The Merger

Chapter 7

Talia Nassar

"Five, six, seven, eight! One and two. Three and four. Five, six, seven, eight." My best friend Ana claps her hands, signaling the end of the routine. Her straight, long black hair swings in the air as she turns around and beams at our eleven person group. "Alright, good job ladies. Let's take a minute and then take it from the top."

I try to catch my breath as I grab my water bottle that's sitting under the wooden bar lining the walls of the dance studio. The lighting reflecting off of the tan hardwood floor creates a bright atmosphere. And the floor-to-ceiling mirrors along each wall makes the room look bigger than it actually is.

Tuesday evening dance practices are truly a haven for me. The movement shakes away all the stresses and frustrations from work. Oftentimes I'd get in the zone and forget about work completely. The music takes over my body like a tidal wave moving through the ocean. And dancing alongside a group of women who hold no preconceived judgments about me is therapeutic, like the sounds of moving waters.

Yet, today isn't one of those days.

Today I'm very much out of the zone and watching the waves from afar. With Cora breathing down my neck and Lucas appearing out of the blue like a crab about to bite me from the sand, my head is ready to explode. It's like I'm constantly trying to get in the water, but I can't the place to jump in.

My gaze shifts up to the mirror as Ana approaches me from behind with a questioning gaze. I turn with brows furrowed. "Hey, I know I'm off today. It's been a shit couple of days."

"Alright, girl. Just wanted to check what's up. You good?"

I nod curtly. "Yeah, just work stuff that's been stressing me out. I'm good though." I press my lips together and tighten my fists. Like hell I'm going to let Lucas ruin my evening.

"Sure?" Ana responds while raising a perfectly sculpted brow.

"Yeah, all good." I nod again. This isn't the time to unload myself on my best friend. We have a showcase coming up and we need to stay focused on nailing our hip-hop routine.

"Alright, girl. Let's get to it, then!" Ana claps her hands again and the girls and I quickly get into formation. This time, I force myself to focus on the R&B tunes streaming through the speakers. I smile as we move in perfect synchrony to each beat. With each passing count, the tension around my muscles loosen and I start to feel the smooth waves of the music. That's much better.

My smile widens as I seductively run a hand through my hair and begin freestyling. The girls cheering me on gasses me up. I do some booty pops facing our imaginary audience. With each sway of my hips, the feeling in my chest lightens. I end my freestyle bending over and whipping my hair to the side.

After a couple of more run-throughs of the full routine, practice ends and we all disperse. I'm about to grab my things but one of the girls in the group, Kiara, stops me. The twenty-one-year-old with light brown skin is the youngest in the group and one hell of a dancer. I sometimes wonder why she's a part of our local group and not off performing full-time with a professional dance team.

"Hey Tal, do you have a second to chat?"

"Sure, Ki. What's up?"

"So, um, actually never mind." Kiara shakes her head.

I frown teasingly. This is so unlike Ki to be shy about something. "No, what is it?"

She shifts before taking a deep breath in. "I, um, was wondering if you would be able to give me some financial advice?"

My insides fill with warmth and I smile. These girls are like family to me. "Of course, Ki! I'd be happy to sit down with you and chat through things."

Her face lights up. "Really? Wow, that'd be awesome. I'm just struggling a bit. Well, not really a bit. Like a lot. And I figured you'd be the best person to talk to about it."