Chapter 4
My alarm blared much too early for my liking that morning. I put on my specially purchased dancing outfit and shoes with this weird sense of pride. A part of me always wanted to take dance lessons, but I had never gone through with it. I had asked my hair stylist to put my hair up in this braided up-do. I would have done it myself but it was much too intricate for my rudimentary braiding skills. I figured the up-do would stay in place during all the dancing more than a simple pony tail would. I applied makeup sparingly, and headed out the door.
I went way past the speed limit the whole way due to my anxiety. I hoped to God that it wouldn't be awkward. The kiss was bad enough. I hoped he hadn't changed his mind on how he felt about me sleeping over his house. I wanted us to get off on the right foot in regards to the upcoming show. The last thing I needed was to have this awkward tension between us.
Almost slamming into the parking barrier and a pretty Lexus that I recognized as Derek's, I pulled into the parking space. I walked nervously down the path that led to Studio C. I was on the verge of a panic attack. After calming myself, I walked through the double doors. The second I saw his face, I had an overwhelming urge to run up to him and jump into his arms. When walked up to me and opened his arms slightly, I smiled and wrapped my arms around him for a moment. I pulled away before I did something I'd regret. "Hey, how are you?", he asked. "Good, and you?", I replied. "Slightly better than good.", he said.
He led me into the adjoining dance studio within the large studio. "For the first week, we have to do the Cha Cha.", Derek announced with anticipation. "Yay, I like that one.", I replied. As much as it had bothered me, I realized that I was happy that this dance required almost constant physical contact. Derek, bless him, broke down the choreography into a few steps at a time. It made it a hell of a lot easier. I wasn't expecting how much cardio I actually got. Derek spun me effortlessly and then dipped me. I forgot for a split second that he was gonna dip me. I managed to recover. His face was two inches from mine, our lips just centimeters. For just a moment, we gazed into each other's eyes. I almost got lost in his vast pools of blue. We both then quickly went into the next move, trying to forget what had just happened.
Five hours later I was exhausted. "Alright, I think we'll be good for today.", Derek announced with almost no fatigue in his voice. I smiled up at him. "You're welcome.", he replied to my unsaid thank you laughing. I shoved him jokingly. I tripped over his shoe, and went stumbling towards him. I slammed into him, throwing us backwards and onto the hardwood floor. With both of us still on the floor, I peeked through my hands to gauge his reactions. He just laughed uncontrollably. "Stop it!", I half yelled, while jokingly swatting at his shoulder. "For some reason, I think you are the only person who is possibly capable of doing that.", he theorized, shaking his head. "I'll make it up to you, how about you come over to my apartment and we can watch a movie of your choosing.", he offered with a hopeful expression. "I'd love to.", I replied smiling.
My sister, Sophie, called and asked if she could borrow my car because Dad was currently fixing hers. I asked Derek if I could ride with him to the apartment and I'd have Sophie drop my car off later. "Of course.", he said with a you-really-have-to-ask voice. "Thanks, I really appreciate it." "Happy to do it.", he said. His eyes were saying something beyond that but I couldn't put my finger on it.
Being the person that I am, the second we were in his Lexus I called dibs on the radio. During the car ride, I stole glances at Derek. I was trying to figure out what was going on in his mind short of telepathy. By an act of God, Little Moments by Brad Paisley began to fill the Lexus. I quickly got lost in his voice. "You really should pursue a career in singing. Your voice is beyond beautiful.", he said admiringly. I didn't even realize that I was singing out loud. "You're too sweet.", I say depreciatingly. "No, I'm being honest.", he replied.
Before I knew it, we were inside his apartment. "I would make you a four course dinner but my fridge is borderline empty.", he apologized. "It's the thought that counts.", I said, smiling up at him. "Chipotle run?", Derek asked. "Read my mind.", I said.
Thanks to the centralized location of Derek's apartment, it was a little over a five minute drive to the closest Chipotle. As we stepped out of the car, we were assaulted by flashing cameras. The premiere hadn't even been filmed yet, and there was already a press mob. Derek got me inside quickly enough that it minimized the amount of shots the press got. We walked into with calmness surrounding us. Somehow, no one seemed to notice. I ordered a chicken burrito with extra rice, and Derek got a barbacoa burrito. I got an Izzie too. I used to drink at least three a day. I reached for my wallet to pay. I looked up for a split second to see Derek hand the cashier enough to pay for both of our orders. "Will you ever let me pay for anything?", I asked shaking my head. "Short of your mortgage, I don't think so.", he replied with an intonation that I couldn't tell was joking or serious. Derek grabbed my hand and quickly pulled me through the press mob.
Like every other time, I claimed dominance over the radio. Nothing worth singing was on. Within minutes, we were sitting on his ridiculously comfy couch eating our burritos. Soon, I leapt for the remote and curled up on his couch. I decided I was in the mood for payback for his movie choice. I scrolled through Netflix and chose The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. I looked over to see that he had no reaction to m movie selection. "Aren't you upset with my choice?" I ask skeptically. "My dear sister Julianne dragged me to see it like three times. It doesn't really bother me anymore," he chuckled. I internally frowned at the fact that he wasn't bothered by it at all.
Watching Bella and Edward's relationship play out on screen made me long for a relationship like theirs. What I was coming to realize was that it wasn't just a relationship I wanted, it was one with Derek. I felt myself inch towards Derek on the couch subconsciously. It felt like something was drawing me towards him. Suddenly, I felt something move behind my back. Derek's hand had brushed against my back accidentally as he moved it. Then I noticed that his arm was slung behind my back as if his arm was around me. It was impossible to decipher whether or not it was intentional.
After the movie, we stayed up most of the night talking about everything and anything. It was so natural. It felt like I had known him my whole life. Before I knew it, it was around eight in the morning. We would have practice in a few hours.
I ran home and showered as quickly as possible, knowing that my stylist team was going to need most of the time to perfect my look. I sat in the chair, good naturedly enduring the tugs and pulls of hair, and the ever present makeup and brushes. I still didn't understand how it could take so long to put my hair into a ponytail and do very minimal looking makeup. But I wasn't about to ask.
