Dance, Lust And Them

 In Janelle’s opinion, she didn’t think being with both Curtis and Vance would be a big deal. She thought it was thrilling to be going out to dinner with the two of them.

 Garden City was one of the biggest attractions in California. It was a garden center that also hosted an array of nightlife activities, including a band, a restaurant, and brightly lit paths that stretched all over. The restaurant was open until two in the morning and it was on the outskirts of the garden, which was more like a maze than anything. The bushes were thick and tall and covered in bright flowers. Janelle used to think they were creepy when she was younger.

 Her father used to bring her to Garden City for some of her fellow cheerleader’s birthday parties. Though it was always fun to attend the parties, Janelle usually got lost in the maze halfway through the party. Her father would come to pick her up only to hear that she’d gotten lost from the party and hadn’t been seen for almost an hour. When he finally found her, her father would usually act angry though Janelle always knew he was just happy to see her alive and well. She was normally completely fine, either playing in the fountain or making flower crowns.

 Going to Garden City for her first date with Vance and Curtis was exciting for Janelle. She’d never brought anyone to that place, at least no one besides her father. It was a sacred place from her childhood, and it only belonged to her.

 Halfway through the day, Curtis called her to make sure they were still on for later.

 “We are, but I’ve been meaning to tell you something. I was thinking about bringing my friend to the dinner this evening. You know, Vance from the hip hop studio?”

 “Yeah I know him,” Curtis crooned. “Hey the more the merrier. I don’t mind that he’s tagging along. Rumor has it he’s a pretty cool guy.”

 Janelle felt herself smiling; she knew Curtis would be fine with it. He was always supportive whenever she needed him, no matter how ridiculous the request.

 “So we’ll meet there at eight?” she said.

 “Sure, but I’ve been meaning to ask—do you want me to drive you later?”

 “Of course,” Janelle said without thinking. She didn’t think it would bother Vance too much that she was showing up with Curtis. He’d already agreed to tag along on Janelle’s date, how annoyed could he be if she showed up with Curtis?

 The rest of the day flew by. Janelle could hardly keep track of the time when she got back to the studio. She learned a new dance routine and lost herself once more in the rhythm and the music. It was a good feeling to have forgotten about all the chaos from earlier. Dealing with Monique’s drama had taken a brief toll on her, but thankfully it was all over now.

 By the time seven o’clock rolled around, Janelle was exhausted. She stopped for another coffee on her way home before showering and changing. There was a new purple dress she was dying to wear. It was made of a thin material and had a low cut down the chest. She also picked out a pair of purple pumps that would compliment her brown skin perfectly. Instead of letting her hair hang low, she swept it up into a tight bun and picked out a pair of small diamond earrings. She was pulling out all the stops to wow both Vance and Curtis. It was like a dream come true—she would be going out to eat with two of the handsomest men she’d met.

 Though Vance and Curtis were nothing alike, Janelle hoped they would get along well. Vance came from a life of stress and poverty whereas Curtis came from wealth. In fact, when Janelle thought about it, she realized Curtis’s parents were still alive and married.

It pained her to think of her own late mother, but she knew she had to keep moving forward with her life. Her mother was probably watching from up in heaven thinking about how proud she was of Janelle’s hard work.

Curtis showed up right on schedule, arriving in a pair of black dress pants and a light blue shirt. Janelle made sure she was wearing her mother’s cross for good luck, her fingers twisted around the thin chain of gold over and over again.

 “You look wonderful,” Curtis said, taking Janelle’s hands from her necklace and holding them in his.

 “Thank you,” she said with a dazzling smile. “You don’t look bad yourself. I’m loving that tie.”

 Curtis’s tie was dark blue and had small satin sharks printed on it. Janelle always thought it was weirdly hilarious that Curtis was obsessed with aquatic life.

 He led her towards the car, opening the door open for her to get inside.

 “What a gentleman,” Janelle said.

 “You know it,” Curtis replied. Janelle noticed that his muscles were more pronounced than last time. He’d clearly been working out more at the gym. It turned Janelle on to see him so chiseled.

 They arrived at Garden City a few minutes after eight. Vance was out front already, having a conversation with one of the hostesses. Jenny recognized the woman as having worked there when she was in high school. She was much older than Janelle, and had three kids to take care of back home.

 Janelle called out to Vance who turned around and smiled at her. It made Janelle excited to know that he seemed genuinely happy to see both of them.

 “Hey,” he said, extending a wiry arm towards Curtis. “I’m Vance. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

 “Curtis, and the feeling is mutual. Listen I’ve been meaning to ask you a question about the music business…” he said, his voice trailing off.

 Jane watched as Vance and Curtis walked ahead of her, Curtis’s arms waving about wildly as they often did when he spoke. Vance’s own arms were kept shoved deep in his pockets and he was nodding his head every so often to something or other Curtis was saying.

 Their table was located on the outskirts of the restaurant’s canopy, near one of the dirt paths that fed into the garden. Janelle enjoyed being on the edge of the restaurant, as she was able to look outside and see what everyone else was up to. The sun was setting and there were children holding balloons tugging their parents along to a carousel. She didn’t remember there being a carousel in Garden City, but found it fascinating nonetheless.

 The table ordered a round of drinks before settling back into their seats and getting to know one another. Janelle began to feel slightly nervous around Vance and Curtis; worried she would need to entertain them both. But her fears quickly subsided when she realized how easy it was to talk to both of them at the same time. They were friendly and inclusive and she learned more about music and hip-hop than she ever had before. Curtis liked to lead in the conversation, which was fine for Vance because he enjoyed listening.