Nerd Girl

by Jemma Bell

  As the song plays on, my confidence is gaining and it must show in my performance. I can hear Riven whistling through his fingers and Layla screaming words of encouragement at me. Their enthusiasm is contagious as the rest of the crowd starts cheering me on. I feel like I’m flying like I’m on top of the world. Who would have thought dancing on a stripper pole would bring out the sex kitten in a nerd girl. Just before the end of the song, the crowds on all three sets of bleacher’s stand and start clapping to the beat of the song. Holy cow, no, they’re clapping for me. My routine and song come to a close as I perform my last pose “the angel.” I swing my body up into a reverse inverted positon, so my head is toward the floor and my legs are wrapped around the pole above me. I easily drop off my right leg in a bend and reach for my foot with my right hand. Once the move is complete, I rewrap my leg around the pole and slide down for my finish. I land on the cushioned and floor and get up to take a bow for the roaring crowd.

  I can’t believe all these people are going crazy for me. It’s such a great feeling. This must be what Derrick feels like with all his adoring fans. Bowing one last time, I grab my glasses off the floor where I dropped them and push them back up my nose so I can see better. Cara comes running over with a robe for me and wraps me up. I smile my thanks and shrug it on, tying the belt. The first thing I see when I look up are my friends; they look incredibly proud of me, and I notice Barb wiping a tear off her cheek. I’m glad I could do that for them.

  The MC is calling for the next contestant, and it’s as I walk off the studio floor, heading for the locker rooms that I spot Derrick hiding in the crowd. Our eyes meet for just a few seconds or is it years? I can’t tell. His whiskey eyes are full of pride and he gives me a flirty smile. I just return a crooked grin to him and continue to the locker rooms. I wonder if he watched my performance. The look on his face tells me he probably did. Well, it was nice of him to come out and show his support. Who knows, maybe at some point we can be friends. Oh, who am I kidding? Like Mitzi would ever let that happen.

  I quickly change back into my street clothes. A long sleeved, blue, t-shirt with the word “Geek” written in calligraphy across the front, a pair of black harem pants and my favorite kitty cat flats. I don’t need to give Riven a reason to call me Miss Kitty, he does anyway, so I may as well embrace the nickname. For the next hour, I sit with Layla, Riven, and Barb on the bleachers, and we watch the remaining contestants perform for the crowd. Some of these girls are really good. So far, none of them has gotten the same response I got, but we’re being judged on skill, not favorites. After the last twirl of the last girl is completed, all the contestants are asked to line up for the reading of the winners. The music pumping out of the speakers and the chatter of a hundred voices is almost deafening. The MC starts off his announcements by settling the crowd down.

  “Alright, alright everybody. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. I’d like to start by saying a big thank you to Cara Quinn, the owner of Galaxy Fitness Club, for putting this competition together.” Cara stands off to the side and shyly waves at the crowd. “All of us at KPPB appreciate you hosting.” The MC snickers a little bit and continues his monologue. “When Cara asked me to host a Pole dancing competition, I thought I died and went to heaven. I mean what red blooded man would turn down that offer? We’ve had some fantastic ladies performing today, so without further ado, I’ll read the winners.” The crowd screams and claps in support of all the contestants. I quickly scan the crowd looking for a glimpse of Derrick, but can’t find him anywhere. I guess he left after my performance. “In first place with a cash prize of $5000 is…Sherri Duvall.” The crowd’s reaction to the winner is a little subdued as Sherri prowls over to the DJ booth to pose for photos, holding a giant, fake check for $5000. She strikes a few sexy poses with the MC and DJ as promotional shots for the radio station and a couple with Cara for the gym. We all clap our congratulations for her. She did do a sensational job. I can only hope, one day, to be as good as her. Once the crowd quiets down, the MC taps his microphone for everyone’s attention.

  “So, we have our winner, but there was one contestant that stole the show today. The judging was based on skill, but this, young lady put her heart and soul into her dancing and won the respect of the crowd.” Me and the rest of the girls look at each other like ‘who is he talking about?’ “Amy Jenkins, come up to the DJ booth, please.” The audience gives a load roar of approval. My eyes must be bugging out of my head, that’s how surprised I am. Making my way to the DJ booth, I’m patted on the back by strangers and acquaintances giving me thumbs up. I can’t believe all these people are happy and supporting me. Switching the microphone to his left hand, the MC wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in for a side hug. “Here she is folks, Amy Jenkins. She’d definitely make me want to roar.” His joke makes the crowd laugh and I stand there waiting for the reason that he called me up. “So, Amy, we were so blown away by your performance, that all of us at KPPB wanted to give you a prize for doing such an outstanding job.”

  “That’s not necessary,” I say into the microphone when he waves it front of my mouth.

  “Oh, but, Amy, we do, we really do. Are you dying to know what it is?” He solicits.

  “Um, yeah, sure.” Is my shy response. I’m busy wringing my hands together in nervousness when I look out into the crowd and find Derrick leaning in the doorway to the studio, arms crossed over his chest, staring at me. He gives me an encouraging smile.

  “Amy, all of us at KPPB want to give you a special participation award for wowing the crowd. On behalf of Sinful Pleasures, a local adult boutique, we’d like to present you with your very own Stripper Pole. Yes, this easily installed pole lets you dance and strip,” he says with a flirty wink, “In the privacy of your home.” My own pole. That should go over real well with Pops when I ask him to install the thing in my room. I can’t deny, it is a nice gift, I wasn’t expecting anything after the winner was announced. I graciously thank the MC for my participation award and accept the heavy box containing my pole from the owner of Sinful Pleasures. Maybe Cara needs another pole for the practice studio; I can always donate it to the gym. The radio station asks me to take a few photos with the DJ and the MC and then with Sherri. The two winners today.

  This has been a long day. Once the crowd thins out and people start to leave, Layla, Riven, and Barb come to collect me and we decide to go out for fajitas and margaritas to celebrate. Layla won’t shut up and keeps chattering on about how good I did and that I should listen to her more often. Riven lugs my heavy prize box out of the gym and tosses it into the back of “Dotty.” Just as I go to climb in this beast of a truck, I hear someone yelling my name.

  Looking over my shoulder, I see Derrick approaching. He looks unsure. His hands are tucked inside the pockets of his jeans, and his shoulders are hunched over. He’s also sporting a few days’ worth of scruff on his face. The scruff looks good on him and makes him appear rough, instead of his normal pretty boy face.

  “Hi.” He says stopping in front of me.

  “Hi.” Is my cautious reply. He takes a deep breath and starts talking.

  “I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you. I know it took a lot for you to do that today, and you knocked everyone on their ass.”

  “Thanks, Derrick. I was surprised to see you here today. I figured you’d be away filming your commercial.”

  “I leave in an hour for the airport and will be gone for a week. I just wanted to be here, to show my support.” He must be feeling guilty about something, because he can’t look me in the eyes, and he keeps kicking an imaginary rock with his shoe.

  “Well, I hope you have a safe trip and a good shoot. Thanks again for being here today, I appreciate the support.” I pat him on the shoulder and turn to climb into the truck. Derrick wraps his arms around me from behind and pulls me into his chest. My back is flush to the front of his body, and he whispers in my ear.

  “One week, Amy. I’ll be gone for one week
. When I get back, you and I are going to have a serious conversation.” I feel him squeeze something into my hand and then he’s gone. I’m still taken aback by him grabbing me. He’s shaken me up with his declaration. Snapping out of my surprise, I open my hand to find my bracelet and all my beads sitting in the palm of my hand. Taking a deep breath, I look up to watch Derrick walk away. He must have had to hunt all five of them down. I wasn’t careful where I threw them that day. They must have taken him a long time to find. I look down once again and notice a sixth bead, a new bead. It’s a tranquil pink sitting between the gray and red beads. I need to remember to find out what that color means. I can’t wear the bracelet right now. It brings up too many feelings that I can’t deal with at the moment. I shove it in my pocket and climb in the truck so we can go get something to eat.

  “You ok, Miss Kitty?” Riven asks.

  “I’m fine, Riv. Derrick just wanted to congratulate me for doing such a good job today.”

  “Right, I’m sure that was all he wanted. Don’t forget, I live with the guy. I’ve known him more than ten years. He can be an egotistical douche occasionally, but underneath all the arrogance is a good guy.”

  “I know Riven.”

  “You going to finally give him a chance? Hear him out?”

  “I don’t know. He’ll be gone a week right? I’ve got time to decide.” Riven nods his head at my answer and pulls the seat back for me to climb in the back. I won’t think about it now. Tonight, I’m celebrating for me. Today I did something out of my comfort zone and did it well without any catastrophes. That in and of itself is a victory for me. There’s a margarita out there with my name on it. I’ll think about these other things tomorrow.

  ***Derrick***

  Today is the last day of the Fitnexx commercial shoot. It’s been a long week. Up at the crack of dawn for make-up and costuming and then twelve hours in front of the camera, repeating the same phrases over and over and over again. Amy is the light at the end of this very long tunnel. The sooner I can get all this done and done right, the sooner I can hop a plane back home to be with her. If she’ll have me, that is. I continued to send her text messages, only two this week. I wanted her to know I’ve been thinking about her. She doesn’t respond, but I know she’s reading them, so that gives me a little hope.

  The day of the competition, I couldn’t keep myself away from the gym. I know she wasn’t expecting to see me there from the shocked looked on her face. If only in secret, I wanted to be there for her. Amy is a very self-conscious person and for her to even agree to compete in that competition is a milestone for her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look so confident or sexy. My pride in her knows no bounds. She was also the crowd favorite. Why wouldn’t she be? She’s my favorite. My stomach about dropped out when she spotted me in the crowd. I meant just to watch and leave, but those gray eyes, eyes that belong to the girl I adore, kept me from leaving.

  When I saw her leaving with our friends, I had to congratulate her and declare my intentions toward her upon my return. She seemed indifferent at first, and I had a hard time looking her in the eyes. I know I didn’t do anything to feel guilty about, but I could have gone about a lot of things differently. We said our pleasantries and as she was going to leave I had to make my move. The raspberry scent of her hair and the feel of her body in my arms again made me never want to let go. It took all my will power not to flip her around and kiss her until she forgave me. I simply placed her bracelet in her hand and affirmed my objective of coming back to her.

  I’m determined to do what it takes to get her back. Even if I have to crawl on the floor, walk through fire or slay a freaking dragon. I will make those walls she’s built around her heart crumble and win her back. I dare anyone to try and stop me. I know Riven is pulling for me to get my shit together and get my girl back, but Mitzi has her own agenda. She always has. I see her cozying up to Brett Hansen a lot. If she’s trying to make me jealous or get a rise out of me, she’s barking up the wrong tree. My girl is waiting back in New Jersey. I’ve come to the conclusion that Mitzi and I can’t work together anymore. She’s been the cause of too much pain for Amy, and the friction between us makes our working relationship difficult. It’s too bad really, she’s a great agent, just a selfish person. I’m determined this is our final trip together. If I have any chance of getting Amy back, Mitzi can’t be in the picture. I’d do anything for Amy.

  As soon as filming is wrapped, I grab a cab back to my hotel, pick up my already packed suitcase and head off to the airport. There was supposed to be a wrap party at some club tonight, but I can’t wait to get home. They’ll be pissed when I don’t show up but whatever. I catch the red eye and land back home around 1:00 am. As I exit the boarding tunnel and turn my phone back on, I notice I have at least 25 text messages and ten voicemails from a very livid Mitzi. I can’t even be bothered to listen to any of them, let alone spend the time reading them. I pocket my phone and head out to short term parking to pick up my car.

  I speed down the parkway and pull in the driveway around 2:15 am. I know it’s too early to call Amy, so I just plop down on the couch and watch whatever’s on the TV. The house is quiet. I didn’t notice Riven’s Jeep in the driveway, so I assume he’s at Layla’s. I sit mindlessly in the dark, watching late night television until the first rays of sunlight break through. It’s still way too early to go to Amy, so I grab my duffle bag and head out to the gym. I enter through the employee entrance and spend the next two hours trying to keep my mind off of my girl and doing some much needed physical training.

  “Hey, when did you get back?” Cara asks while interrupting my second set of reps. She’s wearing a white T-shirt, with a picture of some TV nerd on it that says “I’m not crazy. My mother had me tested.” Huh, that’s new.

  “Oh, late last night,” I answer, adding, “nice shirt,” and continue with my routine. Looking down at her shirt, she smiles.

  “Yep, Sheldon is my new crush! Layla and Amy have me hooked on this show now, how was the commercial filming?” I guess we’re making small talk.

  “It was monotonous and filled with long days.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s how those things are done. Repeat, repeat, repeat until the perfect take is caught on film. What brings you in here so early?”

  “I needed to work off a little steam and keep my mind focused before I go see Amy later.” Cara looks surprised by my answer and places her hand on the barbell so I can’t raise it again.

  “You plan on seeing Amy? I don’t think that’s a good idea, Derrick. She’s just starting to bounce back from you. She’s looked like a zombie for the last month.” I’m glad Cara cares about Amy’s wellbeing, but our relationship is none of her business. I sit up on the bench, grabbing my towel to wipe off the sweat.

  “Look, Cara, it’s been a rough month for me as well. Because of a stupid misunderstanding, I lost the only girl I ever gave a shit about. I’ll be damned if I lose any more time with her.” I throw the towel in the dirty laundry container, continuing my speech. “I’m grateful that you care about her and have her best interests at heart, but back off. I love her, and I’m getting her back.” I think I just shocked the hell out of her. Cara’s eyes are saucer sized and her mouth just fell open.

  “You love her? Like, love her, love her or you just love the idea of her?” I roll my eyes. What more do I have to do to make these people believe I’m in love with Amy Jenkins?

  “Cara, don’t be stupid. I’m in love with her. I need her like I need air to breathe; I can’t stand being without her and it kills me that she was hurt so badly.”

  “Wow, I never thought I’d hear you say those words. If you’re serious, then I wish you all the luck in the world winning her back. I think you’re going to need it.” Cara gives me a quick hug and turns to leave.

  “Oh, one more thing. Make sure you congratulate her on her new job.” She says turning back around.

  “What job?” Did she get a promotion at the bookstore or something? I
wonder.

  “I hired her as my office manager. She has her degree now, so I thought I’d offer her the job. You know I hate office work and would rather be in the classroom teaching.” Cara is obviously happy with this new arrangement, the smile on her face tells me that.

  “That’s great, Cara, I’ll be sure to do that.” Good for Amy, she deserves the chance to use her degree, and I know she’ll be fantastic at the job. Cara spins on her heel and leaves me to my own thoughts. I look up and catch the time on the clock and decide I’ve done enough wasting time. I snag my water bottle off the floor and head into the locker room to get cleaned up. I take the world’s quickest shower and laugh to myself when I think of the shower incident at my house with Amy and the thousand legger. That also reminds me I still need to repair that towel rack. It’s funny that ridiculous things always seem to happen when Amy is around, but I wouldn’t have her any other way.

  Chapter #17

  Nerd Girl Problem #117

  Oh, you’re going to get me you wicked bitch? Well, looks like my dog got you first.

  I need to think, decide where to go from here. Now that I have my degree, and Cara has asked me to manage the gym for her, I at least have a career mapped out. My love life is a whole other long, dramatic story. I was right when I said book boyfriends were safer than the real thing. Safer, being the operative word. No worries about getting a broken heart, no worries about not feeling good enough, and certainly no worries about evil bitches out to sabotage my relationship. Who needs that shit? What I do need, is someone to love me unconditionally, faults and all, treat me like an equal, and put my feelings ahead of their own for a change. Good luck with that one, Amy. The only men in my life I can truly depend on are Pops and Clyde. I’ve already cried my eyes out on Pops’ shoulder and rehashed everything for Clyde. He’s a super good listener and always has my back.