This Could be the Start of Something New

Little Do You Know

"What did you just say to me? I gotta loosen up a bit more? Me?!"

"I said no such thing! I just said that you can't plan things down to every last step I'm gonna take! You gotta give me some room to improvise! I'm a dancer, not a robot!"

"Oh right, because improvisation is just what we need when the dance has to fit a certain music, certain words exactly! I need to plan everything so that I can tell you when you get to do things more freely."

"Well, so far I don't see that happening! So far I only see myself being viewed as a dancing machine that you can program into following your exact orders."

"You're being over-dramatic!"

"I'm being over-dramatic? Who just freaked out when I told him he needs to loosen up a bit more!"

"Hah! So you do admit it! I knew you said that!"

"Ugh!"

"Guys!" Nini Salazar-Roberts interrupted her two bickering friends. The short brunette had finally had enough, this discussion had been going on for a while. The girl buried her head in her hands as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Good god, what was I thinking putting you two together for choreography and dance. I should have known you wouldn't get along – you're just too similar. Dammit, what am I gonna do now?"

Gina Porter and Carlos Rodriguez looked at each other, shocked by their friend's sudden outburst. "Um, Neens?" Gina asked carefully. "What do you mean, we don't get along?"

"Yeah," Carlos immediately jumped in. "Nini, I love her! She's just like me, I've seldom met somebody else who's as passionate about dance and choreography as I am. It's like Gina here just gets me!" He turned to address his new prodigy dancer next. "Where the hell have you been all my life?"

"Wait what?" Nini asked incredulously, her eyes wide as saucers.

"It's true, Neens," Gina agreed. "I don't think I've ever worked with a choreographer who was so in tune with what he's supposed to do and who was able to take one look at me and basically knew all my strengths and weaknesses on the floor."

"What weaknesses?" Carlos immediately asked, only half teasing. After seeing a couple of Gina's videos on Instagram and watching how she moved and held herself, even just in everyday life, he could already tell that he was not dealing with an amateur dancer here. Thank God!

"Aw, stop it!" Gina teased, blushing a little at the compliment.

"But, but, but, ..." Nini interjected again. "You two've been bickering and snapping at each other basically non-stop ever since we go here?"

"Nini, sweetie," Carlos addressed the short brunette. "That's all part of the creative process!"

"Yeah," Gina agreed. "Come one, Nini. What's the first thing you learn when doing musical theater? All performers are divas!" Carlos and Gina burst out laughing at that.

Nini was speechless to say the least. "So ... you'll work together?"

Gina and Carlos grinned at each other conspiratorially. "Of course!" "This is going to be so fun!"

A small smile slowly made its way onto Nini's face, even though she still looked a bit nervous. "Okay great, I'm glad you guys ... like each other?"

Carlos looked at the girl sternly. "Nina Salazar-Roberts, did you not just hear me proclaim my undying love to this woman's dancing skills?" he asked exasperatedly, making Gina snort from laughter.

Nini giggled a little at that. "Don't you go let Seb hear that, 'Los. He might get jealous."

Carlos waved her off. "Come on, Neens, you and I both know that Seb has nothing to worry about. He knows he's always been and always will be the only one for me. The only thing I'm falling in love with here are Gina's dancing skills, all other feelings I have for our girl right here are strictly of a platonic nature – no offence, Gina."