Center of Gravity

by K. K. Allen

  “I could give you the easy answer and tell you that we barely knew each other and that no matter what, I wouldn’t have let you come inside me without a condom.”

  My hand slid up her waist and gripped it slightly. She got the hint and turned so she was facing me. I stroked her cheek with my fingertips, my eyes making a trail of the freckles that filled her face. “And what’s the difficult answer?”

  She looked away, and something about the fact that she couldn’t even look at me stopped my heart. I moved my hand from her face and drew her closer before pressing my lips to her nose.

  “I was dating this guy, kind of,” she began slowly. I feathered her arms and stomach with the tips of my fingers as she told me her story. It was all I could do to tell her I was there as she shook around her words.

  “Please tell me someone murdered the son of a bitch,” I growled after hearing everything she was willing to share.

  She smiled through her pain then laughed through her tears. “Shane was the one who found him on top of me. He beat the shit out of him. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had killed him that night. But it wasn’t Shane who killed him.”

  Whoa. “Someone killed him?”

  Lex shook her head, wiping a tear from her eye. “He got into his car drunk and drove it into a tree that night. No one knows why he left or where he was headed. I figured Shane scared him shitless.”

  “Sounds to me like he got what was coming to him.”

  Lex grew pale by my insinuation. “Death?”

  The truth was, if this fucker were alive now, he’d be dead tomorrow. “You never know what would have happened if he was still around. You might not have been the first. You definitely wouldn’t have been his last.”

  Another tear fell from her eye, gutting me. What the hell did I know? Lex was the one who suffered through a night with that monster. Yet she’d wanted to lose her virginity to me. Something clicked in my chest, and I reached up and swiped the tear from her eye with my thumb.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m glad Shane was there that night. And I’m glad you trusted me to be your first.”

  Her eyes locked on mine, and she smiled. “Yeah, me too.”

  CHAPTER 52

  Lex

  “Let’s get the band onstage. Cue the lights and fade to black. Good. Okay, now give it a ten-second count and then fade in the recorded intro.”

  I had never thought about what went on during stage prep for a concert when I signed on to be one of Winter’s backup dancers, but I was beginning to get a glimpse of the chaos.

  Backstage, the Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood was an epic disaster. People were running like mad in all directions, shouting their demands, raising hell if something wasn’t going their way, fussing over Winter. Everything was urgent and distracting, and I was supposed to be listening for our cue to take the stage.

  My heart was beating so fast, and this was only Day One of stage rehearsals. We’d walked through everything with Theo a few times this morning as we familiarized ourselves with the stage layout and our placements in a bigger space than Gravity provided. Now we were expected to run through the number, full out, with the live band and lighting.

  “Cue band. Cue dancers for the intro,” boomed the event show caller, through the surround-sound backstage.

  When the band started its intro, the stage manager escorted Winter from her dressing room to a narrow tunnel where she would be elevated to a high rise on the stage. I watched this, all while Desire—who had us fitted weeks ago—made her way down the line of dancers to measure us again.

  “Not now, Desire,” Theo said, tapping her on the shoulder. “They need to focus.”

  She sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow and threw up her hands. “Fine. But every single one of them needs to see me before they leave today. Some of these alterations are going to take some time. You’ve been starving these girls, haven’t you?”

  He threw her a playful glare. “How about I just tell them to eat a few doughnuts?”

  She jabbed him in the chest while fighting her smile. “How about you eat those doughnuts while I do my job?”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders and steered her away. “How about I buy you doughnuts tomorrow morning while you measure my dancers? They’ll be beat after today, I’m making sure of it.”

  She giggled, and my heart melted on witnessing Theo in his element. Everyone respected him. Everyone listened. And I couldn’t stop reminding myself that he was mine. I didn’t even care that it was a secret anymore.

  “Dancers, take the stage.”

  Theo charged to the front of the three of us. Three more girls were stage right, and the guys were climbing into the tunnel with Winter.

  When I passed Theo, his gaze slid by me, but his palm landed on the small of my back. It was the lightest touch, but it spoke volumes. Last night had been one of the best nights of my life and the feeling seemed to be mutual.

  The stage was still dark, our only navigation the tiny stage lights that wrapped the perimeter. I executed each move with confidence and precision, the intro choreo only a tease of what was to come.

  I’d heard so many horror stories over the last month about working for other artists in the industry, especially those who couldn’t dance, and having only the most basic steps for choreography. I could imagine how painful that would be when all we wanted as dancers was to let loose on the dance floor and challenge ourselves with every beat.

  The run-through seemed to go well up until one of the interludes later in the set, when the stage went black. The interludes gave Winter and us time for costume changes and water. There weren’t any costume changes today, but we still appreciated the short breaks.

  We were backstage, waiting for our next cue to come back out, when Reggie hopped over to me. “Come with me for a second,” he said, taking my arm before I could ask him why he needed me.

  I went with him to the stage, where Theo and a few others stood below us, talking about something we couldn’t make out from the distance. I noticed then that he had grabbed Wayne too. Theo looked up, his eyes landing first on me then on Reggie. “What are you doing?”

  “The next song is the bonus track. I just wanted to talk placements before I teach them the choreography.”

  My eyes grew wide, and I reached to yank on Reggie’s shirt. “What?” My heart felt as if it would explode with excitement, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

  Reggie winked at me. “I choose you, Lex. It’s your solo with Wayne and me supporting you.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My eyes shot to Theo, who wore a deep-set frown. “Mind running that by your boss? Winter won’t appreciate being the last to hear about your selections.”

  Reggie chuckled, and something about his tone made my insides curl. “She’ll be fine with whatever I choose.” He gestured at the stage. “We’re center stage for this one, right? Did my placement plans get approved?”

  Theo’s jaw tightened and relaxed, then he nodded. “Yup. You’re approved. Winter will be on a bridge, sitting right above the stage. Lex will be wearing the same outfit as Winter, dark wig and all.”

  Reggie nodded, the air thick with his arrogance. “Cool. The song is about a damaged relationship where the woman is in the process of letting go. I’m seeing … dark, haunting. Spot lighting. Lots of fog. Tattered clothes.” He looked pointedly at Theo.

  “We can make that happen. I assume you’re ready with choreography?”

  Reggie cocked his head at Theo, his lip curling at one end. “Sure am.”

  “Good,” Theo said, pointing at the side stage, where the VIPs would most likely gather during the show. “Get Lex and Wayne up to speed and be ready to show me what you’ve got by this time tomorrow. I trust you three will catch up with the rest of us at that point.”

  Reggie nodded again, his shoulders back and his chest puffed out. “Sure thing.”

  I bit my smile and followed the guys off stage.


  “Hey,” I said to Reggie as I tugged his arm. “Thanks for this.”

  He shrugged. “I owed you.”

  I crinkled my brows, confused. “What for?”

  Shaking his head, he waved a hand in the air. “Because you’re good, Lex. And you deserve your solo.”

  My expression eased into a smile. “Thanks, Reg. I won’t let you down.”

  “Room service and sex? Is that how the next six months will be?”

  Theo grinned. “If I play my cards right.”

  We were curled up together on the couch in the sitting room after finishing off two steaks and indulging in a glass of wine while we chatted. It was the first time I felt we were an actual couple. Sure, we were still sneaking around, but there was no more guessing about what would happen when the hourglass emptied.

  I chuckled and pressed my lips to his. “I’m not complaining. But we might want to get creative at some point. I was reading up on Vegas, and there’s so much to do off the strip. Hiking. Lakes. The dam.” My eyes lit up. “Let’s go on an adventure.”

  “Whoa there, tiger,” he said, moving a strand of hair from my eyes. “You’re here for work, first. Maybe after the show gets going and we wrap the music video, we can afford to play a little.” He moved his nose against mine. “However, if you’d like to see how adventurous I can get with you naked, I’m up for the challenge right now.”

  I laughed and pushed him away. Standing, I faced him with my hands on my hips. He’d started to strip me the moment we walked into the room, but he got only as far as my bra and panties before I begged for food. It had been a long day with only one long break for lunch. “I can’t stay.”

  Theo’s eyes narrowed at me. “The fuck you can’t. You’re staying.”

  I shook my head. “I still need to talk to Amie. I already bailed on dinner with her to come here. I can’t miss our movie night too. She’s my roomie. And she’s my only true friend here.”

  Theo snorted and leaned back into the sofa, moving his hands behind his head. “What about Reggie? He seems to be winning you over.”

  I grinned. “Is that jealousy I detect?”

  “Hardly,” he growled. “I’m just telling you what I see.

  “Well,” I said, with a little shimmy of my shoulders. “He happens to think I deserve a solo, and I happen to agree with him.”

  Theo chuckled. “Might be the only thing I’ll ever agree with Reggie about.” Then his forehead creased, his amusement clearly fading. “Are you okay with the choreography? Reggie likes lifts, and I know you’re not crazy about them.”

  My chest warmed at his question. “Reggie can be a little … awkward … at times, but I’m used to him by now. He’s harmless. And the choreo is great.”

  “And if it ever gets weird, you’ll let me know, right?”

  My cheeks lifted in a smile. “Of course.”

  “Good.” He cleared his throat. “So are you going to show me this mysterious routine you guys were working on today?”

  “Tomorrow. You’ll see it tomorrow.”

  “What about tonight?” he asked with a pout. “I had plans for you.” His eyes scanned my body. “Big plans.”

  I bit my lip again to control the smile that was fighting its way onto my face. I reached for my leggings to slip them on. He stood just as I was reaching for my tank top.

  “Not tonight,” I warned, bringing myself up to my tiptoes. My lips met his, allowing myself to sink into his arms as soon as they wrapped around my body.

  He sighed. “I’m pissed at you for leaving.”

  I slid my palms down to his ass and squeezed. “You’ll forgive me tomorrow when you show me all the plans you had for me.”

  “Damn straight.” He bit his bottom lip with a grin, stirring something in me.

  “Looking forward to it.” And with a final glance over my shoulder, I slipped out our door.

  CHAPTER 53

  Theo

  “Let’s see it, Reg.” Late in the afternoon, I finally called an end to rehearsals and had the dancers and crew join me in the audience. Winter too. Whatever Reggie, Lex, and Wayne had been working on was a surprise since they found a quieter space to spend their day rehearsing. “Show us what you got.”

  I was surprisingly calm at the thought of allowing another man to choreograph a number in Winter’s concert. But Lex had that effect on me. Knowing that I would have her in my arms after today’s sweat session ended was enough.

  Winter took the seat beside me and shot me a glance. “How you holding up?”

  Even though Lex and I had worked things out, I hadn’t forgiven Winter. Not even a little. “Rehearsals are going as well as expected. Some snags with timing and formations, but we seem to be working through them all right.”

  “I meant”—she leaned into me, pressing her arm to mine—“with the Lex thing. We made a deal, but what if something goes down and she starts to get a little obsessive? I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  Heat flared in my chest. “I think you have other things to worry about.” I nodded at the stage, where Lex was taking her position on the floor. “Your boy’s about to show us what he’s made of. You ready?”

  She narrowed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. “Just start the music.”

  I chuckled and gave a signal to the AV tech running the stage sound. He returned my salute as he started the bonus track.

  As soon as music streamed through the speakers, I remembered why I loved working for Winter. Her tracks were all influenced by different genres, making everything I got to choreograph challenging in some way. I loved playing the tracks over and over until the stories came to life in my mind, knowing she’d give me lots of creative freedom.

  Watching Lex dance to the opening phrases of the song raised the skin on my arms. With the stage lights dimmed and blue and white spotlights beaming down on her, she looked fucking radiant and 100 percent affected by where she was performing—in the best possible way.

  Every lyric was being portrayed in each of Lex’s steps. I could feel the emotion as she moved across the floor—with each split leap, each glide, each contract and retract. One move flowed into the other like a perfect symphony of dance.

  Even when Reggie and Wayne joined Lex onstage, she was still the focus of the performance. I could almost forget anyone else was there, supporting her, lifting her, tossing her to the floor in an epic move that left the entire crew gasping.

  I turned to Winter, and my throat thickened as a tear slid down her cheek. She was quick to wipe it away, never taking her eyes off the stage.

  When the song ended, everyone stood, and though only a few dozen of us were in that room, the applause was deafening. The dancers, Reggie and Lex, especially, were showered in praise. Deservingly. I had to give the guy credit.

  “Nice job, man.” I extended my hand. “That was great work.”

  He glanced at my hand then raised his palms to me with a shake of his head and a laugh. “Nah, dude. I’m good.” He turned so his back was to me, and I tensed all over.

  Fucking dick. And there I was, proud of myself, knowing that the only reason Reggie got the opportunity in the first place was because he was challenging me. I thought I took the high road by telling him what he deserved to hear, regardless of his tendencies to be a piece of shit. After his response, I wished I could take it all back.

  My blood boiled as I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. He swiveled around, a challenge in his eyes.

  “What the fuck?”

  Reggie raised his brows then rolled his eyes.

  He is such a punk.

  “What? I’m not going to shake your hand while you stand there and patronize me with your weak-ass compliments.”

  I let out an incredulous laugh and backed up, legitimately entertained by his superiority. “Fine. No problem, Maynor. Just do your thing.”

  “I will, Noska. Don’t you worry about that.”

  It took everything in me to muster the strength to walk awa
y, but I knew it wasn’t the end of the conversation. Reggie had more to say to me—more aggression he’d built up over the years while standing in my shadow. He would detonate one day. It was only a matter of time.

  CHAPTER 54

  Lex

  When the crew shuffled off to dinner, I stayed behind to have a moment alone. I sat on the stage, my feet hanging over the edge and my eyes sweeping the open-air venue. Whispers of the night broke through the surrounding air. The main theater lights were off, but there was enough illumination from the perimeter to give me a faint view of it all. Adrenaline still soared through my veins from earlier, and I could only imagine how intense that same feeling would be in front of a real audience.

  Seven thousand. That was the seating capacity of Zappos at Planet Hollywood. That was how many people would be watching when I performed Reggie’s routine on opening night—and every night afterward. Chills rushed over me. I let out a breath and smiled as I shook my head in amazement. It was all so surreal.

  “Psst.” The sound came from behind me. I swiveled my head to see who was trying to get my attention, but no one was there. A familiar chuckle came next, and I smiled. I couldn’t see him, but I knew it was Theo calling to me from the wings, stage right.

  “C’mere.” His voice broke through the steady Vegas noise. With bars and casinos open twenty-four seven, there wasn’t a dead hour of night.

  I stood and adjusted my spandex shorts and long gray shirt. Then I made my way toward the noise, past the black show curtain, past the wood crates and massive walls of cords and switches, until I reached a cluttered space where all the props were stored. Pushed against the back wall was a giant hamster wheel Reggie would be dancing in during the song “Catch Me If You Can.” There was a box made entirely of mirrors that Winter would be walking in and out of it with a costume change for her “Black Magic” number. Tons of shelving held a variety of accessories for the rest of us—glasses, canes, hats, and more.