Dance With Me Read online

th Me

  Neo-Terra Colony

  Alexandra A. Cheshire

  Copyright 2014 Alexandra A. Cheshire

  All characters, events and places in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people or places past or present is strictly coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Dance With Me

  About Alexandra A. Cheshire

  Dance With Me

  After breakfast in the employee cafeteria beside the nightclub kitchen, Esther returns her tray and spots the nightclub owner, Marta, standing in the cafeteria doorway.

  “You're ready?” The older woman addresses Esther.

  The younger woman just nods and follows her down through the building and out the small side door. The very tall, very black man on guard there nods to them as they pass.

  Out on the crowded, colourful, community streets, Marta turns to Esther, “I've had word of a couple local dancers who should be more than good enough for the crew. They just may not be willing to talk to me.”

  Esther nods to herself, “I'll see what I can do.”

  “That said,” Marta continues, “I can't see it taking all day, so you may yet get some time to yourself.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Soon music can be heard over the other neighbourhood sounds, growing louder. Esther finds herself walking in rhythm to the driving beat. By the time they reach the source, the music is almost too loud to speak over.

  A crowd is gathered around a group of dancers. Esther and Marta press through to the front row, which allows Esther a good view of the performance. She studies their moves with a critical gaze, easily identifying three more than good enough to join the nightclub dance crew.

  When the song changes, the volume drops. The crew splits up in search of drinks and a break, except for one man whose eyes land on Marta. He scowls, swaggering closer. The crowd parts, pushing back to leave Esther and Marta face to face with him.

  “You aren't welcome here!” He spits off to the side, “No one's takin' my crew anywhere.”

  Esther's cool gaze passes over him, sizing him up, “Shouldn't it be their choice?”

  His scowl deepens, “We're the best here.”

  “So you don't think they have anythin' to gain?” Esther's gaze remains cool, “You don't think you have anythin' to gain?”

  He snorts contemptuously, glancing over her, “You think you're better 'n me?”

  Esther glances at the girl seated beside the portable stereo. Their eyes meet and the girl nods her understanding. A moment later, the music changes and Marta steps back, although remaining at the front of the crowd. The man doesn't move, still scowling, as Esther matches movement to music.

  It's easy for Esther to lose herself in the rhythm. At the same time she takes some care to demonstrate the best of the training she'd received from the nightclub's top instructor. She is peripherally aware of the crew moving to stand in a clump not far from Marta.

  Once Esther steps back, the man makes the most of his turn, also clearly trying to demonstrate his best moves. Eventually he steps back and she moves forward again. The two battle back and forth until, in an attempt to impress the crew and crowd, he attempts too risky a move and lands on his backside, his face contorting in pain.

  The crew is right there, helping him up and checking his injury. Esther retreats to where Marta is waiting.

  “Think he'll let you talk to any of them?” Marta's question is for Esther's ears only.

  The younger woman shrugs, brushing purple tipped black hair from her face, “Depends how sore his pride is.”

  Marta nods to herself.

  The music had shut off when he fell. Now the crowd begins to disperse since the show is evidently over for the day. Esther and Marta remain where they are, waiting to see what will happen next.

  Eventually, one of the older women from the crew approaches Esther, “He'd like to talk to you.”

  Esther just nods and follows her over to where the man who is clearly the crew leader is seated with one foot elevated. His hightopped shoe is off and Esther can see both the swelling and the green-ish black tinge.

  “That the worst of it?”

  He grimaces, “Seems to be.” His eyes pass over her, “I'm Cade. You are?”

  “Esther.”

  Cade nods to himself, “How long you been dancin'?”

  She shrugs, “I was pretty much born dancin'.”

  He raises an eyebrow, “Not a city girl?”

  Esther shakes her head.

  “How long you been a club dancer?”

  “Since I was sixteen.”

  “What kind of deal is it?”

  “Additional trainin', for one,” Esther is aware of the crew members nearby, “But also room an' board and pay per performance. Five shows a week, two days off.”

  “Cash in hand?”

  “A weekly allowance,” Esther grimaces, “The rest goes on deposit, to be paid out when we leave.”

  His eyes flicker briefly to Marta, “Is she good for it?”

  Esther nods, “She has no complaints against her. An' she's been runnin' clubs a lot longer than she's been here.”

  Cade slowly nods to himself, “Count me out, but you can see if any of them're interested.”

  “Thanks.” Esther glances around to see who's where before approaching the two dancers she is most interested in.

  On her next full day off, Esther finds herself without a companion for the afternoon. Since she doesn't feel like sitting around the mostly empty nightclub, she heads for the streets, wandering and studying her surroundings without any specific direction in mind. Or at least until a complicated, driving beat invades her hearing. Instinctively, she changes direction and soon finds herself on the edge of a crowd. Slipping in between bodies, Esther is soon able to see a battle between dance crews. One she recognizes as the one she had seen with Marta. Evidently they've had no trouble filling the spots vacated by Lauren and Cynth, the dancers Esther had recruited for the nightclub. The other crew is completely unfamiliar.

  The battle ends shortly after Esther arrives and the crowd begins to break up. The two crews mingle with no sign of animosity on either side. Esther remains where she is, just watching.

  As the members of the crews drift away, Cade spots Esther and comes over. His expression is sceptical as his eyes pass over her.

  “You aren't recruitin' again, are you?”

  Esther shakes her head, “I'm off today. You sure healed up fast.”

  His expression twists wryly as he lifts his pantleg enough for her to see the hard plastic brace on his ankle. She nods to herself.

  The wry expression is replaced by curiosity as he returns to studying her, “I thought I saw you with a girl with wings.”

  Esther chuckles, “Kedri an' I trained together at Marta's club in Seaside,” She sighs, “Seems like a lifetime ago. Anyway,” Esther recalls herself to the present, “She's off with other 'winged' today... they seem to have their own special hangout no one else can find.”

  “Winged?” Cade frowns.

  Esther shrugs, “Those whose change includes wings. There're three at the club, 'though they seem to know others.”

  The man's frown deepens, “Can they actually fly?”

  Esther nods.

  “Seems like club dancers 'change' more than most of us.”

  “Marta kinda encourages it... honestly, it's one of her draws for advertizing.”

  “So all of you...”

  “The best of us,” Esther allows her amusement to show, “Well, with one exception, but he's just somethin' else.”

  Cade nods to himself, “Do you ever dance just for the fun of it anymore?”

  “Not often,” Esther sighs, “Seems like there just isn't time.”

  H
e shakes his head, “Doesn't it get old after a while?”

  “Might if we did the same routines all the time, but Marta's forever changing up the show... gettin' us to do our own choreography.”

  “Do you ever have to dance for company recruiters?”

  “Back in Seaside,” Esther grimaces, “Not so much here. Partly 'cause none of us here have any interest in leavin'. Almost all of us've danced with a company... it's city life an' it sucks.”

  He raises an eyebrow, “You did?”

  “For a few months between Seaside an' here,” Esther nods, “It's better money than the club...”

  His frown returns, “The money isn't worth it?”

  She shakes her head.

  “So what're you up to?”

  Esther shrugs, “Not much. Everyone's busy, but I didn't feel like sittin' around the club.”

  His eyes study her for a moment before he takes a deep breath, “Would you be interested in comin' with me? It isn't far.”

  “Sure.” Esther keeps step with him as they walk about a block. He leads her around behind an apartment building and up a fire escape lined with overflowing flower pots. They go right to the roof and come up on a flat surface lined with worked metal railings. There are a few raised beds of vegetables on one corner and several strategically placed benches which