Still gawking at the exquisite creature in front of me, I lifted one arm above my head to grip the fabric while simultaneously releasing the foot that kept me from falling. I missed the split-second movement meant to shift my weight from my foot to my hand, gripping the air above me instead, which left me facing a twenty-foot fall. Panic and adrenaline kicked in. Even with a landing pad waiting for me on the ground, a drop of this magnitude could be catastrophic. A collective gasp filled the room as a horrified audience watched my rapid descent.
I stretched my torso and arms as much as possible, struggling to catch the red cloth and stop my fall. I managed to grip it, halting the drop and saving my performance—and my ass. Once in my fist, I flicked my wrist and wound the material around it a couple of times, securing my position once again. The crowd burst into hurrahs and the dread gripping my belly abated, though my body still shook with adrenaline. I clambered to the ceiling choosing to skip some moves to catch up to the music and not ruin the big finale.
Engaging my core muscles, I flipped upside down into a full straddle, coiling the fabric several times around my waist. A few deep breaths helped put me back in the zone, the music building until the bass dropped, my cue to let go and spin down the silk over and over at rapid speed, like a windmill. This trick wasn't the hardest, but it always seemed to impress people, so I liked to finish my routines with it. When I reached the floor, the music and lights faded while I cocooned myself in the silks, ending the show the same way it began.
The room erupted into applause, and I stood in semidarkness, taking it all in. Life in this beautiful city hadn’t been very fulfilling for the past few years, but the bliss spreading through me and the sounds of ovation made my body vibrate with gratitude. This made life in San Francisco almost good enough for me.
Almost.
The spotlight came back on, prompting me to bow. I looked up toward the loft, eager to get a better look at the mystery man, but he was gone, and both my eyes and heart drooped with disappointment. After my bows, light flooded the club and a sea of people engulfed me. Some were strangers, and others were dear friends and colleagues. They gave me flowers, handshakes, and hugs. I reveled in this bittersweet moment, the joy of the love and praise combined in my chest with a tinge of sadness knowing I’d be leaving soon.
A hand landed on my shoulder, and I turned to find my baby sister with a towel in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. “Arie, that was amazing! Way to go out with a bang!”
I grabbed the water first, taking a big swig of the refreshing liquid before taking the towel and blotting the sweat off my skin.
“Thanks, sis, I piled on all my best moves since this will be my last gig in the city. I wanted to make a lasting impression.”
“Well, mission accomplished.” Pride and love filled her eyes. I pinched her cheek, which I'd done since we were children. It was my way of silently expressing how much she meant to me. Fiona tilted her head toward my hand, which I opened so her cheek could rest on my palm. That was how she always articulated her love for me. “What a way to save the show and yourself from falling to your death!” she squeaked, wincing theatrically.
I rolled my eyes at my sister’s aptness for drama. “I wouldn’t have died, just broken some limbs.” I waved my hand in dismissal as if breaking bones wasn’t worrisome.
“Oh sure, just some broken limbs. No big deal.” We stared at each other for a moment before breaking out in laughter.
“I’m starving, sweaty, and gross. How long until the countdown?” As I spoke, my eyes darted over the room, hoping to get another look at the breathtaking face now that the club was bright with fluorescent lights.
“Go get cleaned up, I’ll order your food,” Fiona assured. A dozen servers weaved around the beds, clearing out dinner plates and bringing out tray after tray filled with scrumptious desserts. My stomach was angry at this point. Time to get out of my tight, sweaty corset, come out to eat, drink, and find out if I was brave enough to meet the man whose gravitational pull sent me into free-fall. “I'll meet you back at our spot,” I told Fiona as I turned to walk to the green room.
I sat on the vanity stool and looked at myself in the mirror, wincing at my disheveled reflection, grateful the hot man hadn’t come to congratulate me like everyone else.
Deep down, though, I knew my poor appearance served as one of the many excuses I’d created to keep myself from stepping out of my comfort zone. I was thirty years old and still making excuses. I'd spent the last three years running from every guy who showed an interest in me, afraid to open up to the possibility of love, only to have my heart and body bulldozed into oblivion. This tactic had been keeping me safe but hollow, and I knew if I didn’t change, I’d end up like my eighth grade English teacher, alone with a house full of cats. Except, my house would’ve been full of dogs because I was allergic to felines.
As I rubbed the heavy makeup off my face, my confidence grew. I showered and fixed my hair, letting the coppery locks fall on my bare shoulders, my makeup now light and natural. I put on a short black dress with shimmery emerald-green specks that hugged my body in all the right places, and paired it with black pumps. Once satisfied with my reflection, I picked up my black clutch and walked back into the club. I was tired of being a coward. This time I’d finally be in control of my own destiny.
Chapter Two
Lorenzo
I’d stood in the middle of the crowd, mesmerized.
From the moment the spotlight had landed on her, and she began to dance, I was done for. The way her taut body had moved hypnotized me. I’d been a Cobra, and she was the snake charmer, her body the enchanting flute. Each movement a musical note, entrancing me more and more, until she was all that was left.
The charmer and her flute.
When she made her way up the fabric, twirling, twisting, and flipping her gorgeous, curly red mane, my desire had twirled and twisted along with her.
I couldn't rip my eyes away, and when her gaze collided with mine, she’d extended a silent invitation to find out more. Then she’d fallen, and a strange sense of delight coursed through my veins. I was glad she didn’t get hurt, though the realization she’d lost control because of me made my comatose heart tingle, which surprised me.
I’d shagged plenty of women in the past, but they were all fur coat and no knickers. Shiny on the outside with zero substance once they opened their mouths to speak. My strategy had been not to pursue. If they came to me, great. If not, I didn’t lose sleep over it. Sex was a means to an end for me. A way to be less lonely.
A distraction that a year ago ceased to work, so I gave it up, resigned to the pleasure of my own hand. None of the women in my past turned my head or inspired me to make the first move.
I was thirty-five years old and celibate by choice.
Until I laid eyes on her. The dancing beauty. Her toned legs had wrapped around the shiny red fabric, and I’d imagined them circling my waist instead. Her long ginger curls swaying in the air made her look exquisite. A fairy who had come from another world to rescue me from the deep crater in my chest that was threatening to swallow me whole.
From the moment I’d seen her, I’d been rapt by her beauty and presence, and when she’d looked at me, a strong jolt of electricity shot through my body. Perhaps I wasn't as dead inside as I’d thought.