Mr. Bad Influence

Chapter 10 - Part 1

Kerri smiled and waved when Nick's choreographer, Cohen, noticed her, then she quickly shook her head when Cohen moved to alert Nick. She watched Nick finish up his dance from outside the door.

Beads of perspiration cascaded down his arms, and his hair was wet, pressed up against the side of his face. He wasn't merely marking his steps; he was putting effort into every movement and singing at the mirror as if he were singing to thousands of fans.

Lord, please let his album be a success—good success. His albums had always been a hit with his female fans, but not so much with the guys. Guys never seemed to get over their own jealousy and never failed to show as much hatred against him as possible.

She hated watching Nick go through interviews with male interviewers. Those interviewers always made it a point to put him down whenever possible, and they always jumped at whatever opportunity would make him look stupid. Give him favor, Lord.

She had always prayed for him, but he had never accepted it. He had wanted to do things based on his merit.

Things were different now. So Lord, show him how much of a difference your grace and favor will make.

When the music ended, Nick grabbed his face towel and wiped away his perspiration before peeling off his T-shirt.

Only then did she step into the dance studio.

"Hey." He threw his towel aside. "I thought you weren't coming. You missed—"

"I watched from outside." She had wanted to come by earlier, but she had overslept.

"Yeah, I saw her." Cohen came over and gave her a hug. "Will you be coming out with your own album soon?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. My schedule is pretty packed."

"It's great to see you anyway. I'll leave you two alone."

Kerri waved again and turned back to Nick. "Where are your background dancers?"

"They left over an hour ago. I wanted to get in more practice on my own."

"You look good."

He sat on the floor and grinned after looking over his shoulder.

"What?"

He tapped on his phone, and familiar music began playing on his phone.

She laughed and shook her head. "No."

"No one's around anyway."

"I don't remember the steps."

"Of course you do." He got up and took her hand, pulling her to the center of the studio. "You remembered the moves for your competitions for years afterward."

"Nick."

"Come on." He narrowed his eyes. "Or I'll make you. I'm all sweaty now. Don't force me to hug you." He took a step closer, and she pushed him away using the tip of her index finger.

"If we were to dance, you'd be pretty close to me anyway."

"Just my arms." He picked up his towel and wiped down his arms before throwing it back down on the wooden laminate. "Come on." He tugged at her hand. "Unless you're too tired from your training."

She pouted, then quickly pulled her lips in when she realized what she was doing.

Nick reached up and brushed his thumb against her lips before widening his grin. "I've always liked it when you do that."

"Why? It's ugly."

"Not to me." He pulled her closer and turned her around to face the mirror. He restarted the song. "Ready?"

"I'm going to mess it up."

"It's okay. I'll be the only one to see that." He took his position behind her and tilted forward until his lips were next to her ear. "You know you want to."

She pulled her lips in to stop them from sneaking up. She tipped her head forward and took a deep breath, then on cue, she took a large step to her left, at the same moment as Nick did in the opposite direction. They shared a look through the mirror and grinned before following through with the rest of the dance.

At the end of the song, she turned to Nick.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

Of course she did, and Nick knew it. "Thanks for making me do this."

"Dinner?"

"I can't. I'm having dinner with Eric."

"Huh."

Kerri recognized that tone. "I don't understand what's with you and Eric." The two of them had never gotten along. Though she had been with Nick for five years, he and Eric were rarely ever in the same room.

He shrugged. "I just don't trust him."

"He's a good friend."

Nick shrugged again.

"Do you want to join us?"

"No, thanks," he said, and she shook her head. "What time is your training tomorrow?"

"Same time."

"I'll pick you up. We can have lunch before heading over."

"Okay."

"Remember to wear the same thing."

She laughed softly. The first thing she did when she got home was to throw the clothes in the washer. "I will."

"Do you want me to take you over to Eric's? I mean to his father's place."

"That place is huge. There isn't any point in moving out, especially since he always has to consult with his father about business matters."

"You were his neighbor. Your parents' house is huge, and your mom is your manager. I'm sure you have quite a few business matters to discuss with your mom as well."

She shot him a glare. "I'll get myself there." She knew why Eric didn't want to move out. He didn't want to leave his mother alone at home. Without Eric's constant supervision and reminders, Mrs. Wales might end up skipping her medication, which did nothing good for her mental state. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Kerri."

She stopped and turned back to him.

"I had fun today."

"So did I."

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