In the Air (20 page)

"Okay, I'll give it my best shot."

"Let's get to it then," Brigitte said as she walked to the corner of the room and turned on the stereo.

It was the song from the first night I saw Samson dance. The first time we kissed. The beauty of the song made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

"Let's see how well you two can move together. Start with finger turns?" Brigitte asked us.

We both looked at each other and nodded. We had done this in the previous week of class, and were quite good at it.

"Natalia, take Samson's left hand. Good. Now take his finger in your right." Samson and I were in sync with our movements. "Great job. Now, Natalia, first start with a single, and then do as many as you can."

I twirled around, holding onto Samson's finger, and then did a chainé turn.

"You two look very good together."

Samson bent down and whispered in my ear, "Yes, we do."

It was hard enough trying to balance in boots, but when Samson came that close to me, I dropped out of relevé. We continued laughing, while Brigitte walked to the stereo, ignoring the commotion.

"How do you always make me lose my balance?" I asked.

"It seems like whenever my lips are right here," his lips closed in at the top of my ear, "you become completely unprofessional."

I turned, lightly slapping his chest. "I'm not unprofessional," I claimed, following it up by laughing even more.

For the next hour, Samson and I moved our bodies together under Brigitte's direction. It felt as though we had been dancing together our whole lives. Growing up, different teachers had said that once you find the perfect partner, to never let them go. It's rare to be perfectly in sync with someone else. Being paired with Samson might have been the best thing to ever happen to me. He challenged me to be the kind of dancer I needed to be.

My mother may finally see my talent.

When Samson and I left Brigitte's, we were covered in sweat. She worked us hard. I now understood why Samson was such a stunning dancer; Brigitte was an excellent teacher.

"That was really amazing. I had such a good time," I said.

Samson stopped walking and turned to look at me. We had walked a block, hoping to catch a cab back to the dorms.

"I did, too. I think I finally found a good enough partner." I responded with a playful dirty look.

Samson grinned and slowly lowered his head, his lips inching closer to mine. He stopped just as our lips were almost touching. "You make me really happy."

His lips finally met mine. I pushed my lips firmly into his, holding my body flat against his chest. Samson's arms were tightly wrapped around my waist. In that moment, I wanted him more that I wanted anything else in life.

As soon as we entered my room, I threw my blazer and hoodie on the floor, removing my T-shirt as fast as humanly possible. Natalia was in front of me, half-naked, in a pink lace bra and matching underwear. My lips met the crook of her neck. Her body tensed, a small moan leaving her mouth.

"I want you, Natalia." I looked into her eyes, studying the beauty.

She responded by grabbing my neck and pulling me close to her body, pressing me against her. Our bodies moved toward my bed, the edge hitting the back of my knees. I fell backward. Natalia straddled my legs and bent down to kiss my neck.
If she keeps kissing that spot, there's no way I'm going to be able to stop.

My arm reached around Natalia's waist, holding her against my bare chest. A gasp left her throat as we pressed against one another. The air was cool, but our bodies were warm, and I felt the sweat that began to bead on the small of her back. My body was growing with anticipation. I wanted to be closer to her.

Natalia's phone vibrated. Reluctantly climbing off my lap, she walked across the room. She looked fantastic. All muscle, but still thin and fragile. Natalia grabbed her phone from her purse, hit a button and shoved it back into the side pocket.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"My mother," she quietly responded.

"Is everything okay?" I was concerned by the dejected look on her face.

"Yup." She stood up and walked back to the bed. She sat next to me, pressing her back against the wall.

"Wanna talk about it?" I inhaled, trying my best to relax.

"She's just so demanding of me. If I don't talk to her at least once a day, and tell her how long I danced, she blows my phone up every hour."

"It sounds as if she cares, though."

"She doesn't." Natalia looked down at her lap and grabbed a sheet nearby to cover herself. "All she wants is a successful ballerina. It doesn't have to be me, just anyone she's taught."

"I'm sure that's not true," I said, though I wouldn't be surprised if Natalia was speaking the truth. I could relate to that kind of parent.

"You have no idea." She sighed heavily.

"Unfortunately, I do." I reached for her hand, entwining our fingers together. "We're damaged goods."

I laughed softly. Natalia looked at me, and I felt like she was seeing everything I'd hidden from the world. She saw all of my broken pieces, but refused to turn away. In that second, I realized she was exactly what I'd been missing in my life.

I grabbed her body and placed her back on my lap. Natalia started laughing as my fingers touched her sides where she was ticklish. She slowly licked her lips and my body responded. I roughly pushed my fingers through her hair, bringing her face to mine, and kissed her.

Natalia's fingers caressed my back as her hips swayed back and forth. I didn't need to tell her that I wanted her. As soon as she rubbed against me, she became fully aware. I reached to unclasp her bra and threw it across the room. I stopped kissing her to examine her beauty. Her pale skin was as soft as silk. Every time I touched her, a shiver escaped her. She threw her head back, leaving her neck exposed. I explored her skin with my tongue.

"Samson," Natalia whispered, her breath hitting my earlobe, "have I ever told you you're an incredible kisser?" Her panting sped up.

"No need to." I clutched at her waist, just as her nails dug into my shoulder blades. Lifting Natalia off my lap, I laid her back on the pillow. My body hovered over hers, and the only sound in the room was our intense breathing.

"Aren't you going to get undressed?" Natalia whispered.

"Is that what you want?" I wanted to be certain this is what she wanted.

"Yes," she responded quickly as she reached down and began unbuttoning my jeans.

I grasped her hands, stopping her. "Natalia, if we do this, there's no turning back." I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince her or myself.

After a moment, she continued moving her fingers, the button on my jeans unclasping. Within seconds, we were both naked, wrapped in my sheets. I reached into the drawer of my nightstand and grabbed a condom. When I moved into this room, I threw them in there, not thinking I'd be using them so soon, or with anyone other than Aubrey. I hated that my mind kept roaming to thoughts of her. I was over her, and Natalia was underneath me, naked. I shook the thoughts away, and leaned down to kiss Natalia.

"You're incredible," I whispered. The room was dark, but the moonlight cast a shadow across Natalia's face. I focused on her eyes, smiling. When our bodies finally came together, Natalia's face flushed with pleasure. She stayed silent at first, but her breath quickened and her nails bit into the skin on my back. Her legs were wrapped around my hips. We moved together, and Natalia began moaning louder into my ear.

"Fuck," I sighed heavily, "I've never felt this good before."

I slowed my rhythm, my breathing also slowing, wanting to prolong it as long as I could. When I felt Natalia's entire body tighten, I knew she was ready. I pushed into her harder, and she threw her head back onto the pillow, her fingers tightly grasping the sheets around her. I moaned and continued pushing into her, feeling the pressure build. Natalia screamed as she climaxed, and my own followed. Her body began shaking, her hands still clutching the sheets. My breathing finally slowed and we stayed silent for a moment. I stayed on top of her, not wanting to move away.

"That was–" Natalia began talking, her heavy breathing masking her words.

"Amazing." I finished her sentence.

"Yeah. Exactly."

I carefully rolled off of her and stood up from my bed. I felt Natalia's arms wrap around my waist, and I turned to look at her. "Hey," I smirked.

"Hey." Her face lit up with a smile, making my heart stir.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Do you need anything to drink?"

"I'm fine." The smile remained on her lips as she let go of me. I grabbed my jeans and T-shirt from the floor and threw them on before leaving the room.

When I walked back in, softly shutting the door behind me, Natalia was covered in my sheets. She faced the wall and her eyes we closed as I climbed back into bed.

"Are you alright?" My hand touched her shoulder, willing her to turn and look at me.

"I'm wonderful," she whispered. When she finally faced me, a smile played on her lips. "Can I ask you something?"

I pulled her closer to me and wrapped my arms around her body. "Anything."

"Is there any significance to that song you dance to?" I nodded my response. "Will you tell me about it?"

"It's a song from my mother's favorite film. I choreographed a dance to it and showed it to her on Mother's Day. It's just a tribute to her for being so supportive of me," I explained. The first time I showed it to my mother, she cried and told me my dance was more beautiful than the song itself.

"You're such a wonderful person, Samson." Her hand cradled my cheek, as she pulled me close and kissed me. Her lips tasted sweet, like sweat and cherry lip balm.

"It's you who's wonderful."

I roamed the dimly lit hallways, the smell of disinfectant stinging my sinuses. The lights above me flickered, and anxiety surged through my body. No one was in sight. I was all alone.

"Dad!" I called out, running through the halls. My shoes squeaked along the linoleum flooring, echoing through the air. "Dad!" I called out again. No response. Room 515 came into view, and I pushed the door open, eager to see my father in the familiar hospital bed. The door screeched, opening to a deserted room. There wasn't any furniture in sight. The dingy wallpaper was peeling at the corners, and the smell of rot flooded my senses.

I ran out of the room, tripping over a vacant wheelchair that was pushed against the wall. My kneecap screamed in pain as I stood up and rushed off in the opposite direction. I bounded down the corridors, still shouting for my dad. When I finally reached the end of the hallway, my hands met the wall in front of me. I knew there was nowhere left to run. I knew my dad was gone. Suddenly, my name was being called, the sound coming from behind. When I turned, I saw Samson wearing the familiar smile that had the power to relax me.

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

I jerked awake. I had been having the same nightmare for the last year. This time, Samson was in it, and I wasn't frightened when I woke up. I actually felt comforted.

Samson stirred and turned over, a smile on his lips. "What are you doing awake?" His arms tightened around my body.

"I couldn't sleep. I had a nightmare," I confessed. I was very selective about telling people. The only two who knew were my mother and my therapist.