July (Calendar Girl #7) (6 page)

“What gives? You’re acting strange now that Maria is here.”

Heather bit her bottom lip and leaned against the opposite wall. “With Maria here, all the ideas and concepts I came up with for the video are going to be completely forgotten. I’d convinced the old choreographer to add in some of the new things I came up with but now…” Her words just stopped, disappointment dripping off each sentence like a rusty, leaking faucet.

“Have you approached Anton about your concerns?” I asked.

She shook her head vehemently. “No, he wouldn’t listen anyway. Now that she’s here, all eyes and ears will be on everything she does and says.”

I cringed. “But I thought you wanted her here. You were yippy skippy to call her up and bring her out.”

“Because she’s the best. Anton deserves the best.”

Bringing my hands together in front of me into a steeple I thought on this for a moment. Was there more to this than she was admitting to?

“Are you in love with Anton?” The question left my lips before I could sugarcoat it or lead into it with more subtlety.

Heather’s eyes widened and she leaned over, hands braced on her knees as her entire body shook. Then the roar of laughter ripped from her lungs as she stood back up. Her eyes were teary, cheeks pinked, and full piggy snorts left her nose as she howled in unfettered glee.

Apparently I got that
way
wrong. “I’m guessing that’s a no then?” I asked.

“Sorry, no.” She wiped the tears tracking down her face and took an enormous lung-filling breath. Honey, I would never fall for him. I want a man who makes me a priority, not an option.” She chortled, “We both know Anton is lover to all, committed to none.”

Lover to all, committed to none. No truer words were spoken in my recent memory. Anton didn’t seem anywhere near the type to settle down or commit to one woman for any length of time. “Then why can’t you talk to him?”

“I don’t know. Every time I broach the subject of creative direction of a particular project he stonewalls me before I can express my ideas. I’m at the point in my career, Mia, where I need to move forward or move on.”

I nodded. “So what are you going to do?”

“Well, between you and me”—she looked down the hall way ahead of us and then behind making sure the coast was clear—“I’ve been scouted by an agent for another musical group. Someone who’s prepared to give me the Creative Manager role, directly under the group’s talent agent. It’s for a hip-hop group out of New Jersey. A real up and comer. With the connections I’ve made and the concepts I already sketched out, the guy wants me bad. Willing to pay almost double my salary to get me to leave Anton.”

My eyes widened. “Wow, Heather, that’s incredible. What are you waiting for?”

Again, she bit down on her plump bottom lip. Her pretty blue eyes glanced sideways, and she kicked the toe of her shoe against the floor, dragging it along the carpet. “Um, it’s hard. I’ve been with Anton for four years. It’s always been about him. I mean, I have no real family. Only child. Parents died when I was very young. I was raised by my grandparents who have also passed.”

“Okay so what does that have to do with you making the decision to work somewhere else? Somewhere you’re going to be doing what you want, using the education you worked so hard to obtain, and the career you’ve already sacrificed your life to.”

She pressed a hand through her unruly blonde locks. “Mia, it’s so hard. Anton’s the closest thing to family I have. Even if I’m not his number one priority, he’s still mine.” Her shoulders slumped. “He’s my best friend, my only friend.”

“Oh honey,” I rubbed her arm.

“How sad is that? I’m loyal to a man who doesn’t give a hoot about me and yet, he’s all I’ve got.”

Grabbing Heather by the biceps I tugged her into my arms and hugged her. She held on tight. Interestingly enough, her touch didn’t send me into a mini panic attack. Tears poured down her cheeks as she clung to me and sniffed against my neck. I patted her hair and told her over and over that it was going to be okay. Eventually, the sobs turned into giggles. Pulling back, I wiped the tears running down her cheeks with my thumbs and looked her in the eye.

“You are smart, beautiful, and Anton cares more about what you think than you know. Just talk to him.”

She sighed deeply and nodded curtly. “I will. Thanks, Mia.”

“It will work out as it’s supposed to but only if you’re honest with yourself and Anton. He can’t know how you feel if you don’t tell him. And he’s definitely not going to change anything unless he’s aware of your needs and the fact that you’ve got other opportunities to consider.”

“Do you think he’ll be mad?” she asked as we walked to the elevator. I pressed the button, and it whirred to life somewhere above us.

“You know him better than I do. I think he’ll be very concerned that you’ve not gotten through to him and you’re considering leaving without giving him the opportunity to make things right. From what I gather, you’re the only one he listens to.”

Heather shook her head. “Nope. He does what he wants when he wants.”

“I think that’s a bit harsh and a smidge untrue.”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe.”

I smiled and walked through Anton’s penthouse as the doors opened. “Come on girl, let’s see what the devil is up to with Ms. Dancing with the Stars.”

Heather snorted. “Girl, don’t let her hear you say that. She’s liable to kick your ass! I heard she’s got a mighty hot temper.”

“Heather, honey, so do I. So. Do. I.”

When we entered the penthouse, Anton and Maria were not sitting idly at the table. No, they were in the center of the living room having a dance off.

“Then your character does this...”Maria did a series of complicated steps, rolled her body, circled her hips, touched the floor and bounced back up into another body roll followed by slamming her high-heeled foot down making a loud snap sound. “...right at the
ride it baby ride
.”

Anton mimicked exactly what she did, only when he did the moves, all three of us were mesmerized. Standing in a pair of loose linen pants and absolutely nothing else but a diamond encrusted heart dangling around his sweaty torso, he was a thing of beauty. Masculine living, breathing, art at its finest.

Heather cleared her throat. Two sets of eyes zeroed in on the two of us.

“Need us for anything?” The timid sound of her voice annoyed me. That was nowhere near getting her any credibility with the two hot-head, type A personalities before us.

I butted in bravely. “What Heather means is, she has some ideas she was working on with the last choreographer that she’d like to share with the rest of the class.” I glanced at Anton, and he watched me and tilted his head. I made a hello-come-on gesture with my eyes and slight shifts of my shoulders.

It took a minute, but he finally got the message. He picked up a hand towel that was dangling over the couch and wiped the sweat off his face. “Oh yeah, H? How come you didn’t say before?” His eyebrows narrowed in an unspoken accusation.

Heather’s mouth tightened and her jaw locked. “Anton, I tried many times to tell you my ideas. You told me to work out anything with the choreographer, and you’d see the end result.”

That’s when Maria and I both took in the staring contest the two of them had going on. “
Mi amiga
, since you have hired me as the new choreographer, how about you tell me your ideas and we can bounce them off one another over dinner.
Suena bien
?”

“I can call in some takeout?” I offered.

“That’s my job,” Heather sighed.

I shook my head. “Not tonight it’s not. How does sushi sound?” I practically danced in my pants, which really was more a jumble of limbs complete with a shoulder shimmy. Maria watched the display and then groaned whispering in Spanish, so low I could barely hear it, “
Tengo mi trabajo por de lante.
”

“What did she say?” I pointed an accusing finger at Maria while speaking to Heather. Maria’s eyes lit up with mischief and a saucy grin.

Heather clapped me on the shoulder and handed me her credit card. “Relax. She just said something about having her work cut out for her. Nothing offensive.”

Shooting daggers her way, I snarled. “I’ve got my eyes on you.”

Both Anton and Maria laughed and walked towards the kitchen. “Drink, Mia?” Anton called out.

“Yeah, whatever you’re having is fine.”

I turned and headed to the sitting room. I pulled out my phone bringing up the Grub Hub app. Right off the bat Yummy Chinese and Sushi Bar popped up with over a hundred Yelp ratings as well as an average of five stars. And the kisser…free delivery! Winner winner, sushi dinner!

***

“No, no, no, you’re not getting it!” Heather’s words were biting and fueled by the top shelf vodka we’d been imbibing. She stood and walked to the center of the room. A third round of fruity martinis was laid out on the table in front of us, courtesy of a Mia’s-badass-bartending-skills special. I patted myself on the back and waited for Heather to make her point. “My vision was a very Michael Jackson’s
Billie Jean
meets Billy Joel’s
Uptown Girl
.”

Maria scanned the notes in front of her, bobbing her head from side to side, the new song Anton had written playing on repeat to keep the muse enchanted. “
Si, si
, I feel you. Mia can be strutting her stuff like so.” She mimicked a sexy, sultry walk. “Then Anton will follow behind her, keeping a bit with the Michael Jackson hip sway and fast feet but with his own hip-hop, Latin fusion style,” she said excitedly.

Anton pounced after Maria when she repeated the moves. While she swayed her hips, I paid close attention because this would eventually be my role when the cameras were on. “See Mia, come here.” I stood, rather tipsy, wiped my sticky martini fingers on my jeans, and followed her lead. She turned around and grabbed my hips as though she was a man dancing with me. “Now, pretend I’m not here and move your hips when I tap your side.”

We walked a few steps, she tapped. I swayed back and forth picking up her rhythm. “Now stop and bend down, and touch your toes slowly, as if you’re going to tie your shoe. Then caress your legs all the way up, past your waist and over your breasts.”

I did what she said. “
Tan caliente,
” Anton murmured. He pressed his hands against my hips and rubbed his groin along my ass. He wasn’t hard, but that icky vibe hit out of nowhere and I broke out in a sweat.

“An-ton,” I warned. My lip trembled, betraying the fear that must have been evident in my eyes, saying something I wasn’t able to vocalize, because his hands left me as if they’d been burned.

“Sorry,
muñeca
”

I turned around and placed a hand on his chest. “No, I’m sorry. We’re just practicing. It will get easier, I promise.” Closing my eyes, I sent a quiet prayer up above that I’d get past this touching thing and quick. My job depended on it.

From across the room, I could hear my phone beep announcing a new text message. Anton lifted his chin as if approving I take a minute. Hustling over to my purse on the counter I yanked the phone out and read the message.

To: Mia Saunders

From: Wes Channing

No way, no how, am I missing your birthday. Deal with it. I’ll be in Miami in a week. We’ll do it the easy way or the hard way. Whichever you prefer, sweetheart, but you’re not getting out of seeing me.

Little did I know I had an audience. Heather made no bones about reading the text over my shoulder.

“Who’s Wes? Your boyfriend?”

Who was Wes? That was an excellent question indeed. My friend, lover, boyfriend, man of my dreams? In a way, he was all those things and more. “Um, definitely friend, sort of a boyfriend, I guess. We haven’t really established any titles at this time. Just taking it slow. You know how it goes.”

She snorted. “Me? Um, no. I’m queen of the one-night stand. With my job, there hasn’t been room for a special someone, though I hope one day there will be.”

Anton looped an arm over Heather’s shoulder. “Oh come now, H. There was that one guy that was all over you a couple weeks ago. Remember? Straight lost his shit when I entered your apartment unannounced.”

She groaned. “I remember, Anton. You don’t have to remind me.”

He laughed and smacked his thigh. “You were riding that fucking pony six ways from Sunday! Whatever happened to him?”

“You! You happened to him, Anton. Just like Reece, and David, and Jonathan. Every time I get close to a guy you seem to screw it up with your demands, your entering my loft without knocking. Frightening them away before I ever even have a chance at more.” She harrumphed and pouted.

Anton’s eyes screwed into white-hot points. “You’re shitting me? You’re blaming me for being unlucky in love?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “No. I am not shitting you! When the nation’s biggest hip-hop artist trails into your home unannounced, looking the way you do and calling me
baby
, it doesn’t leave the best impression on future suitors.” Her hand came up to her forehead and she pressed her finger and thumb into her temples. “Why do I put up with this?” she grumbled under her breath.

Anton’s shoulders slumped and he lifted her chin. “H, baby, talk to me?”

“Talk to you! I’ll talk to you. I’ve been offered another job. One I think I’m going to take. How about that for idle chat!” Her voice was loud in the cavernous room.

“What! You are
not
fucking leaving me!” he roared.

Oh no. Both Maria and I backed up a couple steps until we hit the edge of the counter. Heather lifted a pointed finger. “I’m tired of you not listening to me. Not promoting me!” Her voice rose, and I lifted my martini to my lips. Maria did the same as we watched the fight unfold.

“Listen to
you
? You’re the only one I listen to!” he countered. “And you’ve never asked for a promotion! What do you want? More money? Done!”

Heather’s face contorted into a grimace, an expression so wrought with pain even I could feel the heat of her ire. “It’s not always about fucking money! Uggh, you’re so infuriating.” She yanked on her hair and spun around to face the wall of windows overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. “Maybe it’s best that I move on.”