Dance Moms - Chlobird

Chapter 28 : The Host

The same white Range Rover stopped in front of the studio, except this time the compartment was empty. The driver didn't even lower the window, simply used the control to slide open the side door.

Chloe touched her bag, her baton was among her clothes and hairbrush. She took a deep breath and stepped into the car. The front seat panel was raised, it looked like the driver had no intention of making conversation.

On the quiet journey, she kept her eyes on her phone, where the GPS tracking told her where they were going, in case she needed to break a run.

The Range Rover took her to the center of Downtown, and arrived at the base of a dark monstrosity. The PPG Tower has glass so dark it absorbed all the light from the orange sunset. Like a giant claw it reached up in the sky, with pointy spikes extending at the top, they reminded Chloe of watchtowers in medieval castles.

Without slowing down, the Range Rover rode down a spiral slope that took them two levels below ground. With tires squealing against the coated floor, it traveled past rolls of parted cars and pulled up at a corner, there she saw Carlos Aldama waiting in a formal posture.

This is unusual. Chloe noticed, curious that a man at his level would be greeting her, especially for a meeting with someone under his power.

"Welcome. Ms. Lukasiak. Please come with me."

The man led her to an elevator, swiped a card on the panel, the door slid shut and began its ascent. Chloe studied the panel, there were no buttons between the basement and the top two floors, this was a private express elevator.

"I thought I was meeting Wandinha." Chloe said, watching Carlos from the reflection of the mirror doors. The man behind her did not answer, maintaining his posture.

An ambush! Her mind gone alert, her hand reached into her bag and grabbed her baton, expecting an attack outside that door.

To her surprise, the elevator opened to a lobby that came straight out of a chess set, there were no guards except the status on either side, like she just walked into a mind game.

She followed Carlos into the living room, the decoration was simple but modern, all smartly matched in black and white.

"You may wait here." Carlos nodded and returned to the elevator, leaving Chloe all alone.

She used this time to study the place. There were no guards or security cameras, she could only assume they were hidden.

She heard the sound of cello in the air, playing a piece from a classic rock song, the tone was refreshing under a string instrument, something she had never thought of before.

The music drew her to the open air, where bushes were neatly trimmed, with pools of gravel, raked into patterns like some Japanese gardens she saw in an art magazine.

She saw a person sitting in an open space, surrounded by low bushes. Wandinha had her back facing her, playing obsessively under the city light. The scene could be magnificent if not for the occasion.

Out of respect, Chloe stood in silence and listened to the piece. The sound of cello was mellow yet soulful, like a sonorous voice so deep it vibrates her heart. She was spell-bound to the last note, and felt deeply sad knowing it had to end.

"Did you like it?" Wandinha folded the music sheet without turning around, as if she knew her presence all along.

"That was beautiful." Chloe answered from the bottom of her heart, still trying to settle her sadness.

"Do you play?"

"Never had the time." Chloe shook her head.

Wandinha set her cello aside, stood up and walked into the light, her face pale and emotionless, she smells of jasmine.