Pas de Trois

Chapter 32: "You don't see how hard they're working."

"Watch their faces," the instructor called as Danny and Chloe demonstrated the combination for the rest of the class. "You don't see fear over whether he'll catch her or not. You don't see how hard they're working."

Danny ran his hands down her back, bracing her for the backbend. Sweat. You also couldn't see how sweaty either of them were or feel how slippery it made her. He was careful to keep his face from reacting to that and focused on not dropping her.

"They make it easy for us to believe," their instructor went on as he and Chloe finished the pas de deux sequence. "That's your job here. Convince me the story is real. Good work you two. Danny, take a walk, get some water."

"Okay," Danny hesitated before picking up his water bottle and leaving the classroom. He was more than glad for the break. His legs were almost to the point of shaking from being so exhausted and his shoulders were on fire. But was that obvious? Had he let it show?

"Hey," Bryan followed him out of the studio. "Did you sleep with her?"

"What?" Danny choked on his water. "What's the matter with you?"

"Something's changed," Bryan said. "You're dancing differently together."

"She's not speaking to me right now," Danny admitted.

"That explains it," Bryan shook his head. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks," Danny refilled his water bottle. "So what do you want?"

"You're ignoring my texts."

"I haven't gotten a text from you that requires an answer," Danny countered.

"Fine," Bryan looked away. "Are we okay? I can take a hint, you're done with me. But you're not upset are you? About what happened between us, I mean. Do you regret it?"

"No, it's not like that," Danny sighed. "It was fun. I just..." he looked at the door to the studio. Bryan had closed it when he followed Danny out. "Is that why you keep showing up here?"

"I'm helping pick the rest of the apprentices for fall," Bryan said. "And yes, I followed you out here because I wanted to check on you."

"I wish you wouldn't."

"What did I do?" Bryan demanded. "You seemed like you were into us that whole tour but now you're acting like I did something wrong."

"Really? You want to have this conversation now?" Danny cringed. And here he'd thought maybe he'd have a chance to catch his breath. "Okay, let's talk about how the only reason they brought me on that tour in the first place was for you."

"That's not really-"

"I know I'm a good dancer and I'm glad I had that opportunity but did you ever think about how I'll spend the rest of my life wondering if they noticed me for my dancing or just because you thought I'd be a fun toy?" Danny asked.

"Wow," Bryan's eyes widened. "Is that really what you think?"

"Yes."

"Wow," Bryan repeated. "I don't even know what to say to that, Danny. You really believe a professional ballet company would take a 17 year old kid on tour just cause one of their dancers had a stupid crush?"

"Well-"

"I did pick you," Bryan had never looked at Danny like that before. "They're going to let me start choreographing my own work for the company. I saw your dancing, Danny, your feet, your turnout, your hands - all of it. You listen to what the instructors say to you and everyone around you and take it all in. I knew the day I worked with you on lifts that you were devastated to be called out like that in front of the whole class but what Peter just said in there is true, Danny. When you dance, you make everyone believe. You were on my list because I want dancers like that in my ballets."