Her Bundles Of Joy

“Wow, you’re so dramatic.” Nicole laughed. She loved Dani’s sense of humor. It was heartwarming to have a friend like her. Danielle’s verbal quips usually did wonders in lifting Nicole’s spirits during hard times. And those times happened often. Lately, the young dancer’s financial situation was spiraling. For each bill she paid, two more would appear. Nicole was afraid that now that Terrence had taken over one of her classes, she’d have to look for a second job or else she wouldn’t even be able to pay rent in the upcoming months.

“Ladies,” George called out. He was in the living room now, keeping Leon company. Unlike his wife, George actually enjoyed it when Leon was around. “The game is about to start.”

Danielle jumped out of her seat and rushed towards her husband’s side on the couch. The Argentinian woman was genuinely a big fan of soccer. Nicole shook her head and followed her friend. Dani and George were sitting on the tiny leather couch, Leon was sitting right next to them on an armchair. Nicole sat on the only available seat: the floor. She rested her back against the couch and sighed. It felt really good to finally sit down and relax, even if she was sitting on the hard floor. The dancer didn’t want to turn down Dani’s invitation to come over, but she was exhausted. The only thing Nicole wanted was to get under her warm comforter and sleep as much as humanly possible. Her eyelids felt heavy, as well as her limbs.

Maybe no one would notice if she took a quick nap…

“JESUS!”

A scream shook Nicole’s entire body awake. She blinked and looked at the TV screen. It was already the second half of the game and Barcelona was losing by one goal. That explained the ardent shouting that woke Nicole up.

“Nicole, answer your damned phone before I smash it against the wall!” Dani growled. “This incessant ringing is getting on my nerves.”

“Sure, my ringing phone is the reason why you’re so stressed out.” Nicole rolled her eyes. She unlocked the phone and checked her missed calls. The dancer widened her eyes. “Crap! Why didn’t you wake me sooner? There’s like a billion missed calls from Brandi!”

“Brandi’s calling you? If I knew, I’d have answered it myself,” Dani exclaimed while Nicole rushed towards the typical New York-style fire escape, a place Dani often referred to as her ‘privileged balcony’. Nicole climbed out the window and dialed Brandi’s number, a 10-digit number she’d memorized the minute she’d laid eyes on. Well, it wasn’t like it was every day that Nicole had the chance to save her idol’s number. Of course, she memorized it instantly!

“Uh, hi, Ms. Harris!” Nicole greeted the woman. “I’m so sorry for not answering your calls. I was asleep and didn’t hear my phone ringing.”

“It’s okay. Sorry if I woke you up,” she apologized. “Look, I was calling you myself because I really enjoyed your work at the concert last night. You’re a very talented dancer.”

“Oh, thank you so much. I’m glad you appreciated my hard work.”

“Yeah, in fact I appreciated it so much that I wanted to ask if you’re available for another gig in two weeks? My main dancer had to undergo surgery and she won’t be able to come back for a couple of months, so I thought it’d be perfect if you could fill in her spot while she’s out. You already replaced her last night, might as well keep you around. What do you say?”

Nicole’s heart skipped a beat at the offer. Even if it was only a temporary gig, it would help her a lot. Last night, Brandi’s team had paid Nicole three times what she made in one class.

“Of course I say yes!” She squealed.

“Well, in that case; this is a project for Campbell Brothers’ newest campaign. I recorded a promotional song for them and we’ll shoot the music video in two weeks. I think you’ll like it.”

“I’ll like anything as long as I get to work with you! Thank you so much for this opportunity, Ms. Harris! I promise I won’t let you down.”

Brandi chuckled. “I know you won’t. And you can call me—”

“Hijo de puta! Eres un puto loco!”

The singer stopped mid-sentence. “Uh, am I hallucinating or is someone shouting obscenities in Spanish on your end of the line?”

“I’m so sorry, that’s my friend watching a game and being loud.”

“Which game?”

“Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. She’s a Messi fangirl.”

“Oh, I like her already. Bring her to the studio. I’d like to meet someone who’s that passionate about a soccer game.”

“Okay, she’ll have a stroke when I tell her she’ll get to meet you, ma’am. Thank you so much for the invitation, Ms. Harris.”

“As I was saying before I got interrupted, you can call me Brandi. I look forward to working with you again. Bye, Nicole!”

“Bye!” Nicole ended the call with a huge smile plastered on her face. Was she dreaming or was this really happening? Had Brandi Harris really just called her and asked her to be part of a music video? For a dancer like her, being able to add a music video with Brandi Harris to her portfolio was like hitting the jackpot. Nicole gave a little victory jump and giggled. It seemed like the odds were in her favor, at least for now.

The woman slightly tripped over the window as she climbed back inside the apartment, but Leon, who had been watching her intently, rushed out of his seat and held Nicole in his arms.

“Be careful,” he whispered.

“Thanks, you can let go now,” Nicole said uncomfortably. She shifted away from Leon and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Guys, I have amazing news!”

“Wait until the game’s over and then you tell us,” Dani said without taking her eyes off the screen. George chuckled beside his wife and playfully nudged her with his elbow.