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“One Last Dance”

**~Caution To My Heart~**

The beat of the music pulses through the air as she taps to the rhythm on time. Tying up her hair, she races across the dance studio leaping into the air as she clasps her hands around the wooden dance pole. The mirror shines back her reflection causing her smile, tilting her head to view her profile.

“It’s pretty.” A voice calls out in the studio.

Genesis turns to see Kevin stroll into the dance studio, bopping his head to the beat of the music.

“Thanks. Hey what are you doing here?”

“Just wanted to say hi and I heard about the problem.” Kevin mumbles out, gazing around the studio as his eyes fall on her graceful presence.

Genesis looked beautiful even in her black leggings and snug dance body suit with a soft pink dance skirt around her waist. Her raises one of her powerful legs and gently places it on his shoulder as she gazes at him. “Did you really come here for that? Or are you concerned about the rehearsal today that Nick has to do?”

He smirks, his emerald eyes catching sight of her foot on his left shoulder: “Actually a little of both. How is he?”

“Doing good.” She whispers out, smiling gently as she sighs, taking her leg off him and does a few stretches, placing her leg on the pole.

“Good as in how?” Kevin wonders, hoping to figure something out.

Genesis gulps gently, eyeing the man. “I’ve already told Nick about the rehearsal for today. He’s up to it. Though we both know he shouldn’t.”

“I know this dance competition means a lot to you and if you want, maybe I can learn the steps just to have back up in case Nick can’t make it through.”

Genesis nods, licking her lips: “You’re right. You can learn the steps pretty easy since you had the training for it. I’ll show you a few steps, if you can catch on to most of the steps you might be able to step in for Nick today.”

“What about the judges, won’t they get curious to see a different man on stage tomorrow when you guys perform?” Kevin asks curiously.

“To a point, but they won’t really care to be honest with you. I mean once they see me and the dance steps that’s all they’ll be interested at.”

“Oh ok, just making sure. Well I guys we should get started then right?” Kevin raises his dark eyebrows at her.

She nods, “Yeah. Hold on. Let me get the music on. And by the way are you gonna dance with in that t-shirt and jeans cause you’ll need to able to move around and those clothes aren’t meant to be worn in the studio when practicing.”

Kevin drops his head to gaze at his shirt and smiles: “Don’t worry, I got another shirt and some comfy cargo pants to change into.”

“Oh ok, well good. Hurry back, the dressing room in two doors down to your left.”

Kevin nods and rushes off to the changing room, leaving Genesis alone to think.

She nibbles on her lower lip as anxiety sets in, thoughts of what will happen began dribbling into her mind as clouds of impossibilities begin to set in. She had received the call of the rehearsals early this morning as she was settled and in peace lying in Nick’s arms. The news seemed to have ruined the intimate mood immediately when one of the company’s management called for a direct appointment to meet with them later today in the evening for a rehearsal and run through of the dance set. She recalled the initial shock set off in her when she was done with the phone call as she had turned back around slowly to see Nick worried and eager to know what just occurred. So she had told him, told him that it wouldn’t be a good idea if he went today and that he should sit it out for today to prepare for tomorrow. But Nick was stubborn, a large refusal washed through him as he complained and slumped back against her pillows upset.

Genesis was taken out of her thoughts as Kevin enters the studio again, dressed in a fresh set of clothes: a simple black tank top and beige cargo pants as he padded across the shiny wooden mahogany planks in his white low top sneakers.

“Great, you’re ready.” Genesis smiles, gulping down the image of Nick’s reaction in her mind when she told him he shouldn’t rehearse today.

Kevin nods as Genesis slides across the floor to the stereo, turning on the music. In a matter of seconds the dance studio was filled with Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” single, the beat setting her off as she begins to show him the most basic steps.
~*~

“I just don’t think its right, that’s all.” Howie slumps back against the sofa, eyeing the other guys minus Kevin.

“So? What do you what him to do? Give up and stop?” A.J. barks out, shaking his head in disapproval.

“I think I can speak for myself guys.” Nick mumbles, leaning back in the sofa across from Howie, gazing around quietly. “This whole rehearsal thing came out of the blue. I just think someone’s setting Gen up that’s all.”

“What prove do you have with this?” Howie narrows his eyes, leaning forward towards his knees.

“Think about it. The moment Genesis’s partner left and I came into the picture things have been strange since Farah’s appearance.” Nick raises his light eyebrows, gazing at the two men before him.

A.J. crinkles his nose and snorts: “Oh right of course, that crazy bit…”

“Stop it Alex.” Howie intercepts the man, glancing over at Nick. “Nick I don’t think it’s wise for you to go and participate tomorrow in the show. Look at you Nick, you can barely get around right without the cane, and here you are wanting to dance when you can barely walk right. You gotta be wise Nick, you’re not helping Gen anymore than you can with your ankle.”

Nick curls his hands into fists, pounding them on the cushions beside as he angrily gets up and reaching for his cane. He misses the cane and limps over the rug, accidentally tripping over a small lump near the rug’s edge. He lands on his stomach with a small oomph while A.J. and Howie both take a quick inhale in pity at the sight of their friend.

“Yo…dude…you aight man?” A.J. peers down at Nick’s face slamming against the hard floor in pity.

Nick groans and wearily sits up, rubbing his forehead as he lets out a string of profanities.

Howie tries to keep a straight face as he peers over at Nick’s forehead that now carries a small red mark smudged across it. “Uhh…umm…yeah Nick maybe you should take it easy cause you just saw what happened to you.”

Nick smirks, looking over at the two men. “I know ya wanna laugh.”

A.J. fights to keep the grin off his face as he sniffs and straightens up: “Dude that wasn’t funny, you could have hurt yourself like that.” A.J. smirks, holding down the laughter that was ready to erupt from his throat.

Nick smiles and starts laughing, tossing his head back for full effect as the other two join in laughing in glee as the small incident.

“You guys are bad. I’m hurting and you’re laughing at me.” Nick breaks out in between laughs.

“Hey you started it!” A.J. laughs out, holding his stomach as he settles down on the sofa, extending his hand out to help the man up from the floor.

Nick stands up and smiles, dusting himself off as he proceeds to grab his cane and limp out of the den to his shared bedroom.

Howie smirks and looks over at A.J.: “That was wrong. We shouldn’t have laughed man.”

A.J. chuckles: “Dude shut up, you were the first that wanted to crack up. Sweet D my as…”

A.J. pauses to hear the door bell ring loudly, echoing through the halls.

“Great, company!” A.J. bounces over to the door as Howie settles back in the sofa, wiping the smile off his face.

The door swings open to see a familiar red head gazing at him. A.J. grins and steps outside to join Suzy, closing the door behind him.

“Well what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” A.J. smiles, leaning on the threshold.

Suzy sighs and cracks her knuckles, “Alex babe, can you take seat?”

A.J. nods and gazes her intensely knowing something was about to happen. “What is it?”

Suzy gulps and smiles at him, her bright eyes capturing him all as she settles down on the porch step besides him. “I…I don’t know how to tell you this…I’m afraid of your reaction and that you won’t wanna talk to me again.”

A.J. narrows his eyes, lifting up his black baseball cap to run a hand through his hair. “Why would you think that?”

“Because of what’s I’m gonna say.”

A.J. watches her, hoping she would get to the point already, he couldn’t stand the suspense if it dealt with him and it was driving him crazy that she was slowly dwelling the news out to him. “Well Alex, as much as I had a great time hanging around you and stuff…I think we’re getting a little too serious and I’m not ready for that yet. I think I need some time off.”

He could feel his eyes open wide as his mouth slowly drops. He sits up confused, shaking his head: “What the hell are you talking about? We weren’t that serious yet since we just started dating and you wanna break up with me?”

Suzy’s eyes open wide as she jumps up and smiles: “Oh good you do understand. I didn’t want to make you feel bad or anything, its just I felt rushed into the relationship. Don’t get me wrong, you’re a great guy to be with in and out of bed but I’m just not ready to be tied down yet, though I’m sure you’ll find the perfect girl out there!” She smiles gently, running a hand down her arm.

A.J. blinks, taking in all the news as he gazes back at her in complete confusion. He watches as she waves and gently kisses him on the cheek before running down the stairs and jumping into her car to speed away from him and the cabin.

“Well that was interesting.” A.J. murmurs, watching the brink of Suzy’s car down the road before it turned and got lost in the soft array of dust behind it. Snorting, he leans back in the stairs: placing his arms on the top step as he watches some of the neighbors stepping out of their houses or getting into their own cars to begin another working day.

He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he stares around the neighborhood anger slowly crawling through his chest. He didn’t know how long he sat there, watching his life pass by him as everyone around him went about their things, but for him it didn’t matter. He was caught in emotion, lost and confused, trying to understand what just happened.

“So she left ya huh?” Nick states, stepping out into the porch to join A.J.

A.J. jumps at the voice and nods: “Seems like it.”

“Too bad, she looked real nice.”

“Yeah chicks normally are nice before their inner beast comes out.” A.J. snorts hearing Nick’s chuckles. “But forget about her, how you doing man? Hehe, what’s up with you and Gen?”

Nick lets out a warm smile that bathes his face as he lets out a relieved sigh: “She’s amazing. J, everything I think about her, I get all nervous and happy. Like take today, when I woke up and saw her in my arms. Dude it was like something I never felt before. I wanted to be there and protect her, to just hold her and never let her go. To I don’t know, I just want to be around her and the more I stay away the more I want to see her faster.”

A.J. chuckles softly gazing at his friend: “Yo do you know what is happening with you?”

“Huh? What?”

“As much as I hate to say it, I think you’re actually falling for her Nicky boy.”

“Me? Na. I mean she’s wonderful and all but me falling in love with her, that’s just impossible. I’ve only known her for almost two weeks, I can’t fall in love that fast.”

A.J. sits up on the step, amused by Nick’s reaction as he cracks his knuckles. “There’s a thing out there, called love at first sight. I think you may have caught it.”

Nick snorts: “Ha, dude I’m not in love with her. You can’t fall in love with a person that fast, that’s so strange.”

“Strange…but ah so true boy.” A.J. stands up, eyeing his friend. “How many times are you gonna talk to me about Genesis before you realize what you’re feeling for her. Nick, love isn’t an option, it’s an emotion you feel and sometimes you can’t stop it no matter how hard you try. Love isn’t a feeling, you can’t feel love. But you know it, its an emotion that takes over your heart and mind and for once in our lifetime, both our mind and heart will agree, you and Genesis have a thing I haven’t seen since Brian and Leigh got together.”

“A.J. you can stop it now. I’m not in love with her.” Nick begins to get uncomfortable, leaning the threshold as he watches his friend on the steps.

“Ok fine, whatever. But I think you know otherwise. You’re not slow Nick…though we all wonder at times if maybe your mom dropped you on your head more than once…but you know what’s going on with you and Gen. And I’m not here to tell you otherwise, only to help you realize what you already know boy.” A.J. raises his eyebrows as a smirk remained scrolled on his face.

Nick scowls playfully, watching his friend. “Dude, I don’t want to let her down, but I don’t know what to do my ankle. It still hurts a little. I mean its not a big deal, but I don’t want to screw it up and be in pain while performing.

A.J. smirks, “I’m sure that hasn’t interrupted your performance huh?”

Nick laughs, shaking his head: “But that’s a different story, my legs aren’t the ones doing the work.”

A.J. laughs softly: “Ok, ok. I don’t need to know man. Well anyway…you ok with the news about tonight?”

Nick frowns: “Yeah…I guess. At least she’s getting covered by Kevin. But I have to get well by tomorrow, she’s relying on me.”

“And you will man. Don’t worry about it, you go rest that ankle of yours.”

“K, but uh you gonna be ok, Suzy just played you.”

A.J. smirks: “Shut up man. I have backup, there was a blonde back at Kevin’s club, gave me her number, cute green eyed chick, didn’t get her name right: April? Winter, Autumn…something around there. Anyways, maybe she might want company.”

Nick laughs: “Dude you’re so bad. You’re over Suzy fast.”

“Have too, yo did you see how she dumped me?! Man I have never been the dumped, this sucks.” A.J. smirks, laughing as Nick chuckles along.

“Well it had to happen one day right?”

A.J. laughs, “That’s it, get inside before I hurt the other ankle.”

Nick smirks and limps back inside with A.J.’s holding the door and helping him out.
~*~

Kevin pants, out of breath as he leans against the dance pole. “Ok, ok, maybe this is a bad idea me doing this. I can’t move like that.”

Genesis laughs, shaking her head: “Kevin we don’t have a choice now do we? You have to take Nick’s place for the rehearsal for tonight and then you’re out of the clear.”

“What if Nick doesn’t make it through tomorrow. I can’t perform for him, it would break his heart.” Kevin whispers out, sighing.

“I know.” She exhales softly, looking around: “I’m sure something will work and Nick will be back as good as new.”

“That’s almost asking for a miracle.”

“Lucky for me, I believe in miracles.” Genesis smiles as she takes his hands as the beat to the music “Last Dance” blast out of the stereo.
~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**