Sharing the Spotlight *Jelena Ballerina Series* (Part 2)

Chapter 11: Able and Available

Selena's P.O.V.

When I strut into the bar, I feel all the customer's eyes glued to me. There's one empty seat at the bar, sandwiched between two guys. The one on the left is flirting up a sexy redhead while the one on the right is just staring down at his drink.

Arriving the bar, I prepare to order my drink. Only the bartender immediately sets one down as I sit down on the stool. About to tell him that I hadn't even ordered yet, his eyes signal to the guy on my right. Cautiously, I look over at the guy sitting next to me. He's still looking down at his drink.

I noticed him when I walked in since he glanced over his shoulder at me. He looked almost afraid of me when he whipped back around. Since I don't know his name, I shout over the commotion, "Hey!" He's still staring at his drink. So I gently touch his shoulder. He flinches at my touch. Quickly, my hand retreats from him.

"Sorry, I just wanted to thank you for the drink," I inform.

Now he's the one apologizing for being so jumpy. He has a glowing smile. There are a lot of things about this guy that is attractive. I then take a drink of whatever it is that he bought me. It's a taste I'm not familiar with. It's hard for me to determine, with how small a sip I took if this drink is good or not.

He questions, "Why would a beautiful girl like you be by herself in a bar?"

I smile, "Well, I'm not alone. I'm here with you, aren't I?"

My flirty remark causes pink to fill his cheeks. A part of me started to feel guilt, but I remind myself that Justin went a lot further than flirting with Aria. I'm doing absolutely nothing here. He then picks up his drink and takes a long sip. He's drinking whatever he had ordered for me.

He tells, "You know, I was really hesitant about coming out tonight. This is my first time in New York, but I decided to not let the city intimidate me on my first night here. I was actually about to leave because I have an important day at work tomorrow. Then, you walked in."

One look at me made him want to stay? A small smile fills my lips. Then I take another small drink. This time I catch a better flavor of the drink. It's not too strong, which I appreciate.

"What do you work as?" I question.

He shakes his head, "Nothing that would impress you."

"Well, it must be pretty important if you moved here to New York. Let me tell you this, New York can be scary at first, but you aren't going to leave once you're here," I tell.

It's surprising how easy it is for me to talk to this guy and get my mind away from Justin. Anytime Justin starts to creep into my mind, I take a drink. This guy starts telling me about how much he likes it here and how much he's liking it more now.

"So where are you from?" I ask.

He answers, "Canada."

I immediately slam the rest of my drink down. That was definitely a reminder of Justin. When I make eye contact with the bartender, I request another drink. The guy gives me a strange look, trying to configure the correlation between my drinking and his answer.

"Do you have something against Canada?" he laughs.

I assure, "No it's just my—" In an instant, I cut myself off because I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to consider Justin at this point. I'm not sure if I should even be wearing my ring still, but I am. The bartender delivers a drink for me and I take a big drink.

Seriously, I'm going to have a different method for whenever I start to think of Justin. After all, I have an audition tomorrow. The last thing I want is to show up with a hangover. Not only will I be disappointed in myself but so will Forrest. I shouldn't drink anything else after this; I can't risk screwing up this audition.