Page 39 of Not About That Life
“You told me to knock first and I did,” He walks over to me.
I’m just about ready to take the prized possession into my hands when Ian closes the donut box on me. My eyes glare up at him. “Boy, if you don’t get…”
“I’m here to properly apologize.” He slowly comes down to one knee. “I exercised the wrong judgment back there and didn’t take your feelings into consideration. I apologize for that. Believe me when I say when I came over, she was already practicing in the room. She wanted my advice for a routine she was going to try out for her class.”
I would believe that except Lowell’s expertise isn’t in pole dancing and her routine showed that. She was clumsy and fumbled around the pole. Her routine – coincidentally or not – was to “Criminal.” On second thought, that was the perfect song choice. Her routine was so bad, it should be illegal everywhere.
I’m not about to argue with Ian because this is ultimately a private manner between me and Lowell. I guess I’ll start interviewing new instructors this week. “Okay.”
Ian’s eyes form question marks and it’s clear he knows I didn’t believe a word he said. “Angel, I don’t want anyone else.”
The smile on Ian’s face told me otherwise. “Okay.”
He stands up and appears hurt. “Angel, I’m being honest here. You can even run back the video if it makes you feel better.”
“I believe you,” I relent, “it was an innocent dance, and sweet little Domi with her young age and her even younger jealousy is just blowing this out of proportion.”
“And what the hell?” Ian is taken back by my tone. His tone is even icier than mine. “Where is that coming from?”
“It’s just whenever I voice a concern, you have a tendency to dismiss it,” I re-open the donut box and go back to choosing a donut, “so I’m just bracing myself for it now.”
“And your attitude now is helping that?” He replies.
I look him dead in his soul. “I’m hungry.”
The silence between us is deafening and I don’t dare move my eyes from his. “I hope your attitude improves tonight before the gala. If not, we’ll stay home.” Ian then leaves.
I went back to choosing the right donut to start my morning until my appetite completely goes away. Ian was telling the truth, I’m sure of it. I just don’t like how he was so flippant at Lowell’s attitude. He’s seen several of my routines, watched along with me as I studied other pole dancers on YouTube, and let’s not forget the now-infamous amateur night at the strip club.
In other words, Ian knows what a professional pole dancer looks like. He can differentiate that from a stripper. He knows a pole dancer’s moves focus more on her legs, separating us from the run of the mill strippers, who focus on their entire body, which was Lowell was doing.
And I’m the asshole in this?
“Well,” Emma begins as she enters our shared office, “I ran into one grumpy Ferguson only to meet with another grumpy Ferguson. Shit, the atmosphere is colder than Elsa and Olaf. What in the hell is up with you two?”
“I caught Lowell doing a private dance for Ian, who clearly enjoyed it.” I mumble, “so there’s that.”
“Didn’t I tell you you needed to watch that bitch?” Emma sets her bag down. “And she’s the type who would steal a bitch’s man and…ooh, donuts!” She opens the box and grabs the one I’d been eyeing. Damn, Ian. Now I can’t enjoy my favorite donut in peace because of his bullshit.
“We got into a row about it just now.” It occurred to me I just used a typical English term for argument. I guess Ian had rubbed off on me in other ways. “He apologized but I just…I don’t know.” I shake my head. I finally grab another donut in case Emma makes a play for that one. “I felt he was about to treat me like a child again so I told him off before he could.”
“And this was before he apologized?” Emma nods with a mouthful of donut.
“It was afterwards. But like I was saying, Ian knew what type of dance she was doing and he still allowed her to do it!”
“What did he say in his apology?” Emma asks. “Was he sincere?”
“He said he didn’t have the proper judgment and she was already dancing when he came in and she asked for his opinion and blah blah blah.” I pick at my donut. “I’m sure he’s being honest.”
“So wait?” Emma swallows the donut. “You believed him, he’s apologized, and you’re still mad at him?”
“It’s the principle of the matter!” I defend myself. “He even got down on one knee and…”
“Dominique!” Emma enunciates every syllable of my name and I felt Regina Kimbrough coming through with an assist. “The man got down on one knee and you’re still mad at him!”
“Ian said he should’ve known better and…”
“And he did! Which is why he apologized!” Emma laughed. “Domi, you know I’ll have your back any day of the week but honey, you were wrong on this one. If Ian knew he messed up and was apologetic, that’s it, girlfriend. Either forgive him or move onto somebody else.”
