Chapter 23: New Partners

Gloria was still in my arms as she tried to compose herself. I pulled away gently and she looked up with me with her with red watery eyes. "Do you wanna tell me what happened?" I asked as I led her to one of the couches so we could talk. Even though I found my assistant to be a little underhanded at times, I didn't like seeing her this way.

"Well … I've been dating this guy," she started and Jose rolled his eyes he knew where this was going. She'd been dumped she'd been this before and she always gotten extremely depressed over the men she involved herself with. "I … I came home early today … during my lunch break and I heard weird noses coming from my bedroom. Andy was in there with some bitch in my bed." She sobbed again and buried her head in my chest. "Why can't I get it right Jose? I just want a man that's going to be kind and respect me. That's all I want."

"I'm so sorry Glo," I patted her back and went to pull away from her but her grip became tighter. We'd been through this before when her relationships didn't go so well she'd cling to me and that wasn't possible anymore. I was committed to Al and a shoulder to cry on was all that I could give. As if on cue my phone rang and it was Ally.

"Can't you just let it ring for a moment? I just really need a friend Jo, that all. Maybe we could grab something to eat and chat?" I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. As Glo's friend I feel sort of obligated to her but I knew I shouldn't ignore Ally's call.

"Hey," I answered the phone and I heard some noise in the background.

"Hey, where are you? You said you were picking me up today I've been waiting for like thirty minutes," Ally wasn't mad she sounded worried actually. "Is everything okay?"

"Shit Al, I'm sorry I'm coming now. I had something I was working on and got distracted by the time." I moved away from Glo a little bit so I could speak to Ally in private. "I should be there in like ten minutes. Hey, I know how you feel about Glo but do you think it would be okay if we invite her for dinner?" There was a long silence over the phone and Ally eventually sighed.

"We could eat at a restaurant or something but she shouldn't come to the loft … not after last time." She had a point and I hadn't even thought about the past and how she acted toward them as a couple.

"Okay, I'll pick some place nice. I'll be there in a moment beautiful."

"Okay Josie," she was agreeable but I could tell by her tone that she wasn't elated by the turn of events. I was starting to feel the pressure. No man really wanted to be sandwiched between two pissed off females. After we hung up Gloria was sitting down with her arms wrapped around herself.

"So I've talked to Alex and she said she thought it would be cool if we all hooked up and had a little dinner." Gloria glared at me.

"Or … you could get someone to babysit and we could go for dinner. I've been good where the two you are concerned lately Jo and all I'm asking for is one night with just you and me! She doesn't have to be involved!" Gloria whined.

"Yes she does," I retorted. "I know you Gloria; I know where your head goes when your relationships go south. I want to be there for you but I need you to keep things in perspective this time." I tried to be sensitive but I knew as soon as I saw the fire in Glo green eyes I knew I had messed up.

"You should keep things in perspective too Jo the girl is SEVENTEEN! She's a baby and you're a man … are you some kind of pervert!" I clinched my fists together and closed my eyes. I wanted I tried to rationalize her remark I knew she was hurting having an argument and firing her right now would only make things worse.

"I'm not … I'm not going to have this conversation again with you. Al and I have extended an olive branch to get you through this time. Don't make us regret it. It's all on you Gloria do you want to go to dinner or not?"

"You're right … I'm sorry. I want dinner let's go."

Alex's POV

Jose' was almost an hour late picking me up from Dance Electric. Luckily Ms. Olivia put me to work. I'd become a dance assistant about two week after joining the studio. She felt that my personality made me a good candidate to work with some of the young dancers, but since Jo was late I'd finished my classes and worked with Marcus on his hip hop class. I love hip hop, I wasn't the best at it but it was fun to watch and attempt some move. Some of the moves can be very fun and hella sexy. I watched at Marcus worked with the guys in his class getting the count fixed for their piece in the recital something about it was coming off too fast. I loved the song he picked I couldn't wait to see all put together with the outfits.

"What do you think Al?" Marcus balled his drown dreads up into a bun and placed his hands on his hips.

"It's still too fast. I don't really see what you've changed," I answered honestly and he huffed. "Maybe bring the girls in early that will switch the beat up." I hopped of the block I was sitting own. "Let them hit a couple of poses and then the beat picks back up and your boys can go to work." I giggled and Marcus smiled at me.

"Show me what you think the girls should do," he crossed his arms and stared at me.

"Oh no! I don't do hip hop I look like an idiot, especially in the outfit I'm wearing now!" Marcus was always asking me to dance around him. I wasn't stupid I knew what the look in his eyes meant I also knew that as gorgeous as he was he wasn't my type. My type was now over an hour late!

"Come on Al! Just show the kids a little something." Then the chanting started.

"ALLY! ALLY! ALLY!" They were clapping and having such a good time.

"Fine I'll dance but this isn't something that I see working into your piece Mark. I just want to prove I can do a little something, something." It wasn't that I hadn't taken plenty of hip hop classes. I was just better at other things. So the music started and began to move and do my thing all of a sudden Marcus is right there but I kind of expected that. I just didn't expect him to be all up on me." I scooted started to move away but not soon enough. In the reflection of the mirror I saw my "boyfriend" and his "assistant" staring at me as though I'd committed some sort of crime. "Oh there my ride. Thanks for letting me crash your dance class! I can't wait to see your number in the show!" I said as I scooped up my bag and headed out of the door. Part of me wished that I could've just stayed there and danced because the night I had mapped out in front of me seemed like it was going to me more trouble than it was worth.

Author's Note: I haven't been back to this story in a long time. I hope that you're all still out there reading. Anyways, please read, review, and no flames!