âCome here,â he said, pulling her closer to him.
âI enjoyed spending time with you tonight,â he said. This time he stared deeply into Ravenâs eyes. âDid you enjoy me, as well?â
âYes. Everything was perfect,â Raven answered softly.
âMay I kiss you?â Dru asked.
âYes.â
With his eyes open, Dru moved slowly, dipping his head toward Ravenâs. When his lips met hers, he closed his eyes, succumbing to the colorful sensation of their first kiss. The flutter of a million butterflies rattled his rib cage as he drank her in. Their lips locked and tongues danced for endless minutes as they explored one another like harbingers discovering new territory.
When they parted, Raven kept her eyes closed for a moment until the woozy feelings that threatened to overcome her subsided. When she opened them, her gaze met his, and she was lost in a smoldering heat that made the balmy summer evening pale in comparison.
âIâll call you,â Dru said.
Raven nodded her head, words having momentarily escaped her. She watched Dru walk down the steps and to his black Infiniti sedan. From the curb, he turned and gave her that dazzling smile sheâd already begun to cherish.
Dear Reader,
The passion of a true performer is immeasurable, built on countless hours of sacrifice and dedication. In writing this story it was important to me to show a great deal of respect and encouragement from Dru for Ravenâs passion. In addition, Ravenâs struggle with her identity might easily have been a turnoff for an ambitious young man; yet Dru not only supports Ravenâs pursuit of the truth, he fights fiercely to protect her from any harm the repercussions of this knowledge may cause. Dru Davis is an amazing man, made more so because he doesnât even know it.
Raven and Dru are a dynamic couple who work hard, love hard and, most importantly, try hard to be their best selves. I was invigorated by their tale and hope you are, too!
Sincerely,
Kim Shaw
Warm Up
âFive, six, seven, eight. And one, two, up three, four, down five, six andâstop, stop!â
At the sound of Marvin Barkleyâs boisterous voice the thirty-six dancers on stage froze in various stages of motion, like a Norman Rockwell painting. Complete stillness descended.
Barkley was an impatient man, to put it mildly. He was highly critical, demanding and about as tactful as a porcupine engaged in a game of Twister. Yet every dancer, actor, singer or wannabe worth their salt would give their arches to work with the renowned Broadway director. Raven Walker, a recent Julliard graduate, was no exception.
âPeople, this number only works if it is precise. Crisp and clean is what weâre going for here. Otherwise, itâs simply a bunch of arms and legs flailing about like drunken guppies. Tall guy, youâre missing the up step. Pink shirt, where are the hips? Itâs bop, bop, bopâ¦bop,â Barkley bellowed, snapping his midsection from left to right. âYou do have hips, donât you?â
He did not wait for an answer, and Raven did not attempt to give him one. Of course she had hipsâsometimes, especially during lifts, she thought she had a little too much to work with in that department. She wiped a clump of hair from her sweaty brow, took a deep breath and set her jaw with determination.
âAll right, letâs take it from the top. Meagan, sweetie, why donât you do it with them again? Maybe following a professional will help them to get this sorry mess together.â
Barkley motioned to the choreographer, Meagan Dawes, to lead the troupe through the number again. A fabulous dancer and instructor in her own right, Meagan had worked with him on his prior two productions and was used to Barkleyâs demanding nature.
Raven closed her eyes, envisioning the routine in her mind. She didnât know why she was a proverbial catastrophe in tights today. True, her monthly visitor had decided to drop in uninvited yesterday, bearing gifts of butt-kicking stomach cramps and searing back pain. But that was nothing to get excited overâsheâd danced through that type of discomfort many times before.
Sheâd been dancing since she was five years old and had experienced every phase of growth and development from perched up onto the balls of her feet. As a dancer, sheâd grown accustomed to blocking out aches, pains, fatigue and stress. Nothing mattered once she got onstage and the music began. If an out-of-body experience meant that her soul soared up to the heavens each time she slipped on a pair of pointe shoes or gore boots, then sheâd been flying high for the past seventeen years. Raven breathed, ate and slept dance, and she was focused and dogged in her quest to be the best at what she did, through it all. And even if she wasnât at her best on her toes, she knew how to make it appear as if she were. Sheâd been taking acting and vocal lessons since middle school. Sheâd learned how to reveal her heart and soul on stage when she performed; sheâd also learned how to become a different character, with emotions and motivations alien to her own. This triple threat never let anything come between her and the show.