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Chapter no 19 – ALLY

By a Thread

โ€œG

 

ive it to me straight. Am I fired?โ€ I asked Linus, collapsing against the leather seat.

He was slumped next to me as a car that hadnโ€™t escorted five dogs all over the city headed toward the office. โ€œI donโ€™t

have the energy to fire you,โ€ he sighed.

โ€œI think it went well,โ€ I said. โ€œI checked with the online content team and they got video of Dominic getting French kissed by the lab.โ€

That got the teensiest smile out of him.

โ€œIt wasnโ€™t the worst disaster in the history of my career,โ€ he said magnanimously.

โ€œYou managed to combine fashion, art, and good karma in one shoot.

Face it, Linus. Youโ€™re a genius.โ€

The rescue director had personally arrived to escort the dogs back to the shelter, and Iโ€™d noticed the Croatian model cornering her and demanding a business card. I had a feeling Pirate and Mr. Frisky were about to find the most amazing home.

โ€œGenius? Ha. Iโ€™m just lucky.โ€ He produced the flask from his jacket and took a long pull before handing it to me.

โ€œThanks. I canโ€™t. I have a dance class to teach.โ€

He wiggled the flask. โ€œItโ€™s not alcohol. Itโ€™s a super greens formula. Itโ€™s the reason I look like Iโ€™m forty-five when Iโ€™m actually 107.โ€

Curious, I sipped and winced. โ€œBeauty is pain,โ€ he quipped.

โ€œAnd bitterness apparently,โ€ I said, handing the flask back.

โ€œSpeaking of bitter. You and Dominic seem to have a rapport.โ€

โ€œDo we?โ€ I asked innocently, pretending not to notice his fishing expedition.

โ€œOh, come on, Admin Ally. The manย smiled. His mouth lifted at the corners, and the clouds parted and angels sang as a sunbeam held him in a spotlight.โ€

I laughed. โ€œAre you sure thereโ€™s no alcohol in that?โ€

โ€œIโ€™m saying the man has been a miserable bastard since joiningย Label.

But when he looks at youโ€ฆโ€

I wasnโ€™t biting. โ€œHe looks like he wants to commit murder. We donโ€™t get along. We donโ€™t like each other. However, Iย doย like annoying him.โ€

โ€œWell, keep annoying him. Itโ€™s nice to see him have a little fun for once.โ€

โ€œHe is very serious,โ€ I said, annoyed with myself for wanting to fish for information.

โ€œHe was brought in to clean up a serious mess,โ€ he said. โ€œHe takes family and business very seriously.โ€

โ€œHe also takes the arrangement of pepperonis very seriously.โ€ Linus sat up straighter. โ€œThatย isnโ€™tย a rumor?โ€

I shook my head. โ€œNope. He was an ass. I spelled out FU on his pizza.

He had me fired. And Dalessandra offered me a job.โ€

โ€œYou arenโ€™t nearly as boring as you look, Admin Ally.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s the coat,โ€ I joked, brushing a clump of dog hair off the lovely wool.

โ€œYouโ€™re the only one brave enough to yell at him, you know.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m not brave,โ€ I told him. โ€œHe just canโ€™t fire me, and this is all temporary. Once everything is fixed, I donโ€™t plan on staying.โ€

His eyes widened behind those owlish glasses. โ€œThis is a dream come true for a lot of girls out there.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s not my dream.โ€

โ€œIs that why handsome ogres like Dominic donโ€™t scare you?โ€ โ€œOr sharp-toothed Medusas like Malina.โ€

Linus shuddered. โ€œSheโ€™s one of theย worstย human beings Iโ€™ve ever met.

And I work in fashion.โ€

We rode in silence for a few minutes.

โ€œThanks for my phone and laptop, by the way,โ€ I said. He squinted at me behind his glasses.

โ€œDidnโ€™t you arrange it with IT? I mean, since I was assigned to you this week, I assumed these came from you.โ€

โ€œI didnโ€™t know that was a thing I could do,โ€ he mused. โ€œI wonder if I could requisition a new Dior scarf?โ€

โ€œIf theyโ€™re not from you, and Zara had nothing to do with it, where did they come from?โ€

โ€œMaybe Dalessandra is playing Santa Claus,โ€ he guessed. โ€œDoes she do that? With things other than jobs, I mean.โ€

โ€œDalessandra does a lot of things that the rest of us donโ€™t know about.โ€

 

IT WAS ALMOST SIX, and the forty-third floor was starting to clear out. A few panicked support staff sweated over emergency magazine tasks in cubicles and conference rooms. Some of the higher-ups were clustering near the elevator in gowns and black ties. Just another Monday night.

I changed into my standard dance uniform, high-waisted tights and a cropped tank, and plopped down at my desk to check my emails while listening to tonightโ€™s playlist before I left for class.

The pay from the studio wasnโ€™t great. But I loved dance enough that I allowed myself two classes a week instead of taking better paying shifts. I loved moving and sweating and feeling the music in my bones. It felt like a celebration of being alive.

The kinds of classes I taught were less about technique and more about moving in ways that made you feel strong and sexy.

Taylor Swift crooned in my ears as I shoulder shimmied and fired off an email.

My old, crappy phone vibrated in staccato on the desk. It was a text from my neighbor.

Mr. Mohammad: I visited your father. We ate Jell-O and watched Judge Judy.

Heโ€™d included a GIF of two women Jell-O wrestling. I had some regrets about installing the GIF keyboard on his phone.

I thanked him and gave him my new work phone number with explicit instructions that it was for emergencies only.

He responded with a GIF of cartoon thumbs.

โ€œWorking late?โ€ Even muffled by Taylor Swift, I recognized the voice.

Dominic stood just outside my cubicle. Hands in his pockets. His coat was covered in muddy paw prints of varying sizes. I liked the imperfection. It made him look less formidable. More human.

I pulled off my headphones. โ€œJust catching up with work before I leave for more work.โ€

He eyed my outfit, and I felt the heat of his gaze like it was an actual physical touch.

I really needed to go on a date.ย Or at least get a hug.

โ€œLet me guess,โ€ he said, blue eyes lingering for a moment on the strip of exposed skin between the bottom of my shirt and the waistband of my pants. โ€œKickboxing?โ€

โ€œClose,โ€ I said. My work phone chimed out its reminder for me to get my butt in gear, and I rose. โ€œDance class,โ€ I told him, pulling on my sweatshirt and tucking both phones into my backpack.

โ€œDid your family emergency resolve itself?โ€ he asked.

Surprised that heโ€™d even given it another thought, I shot him a look. โ€œUh. Not yet, but itโ€™s on the mend,โ€ I told him. โ€œEverything is under control.โ€

โ€œGood.โ€

He waited, and I wondered if he was hoping Iโ€™d open up and tell him everything. More likely, he was hoping that I would shut up and leave.

โ€œNew phone?โ€ he asked.

I looked up. His face was unreadable.

โ€œDid you have something to do with the IT fairies raining gifts on me today?โ€

โ€œDo I look like the type of person who would do that?โ€ he challenged. โ€œNo. But the paw prints do soften you up a bit.โ€

He glanced down at ruined cashmere. โ€œRemind me to have Linus fire you.โ€

I clamped a hair tie between my lips and worked my hair into a short tail. โ€œNice try. But I think he likes me,โ€ I said around the hair tie. โ€œYou should give it a shot. Maybe give your blinding hatred a rest.โ€

I wrapped the tie around my hair and gave it a tug.

โ€œI donโ€™t hate you, Ally.โ€ His voice was quiet, gruff.

I wasnโ€™t sure how it had happened, but suddenly we were standing too close. Nothing good would come of this odd attraction. Yet I couldnโ€™t seem to help myself.

He was supposed to be cold. However, from where I stood, inches away, he seemed anything but.

โ€œGood. Because frankly, Iโ€™m irresistible, and you might as well just give up the fight now.โ€

โ€œI canโ€™t afford to find you irresistible,โ€ he said.

We werenโ€™t touching. But it felt like the space between us was charged with something. It was acting like a defibrillator on my heart.

I didnโ€™t like him, I reminded myself.ย But clearly that didnโ€™t mean I didnโ€™t want him.

Apparently Iโ€™d turned into a woman who would gladly rip her clothes off and jump a guy who didnโ€™t like her just because he was scary hot.

That thought led to an unfortunate fantasy montage of just how Dominic Russo would look if he were fucking me. On top. Under. Bent over me. Against a wall. Tangled in sheets.

โ€œWhat?โ€ he demanded.

The question had the effect of a record scratch.

I could only imagine the show my face was putting on right now.

โ€œNothing,โ€ I squeaked. โ€œGotta go.โ€ย Gotta go take a long walk in the frigid night air to cool the hell down and stop thinking dirty, dirty thoughts.

But he didnโ€™t move when I did. And now we were almost touching. I couldย feelย him. His hands were still tucked in the pockets of his coat. The heat that came off his body was extraordinary.

I could imagine just how it would feel if I slid my palms over his chest. I knew exactly how the texture of his crisp shirt would war with the body heat that seemed desperate to escape.

I could feel his breath on my hair. I would have bet money that he could hear the thrum of my heartbeat because I sure as hell could hear it. I could feel it everywhere in my body. An insistent pulsing of hot blood.

He leaned in and down, and for one split second, I thought that those firm lips were going to crush mine in the kind of kiss that no one survives. But he reached past me, then straightened. โ€œHere,โ€ he said, handing me the headphones Iโ€™d left on the desk.

My fingers closed over them, but his didnโ€™t let go. We stood that way for another long beat. Looking at the headphones. At our fingers that were almost brushing.

He still wasnโ€™t touching me. But it felt like heโ€™d stripped me down and spread me out to be admired.

Devoured.

Ruined.

Was he feeling this, too? Or was I just the awkward woman who couldnโ€™t get out of her cubicle without making a mess?

I chanced a look up at him.

Those blue eyes bore into mine. He looked frustrated. Angry. Hungry. โ€œDid you have lunch today?โ€ I asked.

He blinked like he was coming out of a trance. โ€œDid I what?โ€ โ€œHave lunch,โ€ I repeated. โ€œYou look hungry.โ€

โ€œYou should go, Ally,โ€ he said, taking a deliberate step back. And just like that, he took his heat with him.

I grabbed my coat off the back of the chair and swirled it around me like a protective cloak before leaving without a word.

 

Iย GOTย off the subway one stop early just so I could suck in the cold air and calm my racing mind. I hadnโ€™t just had a moment with Dominic. Definitely not. He didnโ€™t have moments. And heโ€™d made it abundantly clear that not only was I not his type, but he could barely stand to be civil to me.

I was tired. Distracted. Iโ€™d completely misread all the signs. He wasnโ€™t helplessly attracted to me. He was just being polite. Or annoying.

He hadnโ€™t touched me. Not even when he handed over my headphones, I reminded myself.

I was not about to enter a mooning downward spiral about the hot boy in school. I cranked up Beyoncรฉโ€™s โ€œSingle Ladiesโ€ and refused to let my brain replay the non-moment.

The studio was on the first floor of a well-kept building with fanciful arched windows in the Cast Iron Historic District. The windows were fogged from the last class. Students overlapped in the hall. Those leaving

were sweaty and loose and smiling. Those arriving were tight, cold. Ready to be guided out of their heads and into their bodies.

Gola and Ruth showed up in designer athletic apparel, and I ushered them to their spots on the glossy wood floor. We had a packed class, and I could already feel the energy rising as everyone began to shed their day.

This was what I loved most. The transformation from employee to person. From parent to dancer. From titles and responsibilities to a body that was ready to be used.

The small crowd squealed when I turned down the lights, cranked the music.

โ€œOkay, ladies and gentlemen. Letโ€™s move!โ€

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