Eating lunch at Olive Garden with one of her best friends, Kiki was startled when out of nowhere a newspaper ad was placed in front of her.
Los Angeles Open Auditions for Justified Tour start October 7th
“What’s this?”
“That’s an amazing opportunity you cannot miss.” Marissa responded. “A chance for you to be a part of Justin Timberlake’s solo tour.”
Marissa Miller had been friends with Kiki Lewis since she transferred to Stevenson’s Sr. School of Arts sophomore year as dance major. She had firsthand knowledge of the talent her friend possessed. Even though Kiki had become more of a teacher than a performer, she couldn’t let her pass up this chance.
“I would do it in a heartbeat if I wasn’t starting my Master’s. You’re more than capable of doing this. Plus you need some excitement in your life Kik. You’ve been way too wrapped up in work lately.”
“It’s my company. What else am I supposed to do? I can’t keep leaving all my responsibilities on Kevin’s shoulders. I’ve graduated, it's time I start running my own business full time.”
Kiki was the owner of KeyKey West: an all-inclusive health club, spa, and dance studio in Santa Monica. For the past four years while she was getting her MBA at UCLA, the director of operations, Kevin Burke had been running the business for her. When she graduated in May, she came on board full time as the assistant director, and a fitness/dance instructor. She couldn’t bail out on her staff after a four year absence.
“See that’s the beauty of this, I already talked to everyone, including your students and they all agreed that this is something you should to do. We all know how talented you are and that you would be great in something like this.” Marissa implored. “We worked out a schedule already so all your shifts and classes are covered. You have absolutely no reason not to go for it.”
Kiki picked up the ad and read it over again. If Kevin could run things on his own again and her classes were covered, all without burdening anyone, then there was no reason for her not to at least try out. There was no guarantee she would actually make the cut in the first place. People all over the country would be trying out for this tour.
She wasn’t really a fan of ‘N Sync back in the day, but of course she had seen them perform and Justin Timberlake was definitely talented. His solo act was probably top-notch, meaning the quality of the work would be awarding. But what mattered most was she would be doing what she loved most - dancing. Day in and day out she would be dancing, and her life hadn’t strictly revolved around that since high school. She missed the times when the only thing she did or thought of was feeling and expressing her love for music.
“Come on Kiki, you know you want to do it, I can see it in your eyes.” Marissa cajoled.
Kiki smirked because at this point she was already thinking about clearing her schedule for October 7th and maybe even for the majority of the following year.
“Okay…..But first I need to talk to everyone at the club myself. If they’re all okay with me taking a leave “ I will try out for the tour.”
“Yay!” Marissa knew that was basically a “yes” since there wasn’t anyone who wouldn’t accept her decision. “Oh this is so exciting. Oh my gawh, we gotta tell Tams! We totally have to get together and choreograph an audition piece for you.” She rambled as she dug through her purse looking for her cell to call their best friend and break the news. Kiki was the best dancer out of all of their friends and they had been waiting for her to do something professional like a tour or a music video. “Uh oh, my girl is going to be tearing up stages all over the world, shaking her booty with that fine ass JT. He’s single now too, you might be able to pull that. Mend that broken heart he’s supposedly sporting.”
“Yeah right, Mr. ‘N Sync and I? He does nothing for me.” Kiki lied while nibbling on a bread stick.
“Yeah okay.” Marissa rolled her eyes still searching for her cell. She had heard Kiki agree to the boy’s finest in conversation before. “Watch you make the cut and you two hook up or something. Never say never.”
“Whatever.” Kiki rhymed, not even entertaining her delusion.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Driving back to work, Kiki’s mind was racing with all the pros and cons of joining a tour. She had a full staff of people whose livelihoods she was responsible for on a full time basis now. She had made a commitment to a partnership with Kevin and she hated going back on her commitments. She never made them unless she was serious and determined to see them through. She felt like auditioning would be like compromising herself. But on the other hand, it would be fun being a part of a production again if she made the cut. The last act she was a part of was the Pussycat Doll show and after almost three years, she retired her corsets and fishnets when she graduated. That was only four months ago, but truthfully, she missed performing. There was thrill in dancing for a crowd, but her love for teaching had always been the driving force in her career.
Her dream of showing others her same appreciation evolved into something bigger with KeyKey West and she was proud of her accomplishment and ready to take charge. She was a businesswoman now. Nevertheless, since she was young and till the day she died, she was a dancer to the core. No dancer passed up a chance like this. In her heart, Kiki knew the decision was already made. Now she just needed to wrap her mind around it.
When she arrived back at the club, she was greeted by her front desk staffer, Jodie. The college sophomore, who was ordinarily a cheery girl, was now bouncing off the wall when she spotted her.
“Oh my God Kiki, I am so excited for you. You are going to be awesome and you are so lucky you get to like live with Justin Timberlake.” She swooned over her celebrity crush. “He is so beautiful, you are so lucky.”
Kiki just shook her head as she walked over to the message box to see if she had anything in her slot. Obviously, Marissa and her big mouth had come straight here, a whole hour before she had to teach her class, and told everyone that she had agreed to audition.
“I still have to make the cut, Jo, so don’t go making any plans for me to play matchmaker for you.”
“You not make the cut? Yeah right. They’d be crazy not to pick you.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She scanned her messages quickly. “Is Kev here?”
“He’s in the business office.” She answered over her shoulder as she rang up a bottle of water for a member.
The business office was where billing, payroll and all the other paperwork was done. It was also where the conference room was located and connected to the employee lounge. It was the ideal place for Marissa to be front and center while telling anyone who cared about her decision.
“Nothing’s set in stone.” Kiki interrupted as she walked into the room.
“You better do it because the schedule we put together is set in stone.” Kevin smiled at her. “Why wouldn’t you do this?”
She looked at them remorsefully, feeling a little burdensome. “What about you guys?”
“We’ll be fine without you, everything is covered.” Jade, her membership director, assured.
“We know you feel like you’re abandoning us, but don’t feel that way. We’re fine with running the show again, but we won’t be and neither will you, if you don’t take this opportunity. You’ll just end up regretting it.”
He was right, she would regret it if she didn’t at least audition. Kiki took a deep cleansing breath as her mind finally gave in to the choice her heart had already made.
“You might as well just say yes because if you don’t, I’ll just bitch and moan until it drives you crazy.” And Marissa had a special talent for bugging the shit out of someone.
“Okay, okay, I’ll do it.” Not a second after she finished her sentence, a filled registration form was in her hand. “What the hell?”
“All you need to do is sign it.” Convincing Kiki to audition had been a plan in the works for some time now. Appointing herself front man for the job because of her persistence, Marissa had everything taken care of, registration fee included, so she couldn’t say no.
“Where’d you get my social Rissa? Been snooping through my personnel file?”
“Nope, Nima gave me all the information I needed.”
Nima, was the name that Kiki’s closest friends called her mother.
“My mother knows about this too? What was this some big conspiracy against me?”
“I gave her heads up that she would be the last resort in convincing you to audition. When I called her on my way here, she told me to tell you that if you didn’t sign this - don’t think about coming to the house looking for free meals anymore.” Marissa informed her. “So sign it and I’ll put it in the mail right now.”
“Well seeing as I’ll be shunned if I don’t.” Kiki grabbed the pen she offered her and signed her name. “Done.”
“Great.” Marissa folded the form, stuffed it in the stamped envelope, and trotted off to the outgoing mailbox.
“Happy now?” Kiki asked the remaining two with an attitude. “I gotta go get ready for class.”
She was walking out as Jade scoffed. “Don’t act like you’re not happy.”
Facing them once more, a big grin spread across her face and she started doing the cabbage patch in excitement. They laughed as she kept on dancing out the room until the door closed. Now that it was done, she was thankful for the push from her friends and family.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Although she had her own condo to go home to and cook dinner, Kiki was on her way to her parents’ after work, like most nights. And she wasn’t the only one; her parents' house was still very much home to her older brother and sister. On more days than not, all three of the Lewis children made an appearance back home especially around dinner time.
Kiki’s parents, Nina and Frederick Lewis, lived in the same house in San Monica that they brought when they moved out to California twenty three years ago. They met as freshmen at the University of Central Florida. Frederick was a naïve of the state majoring in pre-law and Nina was a social science major, studying abroad from Acapulco, Mexico. Frederick had been assigned as her mentor due to his fluency in Spanish. It was love at first sight and during his last year in law school, Frederick asked Nina to marry him. A month after he passed the bar, they married.
Two years later they welcomed their first child, Derek, and when he was a toddler, Frederick was promoted to partner at his firm’s LA branch. Two more years passed before the family was complete with two more children, Maya and Kiki.
The Lewises were a very close knit family. Carrying on the traditions from their families, Nina and Frederick raised their children to respect and cherish their family bond. The Lewis children grew to be friends as well as siblings, and were very protective of each other. Like all families, they had their moments of disharmony, but they always made up and were always there for one another. Throughout her life, Kiki depended on her family a great deal and they were always there when she needed them.
Climbing out of her BMW, Kiki approached the front door and could hear music playing. She smiled thinking how some things never changed.
Growing up, music of all genres, English and Spanish, was always playing in their home. It greatly influenced her own love for music and her mother was the one to introduce her to dance.
Nina Lewis was a seasoned Latin ballroom dancer. In addition to her job as a social worker, she was a part time instructor at a Latin dance studio in the city. When Kiki show an interest in dancing, Nina enrolled her in ballet classes. She was a natural, seeming to inherit the same talent and passion as her mother, excelling in her classes. When she was eleven, she started broadening her horizons, taking more modern dance intensives. Set on having her life revolve around dancing and nothing else, her parents enrolled her in Stevenson’s Sr. School of Arts.
As she grew older, Kiki discovered her love for teaching. She would assist her instructors at the dance studio where she took classes and made the decision to become an instructor when she became oder. After graduating from high school she planned to go to ULCA and get her MBA so she could operate her own dance studio.
When she was fourteen, Nina’s parents, who were rather wealthy, died in a car accident. Since her mother was their only child, they left all their assets to her and her family; money, stocks and bonds, and their hacienda. She and her siblings inherited a college fund along with a trust fund to use at their discretion. For Kiki, her trust fund included an empty building in Santa Monica. They left her the deed and a letter telling her to follow her dream of having her own studio. With her father overseeing the project, renovations started when Kiki was sixteen and two years later, a month after she graduated high school, KeyKey West open their doors and had been going strong ever since.
Only eighteen years old at the time, she didn’t know how to run a business so Kevin was hired to manage the club while she was in school getting her degree. The more knowledge she gained in school, the more involved she became in her business and once she was certified, she also started teaching classes. A few months ago, when she got her MBA; which took a lot of hard work year round since high school “ taking AP courses and summer courses. She and Kevin entered their partnership. He had worked so hard building up the club, she wasn’t about to take it away from him so they joined forces to run the business together.
Her family played a big part in keeping KeyKey West afloat as well. He father served as the club’s lawyer, keeping the business in line legally, and using his connections to mold the club. He knew how great her dream was and supported her 100% through the whole process, taking time out of his busy schedule to help. Nina and Derek also used their connections as an instructor and athletic trainer to find staff members for the club. And Maya, a fashion designer, created a lot of the club’s promotional material and pro-shop gear. They all banded together to give Kiki her dream and she would always be grateful for having a family that gave her that kind of love and support.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Mamí! Daddy!” Letting herself in, Kiki looked toward the back of the house and could see her mother moving around the kitchen. “Mamí!” Her mother still couldn’t hear her over the music, so she turned the volume down on the stereo. “Hi Mamí.”
“Oh, hijita, you scared me.” Nina startled, holding her hand over her chest to calm her racing heart.
“You knew I was coming over.” She said as she kicked off her shoes in the hall closet. “And blasting that music like that, any ol’ person could walk up in here.”
“Oh be quiet you’re just as bad.”
“I know.” She snickered and walked to the stove to give her mother a kiss on the cheek. “What are you cooking?”
“Depends.” She continued stirring the mixture in the skillet. “Did you sign that form?”
“Sí traidor. It’s been signed and is traveling somewhere through the postal system as we speak.”
“It’s about time you let the world see how talented you are.”
“I guess I was just waiting for the right opportunity, but I didn’t think it would come so soon. I thought I’d be able to establish myself as an active owner of Key first.” She hopped up to sit on the island counter, munching on some chopped vegetables.
“You have your whole life for that baby. You are blessed with loyal friends and a family that has no problem holding down the business for you while you take this chance.”
“I know Mamí, that’s why I’m doing it.”
“I’m proud of you.” She turned towards her so Kiki could see that she meant every word. “I bet you already have a routine planned. I know how fast you get one in that head of yours.”
“I got some ideas. Marissa, Tams and I are getting together tomorrow to start working on one.”
“Hey brat.” A familiar deep voice suddenly sounded from the side door.
“Hi ugly.” She looked down the basement stairs to see her brother walking in with her sister-in-law behind him. “Hi Rhea.”
"Hi Kik. Hi Nima.” She came over to kiss Kiki then Nina on the cheek. “Yum paella.” She cheered inhaled the delicious aroma.
“Where you been?” Derek asked, pulled Kiki off the counter in a head lock and the two began to tussle. “Don’t know how to call nobody.”
“Hey that goes both ways.” She broke out of the hold and pushed him away. “I figured camp had started.”
“Starts next week, but we’ve been busy prepping.” Derek was an athlete trainer for the LA Lakers and the season would be starting in the next month. “How’s the club?”
“It’s good.”
“You sister’s taking a leave of absence soon. She’s auditioning for a music tour.” Nina interrupted.
“Really?” Rhea beamed. “It’s about time. What tour? Who’s the singer?”
“Justin Timberlake.”
“No way. Aw he is so hot.”
“Yeah well he’s a good performer, so I think it’ll be worth it.” The two talked as they sat at the kitchen table cutting up the vegetables for the salad per Nina’s instructions.
“Did you tell Pop yet? You know how he gets about you and My being away from home.” Derek had a point.
When Maya was studying fashion abroad in Italy for two years, their father was a grump and totally paranoid until she came back. He probably would be worse with Kiki, being the baby and all.
“Last time I checked I was an adult, so it doesn’t really matter if he gets mad or not.”
Just in case, Kiki was ready to battle it out with her father just like they had when she accepted the position as a pussycat doll. To no one’s surprise, he and Derek the only ones in her family that had a problem with her new job. Kiki blew Derek’s protest off and he eventually got over it. But after an explosive argument about how “degrading” the act was, she and her father didn’t talk for weeks. Frederick caved first, knowing Kiki wouldn’t budge and missing his baby, he accepted her decision. He promised to respect that her life was just that - hers - and no matter what he would always be there for her.
“He’ll get over it.” Nina stated firmly. If she had anything to say about it Frederick would most certainly get over it.
“The shipment goes out next week. That piece has got to be ready by then so it can be a part of the collection. Okay?.....Yeah…. Alright…. Bye.” The voice of the last Lewis child to arrive, drifted through the house following the closing of the side door. “Ooh, hermanita. I’m so proud of you. You are going to steal the show.” She mushed her brother’s head in passing and greeted Rhea first with a hug. She took off her blazer and put it up in the closet then came back into the kitchen. “So you excited?”
“Kind of. It hasn’t really sunken in yet. I still have to go through the audition anyway.”
Maya scoffed in disbelief. “Like you’re not going to make it. Hi Mamí.” She hugged her mother and was promptly shooed away when she tried dipping her fingers into the skillet for a taste. “Where’s Daddy?” She sat next to Derek at the island bar and helped herself to some of the paella he had been able to nab from the stove.
“Probably stuck in traffic. It was picking up big time before we got off.” Derek mumbled around his mouthful of food.
“Yes, he called before you all started showing up.”
“Speaking of.” Maya piped in. “Ready to tell Daddy about your news?” She gave her little sister a challenging grin.
“As a matter of fact I am because unlike you, I’m not afraid of him.” Derek started snickering and Maya stuck her tongue out at him.
While Kiki was the most rebellious of the three of them and butted head with their father plenty of times. Maya was a total daddy’s girl and absolutely hated when their father was upset with her. Kiki and Derek teased her relentlessly about it.
Just then, the front door was heard opening and shutting.
“You better have my CD with you.” Derek said, being the first to see the new arrival coming down the hallway.
“Shit.” Tami winced. “I’ll give it to Kik tomorrow. Hi everybody.” They all greeted the adopted Lewis.
Tami Monté was Kiki’s best friend and had been since they first met at the age of three in a ballet class. They were the only two Latina girls in the class and found an immediate comradery behind that. It didn’t take long for them to get to know each other and the two had been inseparable from that day on. They both shared a common love for music and dance at a young age and later attended Stevenson’s together. Tami grew to be more of a musical comp aficionado. She loved to analyze the lyrics and arrangement of music and as a result, she became a music journalist. After graduating from UCLA as well, she was hired as one of the music journalists for Entertainment Weekly.
After eighteen years of friendship Tami was as much a sister to Kiki as Maya. She was thought of as another sister and child to the whole family.
“I thought you were having dinner with your mom?” Tami usually did dinner with them, but Kiki knew she was here tonight especially, to talk about the tour.
“With her new boyfriend? No thanks. The dickhead.”
“Tami.” Nina scolded her language.
“Lo siento Nima.” She amended with a kiss on the cheek.
Tami was an only child and had been raised by her single mother after her father left them when she was a baby. By the time she was four years old, her mom was a serial dater, and in between her current flavor of the moment and working, it left very little time for Tami. As a result, she spent a lot of time at the Lewis house. Nina was like a second mother to her and Frederick was the father she never had. In fact, she was the one to create the name “Nima”, a combination of Nina and Mama.
“You and I have business anyway.” She said, sitting at the table next to Rhea.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve been given the Finally speech like a million times today.”
“Actually I was going to say that when you finally do something, you sure do it big.”
“How’s that?”
“This tour is the talk of my department. You have the lead singer in one of the biggest boy bands going solo and the best voice to come out of pop music in a long time joining forces. You are going to be part of a very big, very hyped production.”
Everyone glanced at her wondering if she would show some sign of intimidation, but found none. She just shrugged nonchalantly.
“That just means it’ll prove I’m the shit when I make the cut.” She smirked as she got up from her seat and walked out of the room with a cocky strut all the way to the bathroom.
The truth of the matter was, she was a little apprehensive. She had a feeling the tour would be big, but hearing Tami talk about the buzz surrounding it was a little scary. The audition wasn’t a concern, either she made it or she didn’t, all her hopes weren’t ride on it. Now if she made it, she wondered if she could deal with the pressure of her first professional production of this caliber. But despite her worries, she was going to face the challenge head on.
When she left the bathroom, she saw that her father was home and was standing in the kitchen doorway. Feeling childish she took a running start and jumped on his back. She was little and her father was a sturdy man, but he still let out an “oof” of surprise when she landed.
“Whoa there. Take it easy. Old man here.” He joked.
“Oh whatever.” She hopped off his back and ducked under his arm to hug his waist.
“Hey short stuff.” He kissed the top of her head. “I hear you have some news.”
“Yeah, but you gotta promise you won’t get all bent out of shape about it.” She stepped away from his side so she could face him with her “please Daddy” face on.
He stood straight to brace himself. “What is it?”
“I signed up to audition for a national, maybe even worldwide tour.” All Frederick did was take a deep breath and Kiki saw it as a sign he wasn’t going to blow his top. Yet.
“It’s a great chance for her Freddy and Kevin agreed to look over the club so she has no reason not to go.” Nina added to help smooth things over. The last thing she wanted was her stubborn husband and equally stubborn daughter arguing over the dinner table tonight. It had been awhile since they had one, and she was not in the mood to referee tonight.
“I’ve already decided to go if I make the cut.” She confirmed with a defensive tone, ready to go toe to toe with her father.
Everyone including Frederick heard the tone clearly and interpreted it precisely. She would fight him on this if he protested. All the spectators wondered if his silence was the calm before the storm, but Frederick had no plans to engage in an argument with his daughter.
"When you make the cut.” He stated, voicing his support of her decision.
Happy that her next endeavor wouldn’t create friction between her and her father, Kiki launched herself into his arm, hugging him tight. “Thank you Daddy.”
“Believe it or not I have accepted that you guys are adults, responsible for your own lives.” He addressed all of his children, biological and adopted. “But it’s not going to stop me from worrying about you.”
They all smiled at the love and respect in his words and Derek, ever the goof ball, cried out. “Aww Daddy I love you!” and theatrically threw himself into his father’s arms.
“Get off me boy.” Frederick laughed and with a shuffle of his son’s head, he pushed him away. “So what’s for dinner?”
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
In the month before the first round of auditions started, Kiki, Tami and Marissa spent all their spare time preparing. In addition to her friends’ input, some of the dancers from the classes Kiki taught added their own touch to create a flawless routine for her. It was a completely innovative performance laced with modern and classical elements, showing off her skill and versatility. By the time the audition came around, Kiki was more than ready.
