The Dancing Torera

60

Anais

A sleek, black car escorts me to a compound near the perimeter of the city.
It was a more modern looking house with a distant intransigence charm.

The driver escorts me past the gates of the home and into a large office. I see Rio behind the desk, counting a stack full of money. He sees me and smirks.

"Ahh bailarina" he greets me although his eyes were still glued to the wads of cash.

"Was tha you?" I snap. My impatience with this forced meeting was astounding.

"Pardon?" He asks.

"Did you shut down my practice? Tell the police come? Did you and the President plan this?" I frowned, stepping closer to his desk.

He looks at the driver that came in and signals him off.

"Are you finished?" He says, finally lifting his gaze to meet mine.

I pout but remain silent.

"You think I would do that to you Anais?"

"I don't know Rio? I barely know you.
Why did you buy out the stadium? To secure a back up on your deposit? To assure that I fail?"

He counts the money and pushes three racks into my hand. "To do this"

It was a thick wad of cash.

"I can't take this. I haven't even finished the event."

"It's yours.
You asked for 45%
I negotiated 50%"

I try not to to smile seeing all the cash in my hand.
He tucks the rest into his pocket and watches me.

"Now what's this I hear about practice?"He stands rather closely, making me fall to the edge of his desk. It is quiet between us before he breaks the silence.
"I wasn't in charge of the practice but I'll make sure to find out who was" he said.

"And if it was the Presidente, what happens then?" I challenge.

"Don't worry about it bailarina" he smirks, looking down at my lips.

I realize our closeness and move my hand back, only to reveal the shiny edge of a gun. I slowly lift it and hold it level to my eyesight.

"Ah ah ah bailarina, stick to dancing." He takes it from my hand and spins the barrel before pushing it back into his pocket. For some reason, I was itching to know more about the man named Rio.

"I mean you come into my life, hand me a check, and I don't even know if your money is..."

"Clean?" He stares at me, burning a whole through my chest. He turns away and goes to the edge of the room to grab a small chest. "Look bailarina, the less you know about me the better."

"So, I guess asking, why you bought out the stadium, is off limits?"

He shrugs and pushes the rest of the money in the small chest. "That I can tell you. But you gotta ask more nicely" he teased.

I try not to blush and look away.
"Please tell me why you bought out the stadium"

"I like to invest in things I like Anais. Simple as that."

My cheeks were so hot!
I needed to get out of here.

He calls for his driver, who's name I learned was Juan, and instructed him to take me home.
"So that's it?" I blurt. I was tired from practice and was forced her. He said the meeting was urgent.

"Yes. Unless you had something else in mind?" He said it so suggestively I almost crumbled.

"No! No" I yell but gather my calm. "I mean... Thank you...Rio. For the money"

"It's your money" he shrugs. I nodded but just as I turned to leave, he grabs my wrist and turns me around, grabbing my waist tight and holding me close.

"Did the president touch you?" He says, pushing a thumb against my brow. My heart raced as I felt the spark of his touch.  "At the banquet... did he touch you" his thick dark eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

I was quiet, trying to find the right words to say. "Why is that any concern to you Rio?" I whisper.

"I don't like people touching whats mine."

I throw my head back and let in a breath to laugh.
"And who says I was yours Rio?"

He smirks and then shurgs, putting a hand in his pocket. "I don't have to say it bailarina" he pushes a curl that had found its way from my bun behind my ear, slowly moving my jaw to face his.

"Don't let him touch you. You're too expensive for his cheap hands." He whispers against my ear before letting me go. Every step he took was confident and demanding. He finally leaves the room and I am left alone in my solitude.

And then, I release the breath I didn't know I was holding.