The Perfect Couple (2 page)

Cara sighed as she watched Daniel dance through his routine to the swell of the music, the fluttering in her chest swelling to epic proportions. She had been giddy with excitement to receive a text from him after their first date and they had talked through texting nearly all night, ending with Daniel inviting her to the opening performance of the Broadway play. Now she sat in the audience, her attention on the handsome dancer that was rocking the stage with his moves. He made his dance steps look so fluid, so precise, and she couldn’t be more excited for him. After the final curtain dropped, Cara made her way backstage, greeting the set group and performers with easy smiles and congratulations on a successful show. Knowing what had gone into making the first performance a success, Cara knew the group had to be excited that everything had gone off without a hitch.

“Hey, gorgeous. I am glad you made it.”

Cara turned around to find a smiling Daniel just a few feet behind her, dressed in street clothes and a huge grin on his handsome face. “Thank you for inviting me. You did awesome.”

“I’m glad we didn’t have any major hiccups for the first performance,” he said, running a hand through his still damp hair. “So you really liked it?”

“It was already amazing to watch it from the wings of the stage, but seeing it with the audience, I have to say it took my breath away,” she smiled.

“In that case, let’s go celebrate,” Daniel said, holding out his hand. Cara accepted and he interlocked their fingers as he walked toward the exit. Outside the city was humming with activity, the Broadway playgoers spilling out of the theaters and onto the sidewalks, their excited voices discussing what they had just witnessed in the magic of attending the theater. Tomorrow the reviews would be in and some plays would never make it past their opening night while others would go on for long runs on the stage. All of the hard work would pay off for those performers and the play would only get better the longer it was on stage, fine-tuned to have a seamless show after show.

Cara grasped Daniel’s warm hand and moved through the crowd, excited about being with him once more. Finally they broke through the crowd and found themselves on the sidewalk in the midst of the bustling city. Cara loved New York at night, the sights, sounds, and smells of the city something that she would never grow tired of. “Would you like to grab some coffee?” Daniel asked as he motioned for her to turn down a side street away from the hustle and bustle. Cara nodded and he steered them to a small shop on the corner.

Once they grabbed their coffee and stepped back outside, Cara took a sip of her coffee and smiled at Daniel expectantly. “I’m glad you came tonight Cara,” he said warmly.

“I’m glad I did as well,” she replied, touching his arm. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“I couldn’t think of anyone else I would want there,” he said softly, causing Cara to inwardly melt. Daniel was very handsome and much farther in his career than she was, which was why all of this was such a surprise. They really should have hardly anything in common with the way that their lives were heading, but Cara felt like that wasn’t the case.

Reaching over, Cara took Daniel’s free hand in hers this time, interlacing their fingers once more. “I have to say I didn’t think I would like you, Daniel.”

Daniel laughed aloud as he squeezed her fingers, a jolt of awareness screaming through Cara as a result. “I’m glad you took a chance, Cara. What do you think now?”

“I’m thinking I need more time to make a final determination,” she said cheekily as Daniel spun her around to have them face-to-face. He grinned and brought their joined hands in between them, his eyes searching hers. “Take all the time you want. I’m not complaining.”

Cara leaned forward and lightly kissed him on the lips, a hint of coffee assaulting her senses. Heat flared within her and Daniel captured her lips this time, his kiss gentle. “I think I am going to like what’s between us,” she whispered softly as he kissed the corners of her mouth. There was something there, something that could develop and grow over time if they so chose.

“I already do,” Daniel said softly, kissing the tip of her nose. Cara couldn’t help but feel the thrill of the unknown bubble up inside as she thought about spending more and more time with this man. Her senior year was as smooth as she could hope for and now she could throw in this developing relationship with Daniel. Life was good.

“I’m glad you were able to break away today.”

Cara looked at Daniel with a hesitant smile, wondering what was up with him. When he had called her and asked her to meet him, she had thought it was just another chance to spend time together but the man before her was not the cheerful, carefree Daniel she was used to. This one was a more reserved Daniel, making her extremely nervous about what he wanted to discuss with her. “Sure. I finished up in the studio early so you caught me at a good time. What’s up?”

“I received some news today that I want to share with you, Cara,” Daniel started, looking down at his uneaten pizza before him. Cara swallowed hard as she realized that whatever he had to tell her was going to affect this budding relationship as well, all of her giddy feelings about seeing him losing some of the excitement that she had earlier. Daniel took a breath and looked at her then, whatever he was going to say reflecting in his facial expression as sadness. “I’ve been invited to travel with one of the groups on U.S. tour and to be honest, I can’t turn this opportunity down, Cara. I’ve looked forward to doing this my entire career.”

“Well, of course you have to go,” Cara said, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears. He was leaving? She couldn’t fault him however. Every performer looks forward to being able to take their talents on the road, to share with more than just the crowd that showed up night after night. It was a wonderful opportunity and Cara would snatch it up in a heartbeat if she had been the one with the chance. “How long will you be gone?”

“A month or two,” Daniel responded, looking up at her with regret in his eyes. “I know this is shitty timing, Cara.”

Cara forced a smile as she reached across the table to wrap her hand over his, squeezing it lightly. It was shitty timing but she didn’t think she could live with herself if he stayed here because of this relationship. The tour was far more important. “It’s fine, Daniel, really. I-I’m not going anywhere anytime soon unless you want to just remain friends.” Was that what he was thinking? They would be separated and while there were many means of communicating, it wasn’t the same as being face-to-face. Did he want out of this relationship?

“What? No, Cara,” he said vehemently, his eyes blazing with emotion. “I don’t want to lose this between us. I want to make sure that you want to continue this relationship with me. I know it’s not easy to be apart when we are just getting into this relationship and the timeframe we will be looking at now makes it even more difficult.”

“Of course, Daniel. This is an awesome opportunity and I will support you wholeheartedly from New York.”

Daniel grinned then, some of the worry leaving his expression as he kissed the back of her hand softly. “Then we are in agreement. I am pretty good with Skype.”

Cara laughed and released his hand, turmoil already building within. She was facing two months without Daniel when they were just getting started. “Me too,” she finally said. “Don’t worry about me, really, and we will celebrate when you come back.” She just hoped he didn’t return and dump her all of a sudden.

***

“So you promise you will text me back every evening?”

“Of course, you dolt,” Cara said with a roll of her eyes. She and Daniel stood in the airport, holding hands as the time ticked down for Daniel to leave. The week had been pretty intense, between the increasing stress in the studio and her schoolwork and the realization that Daniel was really leaving her to enjoy an opportunity of a lifetime. She had tried to stay upbeat about his opportunity and tried not to show any crazy emotions but the thought of releasing his hand now made her want to cry.

“Let me know how your new routine is going,” Daniel was saying as he tugged her close, enveloping her in his strong arms. Cara sighed as she clutched his shoulders, her cheek pressed against his chest as she tried to take in the feel of him that would last her the entire time. “I will think of you every single minute, Cara. Do not doubt my feelings for you.”

“Just enjoy yourself,” she sniffed as he pulled back to touch her face, his thumb swiping at a stray tear she didn’t realize had fallen. This was crazy, these feelings she was experiencing for a man she hadn’t known very long. Not wanting to make him worry about her, Cara framed his face with her hands, forcing a smile that she didn’t truly feel deep down inside. “Go! I will be fine and expecting a night out on the town when you return.”

“Damn, I am going to miss you,” Daniel swore softly as he brushed her lips with his before deepening their kiss, his tongue sweeping into her mouth seeking hers. Cara closed her eyes and returned his kiss with the same fervor until he was forced to pull away with a groan, resting his forehead on hers briefly. “I’ll text you when we get there.”

He then kissed her hard on the lips and walked away, forcing Cara to wrap her arms around herself as she watched him disappear in the crowd. This sucked, him leaving like this but she wasn’t going to abandon this budding relationship she had just found. She would be waiting on him to return and when he returned, they would enjoy getting to know each other again.

One month later

“Come on, Cara, pick up the pace! Get your head in the game!”

“Sorry,” Cara muttered at her dance instructor, turning in a slow circle to the beat of the music. She was so tired from school, her service project, and the studio, both body and soul. Her nights consisted of cramming for her upcoming mid-semester exams while her days were split between the business of school and the studio. Sometimes she wondered if she was going to get through this last year with all of the requirements of a senior.

With a sigh she finished the routine, receiving a disapproving look from Sara, her dance instructor. Cara knew she was disappointed with her performance, which meant she would have to try harder tomorrow. “Sorry, Sara. I’m having an off day.”

“Professionals do not have an off day,” Sara replied with a heavy sigh. “Go home, get a good meal and some sleep. You look like really tired. Tomorrow I expect the best performance of your life.”

Cara gave her a grateful smile and stripped off her ballet shoes, throwing on her zip-up hoodie before exiting the studio. A nice warm shower and a bowl full of starchy pasta was what she needed tonight. No studying in her near future until she was full and relaxed. All of this tension of her upcoming exams was getting to her and Cara knew she needed a small break at least.

Pulling out her phone, Cara scrolled through her texts, disappointed that she didn’t see a new text from Daniel. He had been gone for a month now and they had texted back and forth religiously when they couldn’t talk in person. At night, way after she should be asleep, he would call and tell her about his performances and what he was seeing on the road. She was so jealous, and could only hope that she would be in the same position one day. Cara couldn’t wait to perform on tour, in places that she had only seen on the internet. With each text and call, Cara felt like she was learning about Daniel, learning his likes and dislikes, how he grew up, and his goals for the future. They had a lot in common; their love for dance and the need to be successful in their profession, which was the life that Daniel was living now and the life that Cara was looking forward to.

Placing her phone back in her pocket, Cara walked down the hall and pushed open the door to the outside, the dying sun greeting her. After the day she had, Daniel’s voice was exactly what she needed to hear.

“Hey babe.”

Wow, that was crazy. She could almost hear his voice in her ear. Maybe she was delirious. When the arm slid around her waist, Cara realized that she wasn’t.

“Oh my god! Daniel! What are you, I didn’t know you were coming home!”

Daniel’s easy smile lit up her entire world as he wrapped her into a big hug, spinning her around in a circle. “I didn’t want you to know. I wanted to surprise you so I found out where you were dancing tonight from your instructor. Surprise!” He looked so good in his low-slung jeans and blue T-shirt, much better than she imagined she looked with her sweaty face and old dancing gear. Still she couldn’t even fathom that he was in front of her, holding her.

Cara squealed with happiness as she threw her arms around his neck, savoring the feel of his arms around her. She hadn’t realized just how much she had missed him until just now, the emotion of being so stressed out and so alone for the month bringing tears to her eyes. “I am so happy to see you.”

“Not nearly as happy as I am to see you,” he laughed, pulling back to look at her. “Okay, maybe not with tears. Don’t cry, Cara.”

“I’m sorry, “she said instantly, feeling like a dork as he wiped away the tears from her eyes. “I’ve been under so much stress with work and all and this is, I am just happy to see you.”

“It’s fine,” he said with a tender smile. “Tonight I shall wine and dine you and the stress will melt away.” He then leaned in and kissed her lips hungrily, Cara gasping at the sheer force of his kiss. “I-I think I will like that,” she said shakily when he pulled away, her legs like rubber. This was what she needed. This was what was going to put her back on the path, to renew her focus on the end result of graduating and allowing the future to decide her path. Daniel was back and she couldn’t be happier. “What did you have in mind?”