I Do... Not Want You

Chapter 1

Jamie

         “Alright, everyone! Let’s do some cooldown stretches and we’ll be done for the day, okay?”

         The young children reply in the affirmative. Some little girls are dressed in tutus while the boys wear pale leotards. I guide them through breathing activities while they stretch their legs for the final time.

         Damn. I didn’t even realize that this was a packed class.

         Saturday mornings have become special to me. Recently, I noticed that there were a lot of young kids running around Skyside, but there were no activities for them to do. Fancy as this housing complex is, it’s as if the complex’s board thinks all the residents are double-income-no-kids couples. Turns out there are quite a few families here, and I think it’s important for children to engage in fun extracurriculars all while forming friendships with one another.

         That’s why I begged the property manager of Skyside to let me host some ballet classes for the kids. It took a bit of persuasion, some coaxing, and some flattery, but I did it! I convinced him!

         Now, I’m standing before a ballet class full of talented young kids with a passion for dancing. Their wealthy parents are happy. The kids are happy. We’re all a big happy bunch.

         Honestly, it’s a great way to give back to the community. Sometimes, I feel as if I don’t belong in Skyside. The only reason I’m here is because of my former roommate, Camille, and her generosity. When she inherited a condo at Skyside, giving her basically a free place to stay, she brought me along from our crappy old apartment to live in luxury with her. And when she got married and moved out, she didn’t even bother to sell the place. 

She could have pocketed the money and left me homeless, but Camille isn’t that kind of person. Lucky for me. 

         “Ms. Jamie?” Hannah tilts her head at me as she stretches her leg to the ceiling. “When are we going to learn more about turns?”

         “That’s for the next class, honey.” I smile, impressed by her desire to learn more and improve her skills as a young ballerina. “But don’t worry. I promise that we’re going to practice our pirouettes next week, and I might even show you all how to do a grand jete.”

         With a gasp, Hannah and the little girl next to her start squealing happily. I have a pair of professional ballerinas on my hands, it seems.

         I sigh, rolling my neck and releasing the tension in my joints with audible cracks. There’s something bittersweet about this whole thing. Yes, I like helping these kids and seeing them improve, but sometimes I can’t help but feel a little jealous of them.

         As a little girl, I would have burst at the seams with happiness to have the same opportunities that they had. Do they realize how easy they have it? Having rich parents solves most problems, I swear.

         That isn’t the kids’ fault, though. They can’t help the circumstances they were born into. That’s just how it is, and I could never hold something like being well taken care of against them.

         “Make sure to drink some water!” I remind them, ushering the children to their bags at the side of the room where they keep their spare clothes and water bottles. “I don’t want any of you overheating on me. We need to take it easy during cooldown.”

         “What happens if you overheat?” Hunter asks, holding his blue water bottle with race cars along the sides. “Is that bad?”

         “You die,” Rayna replies in a matter-of-fact tone before taking a long gulp from her princess water bottle.

         I make my way over, patting Hunter on the shoulder. He looks petrified by Rayna’s answer.

         “Not quite. You can get pretty sick. All you have to do is drink some water and take a break. That’s all. You’ll be fine.”

         Teaching young children ballet isn’t what I imagined I’d be doing at twenty-eight years old, but hey, it’s a better gig than many I’ve had in the past. This isn’t the only thing I do. I’ve wrangled together a couple of part-time gigs for the experience and spare spending money, so I’m doing alright.

         Still, my ambitions are larger than this. I want to make it as a professional dancer in this city. I want to see my name featured with the best of the best, but there’s still a long way to go until I reach that point.

         I’m not old. I still have a whole lot of life to live! But if this doesn’t work out, what the hell am I going to do next? Flip burgers at the local diner? Bus tables? I don’t want to imagine myself meandering aimlessly from job to job well into my forties, but damn. I think I might have to start considering that as a possibility.

         It’ll happen one day, Jamie. With all the rich people here in Skyside, what are the odds that I might connect with the person who will get me a gig with a renowned dance company?

         I laugh quietly to myself, watching from the wall as the kids start to return to their parents outside of the recreational room. They chuck their bags over their shoulders and head out to their CEO dads or super-lawyer moms who talk quickly on the phone.

         Just as I’m gathering my things, I notice one of my students in my peripheral vision tugging her dad’s hand. That’s Lainey Hayes, one of the sweetest little girls I have in my class. She’s got a drive for dance that I haven’t seen in a long time and an innocence about her that makes me want to protect her.

         And her dad? He’s a looker. A fine-ass white man with green eyes and short black hair that he keeps neat. He towers over my frame, and he’s wearing a tight white dress shirt with black pants. He looks as if he just ran out of the office to pick up his daughter.

         But then it hits me that he’s heading my way, and I tense up immediately. I swallow thickly and pat the curly hair I have arranged into a messy bun atop my head. Do I look like a mess? Am I sweaty? Oh, no. Do I smell?

         “Hello there,” he says, offering his hand to shake. “I’m Lainey’s dad. Derek.”

         “Good to meet you, Mr. Hayes,” I reply with a wide smile, reaching out with my clammy hand and shaking his. He’s got a firm touch, but his palms are pretty soft. “What can I help you with?”

         Lainey tugs at his sleeve as if to urge him to say something to me. She’s a cute little girl, but sometimes, she doesn’t speak her mind when she should. It’s probably because she’s shy, but I would love to see her break out of her shell a little more.

         When it comes to dance, it’s a whole different story. She doesn’t hold back, and the results are beautiful. Lainey Hayes is a girl with a lot of potential, and it makes me honored to be her teacher.

         “So, um,” Derek begins, crossing his arms over his chest. I perk a brow, wondering if I’m in trouble with this handsome man. “Lainey’s told me a lot about you. She says that you’re an amazing dance teacher and she wants to learn more from you.”

         “Daddy,” Lainey whispers, furrowing her brows together. “That’s not what I told you. Tell her what I told you.”

         “What? I told her the gist.”

         “No, tell her what I said!” Lainey insists, making a small gesture with her hand.

         I watch their exchange with wide eyes, not wanting to intrude as Lainey mouths things to her dad and basically instructs him on what to say. It’s amusing to see Derek try to navigate this whole thing. I love seeing young dads just trying to do their best. It warms my heart.

         “Oh, I see. Okay.” Derek nods firmly, then turns back to me. “Lainey has been wondering if she can take some private ballet classes with you. I’m willing to pay extra and work with your schedule if need be.”

         Shit. Is this really happening to me?

         “She wants that?” I blurt out loud, glancing at Lainey.

         The little girl smiles and nods. “Yes, I do! You’re really good at dancing. I’ve seen some videos online of other people dancing, but I think you’re better than them.”

         Wow. I’ve heard a saying about kids being brutally honest about things, so getting a compliment like that out of the blue from a sweet child makes my heart flutter a little bit – and my ego swell.

         “She’s really passionate about this sort of thing, so I trust that she knows what she’s talking about,” Derek says. Then his eyes meet mine, and I feel the world stop. “Is this something you’d be interested in doing?”

         God, he’s beautiful.

In another life, maybe I might’ve had a chance with him. As it stands, there’s no way he’d be interested in me. I mean, come on. He’s probably some super-wealthy businessman with a long list of women vying for his attention.

         I’m just some broke Black girl trying to achieve my dreams with hardly a penny to my name. If it wasn’t for Camille, I’d be on the streets right now.

         What could go wrong if I agreed to this? Looks like it’s an easy gig to get some more money. That’s just what I need.

         “I would love to do private lessons with Lainey. Your daughter has a natural ability to dance, and I want to help her hone those skills,” I say with utmost sincerity. Lainey’s face lights up immediately. “You have a prodigy on your hands, Mr. Hayes.”

         “Yeah, I know. Dance is her life, and she’s been begging me for these extra lessons with you.” Derek sticks his hands in his pockets and gazes down at his daughter. He tilts his head in my direction. “Say thank you to your teacher.”

         “Thank you, Ms. Jamie!” Lainey exclaims, clutching her bag tightly. “When are we going to start with the lessons?”

         “That’s up for Ms. Jamie to decide,” Derek replies, sending me a look that I can’t decipher.

         With the way he’s staring at me, I could start tomorrow. I’d work every day for a guy like him.

         Holy shit, calm down. He’ll never want something like that with you. You’re acting delusional again.

         “We can work something out,” I say, keeping a nonchalant demeanor. “I’ll give you my details, and we can talk about this further. Does that sound okay?”