Page 38 of Dancing on Air

“Don’t you dare say it was a mistake,” she warned when he didn’t answer her right away.

“No.” He shook his head. “Last night wasn’t a mistake. Continuing, however, would be.”

She sighed and seemed to ignore his foul mood. “I’m hungry.” She tilted her head. “Why don’t we get dinner and talk about those changes you wanted,” she said a little louder, most likely for the benefit of everyone still standing around.

“Sure,” he said, and threw his bag over his shoulder.

“I’ve got to shower first. Meet you at the Thai place on the corner.” She headed back across the stage. “Half an hour,” she called out.

He understood what she was doing. Making their dinner sound very casual to everyone around them. After all, he met a group of dancers at the Thai place at least twice a week.

Since he had time, he headed into his office and tried to figure out the best way to either break things off with Cora or ensure that what they had was just casual.

Chapter Ten

The moment Cora stepped into the locker room to shower, Jynx was on her.

“So, you and Max a Million?” Cora Jenkins said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Are meeting at the Thai place. Wanna join?” she said smoothly as she dumped her bag into her locker and started undressing.

“What are you two to one another? Are you sleeping together?” Jynx sneered.

“What are you, twelve?” she countered. “Want to hear all the latest juicy gossip on other people’s love lives because you don’t have one of your own?”

Both Robin and Mary gasped and turned to look at Jynx.

“I have a love life.” Jynx pouted.

“Really? Because rumors are your boy toy Reece is seeing someone else.” She tossed her clothes into her locker, spun the lock, and walked into the showers, leaving the conversation.

When she came out ten minutes later, freshly showered, the locker room was empty. Seeing her locker door wide open, she frowned. Rushing over, she gasped at the empty space.

She was positive she’d locked it. Checking the lockers beside it, she started to panic. Everything was gone. Even her purse and cell phone.

After checking all the lockers, she wondered what she should do. She was currently only wearing a small terrycloth robe that hit her high up on her thigh. Her long red hair was dripping wet, her face clear of any makeup.

She could just imagine rushing through the building up to her room to get more clothes.

No doubt Jynx and her gang stole her things and took them up to her room. She couldn’t see them tossing them in the trash. They were mean but not that mean. Maybe.

Frustrated, she was just working up the nerve to rush through the building when there was a knock on the outer door.

“Cora, are you in there?” Max called out.

“Yes.” She walked over to peek out the door. “Jynx and her gang stole my things,” she said with a slight groan.

Max held up her bag. “I was just locking up when I saw one of them toss it off the stage into the seating area. Once I realized what it was, I figured you’d need some help.”

“Thanks,” she said, reaching for the bag. He pulled it away and smiled at her.

“Not so fast.” He tilted his head. “I think I deserve a reward.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

He smiled. “What are you wearing?”

She rolled her eyes and flung open the door to show him her robe.