“Thank you.” She spun on her heels and quickly waltzed over to her gym bag, plucking it up and walking out without another glance or word.
I immediately looked at Charm.
“I’m going to end up having to put hands and feet on her ass one of these days,” I stated.
Charm snickered.
“I wouldn’t even let it get that far. Come on. Let’s run through it again.”
“Alright.” I clapped my hands. “I’m ready.”
“I’ll stand in for Retta,” the choreographer offered.
She restarted our music and walked over to fall into the routine with us in Retta’s spot. I was starting to think Retta was the problem because I nailed the routine the first time we did it. The choreographer clapped.
“See, Myome, you’ve got this.”
“Thank you.” I took a deep breath. “Can we run it one more time?”
“Sure. Let’s do it.”
She restarted the music and we went through it a second time. I lip synced as I went. Afterwards, we rehearsed one more time with Charm and me doing actual vocals before calling it a day. We thanked and hugged the choreographer, and after she left, we ran through it once more before collapsing onto the ground to stretch.
“Retta might be a bitch but it is pretty obvious that you like Drix,” Charm said after a moment.
“What makes you think that?”
Charm pursed her lips. “Myome, please be for real. We watched that interview and I’m your girl. I know you ain’t that damn good of an actor.”
I laughed immediately. “I didn’t even say shit for real. I was so nervous. I just sat there, smiled, and nodded.”
“Well you looked good as hell doing it and you were looking at Drix like you had hearts in your eyes.”
“Was I really?” I sat up from stretching.
“I mean, yeah but relax. I don’t think he minded. He put that big ass ring on your finger when he definitely didn’t have to.”
“For optics.”
“Girl, he could have gotten you a ring half that size and men still would have been looking. Not to mention, Drix made it clear he don’t play about you. So people who notice you looking at him like you’re in love will know he fucks with you too.” She shrugged.
“Well at least I don’t look in love by myself.” I rolled my eyes.
“You don’t,” Charm assured me. “He looks smitten too… at least as smitten as a man like Drix can look.”
“He is a little aloof about most things, huh?”
“Just a little bit but he’s nice to us, so shit.” She laughed. “That doesn’t really have anything to do with us. Plus, you’re the type to like a man who isn’t too friendly.”
“Especially in this industry.” I leaned forward to start stretching again and Charm followed suit.
“So, you do like him?” she asked.
I sat with that question for a beat even though I already knew the answer.
“Yeah. I like him,” I admitted. “He’s… special…” I finished lamely. “And not just in the studio.”
“I love that for you.”