250 North Main Street
My cab pulls up in front of the hotel as I eagerly exit the vehicle. The cab driver helps me with my bags and I pay him before walking inside. I know that Ava told me what room she was in, but I don’t need hotel security dragging me out of here just because I didn’t check in at the front desk. Making my way over there, the receptionist greets me with a large smile.
“Hello ma’am, how may I help you today?” She beams in her southern twang.
“Hi, I here to see Ava Bernstine in room 231.”
“Oh okay, just head over toward those elevators and get off at the second floor.”
“Thank you.”
I follow her directions and get on the elevator when suddenly; a large hand comes barreling its way through the closing doors, scaring the hell out of me. Still clutching my chest, the stranger makes his way on. He chuckles at my startled face.
“Startled you did I?”
“Yeah, just a bit,” I laugh lightly.
“Sorry about that, it’s just that these elevators take forever and I know it sounds lazy but, I do not feel like taking the stairs.”
“No need to defend yourself, you’re preaching to the choir right here.”
He flashes me a mouthful of pearly whites in response. I must admit that he’s kind of cute”okay, really cute. I can tell that he rocks a buzz cut underneath his ball cap and he has a pair of pretty blue eyes to go along with that smile. He’s about my height, maybe an inch or two taller and I’m guessing that he’s in his early to mid-20s, judging from the stubble that lightly adorns his face. Dressed in a hoodie and some sweatpants, I figured he was coming back from breakfast and heading back to his room. Ironically enough, he got off on the same floor as me and was starting to walk the same direction.
“So where you coming from?” He interrupted the silence.
“L.A. I’m here to visit my sister. You?”
“Oh, I’m here on tour. I’m actually from Nashville, well a suburb of it I mean.”
“That’s cool, I guess you’re happy to be home huh?”
“Definitely. So…you got a name or something?” He asks stopping in front of what I assume is his room.
“Selah,” I reply, reaching out to shake his hand.
“Selah…that’s a beautiful name,” he voices to me lowly.
“Thanks. So, do you got a name or something?” I mimic him.
He laughs. “Yeah, it’s”“
“Nick?! What are you doing out here trying to mack on my baby sister?” I didn’t even hear her room door open before Nick and I were so rudely interrupted. Leave it to Ava to be cock block.
“Ava!” I shout out in embarrassment.
“Whoa A, I didn’t even know who she was, I just met her on the elevator,” Nick explains, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
“Well since ya’ll was out here getting acquainted, let me do the honors. Selah, Nick; Nick, Selah. She’s 19 and I don’t care if that makes her legal, but I do know that if I catch you or any of the other guys trying to spit some game at her, I will make sure that ya’ll never dance again,” my sister says in basically one breath. Dragging me and my bags inside, I mouth a sorry to Nick as Ava slams the door in his face.
“What the hell was that about A?!” I exclaim. “You didn’t have to be rude or slam the door in his face.”
“Oh hush, you were about two minutes away from getting fucked. I love Nick, but I know Nick and he was thisclose to inviting you into his room for a morning romp. You’re lucky I came out when I did.”
“Well I can’t help it if he wanted to put his milk in my coffee,” I crack at her playfully. She gives me the look of death before she busts out laughing, causing the both of us to break out into the giggles. We fall back onto her bed as our laughter subsides.
“You, little one are a hot mess.”
“Yeah, yeah…but you love me.”
“How was your flight?”
“It was fine, I got out of here A.S.A.P.”
“Mom still on your ass?”
“That and taking all her other frustrations out on me. You have no idea how happy I am to be here with you.”
“ ‘La, I gotta be real with you. I mean I don’t want you to be in a place where you’re not happy, but think about mama. She’s still in that box that you guys call home all because she was saving up to get you into school. I mean I know I didn’t exactly follow through when I was in college, but still. You were supposed to do better than me.”
“Ava, you’re dancing for one of the biggest artists in the world. Remember your dream? Traveling the world through dance? Well you’re living it so I don’t see how me going to some institution is doing better than you!” I get up off the bed and start to pace the room in a frustrated manner.
I think I’m so upset because I know she’s right, but what about what I think? What about my dreams? I guess I’ve been so focused on at least one of us getting out of L.A. that I totally forgot about myself…or the fact that secretly, my dreams mirror Ava’s.
“Okay, okay Selah, calm down. I was just asking you to see it from mom’s point of view. But if you don’t want to go to school, what do you want to do?”
I sigh, getting ready to answer her question when there is a knock on the door.
“Hold that thought,” Ava says as she heads toward the door.
She opens it and two women step inside, a straight-haired blonde and a brunette with a cute, cropped, coif.
“What’s up ya’ll?” My sister says to them.
“Hey girl, we were just coming by to see if you were awake. You know we have to be down at the arena at 11:30,” the brunette replies.
“Yeah, I’ve been up for a while, thanks to her. I need to get ready though.”
“Who is she?” The blonde enquires.
“Since my sister seems to have forgotten her manners, I guess I’ll have to introduce myself,” I say, receiving another death stare from Ava. “Hi I’m Selah, Ava’s sister.”
“Oh my god A!” The brunette exclaims excitedly. “This is ‘La? The one you’ve been talking about?” My sister nods yes in response.
“Aww, you’re so pretty,” the blonde says to me. “And here Ava had us thinking you were really young, we didn’t know you were legal and stuff.”
I turn and look at my sister for an explanation.
“What? Look after what happened this morning; you should understand why I didn’t tell anyone your age. Meet Michele,” she says pointing to the brunette, “and Nancy,” pointing to the blonde. The three us exchange handshakes while my sister goes into the bathroom to get ready for what I assume is rehearsal for tonight’s show. While waiting, the three of us make ourselves comfortable on the bed. I never would have thought Michele or Nancy would be anywhere close to 30. They’re so cool and remind me a lot of my girlfriends at home, especially when Michele asks me:
“So what happened this morning?”
I can tell that this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.
**************************************************
FedEx Forum
It’s 11:30 on the dot as Ava, Nancy, Michele and I walk into the arena. It’s probably not as big as the Staples Center, but I feel like an ant among all these rows of seats. Stage management and other set workers are clearing out, probably so that Ava and the rest of the dancers, the band, and the superstar himself can do a run-through of the show. As we get closer to the stage, I spot Nick out of the corner of my eye, as well as three other guys. The girls and I make our way over to the group”Nick giving me a shy smile”and exchange hellos.
“Alright ‘La, keep your hands and your eyes to yourself,” my sister warns me. “Fellas, this is my baby sister Selah. ‘La, this is Sky, Eddie, and our choreographer, Marty…and well, you know Nick,” she deadpans causing Nancy and Michele to laugh.
If I thought Nick was fine, where in the world did these other three come from? Sky is what I like to call an “Asian Sensation,” while Eddie is a Puerto Rican cutie with braids. I’m not too sure what Marty’s make up is, but all I know is that he had me at “Hello.” I realize that the guys are just as cool as Nancy and Michele and I still haven’t met all of the dancers Ava tells me.
“Yeah, you still have to meet Dana and Tammy,” Michele says.
Well if they’re as nice as everyone else, the more the merrier. I go to ask my sister about tonight’s concert, when the feedback from a mic almost bursts everyone’s eardrums. Covering our ears, we instinctively look toward the sound stage at the back of the area.
“Sorry,” an embarrassed male voice echoes through a microphone. I know that voice anywhere, especially because I’ve been listening to it since I was nine years old. My heart is racing as I slowly turn toward the stage and see him standing there, blinding us with his famous mega-watt smile.
You know how people say that a picture doesn’t do a person justice? Now I understand why. He is gorgeous”even in a white t-shirt and sweatpants”with his hypnotizing blues, that I swear just gazed at me for a few seconds.
“Selah, are you drooling?” My sister asks me.
Yeah, the superstar has just arrived.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you all for taking time out to read and to leave a review. I truly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this next one.
Story Tags: love tourj soloj justin dancer college
