Her Bundles Of Joy

Terrence was a darling most of the time, but he could also be a pain in the ass when he wanted to be. Of course, Nicole understood his point of view, as he said it himself, this studio is his way of making a living. But, damn, Terrence was the one who gave her phone number to Brandi’s choreographer. That was a way of saying she was available for the job and that he was okay with it. And now he was subtracting a whole class from her salary? He should’ve expected Nicole to be late, he was there at the concert. Terrence saw how exhausting it was for her to spend two and a half hours dancing non-stop. Brandi Harris was known for being one hell of a performer, and her dance routines were there to back up this argument. There wasn’t a single dance that didn’t leave Nicole a sweaty, breathless mess.

Although Nicole was upset about the money thing, she didn’t regret last night.

At all.

Dancing for Brandi freaking Harris? Princess of Pop and R&B, Brandi Harris! It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and Nicole would’ve been stupid if she’d said no simply because she had classes to teach in the morning. She’d say yes to working with Brandi anytime. Hopefully they’d call her again for another opportunity soon. Nicole had done her very best to make sure they’d be impressed by her outstanding skills.

The young instructor checked her smartwatch and saw it was time for her class. She placed her cosmetics bag inside her locker and headed to the dance room. Nicole automatically smiled as she thought of her students. It was a group of young girls between 10 and 14 years old learning hip hop. Teaching dance classes to young girls of color was inspiring. Nicole recalled that most of her students had started in the studio as shy, introvert little girls and now they were all confident and proud of themselves. That was just how powerful dancing could be. Nicole felt happy knowing she was helping these little girls become empowered young women, and the little girls helped Nicole with their eagerness to learn and their simple way of seeing life.

Even if Nicole’s original plans involved more working with superstars and less teaching at a small dance studio, the young instructor was very thankful that fate had brought her here a few years ago. Being a teacher made her feel content, especially when students made sure to express how fond they were of her.

“Nikki?” A voice interrupted Nicole’s thoughts. “I heard about what Terrence did, chica.”

It was Danielle, Nicole’s work colleague who had soon turned into her best friend.

“Didn’t you just arrive?”

“Gossip travels fast, I guess,” the other woman said in her thick accent.

Danielle Pisani, also known as Dani, had moved from Argentina as soon as she’d graduated high school. She’d traveled to America with only her clothes and her bravery to plunge into the unknown all by herself. Being a naturally talented dancer and crazy attractive, Dani soon started working in a bar. The tips were amazing, she once told Nicole. Terrence visited the bar one night and couldn’t take his eyes off Dani. What he hoped would result in a one-night stand had actually turned into a business partnership. At the time, Terrence was still trying to open his studio but no instructor was willing to work for him and risk not getting any money in case his studio turned into a failure. Dani was fearless, though. She decided to give it a shot, and luckily things turned out alright.

The Argentinian woman was quite friendly and welcoming; she immediately befriended a young Nicole when the black woman had started working at the studio. The best friends even shared an apartment for a while, but then Danielle met the man who was her current husband and they soon moved in together.

“Yeah.” Nicole shook her head. “He’s going to teach my 8am class from now on. I don’t know what to do, Dani. The landlord told me just last Friday that my rent will go up. They opened one of those Campbell Brothers stores on the block and now every landlord is rising housing prices. Like, who even cares about Campbell Brothers?”

“Uh, I don’t know…80% of the population, maybe?” Dani joked. “No, but seriously. You know that George and I will be more than happy if you move into our spare room. It would be just like the old times.”

“I don’t want to disturb your privacy, Dani. I think I’m going to have to look for an even smaller apartment and try to find someone poor enough to want to share it with me.” Nicole sighed. “I’ll talk to you later? I have a class to teach in two minutes.”

“Of course. Come over for dinner? We’ll watch a soccer game. Messi is playing tonight.”

Nicole considered the offer. She wasn’t exactly a soccer fan, she’d rather spend her night binge-watching a crappy TV show, but it had been a while since Nicole had last visited Dani’s home.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll bring the beer.”

The two women gave each other a brief hug before heading to their respective classes. Pushing the door open, Nicole grinned at the sight of her dedicated students already stretching.

“Ms. Carter!” one of the girls shouted excitedly. “You have to tell us everything about Brandi!”

*****

“Bye, guys,” Nicole waved at her students as they started walking out of the classroom. “Don’t forget to practice at home. Next class, I want our choreography to run perfectly!”

“Bye, Ms. Carter!” some of them said in unison. It was the last group for the day, and Nicole let out a relieved breath. Today had been more tiring than the other days, and all because she didn’t get a good night’s sleep. Terrence and the class he took from her only added to her exhaustion.

Maybe dinner with her best friend and her husband would renew her energy. The couple was really funny and lighthearted and Nicole could see just why Dani and George were perfect for each other. They completed one another and shared a deep connection. Nicole couldn’t help feeling slightly jealous of her friend’s relationship. She’d been with a few men but none that made Nicole feel like that relationship was it for her. She wanted to meet a guy who’d give her butterflies, who’d make her feel like a queen, and most of all, a man who’d love her with all his heart. It wasn’t easy finding that guy, though. All four guys she’d dated had either just wanted to fool around or were two-timing. Nicole figured she’d be better off alone, anyway. Paying the bills and launching her career were her top priorities, anyway. Nicole didn’t have the time to spend on meaningless relationships. When fate decided it was time to meet the right man, she would meet him with an open heart. For now, she’d stick to working and trying out any dance auditions that opened in New York.