Page 36 of Dancing on Air

“My friends keep me in the loop.”

“When are you coming home?” he asked suddenly. “I miss you.”

“I’m thinking of heading up to Silver Cove first. Cora said she can arrange for me to stay at the resort.” His sister made an excited sound she always made. “Anyway, I figured I’d head up there before that to scope the joint out.”

He smiled. “Have fun. Let me know what you think. I’m thinking of taking off and joining Cora and you.”

“That would be amaze-balls,” Missy said. “Well, I have to get to class if I’m actually going to graduate in a month.”

“Thanks for the call. Oh, and Missy, keep my love life private, please. Love you.”

“Always,” she said and hung up.

Dressed in a fresh suit, he walked into his parents’ building a little over an hour later.

Sharper Image was housed in a classic two-story sandstone building that sat across from the BAC. Since they partnered with the BAC, there was no use for the four dance studios on the main floor, so they had been converted to offices in the past ten years. They were normally rented out but were currently sitting empty.

His mother’s office sat directly across the hallway from his father’s. The receptionist sat across from the large iron staircase and was the only other employee in the building. That he knew about, at any rate.

He couldn’t shake the knowledge of his parents’ marriage dynamics out of his head. Missy wasn’t known for making things up. Sure, he knew his parents had problems. He’d caught his dad flirting a few times and had seen his mother be very handsy with a few dancers.

During the meeting, he watched his parents. They sat almost three feet away from one another and never looked at or talked to each other.

Each had a dozen or so questions or suggestions for him. His father claimed he was going to attend that evening’s practice to see how things were progressing.

Basically, they didn’t trust him.

As he was leaving his parents’ building, he saw Reece stroll in. Before the man could see him, he ducked behind a very large pillar and waited.

Reece climbed the stairs and walked past Kim, the receptionist, before she could even look up from her computer.

Reece opened his mother’s office door and stepped inside without even looking back.

“Does that happen often?” Max asked Kim.

Kim nodded. “For the past three months. Before him, it was another one.”

Max swayed slightly. “And my father?”

Kim shrugged. “He has his own… visitors.” Kim’s face turned a slight pink.

“I hope they’re paying you well,” Max said absently.

Kim smiled. “I made sure of it.”

Max suddenly liked the woman a whole lot more. “Good.” He nodded and turned to go but stopped. “Let me know if things… change.” He motioned with his head. “I am family and shouldn’t be included in whatever gag order they’ve given you.”

Kim was quiet for a moment, then she nodded. “I can do that,” she said softly.

Max had about an hour before practice, but he headed across the street to BAC anyway to work on his own project. He wanted to include some of Cora’s moves in one of his scenes.

Instead of heading to the small office he used down the hallway from the main stage area, he sat out in the audience chairs and worked in the dark.

He lost track of time while he ran through her moves from the previous night and tried to write them all down.

Whenever he glanced at the stage, he could imagine Cora up there, alone, under the spotlight, moving like silk.

She would steal the show. She would be the show. If others saw the performance he’d seen the night before, he just knew she’d be a star.