The Starting Line: Friends To Lovers

by Jennifer Hartley

  The song begins, as does Jude’s voice. When they were younger, Hailey used to be both amused and annoyed by Jude singing with the music. Sometimes he’d make up the words, and it would drive her crazy. But then they got older and started dancing to more serious music, and sometimes she’d imagine he was actually saying the words to her. It didn’t matter if she was happy with someone else at the time or blissfully single, having him whisper lyrics in her ear was a surefire way to tug at her heart.

  Today though, not so much. The song is just so damn sad. And as they move through the music, she feels the melancholy seeping into her bones, working its way into her heart and mind. His lips press against her temple as they shift positions, making her curious if it affects him as much as it does her.

  When she looks up in his eyes, her breath catches in her chest, and she almost forgets her steps. It’s the same look he gave her that morning, right before he left for the airport. They draw closer as they always do at this point in the music, but this time she places a kiss below his ear out of view of their audience, then moves into the start of their new death-defying finale.

  When they finish, his head is buried in her neck, and she can feel him breathing heavily, his grasp tight against her. They straighten quickly, aware of their audience, and both feel rattled. Hands together, they move off the floor to await judgment.

  Lucian is unreadable at first, scrutinizing them as they draw closer. “Well, that was… captivating, certainly. You both emote so well out there; I wish all our students could convey such depth.”

  “Well, I mean, it was drilled in us pretty young to dance like that, always,” Jude replies, his hands warm in Hailey’s as she nods in agreement.

  “It was wonderful. Very moving,” Vivian states softly, her eyes on Hailey. “I get the message you were both talking about last night at dinner. It’s futile, everything you do, when you’re both going to lose in the end.”

  “But the lift!” says David. “It is the piece de resistance on this entire movement. I think it’s a much better fit than what you had before.”

  “Definitely, I think a couple more weeks of practice, and you will be spectacular.”

  Jude and Hailey nod, both taking in the praise, promising to return for one more session Monday morning before Hailey has to head back for classes that afternoon.

  Two weeks later, Hailey receives a text from Jude reminding her that he’s going to be away all weekend (read: I’m going to be banging my hot girlfriend all weekend until we can’t walk straight), and that he’ll meet up with her during the following week if she wants to go over their performances. May is rapidly approaching, and Hailey feels like everything is happening all at once.

  When she’s locking up the office from TA hours, Dr. Bouchard crosses her path and gives her a bright smile.

  “How are you, my dear?”

  “Good,” Hailey replies, not liking the expectant look on her mentor’s face.

  “Can I help you with something?”

  “Actually, yes. I was wondering if you were available this Friday.”

  “As a matter of fact, yes.” Hailey wonders if there’s a sign over her head that reads *I have no social life and live to please others.*

  “Wonderful! Listen, I am going to a dinner in Corden with some people I think you’ll be interested in meeting. I think it would be a great idea if you join me.”

  “In Corden?” Hailey frowns. She was hoping it would be something quick and painless, like dog-sitting for the night. “Actually, that would be good. I have a friend that lives there I was thinking of visiting. Might as well do it now while I have the chance.”

  “Oh! I am so happy; you will come. I will email you the details. Dinner is at a nice restaurant, so wear one of those cute dresses you own.”

  Hailey nods dumbly as Dr. Bouchard sweeps away, her petite frame seemingly floating along the floor. Pulling out her phone, Hailey texts a girl she grew up with who opened a Pilates studio in Corden. Apparently, she’s doing quite well for herself, but Hailey is more concerned with the overall wellness a meeting with an old friend can provide.

  Oddly enough, after getting an excited reply from her friend who cannot wait to see her, Hailey gets a call from her agent, asking if she’s available this weekend. Informing him that she’ll be in Corden, he says that’s perfect, as that’s where he needs her to be anyway. She agrees to meet him for brunch and then sets about finding a dress to wear to this fancy dinner Friday night.

  When Hailey arrives at the restaurant, she glances around for Dr. Bouchard, concerned that the weather may have delayed her. A cool hand on Hailey’s arm startles her, causing her to turn around.

  “Hello, my dear!” Dr. Bouchard pulls Hailey in to kiss both her cheeks then pulls away to admire her dress. “This is lovely, is it new?”

  Hailey glances down and shakes her head, having spent most weekends studying, writing, or dancing with Jude. Shopping has sadly fallen to the wayside with her social life. She hopes to remedy that tomorrow while she’s in town.

  “Well, it looks beautiful on you. Come this way; I’ve already gotten us a table over here.” Hailey follows her through the restaurant, ambivalent about this entire occasion. It’s completely justified when she sees Dr. Hackney sitting with another gentleman at a table in the corner.

  “Hailey, lovely to see you again,” Dr. Hackney rises and greets Hailey. She turns to the very attractive man with tan skin and sun-bleached hair and introduces him as he rises, “This is Jason Kenway, co-founder of the non-profit you were working with in Uganda.”

  He smiles brightly as he takes her hand, shaking it firmly. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from several people.”

  Hailey takes a seat, smiling. “Same here. Henrique and Sister Rosa speak very highly of you.”

  “Yes, well I was the one who lucked out in meeting them, I assure you. We wouldn’t be where we are today without either of them.”

  Hailey nods in agreement, looking to Dr. Bouchard as Dr. Hackney orders a bottle of wine for the table.

  They all make small talk until they place their orders, with Dr. Bouchard giving Hailey a comforting smile. “So, you must be wondering why we asked you here tonight.”

  “Considering everyone is assembled, I’m willing to bet it has something to do with the vocational center I proposed.”

  “Yes and no,” Dr. Bouchard replies. She glances at Jason, who takes his cue.

  “We’re interested in spreading our organization’s reach, and we think you’d be the best person to do that. We have many students and volunteers in universities such as Magill and here in Corden; however, we think with the right person, we can generate a considerable amount of interest throughout the country.”

  Hailey absorbs his pitch, not completely sold. Eyebrow arched, she turns to Dr. Bouchard who defers to Dr. Hackney. “I’ve read the rough draft of your thesis, and I see exactly where you’re trying to go with this. I think it’s ambitious, but you’ve done your research, and it shows. Experiment with Uganda, see if you can adapt it for other countries.”

  Feeling a little thrown, Hailey glances at Dr. Bouchard, who wears a smile of encouragement. Her rough draft is rough. Very. She was in no way prepared for it to go to anyone other than Dr. Bouchard. The sense of betrayal is quick but strikes a chord.

  Dr. Hackney continues with an assured tone. “Placing a community center near a school and combining a literacy program with a vocational program is an excellent idea. Especially if you join forces with one of the companies like Mend or Luke’s where they are taking these individuals and providing them with jobs afterward.”

  “Basically,” Jason resumes talking, “it’s all about your outreach. Students are fantastic at raising money. You saw it yourself in January. Since you’re so well known here, it would require a few speaking engagements, possibly organizing a fundraising dinner. We have plenty of staff that can assist with that, so it would be more like you’re the face of the show. Th
e students would do all the hard work.”

  Glancing at Dr. Bouchard, Hailey starts to feel very uncomfortable with this situation. “I’m sorry, I… I fail to see what this has to do with my proposal to create a theoretical vocational center. Do you want me to raise funds to make it happen?” “Seriously though. I’m not sure I’m the right person for this. I’m just -”

  “A two time Champion, trophy winner?” Dr. Hackney interjects. “Don’t think I was unaware of who you were when we first met, Hailey. I know how to use Google as well as the next person.”

  Hailey remains passive, trying to hide her irritation. In the silence, Jason continues speaking: “We think you’ve got a great idea; you’ve already started laying down the groundwork and the contacts. My organization can help you out with the fundraising and implementation into regions of need.”

  Jason stops to take a sip of his wine, turning to her and smiling warmly. “After that, it’s a matter of making it happen. We have a summit this October, which would be a great time to announce your proposal to the world at large. In the meantime, you fundraise and get the word out. This can be an initiative on behalf of the country - all students, funds, and promotion. That is, if you’re up for it.”

  As he speaks, Hailey finds herself transfixed. It’s something about his tone and the excitement in his voice, the way he lights up when he talks about something he’s passionate about. She certainly agrees with Henrique, Jason is very charismatic.

  Dr. Bouchard, who has been quiet during this whole process, senses Hailey’s hesitation. “Hailey, I know this wasn’t your intention, but I see real promise in this plan. I truly think it can go somewhere, and I think it’s worth considering.”

  Hailey looks down at her lap, tracing the pattern of her dress, chewing on the corner of her lip. This was not what she had in mind at all when she submitted her proposal or her rough draft. Developing policy and implementing plans to revitalize a war-torn nation are challenging enough. But being the architect is much different than being the salesman.

  “Hailey, you want to be the advocate?” Dr. Hackney counters firmly.

  “You’re going to have to spearhead this project yourself. That includes being the face of the campaign.”

  If there’s one thing Hailey dislikes, it’s being badgered into doing something by having her words turned against her. So, she hides behind her one saving grace.

  “I have to talk to my agent about this. I already have existing contracts with certain companies that might not support this endeavor. There could be legal ramifications if I go ahead without approval.” She says this more for lip service and to buy herself some time. The truth is that a couple of these companies would be more than happy to endorse her efforts. Dammit.

  “Take your time,” Dr. Hackney replies, giving Hailey a shrewd smile. “This is a big step; I wouldn’t expect you to be impetuous.”

  By the conclusion of the meal, Hailey is exhausted. It’s like dining with a lion, a tiger, and a bear. Emerging unscathed is an accomplishment in itself. As she bids farewell to Jason Kenway, she catches the shine of a wedding band and is surprised to find a subtle disappointment. Oddly enough, this makes her feel hopeful in the sense that she was actually interested in someone else other than Jude, however brief. Hailey shakes Dr. Hackney’s hand, agreeing to remain in touch, then accompanies Dr. Bouchard outside.

  “I know you feel like you were ambushed. I promise that wasn’t my intent,” Dr. Bouchard says once they step outside into the cold. “It’s just that I saw an opportunity, and I took it, hoping that you would see it as such.”

  “An opportunity?” Hailey echoes, shrugging in consideration. “It’s… I don’t want to get labeled as this ultra-right-wing activist. I especially don’t want it to affect my professional or ballroom dance career. If I pursue this, I don’t want it to define me.”

  Dr. Bouchard gives her an affectionate smile. “Hailey, that is the least of your problems. There are worse things to be labeled, as I’m sure you’re aware. Call your mother, discuss your concerns, clear it with your agent. Let me know as soon as possible.”

  Hailey nods in understanding, hailing a taxi that’ll take her to her hotel for the night. She orders a chocolate sundae and settles in for a Suits marathon, choosing to shut off her mind and focus her thoughts elsewhere for a change.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When Jude wakes early Friday morning, his entire body is in protest. He had a ridiculous day (and night) at the fire station, putting in overtime as his crew helped extinguish a fire in a local neighborhood. Lying in bed, he feels Sunny thump her tail in anticipation, letting Jude know he has approximately three minutes before she’s going to do the ‘I need to go pee’ dance.

  Scrubbing his face with his palms, his mind wanders back to the weekend he just spent with Cynthia. It was pretty marvelous. Eric let them crash at his lake-house, which just wrapped up a pretty extensive kitchen renovation. They cooked, went snowshoeing, watched plenty of movies, and even though there was no bear-skin rug, they definitely had sex in front of the fire. Among other places.

  All in all, he had a great time, and he knows Cynthia appreciated the chance to get away. They really had a chance to get to know each other on an entirely new level, and all he can say is he is very excited about their future. Even though she could care less about sports and has a drier sense of humor, she loves to cook, has a strong sense of loyalty and honor, and most importantly, she opens up his mind and gets him thinking about things in a different way. Sometimes she grows impatient with what she calls his ‘excited puppy’ behavior, but he’s learning when to chill it out when she gets that crease between her eyebrows.

  He only has one concern; it’s something in the back of his mind that he hasn’t quite had the courage to ask about yet: why she and her ex-husband got a divorce. She still doesn’t talk of her mother often, but she’s close with her brothers and visits her father when their schedules allow. As a matter of fact, Jude will be dining with Cynthia and her father just before he leaves on tour for Dance Off. All things considered, he knows he should be more anxious, but Cynthia talks about him so often that Jude feels like he knows the man.

  A tell-tale whine emerging from his sweet little monster lets him know that now is the time to go out. Rising quickly, his body protests all movement as he heads to his backdoor. Frowning, he sees that several inches of snow fell the previous night. The last thing he wants to do right now is shovel the driveway. And his elderly neighbor’s that lives across the street.

  Isn’t it April, already? Maybe he should move south for the winter. Somewhere with umbrella drinks and white sand.

  Somehow, someway, Hailey’s mother scores a pair of tickets to the Ballet Theatre’s premiere of Cinderella in New York City. It’s quite possibly the most exciting thing she’s done in months, and she can’t be more thrilled. Not only that, but she hasn’t spent more than a couple hours with her mom in ages, and she’s desperate for some one-on-one time.

  The night before she and her mom leave for New York is a family dinner with her brothers, Casey and Bert, and their wives. There’s a scheduled FaceTime session with Hilary as well, so it’s bound to be chaotic. When she arrives at her parents’ house, something tells her this is more than just a casual family dinner, but she’s not sure what.

  Everything is going great, she loves spending time with her family, even when they get in heated debates about sports or silly things like what parliament is up to that week. But when one’s family is full of lawyers and elite athletes, what do you expect?

  Once they arrange their parts and pieces around the dinner table and wine starts being served, Hailey gets her first clue. Casey’s wife passes on the wine, which isn’t irregular, but the secret smile she shares with Casey makes Hailey’s spidey senses go up. Then there’s the talk of visiting Hilary at Christmas to which Casey is particularly vague on agreeing; it’s strange since he loves Australia and has been talking of going to New Zealand as well.

&nbs
p; By the time dessert rolls around, Hailey’s practically rolling her eyes at the sheer idiocy of it all and pretty much outs them because she can’t handle the suspense any longer.

  “You’re pregnant? Oh, my goodness.” Miranda exclaims, standing quickly and hugging Casey and his wife tightly. “This is wonderful!”

  They’ve already made it through the first trimester and learn that Casey will be a father by September. Many hugs and joys and good tidings are sent around the table, and Hailey’s heart fills with a type of excitement and warmth that she’s never experienced before.

  She’s going to be an aunt.

  Huh. Strange. She sits beside her father and smiles brightly as she takes in all the good news, absorbing it and treasuring the moment. Her Dad, never one for overt displays reaches over and wraps his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her temple. Glancing up at him, she sees what she suspects is a little glimmer in his eye, but of course, it could just as easily be a branch… or something.

  By the time Hilary hops online and hears the news, Hailey feels like the interwebs are going to explode from Morgan excitement. Of course, that’s before Hilary drops her little bomb of news as well.

  “I’m getting married!” She exclaims, holding up her hand to the screen, a huge diamond resting comfortably on her ring finger. Hailey’s jaw drops, her mom’s eyebrows shoot toward the ceiling, and everyone else falls silent.

  See, Hilary has never been one to follow tradition and never seemed too keen on marriage in the past. Hailey knew Hilary and Mark, the same boyfriend she had last year when Hailey visited, were getting serious, but Hailey just figured… domestic life partners or some other type of nonsense.