Smoldering Embers

by P. M. Briede

  He answered that question as if he hadn’t heard a word I’d said before. “Same as you I’m sure. Is that the choreography for that piece?”

  I rolled my eyes, walked back onto the floor and began my stretching exercises to keep my muscles from getting cold. I reminded myself that I’d have facts to confront him with once Paige got the test results back on the blood. She’d said that it would be a month or so before the professor could fit it into the class’s syllabus. It wasn’t like I could go to Max to terminate his employment because Olivier infuriates me, is secretive, and has eyes that ignite with a fire that I have only ever seen in my dreams. That didn’t sound crazy at all. “No, it’s not,” I answered in a tight voice. “We haven’t gotten to that piece yet so I’m not sure what we’re going to do with it.”

  When I laid back on the floor pulling my knee to my chest he walked out and knelt down beside me. “Allow me.” It wasn’t like I could stop him. My calf was on his shoulder and he was leaning forward before I even got a chance to answer. I closed my eyes, to not get caught up in his gaze, and focused on the stretch while breathing deeply. “If I may be so bold, Charlotte, what you just did was extraordinary and I think you should consider using it.”

  My voice was tight when I thanked him for both the compliment and the assistance. “Don’t you want me to do the other leg? Keep you balanced?” I nodded and allowed him to shift to take care of my other side. “Charlotte, what would happen if I told you that you already are?” his ragged voice questioned after he cleared his throat.

  “Already are what?”

  “My obsession,” he seductively admitted. My eyes burst open and were caught by those persistent, green flames undulating in his. His stare was intense and I knew he wasn’t joking.

  That familiar slow burn crept through my body and there was a tightening behind my eyes. The same that I’d experienced in my dream from this morning. I glanced at my skin expecting to see it glowing green. When all I saw was my normal healthy peach I wondered if I was losing my mind. There was something about him that made me crazy. That made feel as if I was hallucinating. That made me behave completely out of character because truth be told I should have put a stop to whatever it was between us a long time ago. But for some stupid reason, that sense of comfort and safety he gave me, I just couldn’t. I needed to get away from him now though. I needed to keep my distance until I had that evidence he wouldn’t be able to refute. “Oliv…”

  He cut me off and since I was trapped underneath him there was no escaping whatever he was going to say. “You haunt me waking or sleeping. You’re right. You deserve answers. I can’t keep lying to you. Have dinner with me tonight and I’ll tell you everything. I’ll show you everything. I can’t be without you anymore. Together we’ll come up with something to keep you safe.” His deep southern voice was silky as he spoke.

  Neither one of us took a breath as we both awaited my answer; him with eager anticipation, me with overwhelming dread. Seriously! He chooses now! He demands a date in return for answers! As much as I wanted them, and his confession implied that there would be many, I couldn’t lead him on. I was with Wesley. Period. Olivier was able to stir something inside me and make me burn with just a look, but Wesley was my constant. I knew that turning him down was the right thing to do for all of us but when I opened my mouth I was unable to vocalize the rejection. He’d keep his secrets, keep our secrets. How was I going to get my answers and not toy with his unpredictable emotions?

  He shifted so that my leg slipped off his shoulder and began to lean towards me. “Mrs. Grace? Mr. Cheval?” Russell’s voice instantly snuffed out the fire in Olivier’s eye. If I hadn’t already been consumed by the inferno Olivier stoked within me, I’d have blushed crimson at the sound of Russell’s timid voice.

  Olivier stood and offered to help me up. I accepted to try and trivialize the circumstance then turned to Russell. “Russell, I’m so glad you’re here now and we can get started. Mr. Cheval here was just helping me warm up. Do you need a minute?” I’d forced my voice to be steady but it cracked at the end when I caught Olivier’s appearance in the mirror. He was making no attempt to rein in on his desires since Russell appeared.

  With a slow nod Russell put his bag down by mine. “Right. Um, sure Mrs. Grace, if I can have a couple of minutes that’d be great.” He eyed us quizzically as he walked onto the floor to begin his exercises.

  I flinched when Olivier touched my lower back. He motioned for me to step further away from Russell with him. I took a couple of steps but not as many as he wanted. “Olivier, I…”

  “I know we can’t continue this now. We’ll talk at dinner. You’re practicing Madness right?” I nodded reeling from the idea of Wesley catching Olivier trying to get me to agree to have dinner with him. How was I going to get him out of here? “Good. I’ve never actually heard the song and how you two plan to move to it will impact how I teach it to the musicians. I was hoping to stay and watch your rehearsal to take notes.”

  It required all my courage to tell him dinner wasn’t an option. “Yes, you can stay,” I quickly hissed at him, “but Olivier, I can’t have dinner with you tonight.”

  “Tomorrow then?” His voice finally faltered in confidence and the brightness in his green eyes dimmed.

  “No.” The tension behind my eyes was increasing. I lowered my head, closed my eyes, and pressed my fingers to my temples to ease the pressure. When I opened my mouth to continue I was interrupted by Russell saying he was ready. Nodding, I walked to my iPod and changed the song.

  The synthesized beats of Muse streamed out of the speakers. Russell and I stood there listening to the first thirty-two counts of the music. We briefly discussed our ideas for the opening and agreed that we should start opposite each other and move together but not do the same choreography. I reset the music and had him do his steps to the beat when the first Madness sang out that we both agreed the first lift should be on. I watched his sharp moves as his body gyrated to accent the beats of the music. It would be an interesting juxtaposition for my choreography to be smoother so I mentally changed my plans.

  On the third reset, I added my steps. Stepping out into an arabesque, I swept my arms over my head in an arch, followed by two steps on the beat. I followed that with a low arabesque double pirouette that sped up when I pulled my leg in to meet the other. On the next beat I stopped my feet to match Russell’s chest punctuations. My arms then came up, matching the flow of the lyrics, and I placed my hands behind each ear as I rolled them with my head, coiling my body in on itself. The next beat inspired a dip back before the two steps towards Russell to jeté into his arms as he spun me around.

  We continued in that manner of trial and error. We broke the song down into pieces sometimes dancing separately and sometimes dancing concurrently. Most of the dance we were able to choreograph fairly easily but towards the end of the song there is an immense build up that demands an equally impressive lift. Russell knew what I wanted but was having trouble with his body and hand placement to support me properly. When he struggled with the latest attempt to do the lift on beat, I would have hit the floor if Olivier hadn’t materialized to catch me.

  “Son, why don’t you step aside a moment and let me have a crack at it. I have an idea of what Mrs. Grace wants to accomplish. If I can do it to her satisfaction, then I’ll teach you how.” He didn’t ask either of us for permission but put me down and placed himself to repeat the eight beat lead in to the lift. He executed the rumba steps Russell and I had set to this section of the music perfectly. After the two four counts he spun me across him before turning to catch me underneath my shoulders and lift me behind his back. I extended my legs to the side as we twirled around twice before he lowered me until my waist was at his shoulder. When I arched back his hands securely and quickly slid up my sides to catch my waist until my shoulder met his thigh and I could wrap my arm around it to support my own weight as I flipped my legs over out of the lift and stepped back away from him.


  Again struck by the strength and surety he possessed when dancing with me, I was inspired to take the lyrical escalation that immediately followed and change the choreography. He read my body and intent like a book and I saw him set his stance. As I stepped towards him, I reached across his body to clasp his waiting hand, while my other hand caught his shoulder, as his free hand cupped my hip. At my jump he lifted me again over his head and balanced me there as I extended my leg upwards. Then I shifted forward and fell spinning, confident that he would catch me. When he did he sank to one knee and with one arm wrapped around my back as he supported my neck and laid me across his thigh. My arms had wrapped around him and when I opened my eyes the green flames were licking at his pupils.

  Our chests rose and fell in perfect synchronization as we tried to regulate our breathing. “Crap, Mr. Cheval, I had no idea you could dance like that, sir.” Neither had I. I smiled to myself and motioned to that we should stand up. He gingerly stood, while maintaining his hold on me, and placed me on my feet. We both looked at a dumbfounded Russell who was rubbing the back of his neck. “Mrs. Grace, I’m not sure if I can do all of that.”

  I looked back at Olivier and for some reason wasn’t surprised that Russell didn’t seem to notice the flames in his eyes. I was now starting to think it was a manifestation of my mind to try and make sense of all the crazy dreams, frightening nightmares, and this one infuriating man. The heat of Olivier’s gaze sparked that fire within me only he could stoke. “It’s alright, Russell,” I answered never taking my eyes from Olivier. “We seemed to have gotten a bit carried away. Do you think you can do the first lift if Mr. Cheval showed you how?” At his nod the three of us set to instructing Russell how to properly catch and support me. Olivier barely spoke and only when required to correct Russell.

  Sandwiched upside down between the two men, I suddenly heard a third clear his throat. My head snapped to the side and I could just make out Wesley’s form leaning against the ballet bars. His posture was casual, with one hand in his pocket and the other looked to be hiding what seemed to be a sneer. It was the look in his eyes that worried me the most as they were trained on Olivier who was holding my ribcage while he was trying to improve Russell’s hold on my waist. I don’t even want to discuss what my face was by.

  They hadn’t heard him. So to try and get their attention I planned on calling an end to the practice. Unfortunately, before I could get any words out, Russell’s grip slackened and my hips pitched forward. The sudden change in my balance pushed him backwards and because my shoulder was planted on his thigh with my arm wrapped around it he immediately got tripped up and started falling.

  In slow motion, I heard Wesley holler my name and could hear his footsteps as he rushed to get to me. I searched for a way to break my fall. I tried to use my arms to break my fall but since Russell and I were entangled together I actually needed them to block his flailing legs. My head would have hit the floor hard if it hadn’t been for Olivier. Cursing, he instantly reacted by gripping my waist and pulling me up and away from Russell towards himself. Russell pitched back taking most of the impact on his tailbone. Once I was free from Russell, Olivier’s arms wrapped around me securing me to his torso and he took the full impact of our tumble on his back, knocking the wind out of him which he voiced with a grunt.

  I was aware enough to know that the position we fell into was not one a woman ever wants her boyfriend to see her in with another man, innocent or not. Even though it was a complete accident, the blush engulfed my entire body and I tried to delicately scurry off of him. Before I regained my feet, Wesley was there forcefully removing me the rest of the way off Olivier.

  The fall had been dead quiet except for Wesley’s shout and the sounds of bodies hitting the floor. Suddenly the room exploded with hysterics.

  “Mrs. Grace! Mr. Cheval! Oh my God, are you okay? I’m so sorry.”

  “Charlotte, are you hurt? Look at me. Are you okay?”

  I focused all my attention on Olivier, ignoring both Wesley and Russell for the moment. With a hand on his chest I knelt beside him, not caring when he brought his over to cover it, sending a fiery burn up my arm. “Olivier, are you alright?” I searched deep into his eyes. He had his secrets but I now knew more than ever that he’d never intentionally hurt me. That overwhelming feeling of security that I’d felt whenever I was in his presence flooded through me. Trust him, it’s the only thing he’d ever asked from me. By his own admission, our past made him dangerous yet his instinct was to always protect me. His actions showed me that much today. I was immensely relieved when he finally nodded.

  It was time to discharge the concerns of the remaining gentlemen. “Wesley, Russell,” I turned to address them. “I’m fine. Olivier took the brunt of the fall and shielded me from any of it. Russell, will you assist me in helping him up please?”

  Wesley moved too and took my place at Olivier’s side. Together they got Olivier to his feet. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Cheval,” Russell apologized.

  Olivier twisted, cracking his back before bending forward to take a deep breath. “Don’t worry about it, son. I’ve taken worse falls. Next time we should probably get a crash pad in here. Make sure to take care of that tailbone, though. You hit it pretty hard.” Looking at Russell, I felt guilty that I’d been so consumed with Olivier’s wellbeing that I hadn’t noticed him rubbing his back. After promising all of us that he’d take care of himself, I cancelled our rehearsal for the next day so we could all recover.

  As Russell departed I noticed that I was still hovering awfully close to Olivier, much closer to him than to Wesley. I shifted, putting myself equidistant between them. Olivier straightened and arched backwards with his fists pressed into his lower back and a grimace on his face. He leveled his eyes at Wesley and spoke in a tight voice that wasn’t a result from our spill. “Thank you for your help, Breaux. I’m assuming that you’re here to see Charlotte.”

  Wesley was as taut as a bow as he stepped closer to me, putting his arm around my waist and kissing my temple. “Yes, I’m picking her up before taking her home.”

  I peeked through my peripheral to see Olivier shift uncomfortably, directing an examining stare at us. The flames shot up in his eyes and I darted my vision back to Wesley to see his reaction, but he seemed completely oblivious to the vicious green fire that was consuming Olivier’s pupils. He was now the second person to not see them. If no one else saw them were they just a result of my overactive imagination? After all, those dreams had become more prevalent over the last couple months. My gaze moved back to Olivier and I became trapped by the sudden desolation that seemed to overtake him in the sagging of his shoulders, the dip of his head, and the restless way he scrubbed at his jaw. Shame bubbled up within me because I’d wanted to tell him. “I see. So congratulations are in order then. You two are together.” The words were heavy as they slipped off his tongue.

  Wesley immediately relaxed which countered the immense tension that rooted me in place. When he lovingly uttered his response, I cringed with embarrassment because I knew it would hurt Olivier. “We prefer amator.” Wesley said it with such slickness; I knew he was confident that Olivier wouldn’t know the meaning. He was wrong.

  Olivier’s eyes locked on mine and his lips turned up at the corners into a devilish sneer. “Lovers, huh?” His words punched me in the gut and I felt Wesley’s jolt from them too. He spared a satisfied glance at Wesley, for being in on the secret, before stepping up to me.

  I flinched as his breath rolled across my neck when his lips met my ear. “Don’t feel guilty, Charlotte,” he whispered so lightly, I knew only I would hear him. “It’s for the best, trust me. Just know that I’ll always be here for you. I’ll always look out for you. Just like I’ve done since the moment I first laid eyes on you.” Nodding to Wesley over my head, he quit the room.

  Wesley stepped in front of me but his eyes were still locked on the door Olivier had just sauntered through. “What was that all about?”

  “Nothing you nee
d to worry about.” I tried to say it in a stable tone but instead it came out deflated.

  His eyes finally left the door as he bent his knees to look me in the eye. “That wasn’t nothing, Charlotte. What did he say to you?” His eyes and his voice pleaded with me to confide this to him.

  I held his gaze as I squared my shoulders. “It’s nothing you need to worry about, trust me,” I said in the firmest tone I could muster, given my roller coaster emotions.

  Chapter 15

  The days flew by in a heavenly haze. Wesley may have packed a bag for a week at first but it wasn’t long before he was living with me. The fire dream became a nightly occurrence with his change in residence. I was also starting to remember conversations that seemed to accompany those dreams. For the most part they were always the same. Plans were being interfered with. Counter attacks were not moving quickly enough or garnering results. Targets needed to be acquired and controlled. The two people arguing in my head became more threatening towards the other if things didn’t change soon. Oddly enough, the headaches were less debilitating and my skin didn’t seem to burn as bad either. Maybe I was getting used to them? So most mornings when I woke up at two forty-two, I was able to just roll over and go back to sleep with little consequence.

  The rehearsals the rest of the Christmas break were decidedly less dangerous than the one on the day after Christmas. None of the other pieces were going to have any overly complicated lifts. Russell and I agreed that given the difficulty he was having with the one we wanted in our piece we needed Olivier’s assistance. Therefore, he became a constant at those practice sessions to ensure my safety.

  As I was leaving my house on Martin Luther King Day to meet them Wesley came bounding down the stairs fully dressed. “Which piece rehearsal is this?” He was winded as he grazed a kiss on my lips.