Page 33 of Set the Moment
My eyes narrow on the screen as I purse my lips.
It’s just my luck that today’s the day Eloisa Jones—my mother—decides she wants to speak with me.
“Hell—”
“Si Si, darling!” She greets. Her voice is in its usual high pitched tone as she interrupts my greeting.
“How’s Ibiza, Mom? Is Dad there?” I ask, cursing myself quietly for the hopefulness in my tone as my mother clears her throat.
“No time to chat, honey, I was just calling to let you know that your father and I won’t be able to visit as we planned this month. He’s so busy with DJing and you know how it is…” she trails off, her light tone never wavering as I gulp.
They were supposed to visit for a weekend since they missed their last scheduled visit in June…it’s September, and I haven’t seen my parents since February.
My bottom lip quivers as I pull it between my teeth. “I understand, Mom. Work comes—”
“You get it, I’ll talk to you later. Ta, ta, darling,” she interrupts, her breathy tone like nails on a chalkboard.
“Bye! I love—” The line disconnects.
I gulp, sucking on my bottom lip as I try to compose myself and slide the mask I’ve grown to know so well back on, but it’s so hard.
Why me? Why can’t my parents justwantto see me? I try my hardest in school to get accolades that they’d be proud of. I was the top ballerina in my program at NYU, and I’m a damn good dance teacher, but it’s never enough for them to just come and visit me. I haven’t seen them in months, and the one time my mom calls this week is to tell me that her and dad won’t make it to Maryland at the end of the month.
“Well if you’re just going to stand there, I guess we’re done,” Daisy tuts from the corner of the room.
I sigh, rolling my neck as I snatch up my things just as my phone rings yet again.
Daisy raises a brow at me as if daring me to answer the call. Ignoring her, I slide the screen toanswer Dupri.
“I need you at the studio immediately, we need to discuss your next steps.” Dupri’s voice is breathless and echoey as she speaks, presumably from my old studio.
“I’m on my way.”
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, I must relieve you of this position.”
I’d never thought that I would ever hear those words, but they blare in my ears loud as can be as I stumble my way through the studio.
Although Dupri didn’tfireme, she did inform me that I was not to teach the Minis anymore, stating that my sole focus is to remain on mynewstudent. I’d been given the opportunity to speak with the girls before officially handing everything over to Guillana, a new coach at the studio.
As I’m dragging myself to the Minis’ studio, a man walks right into me. He apologizes briefly, but cuts himself off as he and I look at one another.
Just my fucking luck.
Derek stands in front of me, scowling as he looks down at me.
I look at him, waiting for him to do what my kids’ parents usually do and ask questions, but he remains silent, staring me down.
“The proper thing to do would be to apologize,” he sighs.
I reel back.
Did he just—
“Excuse you?”
“I mean, you bumped into me, and if I remembered correctly, you cursed me out… so.” He shrugs.
“You’ve got a lot of freaking nerve. You don’t show up for your kid then when you do, you’re late. Not to mention, you’ve only picked her up from hereoncesince I’ve started working here, and when I call you out, you have the nerve to say thatIneed to apologize?” I scoff, tilting my head at his audacity.
