pursue this full-time.”

“Why’d you come all the way over here? I mean, isn’t Los Angeles like a mecca for dancers?”

His eyes narrowed. “I could be asking you the same thing. What brought you up to New York, E?”

“Well, this interview isn’t about me, is it? This interview is about you.” I cleared my throat and typed a few notes into my tablet, which read nothing but gibberish. Shielding the screen from him, I motioned for him to continue.

Rolling his eyes, he took a deep breath and mumbled. “I just wanted to dance. Teaching would be cool, but breaking has an expiry date. My body can’t hold up this way when I’m forty, you know?”

I automatically scanned his body, eyeing his broad shoulders, muscular arms, and taut abdomen. I could almost count the number of his muscles through the thin gray shirt he was wearing. There was no way his body would give up at forty, fifty, or sixty. He was perfect.

I quickly glanced away, attempting to cool down. I was pretty sure my cheeks had flushed as they usually did whenever I was turned on. Attempting to change the subject, I insisted, “Why New York?”

“Honestly, I was thinking of doing Broadway.” He let out a stale laugh and stared at me intensely as if waiting for a smart comeback.

“Broadway?” I gaped, unable to fight the amused smirk on my lips.

“What? You don’t think I can do it?” he snapped, eyes blaring.

Having never seen Jacob lose his temper before, I gulped anxiously. “It’s not that…”

“Then what is it?”

“I…I uncovered a scandal with one of the playhouses last year. Needless to say, I’m not the most liked person in theater. I guess it’s a good thing that you’re not a Broadway dancer interviewing with the Estelle Donovan. They’d probably kick you out the moment they find out.”

“And you don't care?”

“That you’re not on Broadway?” I frowned in confusion. Why would I? I didn’t even know he wanted to be.

He shook his head and turned the corners of his mouth downward. “That a huge chunk of New York hates you. What happened to you, E? You used to be so shy and so sweet and now…”

“Now what?” I snapped.

“To be honest, now you seem like a bit of a bitch.”

My eyes slowly widened and my nostrils flared. “What did you say to me?”

Jacob was as smug as ever. He crossed his arms and straightened his back. “You heard me.”

I was not a bitch. Sure, I had to portray myself in a certain sense to get anywhere in my career, but I was far from a bad person!

I clenched and unclenched my fists, making sure to take deep breaths to calm myself down. After a few moments, I finally steadied my breathing enough to speak again. “So Jacob, how does it feel to sign with Xtension Management?”

He stared at me blankly before replying. “It feels great.”

Chapter 37

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

“Oh my gosh, Natalie, can you please get that?” I yelled out the door of my office. My twenty-year-old assistant yelped and immediately jumped up from whatever the hell she was stacking and grabbed the nearby phone.

“Estelle Donovan’s office, can I help you?” Her voice wavered just a bit, enough for me to feel sorry for her, but not enough to forget that she was supposed to say
NYC Journal
instead of my name.

Feeling frustrated, I slammed the door loudly before yelling, “Hold all my calls! I have an article I’m struggling with.”

I groaned and plopped down into my desk chair just as my personal cell phone buzzed. Kurt’s name jumped out at me, but unlike usual, my heart didn’t skip a bit. In fact, I even loathed seeing the notification knowing he was going to try to pull my arm to do him another favor.

“Let’s see what he wants,” I muttered as I swiped my phone.

Kurt: Hey, babe. I know Reggie’s still sick, but is there a chance you can come & photograph the event at the Hall tomorrow night? It’d really help me out.

“Are you flipping serious?” I muttered, nearly chucking my phone across the room. I’d finally gotten away from Jacob’s crew and now he wanted to thrust me in the middle of all of it again?

Feeling exasperated, I typed only two words as a response.

Estelle: I’m busy.

But as usual, Kurt was used to hard balling, if not whining to get his way.

Kurt: Doing what? C’mon babe, just do this for me. PUH-LEASE!!!

I growled and typed back quickly.

Estelle: I take it you’re not going to drop this until I say yes.

The fool had the audacity to answer with a simple emoticon.

Kurt: ;)

“Ugh, fine, fine, fine. Why not prolong my suffering? Maybe it’ll help me write this stupid article.”

Estelle: Fine. I’ll be there at nine.

***

I gripped the seatbelt buckle of the Uber as if my life depended on it. Outside, the flashing lights of New York City passed me by as we trekked slowly to the Meat Packing District. It was definitely a far cry from the palm trees of southern California and didn’t give me the same sense of calm.

The driver, who I’d actually had the pleasure of riding with a few times before, knew our routine well and kept to himself quietly in the front, leaving me fidgeting uncomfortably in the back.

“Why did I agree to this?” I murmured.

“What was that, Miss Donovan?”

“Nothing. Forget it.” I rubbed my forehead with the bottom of my hand and glanced at my new camera, which was placed neatly beside me on the SUV’s leather seat. It was a gift from Kurt that he made sure to have delivered just mere hours ago. Though his card made it seem as if it were a token of his love for me, I knew it for what it truly was—blood money and a bribe for what I was about to do.

Writing the article was bad enough. For obvious reasons I couldn’t separate my personal feelings enough to write an objective article that was something more than “What’s your favorite color?”

There was no way I could write a tell-all about the humble group from California who had finally made it to the big league in New York without laying my heart into it.

I saw them when they were basically nothing. I watched them practice and work their hardest while maintaining their friendships.

I fell in love with one of them.

The article needed to be drafted by the beginning of the next week and so far I had only written the word “The.”

The Uber pulled up to the Hall, which still had a line wrapped clear across the building. Considering the venue opened two hours ago, I was amazed there was still a crowd attempting to get in.

I took a breath before grabbing the strap of my camera and placing it around my neck. Without a second thought I jumped out of the Uber, careful to keep my micro mini from showing any of my bits and walked straight to the bouncer.

“Hey, Lou,” I greeted.

The huge man peered down at me and shot me a wink. “Here on business or pleasure, E?”

“Since when do you call me ‘E’?” I shot back in surprise. I’d known Lou for years, having always frequented The Hall with my girlfriends and not once had he called me E.

“Someone named Jacob put you on the list as such. I guess he didn’t realize that you practically have a lifetime VIP membership here.”

I pressed my lips together and patted Lou’s broad shoulders as I stepped past the velvet rope. All around me I heard shouts of disdain from a crowd that obviously had enough of waiting in line. Usually I’d laugh silently to myself and soak in the fact that I had special status. That night, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I’d trade places with any of the patrons in a heartbeat if it meant I could stay at home hiding.

BOOM.

BOOM.

BOOM.

The pounding of the bass felt like I was being stabbed in the chest by a blunt knife. I wove my way through the mass of people, walking toward the VIP area, which was located up a set of stairs toward the back of the huge auditorium. Before I could even reach it, I felt someone tug at my arm.

“Hey, E.” Jacob’s voice wasn’t as hateful as it had been, but that wasn’t what threw me for a loop. With his plain black tee and soccer pants, I felt extremely overdressed.

“They let you in like that?” I didn’t mean for the question to sound so judgmental, but the look on Jacob’s face told me that was exactly how he had interpreted it. I quickly added, “I mean, last time I tried to walk in here wearing a pair of dark jeans and a blouse they practically threw me out.”

His face instantly relaxed. “I see you took that lesson to heart. You certainly dressed for the night, but like I always said, you clean up very well.”

My face immediately warmed. If I were being honest, then I’d have to admit that I did take an extra long time getting ready that night, knowing full well that I’d be seeing Jacob. I painstakingly picked out my sexiest sweetheart cut, strapless dress, which barely reached the middle of my thigh, and paired it with the highest stilettos I owned. Though it did hit me that I wouldn’t be able to take a few angled shots unless I wanted to flash the audience my bright red thong, I figured some sacrifices needed to be made to feel confident about myself.

I pushed back a stray strand of hair that had fallen from my messy top knot. It was another detail that I planned out that night. Since I still hadn’t had time to get a haircut, I wanted to look completely different from ‘College Estelle’ and decided that wearing my hair up would do the trick. Of course I didn’t anticipate the cold draft from the AC unit hitting my neck and bare back all night.

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. “Um, thanks, I guess.”

An awkward lull fell between us and I found myself glancing around desperately for the other guys. “Where are Rodriguez and all of them?”

My eyes scanned the crowd and I frowned when I spotted each of the guys dry humping a different girl in the middle of the floor. Jacob followed my gaze and snorted. “Guess you found them.”

His breath hit the top of my shoulders and I was instantly brought back to that night in the dorms. The familiar warmth began to travel up my thighs and I knew I had to focus on something else before I did something I regretted. I gulped and quickly asked, “Have you seen Kurt?”

Yes, Estelle. Look for your boyfriend.

Jacob frowned. “Actually, no. I was thinking he’d show up with you.” His dark eyes clouded. “Why didn’t he show up with you?”

It was my turn to frown. “What do you mean?”

He shook his head as if I had just asked the dumbest question. “I’d never let my girlfriend turn up to these things alone. Especially someone who looked like you. I’d never let you walk in here by yourself.”

“Huh?” I murmured dumbfounded.

“Even David knew how to treat you better.”

All at once all the rainbows and glittered feelings that had bubbled within me disappeared. Through gritted teeth I spat out, “Please never mention that name to me again.”

“Why?” Jacob chuckled. “Because you realized how messed up that whole situation was?”

“Yes,” I admitted freely, earning another surprised look on his face. “It was dumb to sleep with him thinking it’d get to you.”

Shit. Word vomit again. Really?

Jacob’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”

“I…uh…”

“Babe, there you are !” I turned and spotted Kurt elbowing a drunk looking individual to get to me. He immediately grabbed my hand and spun me around, whistling in appreciation. “Damn, did I ever hit the jackpot.”

Jacob cleared his throat uncomfortably and attempted to look away. I, for one, couldn’t tear my eyes away from Kurt’s bloodshot eyes and snot filled nostrils.

“Kurt, where were you?” I demanded, noting the way he sniffled and wiped at his nose with the back of his hand.

He narrowed his eyes slightly before breaking into a huge grin. “I was taking care of business, baby. You know, earning that money to continue buying you those red soled shoes you like.”

I smacked his hand away. “You know perfectly well I make my own money. Now cut with the crap. Where were you?”

Kurt ignored me and basically pushed me aside to wriggle next to Jacob. He smacked a heavy hand down on the b-boy’s shoulder. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”

“It’s going.” Jacob eyed Kurt’s nose and threw me a questioning look.

I’d heard rumors of Kurt’s drug use before, but he always assured me that it was in the past. Given that he never really gave me a reason to doubt him, I never paid attention. Now, seeing him all amped up like this made me question a lot of things.

Kurt’s voice seemed shriller than usual when he nudged Jacob toward me. “You look nervous. Are you nervous?”

Jacob scratched his head. “Not really. I’ve done this about a million times before.”

“Well, you should still loosen up.” Kurt shot me a sideways stare. “You should too. I can tell you’re nervous about taking the photos tonight.”

I pressed my lips together and scowled. “Do you want us to take drugs too? Is that how you loosen up?”

Jacob and Kurt shared identical masks of horror. Trying to play it off, Kurt walked over and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Always the jokester, but seriously, you two should dance. I have some business to attend to. Have some fun before the show, eh?” Before I could respond, he leaned toward Jacob and whispered loud enough for me to hear, “Remember what we talked about earlier.”

Jacob nodded uncomfortably and watched Kurt walk away. Once he was out of earshot, I hissed, “What’s he talking about?”

“Why do you care?” Jacob shot back, still frowning uncomfortably.

“Because I know Kurt and he’s acting really strange. This isn’t like him.”

“You mean him being high?”

I couldn’t do anything but blink. This was definitely not a situation I’d ever been in before and I had no idea what the proper protocol was. Luckily, Jacob must have took pity on me because he visibly relaxed and grabbed my hand. I immediately snatched it back.

“What are you doing?” I demanded.

“Kurt said we should loosen up, and judging by the way I’m guessing we both feel right now, I’m saying it’s a good idea.”

Guilt once again showed her ugly face. “I…I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“And why not?”

“Because…” Before I could react, Jacob had whisked me toward the dance floor. As usual, I followed like a blubbering idiot. “Jacob…”

He pulled me in to him and replied, “Because is not an answer.”