Dance Moms - Chlobird

Chapter 35 : Proposition

Traveling in daylight, Chloe got a chance to study Wandiha's motocade, with one Land Rover carrying a team of four armed personnel, and their own vehicle of two at the front seat. The two identical vehicles switched positions regularly, a tactic commonly adapted by presidential security to confuse their attackers.

"Do you always travel like this?" Chloe asked.

"Never travel light. My uncle insisted." Wandinha answered.

"Two vehicles of armed guards are a bit too much. I think you can handle things well by yourself."

"There's two more traveling around us for backup. They're in different vehicles, blending into the traffic."

Chloe couldn't help turning around, but the compartment had no rear window, only a video feed from the exterior camera.

The motorcade pulled into a strip mall, stopping at one of the empty shops. It was noon and the sun was glaring, but it cast no light on Wandinha's black dress. She was like a living shadow, dark even under the blinding sun.

"What do you think?" Wandinha stood in front of the shop window.

"Of what?" Chloe puzzled.

"Your own studio!"

Chloe walked up to the window, shielding her eyes and pressing against the glass, the interior was empty and spacious, it could make a nice reception.

"You should run your own place, and not working for one." Wandinha said. "Shall we go in and take a look?"

Her bodyguard inserted the key and let them in, the place smelled of dry dust, but well lit by the glass window.

"All it takes is a few mirrors, maybe some flooring. You're the expert." Wandinha's voice echoed in the empty space.

"I have no intention of running a studio." Chloe studied the floor plan, then shook her head.

"But this way you get to control everything. You set whatever schedule you like, hire whoever you like."

First thing I'll do is give Brooke a job. Chloe thought, but shook off the idea.

"I don't know the first thing about running a studio."

"You can hire a manager, and an accountant, my firm is full of them."

"Where do I even get the money? Renting this place isn't cheap."

"Why don't you let me worry about that?"

The girl in black took a step forward, her face still blank, Chloe couldn't make out if she was joking or serious.

"I like you, Chloe. I want you to be my friend, but to do so I need you to be on the same page as me - someone who takes control of their life. I can pay for all the renovation, rental and administration expenses, so you can focus on the things you're good at."

"Doesn't that still make me a staff?"

"Not exact."

Wandinha opened her palm, one of her bodyguards stepped forward.

Not just a bodyguard. Chloe read the appearance.

The man was as big as others, but something different about the way he dressed. His suit was well cut and buttoned to the top, inconvenience to draw weapons from under his jacket. He walked formally, placing a folder in Wandinha's palm.

Without looking at the man, Wandinha handed the folder to Chloe, whom received and opened.

"You will hold forty-nine percent of the shares, plus the decision on all employees. I have a team ready at hand, they will guide you on how to run things, until you grasp the business, then replace them with your own recruitment as you wish."

"And the other fifty-one percent?" Chloe looked up at Wandinha.

"I will be the silent partner. And since it is my investment, it will only be reasonable if I make critical decisions from time to time. Wouldn't you agree?"

Chloe quickly browsed through the details. She knew nothing about business contracts, her mother used to handle them when she was little. She ran her eyes down the hundreds of clauses, wasn't sure what she should be looking for.

"Wandinha, I can't guarantee I can pay you back!"

"This isn't a loan, Chloe. It's an investment. You have no risk except doing your job, being a dance teacher."

"I'm not sure about this." Chloe folded the contract and returned to Wandinha, but the girl backed away.

"You can read through it first, digest a little, then if you have any questions, Mr. Garcia's number is inside the contract."

Chloe looked at the business card attached to the contract, then looked up at the big man.

"Mr. Garcia is my lawyer. He will be handling your case from now on."

"My case?"

"Feel free to look at the place, and please lock up when you're done."

Wandinha turned and walked out with her bodyguards, Mr. Garcia tossed Chloe a set of keys, she caught it in reflex. The set consisted of a few keys in various shapes and sizes, among them was a key fob with a Range Rover logo.

"What's this?" she asked.

Wandinha stopped at the door and turned, her bodyguards paused in position.

"While your car is in the shop, you can borrow this one for the time being."

"How do you even...?"

"Easy. My driver noticed you don't have your car outside the apartment, went and checked your license plate, tracked down a claim from the insurance company, then checked any shops that received the model in the last twenty-four hours." Wandiha grinned and added. "When you're an accountant, you have all kinds of ways of finding information."

The girl and her guards turned again, Chloe ran up and blocked Wandinha's path. It took a moment for her to put words together, trying not to sound offensive.

"I would appreciate it if you could stay out of my privacy."

"What are you talking about? I respect your privacy."

"You're not. You returned my car to my apartment without my consent. You checked my class schedule, and now you know my car's in the shop."

Wandinha blinked, as if trying to process her words, then spoke.

"I only want to help you out of your trouble, so you can focus on your work. Isn't that what friends do for each other?"

"Has it occurred to you that I want to handle the trouble myself? Part of living is going through the experience..."

Brooke's face came to mind. Chloe wanted to help fix her life in every way, but maybe she didn't need fixing, one may just want to live uninterrupted, no matter how unfit it may appear to others.

"I mean..." she tried to amend her words. "I know you try to be nice and all, but friends have boundaries. We should respect the way one chooses to live, even when it carries problems." she spoke every word carefully, watching Wandinha's reaction.

The girl in black gazed at her, her expression blank as a sheet of paper. Chloe couldn't tell whether she was offended, surprised, or simply processing something new to her.

"I see." her reply was short and emotionless. "Occupational hazard."

"I'm sorry if..." Chloe began, but Wandinha turned to her car, with her bodyguards a few steps behind, and finally, Mr. Garcia with his silent nod.

Everyone entered one of the Range Rovers and left, leaving the other car in the parking lot. Chloe looked at the keys in her hand.

This girl wants to open a studio for you, and she lent you a car with no second thought. Was she so wrong?

She stepped back into the building, looking into every room. For a second she fantasized it was her own dance studio, how she may decorated it, how to run it, and what to name it. She smiled, feeling silly, then locked the door and got into the Range Rover.