Valentines for Cinderella

Ray's phone chimed to signal an incoming text message. He swiped the screen to read it, then looked up at Angela with a smile. "Mel's been on tour with the company for the last three weeks. Their plane just landed. I need to finish up a few things in the office before I can see her, so I'll go now."

Angela looked at Ray as if she'd never met him before. He stood, kissed her cheek, and said, "Thanks for your help. I owe you."

The streets outside were running with melting snow and Ray had to stay far from the curb to avoid being splashed by traffic. He walked with his head down and traded messages with Mel. "When can I see you?" he asked.

"Dunno," Mel answered. "Paul lost it. We're taking a shuttle to the studio from here and then we'll start rehearsals right now."

Ray stopped at a corner and waited for the light. He took a deep breath of the crisp air then watched the steam swirl as he exhaled. "We can do dinner?" he asked.

"Bring takeout to the studio?" Mel suggested. "His plan is four hours of rehearsal with a one-hour dinner break."

"If you can tell me when you break, then I can do that." Ray said. The light changed and Ray jumped a puddle in the gutter to cross the street."What are you rehearsing?"

"Cinderella, but no-one knows why," Mel answered. "The kids might need the practice but the company dancers all know it. He just keeps trying to fix problems that are only in his head."

Ray stepped over a pile of icy gray snow outside his office building, and before he went in he sent, "I'll bring Chinese from the deli truck that parks at my condo."

Mel was dancing when Ray got to the company's building so he leaned on the frame of the studio door and dangled the takeout cartons behind his back while he watched. The show had a large cast. The walls were lined with young dancers in leotards and tights who stood and watched Mel turn in the middle of the floor with an orange in her hands. Jill and Jenn danced around her and tossed oranges to each other.

"No! No! No!" Paul yelled and stopped the dance. "Your spacing is off again. Are you ever going to get this right?" He looked up at the clock and clapped his hand. "Break now. We'll do this again in an hour."

Mel hooked Ray's elbow as she went through the door and tugged him away from the other dancers. "There was nothing wrong with that." She grumbled and glanced at the kids who waited by the wall. She said, "We need to talk. Where's your car?"

"I had to park in the alley." Ray said. "The parking lot is full."

"Perfect," Mel said. She tossed her pointe shoes into a locker, slipped into flats, and pulled a coat around her shoulders. "That happens when we have a full cast rehearsal on one of these big shows." She pushed Ray out the door into the parking lot, and when it closed behind them she said, "I don't need to talk. That was just for the girls to hear. Let's go make out."

Ray had to laugh. They both stepped a little faster the closer they got to his car. Ray walked Mel to the passenger side door. She turned to lean against the car and tipped her mouth up to him. Ray set the cartons on the car, then tucked his hand below the tight bun that held her hair and pulled her mouth to his.

Mel's mouth tasted as good as Ray remembered, and a warm, arousing scent rose from her body. Both of them were suddenly short of breath. She broke off their kiss and reached behind her to open the car door, then said "Get in!" and surprised Ray by tugging, then pushing him into the warm car.

"Put the seat all the way back and lay it down," Mel said. She climbed over him to straddle his lap and pulled the door shut behind her. Her coat landed on the driver's seat and then she opened Ray's jacket, and then his shirt.

Ray peeled Mel's leotard off her shoulders and down her arms to expose her breasts, and then he pulled her up to get her tit in his mouth.

Mel giggled and wrapped her arms around Ray's head. She gasped while he pulled her hardened nipple between his teeth. He sucked her breast into his mouth while he pushed her leotard down. Ray found the top of her tights and thrust his hands under the waist and into them.

"God Ray!" Mel gasped. "It's been three weeks of wanting you. I'm done waiting." She rose on one knee and pulled her other leg out of the fabric while Ray opened his pants to free his hard-on. He slid down in the seat to get more under Mel, and when she settled on him again it was to take his hard shaft inside her.

Ray rested his hands on Mel's hips while she worked herself down his cock, then when she settled onto him he stroked her back to her rhythm. Her supple body writhed over him, and her scent, and the taste of her skin aroused him. He could tell when her climax got close from the tension in her body and the way she moved. His excitement grew to match hers.

Mel's body tightened around Ray and she lifted her head to groan. He felt the spasms grip her body; he surrendered control and his essence erupted inside her. Mel melted onto Ray's chest when they were both done; she kissed his throat and his face while his cock gradually softened.

Ray stroked Mel's sides and whispered in her ear, "God you feel good, but our moo goo gai pan is getting cold on top the car."

Mel laughed and rolled into the driver's seat. "I'll start the car to keep us warm," she said, "You get dinner." She cleaned herself with paper napkins then pushed the driver's seat back and turned to face Ray while they ate.

Mel dipped her chopsticks into the moo goo then looked up at Ray to ask, "What did you do today?" Her leotard and tights where still tangled around one leg. She smiled and straightened her back when she saw his eyes searching her mostly naked body.

"I went to see Angela," Ray answered and waited for Mel's response. She raised her eyebrows at him and he said, "She knows the Community Foundation's director and I asked her to introduce us."

"And what does she get for that?" Mel asked. "A little nooky?" Her expression told Ray that Mel was upset.

"She gets lunch and the satisfaction of knowing that she helped a friend," Ray answered then added, "She would like to meet you some time."

Mel handed the moo goo back to Ray and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Set something up if you want." She said. "So you two are really done?" Ray nodded his answer and Mel went on, "Doesn't the plan seem a little optimistic to you? I mean, get a little grant from the foundation and it gets magically turned into millions. Can that be for real?"

Ray shoveled rice and chicken into his mouth, then gave the moo goo back to Mel. "People make a lot out of a little all the time," he said with a shrug. "You and I can get the 'little,' then it's up to Rudy to make it into the 'lot.' He's the expert at that."

Mel glanced at the dashboard clock then pointed and asked, "Is that right?" She started pulling her clothes back on as soon as Ray nodded. "I've got to go back in pretty soon. You can come watch if you want."

The first thing they saw after they closed the studio door behind them was a group of frightened girls with their hands clasped in front of their faces. Then they heard it.

"Dammit Paul, you can't keep doing this!" It was Julio's angry voice. "You don't know what you're doing. You blame everyone else for your problems, and you're injuring dancers. Pretty soon you won't have anyone to do the show. We know this piece, it doesn't do any good to make us run it over and over!"

Paul shouted, "You aren't the one who sets the standards here. I am! You aren't as good as you think and you'll do what I tell you to do."

Mel sprinted into the studio to find Jenn sitting on the marley, massaging her ankle. Paul and Julio were nose-to-nose in the middle of the room.

She knelt beside Jenn to ask, "What happened?" while the men screamed at each other.

"Some of us got back early, so Paul started rehearsing us. I tweaked my ankle and sat down," Jenn said, "Then Julio lit into him. The kids are scared."

Mel spun around to face the red-faced men. "Stop it!" she said. "Just stop it! Julio's right. You're hurting people more than you're helping and now the kids are scared. Their parents will be next."

Paul turned to Mel and took a step back. "It's the two of you isn't it?" he said. "It's always the two of you. Damn you! You're fired, both of you! Get your shit and get out of here!"

Mel turned and charged into Ray. He had to step back, but he stopped her and then caught Julio's arm and pulled them both away from Paul. He hissed at them, "Wait here, and tell the girls that it will all be okay." Then he stepped into the parking lot and closed the door behind him.

Ray came back to find the young dancers lined up on the studio floor. Paul was gone and Karen Stein was instructing them. "Pas de chat, Pas de chat, hold that" she said over the music, while she clapped her hands in rhythm.

Julio stood with Mel and watched through the door. They turned when Ray came in and he said, "I talked to Rudy. He's still in Baltimore, but he said he'll tell the bookkeeper to make no payroll changes. We set up a meeting for first thing Thursday morning, so I guess we're in limbo for a couple days."

*****

Ray settled down on Mel's sofa and Mel curled up beside him in her sweats. She talked, sometimes loudly, with the other dancers about Paul while Ray studied the company's employee manual. When he found what he needed he closed it and said, "I think you have a case, but ideally Rudy will talk Paul into changing his mind and we will never need to use it."

Julio laughed and said, "Maybe we shouldn't care that much. I have a standing offer in Dallas. I'll see if they have an opening now and talk to them about taking Mel in a package deal."

Mel was relaxed against Ray's shoulder. She sat up and said, "Julio, that would be so cool!" She glanced at Ray with a suddenly worried expression then looked away. "Maybe sometimes you just have to move on, even if you don't want to."

They talked until Mel said, "It's been a really long day. I have to go to bed." She squeezed Ray's arm and when he looked down at her she asked, "Will you stay with me tonight? I'll feel better if you do."

Jenn groaned, "Ray, you'll keep her quiet tonight, won't you? We all need to sleep."

Ray smiled and said, "I'll see what I can do." He stood and pulled Mel to her feet, then watched the way her butt moved under her sweatpants as he followed her up the stairs.

Mel closed herself in the bathroom to get ready and Ray undressed by her bed in the dark. When she came to him again he put his hands on her hips and pulled her sweatshirt over her head.

"You know I don't want you to leave, right?" Ray asked. "Not to Dallas now, or anywhere else later." He sank to the edge of the bed and pulled Mel to him. "I want you to be with me." He kissed her breasts while he untied the drawstring on her sweatpants, and he pushed her pants and her panties to the floor.

Mel stood with Ray's hands on her hips and stroked his hair while he kissed her belly. She said, "After all this today I'm awfully, awfully tired."

Ray looked up at Mel, and by the street light through her window he studied the exhaustion that lined her face. She didn't need to say more. Ray pulled Mel onto the bed and arranged the covers over them.

Mel ducked against Ray's chest, sniffed at his warm scent, and explained in a soft and drowsy voice, "I've never wanted to do anything but dance, Ray. I've put everything into it since I was eight years old. I know I won't be able to dance forever, but I can't quit just because Paul doesn't want me here. If I have to move away to keep dancing, then I will. Will you come see me?"

Ray turned Mel to spoon against him with her head pillowed on his arm. He kissed her ear and her neck and felt her body relax against him. He whispered in her ear, "If you have to leave, then I'll do anything I can to be where you are."

He didn't get a response from Mel, and soon her smooth, regular breathing told him that she was sleeping. He put his arm around her to hold her and was glad that, at least for now, she was safe and warm in his arms.

*****

Rudy's assistant handed Ray a cup of hot coffee and asked, "What is Mel doing with her time off?"

The question made Ray laugh. "I don't think it's time off to her," he said. "I haven't been able to see her much, but whenever we talk she tells me about more companies she's looking at or about updating her audition package. She's busy." Ray watched the clock tick over to 8:05 as he spoke. If Rudy took much longer, then he'd have to talk to his office.

"Yeah, I've been helping her with some videos for her audition package." she said. "I hope she doesn't need it."

"I hope so too," Ray said. On Wednesday he shoved all those possibilities to the back of his mind and lunched with Angela and Pamela Hardy as if nothing ever happened. It was a friendly lunch, but Pamela wasn't a ballet fan and it seemed like she tuned him out.

When Ray talked to Rudy about the meeting he said, "The directors at the community centers want Mel to continue, yes? See if they will contact Ms. Hardy. What Melissa's doing isn't about ballet, so get the directors to express the value of the program in their own words and that will help. Getting Hardy to the centers to watch Melissa work would help. Miss White has a way of drawing people in. There are still things to be done."

Another problem lurked at the back of Ray's mind. Even if Pamela agreed, Paul would have to cooperate because the grant would commit the time of artistic staff. He brought that up and Rudy simply said, "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it."

Rudy broke into Ray's train of thought when he got there. "Sorry I'm late," he said. "We had ice in my neighborhood." He got some messages from his assistant, then motioned for Ray to follow him into his office.

Rudy shook his head when Ray told him again—in more detail this time—about what happened Monday night. Rudy said, "Paul can't fire them. In theory the Artistic Director does have the authority to hire and supervise all artistic personnel, but firing Mel and Julio that way won't work with the Board. He should know that."

"Julio is talking to someone in Dallas," Ray said. "If this isn't resolved today then Julio and maybe Mel could be gone. Mel leaving isn't in my personal plans, but I can't stop her from taking the opportunity."

"I understand," Rudy said. "I asked Paul to join us. This could be tense.

Their conversation continued until Paul banged through Rudy's office door, and Ray stood to face the agitated man. He stopped in front of Rudy's desk with his hands on his hips and a defiant expression on his face. "Your message said this was about Mel and Julio," Paul said. "Dammit Rudy, I fired them and that's all under my authority." He glanced at Ray and asked Rudy, "Who's this? I've seen him around."

Rudy introduced them with, "This is Ray Ellison, Mel's friend. I believe he may also represent Mel and Julio as their attorney."

"I do," Ray said. He produced his card then extended his hand, but Paul declined the handshake. Ray dropped his hand and went on, "We hope to get this worked out without costing the company money."

Paul tossed Ray's card onto Rudy's desk and asked, "Shouldn't we have an attorney here as well?"

"We'll call an attorney in the odd circumstance that we need one," Rudy said. "Sit down Paul. You should consider yourself on probation."

Paul didn't sit down. He put both hands on the edge of Rudy's desk, leaned toward Rudy and said, "Probation! What do you mean?"

Rudy watched Paul's expression, then replied calmly, "It means that I would have fired you already if I thought it was my choice to make. If you don't change your direction then I'll go to the Board and ask for a resolution to terminate your employment."

"Sofia would never even convene that meeting," Paul said. "Julio and Mel have been undermining me for months, and now you're trying to do it too. Sofia will support me—she always has."

Ray watched Paul's aggressive stance and sized him up in case he needed to intervene. Ray was four inches taller than Paul and probably fifty pounds heavier. He interrupted to break the tension between Paul and Rudy. "Mr. Lovato," he said, "Last night you overstepped your authority and Julio was right when he called you on it. The employee policy limits the dancer's work hours. You've regularly required them to exceed those limits, and you're injuring them because of it."

"And you shouldn't overestimate Sofia's support," Rudy added. "There are two or three Board members who will want your head if you insist on firing Mel and Julio. Your behavior lately has been bizarre and even Sofia is starting to ask questions.

"If you insist on firing Mel and Julio, then the most likely outcome will be that we fire you and retain them," He nodded to Ray and added, "If they aren't already gone." When he looked back to Paul he said, "To put it bluntly—you're going to lose, one way or another."

Paul clenched his jaw and stuck his chin out. "It was my decision, and it stands." He stormed out, even more agitated than when he stormed in.

Ray turned back to Rudy and found him with his cell phone already out. "That didn't work out as well as I hoped," Ray said.

"It isn't over," Rudy said. He made a call, then rocked back in his chair and said, "Sofia, this is Rudy. I just had the conversation with Paul that we talked about yesterday."

Rudy stood when his conversation was done. "She'll talk with Paul this afternoon. In the mean time I will start talking to new candidates for Artistic Director.

"Mel and Julio still have jobs. Do you want to give them the news? They have a performance tomorrow night, so they need to be back in class tomorrow and be ready for the run-through at the theater. Hopefully Paul, if he's still here, won't make things too toxic."

Mel didn't answer Ray's call and it was mid-morning before they talked. She said, "I don't know why you do so much for us, Ray. Maybe Rudy would have carried through even without the possibility of being sued, but I don't know."

Ray had worked late every night since Monday, so they had little time to talk. It was news to him when she said, "I found some opportunities, but nothing I really wanted—they were all so far away from you. It seemed like every success in my job search was a failure for us. I couldn't win. Thank God that's over."

7.

Ray invited Sam and Danielle Levine to Mel's show on Saturday night. It was a way to let Mel, Jill, and Jenn thank them for their sponsorships, and they were all very affectionately thankful.

When the hugs were over and the dancers had gone to change, Sam caught Ray's attention and said, "Your name came up at the partnership meeting yesterday. I was going to wait for Monday to tell you but maybe tonight with you and Mel together would be better. Can we take you out for drinks?"

The dim lights in the restaurant gave everything a golden glow—even Mel's white wine took on a golden hue. She dipped her fingertip into her glass and ran it idly around the rim while she wondered when Sam would get to his point.

It took a nudge from Danielle to get him on track. He said, "We expect a lot of work in Austin, and not just with our current client. New clients seem to be lining up and there isn't an end in sight, so we're thinking of opening an office there."

Sam motioned to Ray and said, "Your work in Austin this month was outstanding, so you came up on the short list of people we thought we could put there."

Ray heard Mel catch her breath and felt her grip his arm while Sam continued, "The position would come with more responsibility and a substantial raise. I'm not entirely aboard with the idea—not because you don't deserve it, but because I might need you more here. That position—if it's offered—will be a tremendous opportunity. You might not get more like it."