Page 39 of Sway
“I texted him,” Diana mumbles, “but haven’t heard back.”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll show up.” I give her a reassuring smile but she looks stressed. Time to distract. “I’m so excited about this group hip-hop thing. I love urban dance and I’ve been experimenting with some crunking and breaking so this is gonna be off the hook.” I glance around the room. The cameramen are setting up. Iza is giving me the evil eye and, on the opposite side of the room, Genya’s pacing and staring at the floor.
“So,” I start, “we have to do a four eight count as a group in the beginning and then the partners each do a breakout solo. The order for the solos is Xavier and Diana, Dion and Iza, Tony and Vika, Tim and Jenny, Genya and Lilia, and Dolla and me will close. I’ll work on all your solos later but let’s get started on the group part. We’re dancing to one my favorite songs, Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock’s “Joy and Pain.” But let’s begin with a warm up. It’s old school to get you in the mood.”
I signal the sound guy. He flips on the strobe lights then starts playing Cameo’s “Word Up.” I love that song. I skip to the front of the room and lead everyone in a dance isolation routine. “Roll your hips to the right, now to the left, now circles.” The lights are kicking on and off, and Tony keeps making goofy faces into the mirror even as he tries to keep up with me. He’s not doing a half-bad job. “That’s it, Tony! Bend your knees, Tim. Good!” I can’t wipe the stupid grin from my face. I’m having way too much fun. I’m almost delirious over the excitement of teaching this class. Vika’s actually following my steps and not giving me any attitude. And I hate to admit it, but she looks super cute in her low-rise pink hip-hop pants and matching bra tank top, which her breasts fill out perfectly. Damn, I need some boobs. Maybe I can buy them, now that I’m getting paid to dance.
Two hours into the actual choreography, Xavier strolls in, like he’s in no rush. The DJ cuts the sound. Xavier will get away with it, though. None of us are stupid enough to question the Ultimate Fighting Champion.
“Dude, where’ve you been?” Tony asks.
Well, almost none of us.
“None of your business,” Xavier barks. “I’m here now.”
“Hell, yeah it’s my business.” Tony gets right up in his face, sweating and huffing from the routine. “We’ve all been here for three whole hours and now we’re gonna have to be here even longer to catch your ass up.”
Oh, shit.Tony must have a death wish. The other dancers freeze in position as stocky five foot ten, two hundred thirty pound Xavier looks up at a towering, gangly six foot five and a buck sixty Tony. Shit, shit, shit—this ain’t gonna be good.
Xavier narrows his eyes and his voice gets deep. “Back up, bitch. You don’t want to fight me.”
“Who you calling a bitch, mother fucker?” Tony flies at Xavier, but the burly little man throws Tony down and has him in a headlock faster than I can cha-cha. Tony’s scrawny legs are kicking in the air like a psycho Popeye cartoon. It would almost be funny if I wasn’t sure Tony was about to die.
“Antoshka! Antoshka!” Vika’s screaming. “Somebody do something!”
Tim, Dolla, and Dion are on it. They dive in and yank Tony and Xavier apart, successfully ending the combat. Then, after only a second of peace, Tony sucker punches Xavier. Xavier round house kicks him in the face and blood gushes from Tony’s nose. The referees break it up again. Like two snarling dogs, Tony and Xavier have to be pulled to opposite sides of the room.
Damn this is crazy. “Break time!” I chirp and then chase after Jenny, who’s escorted Diana to the ladies lounge.
When I get in there, I find Diana sprawled out on the sofa in the lounge, tears splattered on her face. “We’re so gonna get eliminated this week,” she cries. “Xavier couldn’t care less about any of this.”
Jenny hugs her. “I wish I could be that lucky. I can’t take another week of Tim.” I glare at her. “Sorry, right. This is about Diana.” She turns back to her. “Even if you do get sent home, it won’t be that bad. You can just go back to planning your wedding.”
Blotchy Diana looks up at her. “That’s the thing. The wedding’s off.”
“What?” Jenny and I blurt in unison. I drop to Diana’s side. Jenny looks like she’s gonna faint.
“When the hell did this happen?” I ask. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Diana takes a big breath. “Robert and I have been fighting, like, every day. He’s so pissed that I went on this show . . . and because I told him I didn’t want to have babies right away cuz I want to do another season.” Jenny sucks in her breath next to me. Robert is all about wanting babies, and until now Diana has been right there with him. “He totally flipped out. Then when Star magazine published that picture of me drinking with Vika . . . oh God . . . he said he didn’t even know who I was anymore and he called off the engagement.”
Jenny pounds the couch with a wicked fist. “See? I knew this would happen. This was a huge mistake. We’re all falling apart.” She grabs Diana by the shoulders, half hugging her and half shaking her. “Don’t worry, hun. Robert’s just stressed out because he’s in Iraq. Once he gets back, you guys can work this out. Everything will be okay.”
Diana looks at me, her eyes clearly questioning. I nod and hug her, but inside I feel like crap. This gig was mostly my doing, I know.
My nod seems to do the trick for Diana. Sitting up, she wipes her eyes and gives us a weak smile. I join in on a group hug and then walk out of the lounge. Genya’s waiting for me by the door.
“I did it, Sal,” he says. “I broke up with Iza. Last night.”
“Huh?” I blink a few times. Information overload. “You what?”
“I broke up with Iza.” He moves in closer, takes my hand in both of his.
I don’t know what to say. I scan the room for Iza, who’s nowhere to be found. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. I was so pissed at her for going behind my back and posing for those photos—like a whore. She didn’t even think how it could affect mama’s studio or our results. You would never do anything that trashy.”
I can barely focus on anything he said after ‘I broke up with Iza.’ But I couldn’t let him call her a whore.
