Dances with Monsters

by D. C. Ruins

  "Sounds good," Heath murmured, shifting his eyes back to the road. "Looking forward to it."

  Finally Drew glanced over at him. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You've been really quiet since you picked me up."

  He smiled to himself. If she only knew that it was because her appearance had him tongue-tied. "I'm good," he promised, glancing over at her. His eyes moved over her face. "I'm great."

  "All right," she said suspiciously, but let the matter rest. Heath cleared his throat and silently chided himself for making her feel that something was wrong, when it was completely the opposite.

  "I'm not much of a 'foodie' but I'm willing to try new things," he commented as he navigated the car into a parking garage. "I'm just so used to sticking with my usual stuff that I forget there's a whole other gourmet world out there."

  Drew's smile returned. "Well, then I'm glad I could be the one to guide you through it," she teased. "The first time can be difficult for some."

  He smirked, but her double entendre, intended or otherwise, was not lost on him. He parked the car in the first available stall he found, which happened to be close to the elevators. They got out of the Charger and he locked it, hearing the confirmation provided by the electronic beep, and he waited for Drew to catch up to him as she hurried around the car, her feet moving quickly in her heels as she trotted toward him. He winged his elbow out slightly, a silent invitation, and she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm as he led the way toward the elevator. The elevator was connected to a long window that ran the length of the parking garage, looking out over the downtown area. Heath saw several groups of people moving down the street, dressed up in fancy clothing. He heard a sigh, and glanced over at Drew, who was also watching.

  "They're probably headed to Giselle tonight," she informed him with a small smile. "That's why they're so dressed up."

  He felt a little sense of glee at the surprise he had lined up for her. "Or maybe they're just going to fancy dinner, like us," he replied lightly.

  She gave him a half-smile and shrugged. "Maybe," she agreed.

  The elevator reached the ground floor and the doors slid open. Drew took his arm again and they strolled down the street toward the restaurant. Heath ignored the outright stares that he received from some of the passers-by, but when a few young men practically stopped in their tracks to stare at Drew, their heads turning, he looked at them steadily and narrowed his eyes. They got the silent message—threat—and kept it moving.

  "I want to show you something," Drew said suddenly. They were just across the street from Elements, but Drew pulled him around the corner of the block and down the street slightly. She stopped in front of a small street front store space that had a "Lease available" sign up in the window along with a phone number.

  "This is my studio," she said. "Well, my dream studio."

  With new interest, Heath regarded the façade of the building before cupping his hands around his face to peer inside the window. It was pretty gutted and needed quite a bit of work, but it was in a good location and he could start to envision a little studio like the one she used at the Y.

  "I've spoken with the bank, and they know I'm interested," she went on. "But until I make my down payment this place is still considered available. Luckily there don't seem to be any other takers on this property—yet. So I'm sort of in a race against the clock to get my shit together. But I'm close. I'm really close."

  Heath's curiosity was piqued and he wanted to ask her how much more she owed; he would be more than willing to give her what she needed to make sure she got the space for herself and could actually start to realize her goal. But he didn't want to be rude or pry, although he really did want her to know he'd be happy to offer her any help she wanted or needed. But she seemed like the kind of person who would take immense pride in being solely responsible for making her own dreams come true, and would turn down any offers to get her there faster. So, he just nodded.

  "Nice little space," he commented. "I could definitely envision a dance studio in here."

  She beamed at him and turned her attention back to the window. "I'm workin' on it," she said. She rapped her knuckles on the glass. "This will be mine one day. I'm determined to make it happen." She sighed and let her fingers trail down the window before resuming their place on his arm again. "Let's go."

  They crossed the street and entered the restaurant. Heath noticed how busy it seemed when they walked through the door, the level of chatter loud and constant, as was the clatter of silverware on china.

  "Good evening," the hostess said pleasantly, smiling at them as they neared her counter.

  "Hi," Heath replied. "I have a reservation. Riley."

  "Just a moment," the hostess said, turning to her computer. "Ah, yes. Mr. Riley. I do have a table ready for you. Please follow me." The hostess carefully plucked two elegantly embossed menus from her station before leading them through the restaurant. Drew's hand slipped from his elbow to his fingers in order to accommodate the narrow path around the other tables. The hostess smiled and extended her hand toward the table, and pulled out Drew's chair for her as she lowered herself down. The hostess handed a menu to Drew, then one to Heath, and told them that their server, Sophie, would be with them shortly.

  Heath glanced around. It was definitely a fancy place, fancier than any place he'd ever been in before. It was dimly lit, with candles glowing on every table and soft overhead lighting from several chandeliers in the ceiling. The tables were made of dark, polished wood, with elegant place settings and comfortable chairs.

  Their server, Sophie, appeared and placed two goblets of water down before them and greeted them. "Welcome to Elements," she said. "I'm Sophie and I'll be taking care of you this evening. Have you dined with us before?"

  "She has," Heath replied. "I haven't."

  "Well, welcome back," Sophie said to Drew with a smile. She proceeded to rattle off the impressive list of that evening's specials, then handed Heath a special wine list. She left to let them look over the menu.

  "I won't be drinking," Heath said, handing over the wine list. "But knock yourself out."

  Drew laughed. "I don't know about knocking myself out," she replied. "We've seen what happens when I do that. But I wouldn't mind a glass of red wine."

  Heath glanced over his menu, making an impressed face. "Wow. Gourmet and fancy, for sure." He looked over at Drew as she pored over the wine list. "What's your favorite thing here?"

  "Hmm," she replied. "Probably the salmon with the pumpkin risotto and pan-fried green beans." She looked up and saw Heath blinking at her, and she laughed. "Not really your thing? Well, I've had the filet mignon here before and it was great."

  "Steak for me," he commented with an approving nod.

  Sophie returned and took Drew's wine order as well as their dinner orders and placed a basket of warm, freshly baked bread in front of them. "I'll get your orders in right away," she promised. She glanced at Heath. "I'm sorry," she said, sounding embarrassed. "But are you Heath Riley?"

  "Ah, yes," Heath replied, his face impassive but he shifted slightly in his chair, and Drew knew he hated being recognized.

  "I sincerely hate to trouble you," Sophie went on. "My boyfriend is probably your biggest fan. Would you…would you mind?" She tentatively extended a scrap of paper and a pen out to him.

  "Not at all," Heath said, taking the paper and the pen. "What's his name?"

  "Ben," Sophie replied. "And thank you so much. I really hate to bother you, but he would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't get your autograph."

  Heath smirked a little and signed his name to the paper, then handed it over. "Thank you," Sophie said fervently.

  "No problem," Heath replied. When she went away, he sighed. Drew laughed at him.

  "You're a hometown celebrity," she said. "You have to get used to things like this."

  "Bullshit," Heath countered, taking a sip of his water. He shook his head. "I hate that sort of thing. Not that I want to be an asshol
e to people who support me. I just hate being looked at like…that."

  "I understand," Drew said.

  Sophie returned with her glass of Shiraz and set it down gently in front of her. "Just wanted to let you know, I told the chefs to prioritize your order," she said with a slightly sheepish smile. She looked at Heath. "Thanks again."

  "You didn't have to do that," Drew exclaimed. "But thank you."

  "No problem at all," Sophie said emphatically. "You two are so dressed up, I thought maybe you might be heading to the ballet tonight. So many diners in here are, and they need to get out of here in time to make it for the show."

  "Oh, ah, no, we're not," Drew said. She smiled. "So really, you didn't have to put any priority on our order."

  "We appreciate that, though," Heath spoke up quickly. "Very nice of you."

  "Oh," Sophie continued brightly. "Well, it was my pleasure. The least I can do for disrupting you. Let me know if you'd like anything besides water," she added. "It's on the house."

  "No, no," Heath said hastily. "No, thanks."

  "Wow, chef priority and free drinks, all for an autograph," Drew teased when Sophie left. She nudged him playfully with the toe of her heel under the table. "I guess I'm rolling with the big-shots."

  Heath laughed ruefully. "Right." He sipped at his water again and tore a roll in half, then tore the half in half again and set it on his plate. He laughed when Drew looked at him scornfully and grabbed a full roll and sliced it open, and began slathering it with the seasoned, whipped herb butter that accompanied it while looking at him pointedly.

  "I wish I could be like you, I do," he chuckled.

  "And I'm so glad I don't have to torture myself like you," she replied. She took a bite of her roll, the flavor of the herb butter making her close her eyes. "Mm. I'd die without bread. Or pasta. I'm Italian, after all."

  Heath watched her with a half-smile. "So at the risk of bringing up a sore subject," he began, "what's this ballet all about, anyway?"

  Drew set her roll down and took a sip of her wine. "Giselle is about this young and beautiful peasant girl who meets this duke," she explained. "He's disguised himself as a fellow villager because he sees her and falls in love with her, even though he's engaged to someone else. Giselle falls in love with him, too. She eventually meets his fiancée, not knowing who she really is, or who he really is. When she finds out, she dies of a broken heart." Drew had a dreamy smile on her face. "And that's all just the first act. The second act is about her spirit rising from the grave to find the duke and forgive him for his deception."

  Heath was more interested in the softness that had come to her face when she spoke about the ballet, but he cleared his throat. "Sounds interesting," he replied. "Maybe if it's a traveling show, you'll get to see it in another city sometime."

  Drew's smile turned wistful again. "Maybe." She tore off another piece of her roll with her fingers. "If not, it's okay. Like I said, I've seen it before, and I have it on DVD. I just love that ballet so much. I saw it for the first time when I was so young and it inspired me to grow up and become a ballerina." She ate the little bit of roll she'd pulled off and took another sip of wine. "So, are you starting to get nervous for your tournament?"

  It was obvious she wanted to change the subject but Heath appreciated the question anyway. "Nervous?" he repeated. "No. Not really nervous. Just focused. And honestly, ready to get it over with. I sparred with Connor the other day and it went pretty good."

  "Oh, yeah," Drew said with a nod. "That makes sense. He won the last big one, so if you can do well against him, you can kick anyone's ass!"

  Heath laughed. "Yeah, something like that," he replied.

  Just then, Sophie showed up with their dinner orders. Heath looked over his plate. The portion sizes looked good, not too big but enough to fill him up, and his steak looked like it was cooked to perfection. He glanced at Drew's plate; hers looked good as well.

  She caught his eye and smiled, then lifted her wine glass. Curiously, Heath raised his as well and touched it to hers.

  "To all life's successes," she said, then took a sip.

  "I'll drink to that," Heath said with a nod.

  As they dug into their meals, Heath suppressed a groan of appreciation. After weeks of nothing but chicken, fish, complex carbs, whole grains and a mountain of vegetables, a real steak, especially one as good as this, was like heaven. Drew was making headway with her salmon, and neither spoke for a little while as they enjoyed their meals. That was something about Drew he appreciated—she had a very healthy appetite and wasn't afraid to eat in front of him. He'd taken girls out in the past who ordered a side salad for an entrée and a glass of water, and it had annoyed him to no end.

  "Speaking of life's successes," Drew said, and he glanced up at her. He noticed she'd set her fork and knife down so he did the same. "I, uh—I wanted to tell you that I decided to testify."

  He let a small, proud smile cross his face. "Good for you," he said. "I'm proud of you."

  She seemed to glow under his praise, and picked up her fork again. Instead of eating, she started dragging it through her risotto. "My family is going to be there," she said, focusing intently on a grain of risotto. "And Bunz. Well, not in the courtroom with me, just at the courthouse. It would be awkward to recant what happened in front of them, and, well, I wouldn't want to put my family through that again. Uh, anyway. It—it would mean a lot to me if you came, too."

  He blinked in surprise. "You want me to be there?" he asked quietly.

  "It's the Monday right after the Smackdown tournament, in the city," she said quickly. "So I know you'll be really tired and it's like a seven hour drive from Buffalo which is really kinda far for a favor. So if you can't make it or you don't want to, I totally –"

  "Drew," he said, lifting a hand in the air. "Stop. You want me there, I'm there. That's it."

  She caught her breath from her verbal torrent and bit her lip. "Thanks," she said. "I hope it's not weird that I asked you. It's just—well, outside my family you're the first person I've told what happened to me, and you're the only other person besides B who knows. And, well—" She blushed and dropped her gaze again. "You're a—a good friend to me and I just thought –"

  She was doing it again, so Heath reached over and slipped two of his fingers into the little fist she didn't know she was making to get her attention. Her eyes shifted to their hands and then to his face. He stared intently into her eyes.

  "'Nough said," he said quietly. "You had me at 'it would mean a lot to me if you came'." He smiled gently, and she returned it.

  "Okay," she said quietly.

  They returned to the rest of their meal until Sophie came to check on them and offer the dessert menu. Heath saw Drew's eyes light up at the mention of dessert so he discreetly checked his watch. They had about forty-five minutes until the ballet started so he nodded for Sophie to bring the dessert menu. He wasn't huge on sweets but he agreed to split one with Drew and told her she could choose whatever she liked. She selected a decadent Italian cream lemon layer cake and they each ordered an espresso.

  As Drew picked at the cake, Heath watched her and sipped at his espresso as a thought came to him. "Since we were on the subject of being supportive for life successes," he began, "what do you think about coming with me to the tournament?"

  Drew looked up at him in surprise, the fork slipping from her finger and clattering onto the table. "Shit. Um, really? You would want me to come? You know I don't know anything about that."

  "I'd like you to be there," he said, swirling his curved ribbon of fresh lemon zest in his espresso with a small silver spoon. "My dad and brother and Lana are going. It'd be cool to have you there, too. I don't care if you don't know much about MMA."

  "Anything," Drew corrected with a smile. "I don't know anything." She paused and delicately licked whipped buttercream off the tines of the fork. She glanced up at him. "Could I—do you mind if I think about it?" She bit her lip. "I know that makes me sound like an ass
hole, since I asked you to come to my thing, and you said yes right away, and now you're asking me to go to your thing and here I am asking to think –"

  "Drew, it's okay," he said. "Take all the time you want." He paused. "Well, not all the time," he amended. "I'm leaving Thursday morning so I'd need to know before that to make hotel room arrangements for you. So…you could take until Tuesday." He shrugged. "Besides, you should probably meet my family first, anyway. You might decide they're too crazy to hang out with." He half-smiled and was pleased when she chuckled.

  "Okay," she said. "I'll let you know before Tuesday."

  "Good," Heath said. He looked at his watch again and was surprised to see that a half an hour had flown by. "We should probably get going," he added, reaching for the small, black leather folder containing their check Sophie had left when she'd brought them their dessert and coffee. "The, uh, movie starts soon." The Benedum theater where the ballet was being performed was only a five minute walk from the restaurant, but Heath still needed to pick up the tickets at the front and he didn't want to hassle with the crowd on the way to their seats.

  He left enough cash to cover the bill and a tip, then snapped the folder shut. Drew was looking at him hesitantly. He cocked his head. "What?"

  "Do you –" Her hand hovered over her clutch. "I mean, I can help—I just don't want you to –"

  He finally understood what she was getting at and shook his head. "No way. I got it. Let's go."

  He rose from his seat and pulled her jacket from the back of her chair, waiting until she had risen to her feet before he helped her slip into it. They made their way outside into the cool evening, the spring sky now a bit darker than before, and Drew took his arm again. They reached the movie theater and she started to turn in toward it, but Heath kept moving.

  "Heath," she said in confusion. "The theater's right here."

  "Let's take a little walk," he replied calmly. "It's nice outside. We have a little time, I think."

  "Doesn't the movie start soon?" she asked, although she let him lead her on. "Which movie are we seeing, by the way?" she went on. "You never said."