Love is a Dance Step (Rockstars Anonymous)

by Michelle MacQueen

  There was one promise in his life that haunted him, one he couldn’t have foreseen breaking.

  Asher.

  The day he’d left for his first tour, Asher was only eight. Drew promised him no matter what happened, nothing would ever change between them. Fame wouldn’t come between them. He hadn’t known then it was an impossible promise to keep. For years, he managed to remain close to Asher, returning home whenever he could.

  And then, all of that was gone, Asher deciding it no longer mattered without telling Drew why.

  It wasn’t Drew’s fault the promise now lay in shambles, but the guilt ate away at him all the same.

  He shook his head. “I need to find someone else.” The words hurt to say. Only a couple days ago, Lola Ramirez was no one to him except a tiny memory, a childhood friend of Asher’s he barely remembered.

  Now, she was all he thought about.

  Noah patted his arm. “You didn’t pull out the rock star charm, did you?”

  Jo snorted. “Drew has no charm.”

  They all knew that was a lie. One of the reasons Drew had become a tabloid darling was because of said charm and the Hollywood elites he surrounded himself with because of it. But none of the glitz made him feel the way a single dance had.

  His dad walked toward their table with Piper at his side. They wore matching smiles.

  “Brunch?” Piper laughed.

  Noah shrugged. “What can we say, we’re brunch people.”

  “No, young middle-class moms are brunch people. Or young single women in the city. You… you’re barely people.”

  Drew raised one brow and reached for her clipboard. “Who did we invite back?”

  “Take a look.” She sat. “All the headshots are there.”

  Headshots. Because they were professionals. Aspiring dancers who never wondered if they were dancers at all.

  “You okay, kiddo?” His dad sat in the remaining empty seat.

  Drew should have been embarrassed of his dad’s nickname, but he didn’t care what Noah and Jo thought about it. It reminded him he was still here in Gulf City. In a couple days, he’d be off toward his next tour destination, leaving his family behind. Again.

  He flipped through the headshots, sure any one of them would make a good addition to the tour if they’d gotten through the first audition. But was good what they all really wanted? Soon, Drew would be alone on this tour. Noah and Jo would leave, and a new band the label had picked up would join his tour. Drew didn’t know them or their sound.

  Leah was already gone for the duration.

  He’d still have Piper and was forever grateful for that, but he needed more.

  It took him a moment to realize his dad was staring at him. He hadn’t answered his question. Clearing his throat, he looked away. “I’m fine. Just ready to get this over with.”

  “Well, your mother has told me I’m cooking dinner tonight, but I think it was just so I’d get you to join us so you make sure I don’t burn anything.”

  Drew couldn’t help but laugh. “Dad, one of these days we’re going to turn you into a master cook.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” His eyes scanned the table. “The rest of you are welcome too. My wife practically bought out Publix.” He rapped his knuckles on the table and stood. “I have to get back to work. Good luck today, kids.” He whistled as he walked away.

  Noah stared after him. “I don’t think anyone has ever called me ‘kid’ before.”

  “Yeah.” Drew shrugged. “Sorry, it’s his way of letting me know he cares.”

  “Don’t apologize, I…”

  Jo reached across and took his hand in hers. Drew didn’t know Noah’s story or if he had family back in England, but he’d always known how lucky he was with the parents he’d been born to. Sure, they’d been too young for a kid when they had him, but they made it work, and he’d never wanted for anything.

  Noah pushed back from the table and stood. “I’ll see you guys at auditions.”

  Drew watched him go before turning to Jo. “Is Noah okay?”

  She sighed. “Not all of us grew up in families like yours. I should go after him. Tell your dad we’ll be happy to come tonight. I think Noah could use a family dinner to remind him there are still some normal things out there.”

  When she left, Drew rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “This day.”

  “I think it’s this town.” One corner of Piper’s mouth curved up. “It’s just so… wholesome. Everything about Gulf City is. From this fancy beach club with fruit platters, to the families roaming the beaches instead of bikini-clad spring breakers. There are retired folks everywhere and not a Lion’s Den in sight.”

  He laughed, turning his head to look at her. “You’ve been looking for a Lion’s Den?”

  “No.” Her cheeks flushed. “But I’m used to seeing signs for them along highways. This town… it’s just so good, Drew. Your dad was telling me guests at the resort don’t go bar hopping, they book horseback rides out on some ranch outside town. See?” She poked his shoulder. “Wholesome. And now, you have bad boy British rocker Noah Clarke tearing up at the idea of a family. I think something’s in the water.”

  He’d never looked at his town like that before, but she wasn’t wrong. “Would it be so wholesome if I told you I almost kissed Lola yesterday?” He’d replayed that moment over and over again in his head. When a hand struck him, he jerked his head up. “Hey!”

  “You’re an idiot, Drew.”

  “I’m aware.” He rubbed the spot on his head where she’d struck. “I’m also fragile.”

  “Maybe your ego is. What were you thinking? You wanted to convince Lola to come on tour with you, to dance on stage in front of thousands, to work for you. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be a woman in this industry? I’ve seen it time and again. Lola shouldn’t have to sleep with you to get the job.”

  “What?” He reeled back. “Of course, she didn’t have to.”

  “I know that, and you know that, but that girl doesn’t know you. She doesn’t know it’s your head that needs some work, not your heart.” She pointed to his chest. “This is good. I’d never question that. But for freak’s sake, Drew, you’re a rock star. No one will give you the benefit of the doubt.”

  “I messed up, didn’t I?”

  “Ya think?” She sighed and got to her feet. “Come on. Let’s go greet the dancers. This time, don’t try to kiss any of them.”

  By the time Drew made it to his parents’ house for dinner, he just wanted to go to sleep and forget about this day.

  But he didn’t have that option. The moment he walked into the living room, Lizzy and Penny jumped from the couch and ran toward him. Lizzy crashed into his legs, but Penny veered around him to pepper Noah with a million questions.

  Noah answered each patiently, but he was still subdued as he had been all day.

  Eventually, Piper had ordered him to go back to Drew’s house and take a nap. They didn’t want him hanging around in his grumpy mood. So, it had been up to Drew, Piper, and Jo to judge the dancers.

  And they found one.

  Karen Henderson. She’d danced perfectly, not missing a single step. She had the flexibility, the quick learning, and the experience he needed. It wouldn’t be her first rock tour.

  He’d asked Piper to give him one more day before offering her the contract. The label needed time to draw it up anyway, according to Melanie.

  After a day spent watching a multitude of dancers—when he only wanted to see one—Drew needed a drink. He stepped into the kitchen to find Asher standing next to the fridge.

  “Beer me?” Drew waited for his brother to respond, wondering if he’d ignore him completely.

  Instead, Asher reached in and pulled out a Hazy Jane, tossing the can Drew’s way. Drew stared down at the familiar pink label, his favorite. But when he looked up to thank Asher, he’d already walked out.

  Cracking the can, he took a long drink.

  “Drew Alan.” His mom marched
toward him and reached into a cabinet, pulling free a beer glass. She handed it to Drew. “We aren’t heathens.”

  He kissed her on the cheek. “Keep telling yourself that, Ma.”

  She swatted him away. “Glad you’re here, boy. Now… the grill. I was promised a night off.”

  “I thought that was Dad’s job tonight.” He shot her an innocent smile.

  She picked up a towel from the counter and snapped him with it. “Only if we want charred chicken. Go.”

  “Aye aye.” He retrieved another beer and passed Noah and Jo. “Beer’s in the fridge.” He reached the porch and tossed the second beer to his dad. “Just don’t let mom know you’re a glass-less heathen.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He winked.

  It didn’t take long to finish cooking the chicken, and by the time he brought it in, the rest of the group was sitting around the large wooden dining table.

  Piper and Nora had their heads together as they talked. Penny stared dreamily at Noah. Jo talked to Lizzy. Only Asher sat stone faced as their parents brought the rest of the food to the table.

  It was almost enough to take his mind off Lola, off the fact he may have scared her off with one moment of weakness, one almost-kiss. Part of him wanted to break his promise, but the larger part knew he couldn’t. If she truly wanted to dance with him, she would.

  Dinner was everything he needed, everything he didn’t have when he was away. Piper was right, Gulf City did have a wholesome vibe, a family vibe. He couldn’t have imagined growing up anywhere else.

  As his mom started clearing the dishes, he jumped up to help her, but the buzzing of his phone in his pocket stopped him. When Leah’s name flashed across the screen, a rush of relief washed over him.

  His mom looked at the phone in his hand. “I’ve got this, Drew. Tell Leah we said hello.”

  He shot her a grateful smile before answering and bringing the phone to his ear. “Hey, stranger.”

  “Me?” Leah’s laugh made him feel instantly better. “You’re the one who has been busy the last couple days. I’ve just been lying around letting Amy drive me crazy.”

  Drew slipped out onto the lanai and sat in one of the Adirondacks. “She cares about you.”

  “Yeah, too much. She won’t let me do anything for myself. I have shin splints, Drew. I didn’t break anything. Doc says I could be ready to dance in the not too distant future, but I’m going to tell you something, and you aren’t allowed to try and change my mind.”

  “Sounds ominous.”

  She sighed. “I’m not coming back to the tour. I think I need to stay here with Amy. Plus, it wouldn’t be fair to whatever dancer you find if she just got into her groove and suddenly I’m back.”

  Drew wasn’t sure what to say. It had been so long since he did this without her.

  “Say something,” she whispered. “Please.”

  He leaned back and lifted his eyes to the lake. “I love you, and you need rest, Baker. That’s an order.”

  “As if you could order me to do anything,” she scoffed.

  “True.”

  “But I’m glad we’re okay.” Leah went silent for a moment before sucking in a breath. “So, Piper told me about the girl.”

  “She shouldn’t have done that.”

  “She’s worried about you, Drew. She thinks you’re willing to risk the rest of the tour for this girl. It’s her opinion that you either need to learn to work with just any old dancer, or you need to change the choreography so the lead dancer doesn’t have such a prominent role in the concerts.”

  He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He’d considered that, but just the thought of standing out there alone, of not having that ally next to him, moving with him… well, it sounded lonely. “And what do you think?”

  “You are the star of the show, Drew. You, not me or anyone else. But…”

  “I knew there was a but coming.”

  “You’re better when you have someone else’s energy to feed off of.”

  He laughed. “Like a vampire?”

  “Exactly. No, I’m serious. It’s like you need that connection. Don’t get me wrong, thinking of you finding a replacement for me kinda sucks.”

  “There’s no replacement for you.” After this tour, he’d get her back. He just had to remember that.

  “But there might be.” She sighed. “Tell me about this girl, Drew.”

  Drew ran a hand over the top of his head. “I don’t know where to start.”

  “How about her name?”

  He smiled. “Lola.”

  “Is she stubborn?”

  He nodded before realizing she couldn’t see him. “So stubborn.”

  “I like her already. Does she dance when no one is watching her?” This was Leah’s test. She hated the dancers who only performed for an audience. The true measure of love was what someone did when no one knew they did it.

  He thought back on walking in on her at the studio, and his smile widened. “You should see her. She’s not totally comfortable in front of people, but on her own, she doesn’t just dance, Leah, she…” He didn’t have a word to explain it, but he knew Leah would understand.

  “And you tried to kiss her.” There was chastisement in her tone.

  “Piper already lectured me.” He rubbed his eyes.

  He could practically hear her smile. “Good. Because if you’re going to convince her to dance with you, to be your partner in every dancing sense, you can’t do that again.”

  “Never. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. Leah, this girl, she’s everything I first saw in you. Sometimes, I think she has a lot of work to do, and other times, I think she’s better than me. That’s what kills me. She deserves this chance. There is no world in which a girl like that should disappear behind a desk, unseen by the rest of the world.”

  “Then make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  His chest deflated. “I can’t. I made her a promise.”

  “Well, crap.” Leah knew better than anyone how sacred he held his promises.

  “Yeah. I promised I’d leave her alone if she told me she wouldn’t come. For a moment, I felt like she wanted to join the tour more than anything. Heck, she even came to auditions in her work uniform. Something is holding her back, and I can’t do anything about it.”

  “You can wait. If you’re meant to dance together, it’ll happen.”

  As ridiculous as he was about his promises, Leah was worse about her faith. It wasn’t bad necessarily, but her response to most things was that it would get better if it was meant to. He wasn’t so sure, but he loved her for the sentiment.

  “I’ve got to go, Drew. Amy wants to start a movie. Just… don’t settle, okay? I love you.”

  “Love you too, Baker.” He hung up and pushed out a breath.

  “What do you want with Lola?” Asher’s voice didn’t register at first.

  Drew lifted his eyes to his brother in the open doorway, a brother who just overheard everything. But maybe that didn’t matter. “I just want to dance with her, Ash. You might not see it, but that girl is special. I just wish she could see it in herself.”

  He gave Asher a long look, one full of meaning. Asher was part of the reason Lola had no faith in herself.

  “What happened to you, Ash?” He shook his head.

  Asher’s jaw clenched. “I… I don’t know.”

  “What happened to us?”

  When Asher didn’t respond, Drew brushed past him, not sparing another thought for the man he no longer recognized.

  14

  Lola

  Lola wasn’t proud of calling in sick when she had nothing more than a bout of regret. Mr. Stone knew the reason she wasn’t there, but she’d worked for him since she was fifteen and had only rarely taken sick days.

  Besides, Saturdays were for Netflix.

  Some people meant sex when they said Netflix and Chill. Lola had a different meaning. She pulled her bowl of cookie dough ice cream into her lap and laughed to herself. �
��Netflix and chill.”

  Gah, she was pathetic.

  Her phone rang for like the fifth time, but she ignored it when she saw Asher’s name.

  She wanted to be strong without him, to make a change in her life, but she couldn’t help wondering if they’d have a friendship after this at all. Asher had once been her person, but he hadn’t treated her well in so long she almost forgot the good. “I will stop falling in love with people who can’t love me back.”

  Or, at least, she’d try. The next time she fell for someone, she’d never let them treat her the way Asher did.

  Her feelings for Asher had evaporated—mostly—during the last few weeks as he’d vacillated between oblivious friend and jealous jerk.

  What had changed?

  Was it his brother’s reappearance in Gulf City?

  She leaned back against her pillows and tried to focus on the TV, but it was no use. “Ugh.” She set her bowl on the table next to her bed and crawled to the edge, swinging her legs over. She couldn’t just sit here when her mind was in a million different places.

  There were another three hours until she had to be at the studio for class. Normally, she rushed there after work, but today, she couldn’t wait that long to move.

  Changing into a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt, she slipped into her running shoes and grabbed her keys off the table by the door. She moved silently through the house while her mom was sleeping before she had to work that night.

  When she arrived at the studio, classes were taking place in three of the four studio rooms. Saturdays were a busy day. Lola peeked into Lauren’s class for ages four to six and smiled at the kids trying their hardest to mimic her basic steps.

  They were only at the beginning of their love for dance.

  Was Lola at the end?

  She slipped into the empty studio and dropped her keys in the corner before setting music to play from her phone. Toeing off her shoes, she stood in front of the mirror as the slow song began.

  Her foot tapped out the beat as she closed her eyes, letting all her worries, all her regrets fade from her mind. Only here could she think clearly.