Am I Late? (Reece)

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

Once again, she was late. At this point, it was a habitual offense. For some reason, Aracelli couldn't seem to make it across town to the dance studio on time. It wasn't scheduling, classes let out a full hour before she had to be there. Perhaps it was just because it annoyed Reece, and the little things that had made them both adore each other before were now proving to be annoyances. She tried to get there on time, but she never managed to make it. So the dark skinned girl was rushing through town, hoping she wouldn't be too late.

She slipped in the door, dropping her bag on the chairs set up there and pulled the long, dark hair back into a messy tail. Today's outfit was ballet shoes, silver yoga pants and a silver tank top. Celli would change into flashy heels if needed, but for the moment, she would dance in the flats. There wasn't music playing yet, so she rushed past the main bar and into the studio, words spilling from her lips.

"I'm so sorry Reece. I don't know why I'm always late." She gave a slight huff and her words were brushed with the accent she'd never managed to shake. Ebony orbs peeked at him and she could feel her knees weaken but she managed to hold herself up. A hand went to the small tattoo covered by the pants and she found herself comforted by simply knowing it was there and it would all work out.

"What are we working on today?" She walked further into the room, her steps fluid and graceful, with the unconscious beauty of a long-time dancer. Celli just now noticed the lack of student chatter and giggles, and realized that there weren't any students about. Tonight was a class night, wasn't it? She hadn't gotten it wrong had she? There'd been a few days where she'd gotten mixed up, but that was because she was studying so hard for exams. She was sure there was class today.

"Reece? There is class today right?"

[Reece Turner]

Reece had done the whole class on his own that day, yet again. This was getting exhausting. He hadn't told his co-partner that he was training up a new partner to teach with him because somehow he knew that she'd flip out about it. Mannie was a quick learner and he had a bit of chemistry with her which made them a good dancing couple. That meant that they were well matched and Reece could not have asked for anything better then that. Mannie was never late, always on time and jumping around him like a puppy willing to please her master.

The same way Celli used to do but now she was always late. Reece didn't remember her being late in the past. He didn't remember a lot of things that had become habbit to her more recently. The bar was starting to open now, it was nearly half an hour after the dance class had ended and there was just a little bit of a hum from the people at the shaded bar to the left of the dance floor, the thick pillars offering privacy from the dance floor to the tiny strip of bar along the side. Reece sat on the edge of the make shift stage, his knees resting on his legs and his fingers wrapped around a water bottle he'd been sipping from.

The DJ wouldn't be around till about 9pm and the soft ambience in the bar was a lull for the annoyance Reece was feeling. Finally Celli rushed through the door and he heard her spills of apologetic words making him growl under his breath. Reece shot her a slight glare as she spoke to him, a few heads turning in their direction. She had finally notice that the floor was devoid of dancers and Reece, having sat very still for a long moment finally got to his feet and stepped onto the stage, heading into the back where the store room/the office was located.

He knew she'd follow and when she did, he quickly shut the door and moved to grab a chair. The room stank of old cigarette smoke and he knew he'd have to speak to his staff about smoking here. It was bad for business and he'd really appreciate they take it one step further and go outside rather then in here so the toilet hallway smelled like a drug house. Reece plopped himself in the chair and licked at his lips, an annoyed habbit he'd gotten.

"Oh! The class? Yeah, I could hear you over my own angery thoughts. I'm sorry. Yeah, you missed it. The class WE are supposed to teach TOGETHER."
Reece took a quick angry drink of his water keeping his eyes away from her so he wouldn't crumble at any hurt feelings being reflected back at him in her eyes.

"You can't just pick up a phone, which you used to be damn good at when we broke up, and call me to say 'hey Reece, call someone else this evening cause I don't give a rats ass about our paying students wanting to actually LEARN how to dance. No, instead you keep making me look like an idiot teenager having been stood up by his prom date. "
Reece threw a hand up in the air in frustration before he moved that same hand to cover his eyes in annoyance.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

She'd missed the entire class. How was that possible? As she followed her former boyfriend, current dance partner and employer to the back office, her nose wrinkled at the smell. While she didn't mind it in small doses, this was rank. Shallow breaths were taken until she grew accustomed to the smell. While Reece calmed himself enough to speak, well, yell at her, she took the time to figure out how she was going to respond. Losing this job would be very bad. Losing Reece would be very bad. Aracelli sighed softly as Reece's anger rang out in the small office and she looked down at the floor in shame.

A spate of Spanish fell into the heavy silence after Reece's words. Aracelli was upset that she was so late. She thought that she'd left enough time for the travel between class and the studio, but apparently not. Finally, she pulls herself together and looks at Reece with guilt-stricken eyes. "I'm sorry Reece. I thought I had enough time. I left right after changing after class. I can't explain. I came straight here." What Aracellli wasn't accounting for was the forty-five minute shower she'd taken after class. The girl really would benefit from a watch.

"I promise I'll be on time and if I'm not, you can fire me. Just, give me one more chance Reece." She wasn't going to try to soothe his anger. That wasn't the right tactic to take. She needed him to give her more time, more chances to convince him that they were meant to be together, despite the anger and fight that sprang up in their relationship. His rage lent him beauty though, and she had to fight herself to not lean in an kiss him.

"Reece, look at me. I'm sorry. I swear I'll be on time from now on. Dance with me and let the emotions drive you." There was something about dancing with him when he was angry. It was raw and somehow more powerful. Since their breakup, their dancing had lacked some of that.

[Reece Turner]

Reece’s temper instantly fizzled away when Celli mentioned that she’d be on time or be fired during the next class. Reece shook his head and sighed, shoulders curling in. He wouldn’t fire her. He needed her. He’d always needed her. She was like the air he breathed and the sun when it was cold day. He needed her to keep him on earth instead of floating away.

He couldn’t explain how their relationship worked. He needed her but didn’t want her wasn’t right. He wanted her. Even now. He could feel the yearning in his own body, even when she was being annoying by whimpering like she was. Even when she reminded him of his mother with the devotion she had for him and only him.

Even when she was spitting out crude Spanish swear words. He wanted her more then he could say. Reece gave a heavy sigh.
”I’m not gonna fire you…”
Reece muttered under his breath.
That was exactly why he’d employed Mannie. So he’d never need to fire Celli but she needed to try and get the time management thing under control. For both of their sakes cause truth be known, he’d have rather danced with her for a thousand years then be forced to dance with anyone else for just an hour… even Mannie.

Simply because when they danced, they were in each other’s heads, in each other’s bodies, moving one another like puppeteers would move puppets. Reece winced at the floor when she asked him to look at him. His translucent blue eyes would not budge from the spot on the floor until she asked him to dance with her.

She still had the ability to make him do exactly what she wanted despite, at first, him not wanting to. He didn’t want to dance with her until she suggested they dance to remove the anger and the annoyance with in him. Reece snapped up from the chair finally allowing his eyes to meet hers and he was sure she’d see right through him.

See his hunger for her which was embarrassing most of the time and hard to hide from her. Reece stepped close to her reached out to open the door behind her, his eyes never leaving hers. There was a tremble to his body. It wanted to dance. It wanted to be close to hers. It was amazing what she could do with him.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

A quiet sigh rippled through Aracelli when Reece said he wouldn’t fire her. Losing this job would have meant losing just about everything that was important to her. She simply couldn’t do without Reece, and their dancing. She would never survive. As much as he needed her, Celli needed Reece. They were incomplete without each other, and although they might recognize that fact separately, together, it was never voiced. Perhaps it scared them too much, perhaps they only thought about it in times like this, but it was true, and being broken like they were was a double edged sword that injured them both.

She’d asked him to dance, not only to help diffuse the situation, but because she missed him. She saw their relationship in Princess Bride terms. It was the relationship that would overcome all to win out. It was the relationship that everyone else wanted, but only they had. Idealistic, yes, but she didn’t see anyone else in her family or group of friends that had something as intense as what she shared with Reece. Everything else seemed like a pale shadow, and Aracelli didn’t understand how people lived like that.

When he popped up from the chair, and his eyes met hers, she saw his emotions as clear as if they were on a chalkboard. Of course, he was likely able to read hers as well. They had such passion between them, such understanding, that it was impossible to hide things when staring into each other’s face. As they moved out onto the dance floor, Aracelli flowed into his arms like…well, like something far more poetic than her brain had words for. It felt right and perfect and the world clicked into place as they began to slowly twirl upon the wooden floor. It didn’t matter what music was playing, they had their own soundtrack, and their bodies were so in tune that they flowed without words or even conscious thought.

The workers had stopped to watch them, the rare sight of the two professional dancers not working on a routine or teaching others, but dancing for themselves and to express themselves. It was a charged atmosphere, and when they stopped, Aracelli was wrapped up in Reece’s arms, her back to his front, their lips mere centimeters apart. Dark eyes stared into his blue, lost in the moment and she closed the gap, touching her lips to his, forgetting that she wasn’t supposed to anymore, that he wasn’t hers anymore.

[Reece Turner]

The fire, the passion in their movements set the air around them in electricity alight with sparks. Reece didn’t need to be slow or careful with her. When she spun away from him he’d yank her close. His movements, although flowing, were sharp and demanding and fast paced. It was like they were in the bedroom doing something other then dancing right then.

He wasn’t aware that people were staring. He wouldn’t care if they were. This was what brought men and woman alike to learning salsa. This passion two dancers shared for one another when they danced and this was exactly what turned men and women alike on. Reece’s raw emotions. Her hunger for him. The passion their bodies conveyed when they swayed.

Reece was breathless by the time they were done looking down into those dark chocolate eyes rimmed with thick lashes. He was about to move away before their both did something stupid again, he was about to let the deep dark reality flood right back in again when her lips pressed to his. His body tensed with the intake of breath and his hands smoothed down to her hips gripping at them as the kiss was deepened by him.

Reece gave a little moan into the kiss before he realized what he was doing and he broke it turning his head away and covering his eyes with his hands like he’d just done something awful. It was awful to him. Just like running over someone’s pet dog. He’d already explained this to her. He could NOT break her heart again when he got cold feet. It was only desire right now.

Raw desire and not what she wanted at all. She wanted forever after and Reece just didn’t believe in forever after. He believed that someone had to be in chains for forever after to happen. His father was the one in chains in his mother’s fairy tale. He would not repeat history. Reece began shaking his head.
”Don’t, don’t, please don’t…”
Reece whispered softly under his breath at her.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

Too short. Their passion overflowed even for that short burst of time when they were once again connected. The short, few, precious seconds when they were together as they should be. And then he'd broken away. Left her bereft of his warmth and his love. She knew his love was still there, just as hers was.

Her face hardened when his whispered words found her. There was not going to be any of that. Not anymore. Regret and sorrow had no place in what they had forged, and she would be damned if she was going to let him walk away from her after that dance. That dance had shown and told her everything she wanted to know, and would ever need to know.

"No. You do not get to do that again. I was wrong to push, but this just proves that we fit. We fit Reece. Our dancing has been off because we've both been fighting what we feel. We won't win Nationals if we don't stop. So just stop. I can't do it anymore, and I don't want to do it anymore." Aracelli walked over to him and pulled his hands down from his face, staring into those blue eyes that were so filled with emotion.

"Whatever the terms are, whatever the rules are, we belong together. Forget what your brain says, listen to your heart. Listen to what it says when we dance. That's honest, that's truth. Just love me."

Aracelli could still feel the passion between them, like a taut harp string, plucked and vibrating with full, rich sound. The breakup had thrown off their rhythm, their dancing, and it threatened their chances of winning the prize they both wanted. She had to make him see. She had to make him understand.

Someone understood, for their routine music came over the speakers and the lights went down. Maybe it was in her head, maybe it was real, but she didn't much care. The music swelled in its opening and she began her steps, hoping he would follow. If he did, he'd be caught, and they stood a chance of repairing what was broken between them.

[Reece Turner]

Reece really didn’t want to look at her. It was a good thing because seeing her face harden like that would have sent him running out the club as fast as his slender legs would or could carry him. She was dangerous when she was filled with that much determination and she could more than likely achieve anything she’d currently planned to set her mind to.

He could feel people watching him and her. This happened enough in public view. Their little arguments. Their little tiffs. The bar staff was accustomed to it. Most of the locals were too and they kinda found it interesting, the little sitcom that unfolded right before their eyes. Reece was very much aware that people were staring. This made it all the more awkward.

She didn’t back off though like he expected her to do. Instead she started talking allowing those with good hearing to listen in on their whole conversation. Reece winced and his face washed a deep red as she took his hands away from his face so she could look into his eyes. He was half glaring at her willing her to bring her voice down, which she eventually did much to his relief.

Which she did, begging him to love her. His eyes shot to behind the bar where the music started up and she flowed into position. Lacey was so getting a earful and he so didn’t want to do this all over again. But like his body was on cruise control, he fell into step the passion in his movements as he manipulated her body to be flush against his own like the movements demanded of him.

Her body eased against his and as with Salsa, he had the control over her. But it wasn’t like that in real life. When they came to a part where her body was against his and he could whisper in her ear he made his statement.
”Stop trying to trap me. I can love you like this Celli.”
He spun her out and pulled her back in.

”We don’t have to own one another to love one another. ”
He whispered against her lips as the dance finally ended and he offered her a small smile hoping she wouldn’t slap him or shove him or stomp out the room. You never knew with hot blooded latino woman. It was like playing with a match near an oil drum.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

Their dance was more passionate and flawless than it had been in a couple of months. If they could keep that level of emotion for Nationals, they'd be a shoe-in. Then Reece had to go and ruin it. His words took out the excitement and joy that the dance had brought to her. As the music ended, she stepped back from him, brown eyes flashing with fire. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, then took the few steps back to him. Dark hair shook with the negative movement of her head, and she reached up, sliding an arm up around his neck, as if she were going to kiss him again. Only he would see the fury and hurt on her face.

"Usted es un culo. I don't want to own you, I just want you to love me. Just tell me what the rules are. If the only way I can have you is through dance, then I'll take that." Aracelli practically vibrated with the fury charging through her system. "Give. Me. The. Rules." Her hand slid down, gripping his shirt while she stood toe to toe with him, waiting for the answer to her demand. If this was how he wanted to play it, then she would. Every fiber of her being rebelled against it, but she was wrapped around his finger just as surely as he was wrapped around hers.

The lights came up to the soft applause of the bar staff and Aracelli's cheeks flushed red. She'd forgotten they were there. It happened often enough with Reece. Dancing with him swept away the world, and it was always a harsh landing when realty again intruded. Before he could run, she released him, stepping back with a muttered curse and plastering a fake smile on her face and turned to face the others.

"Thank you. It's coming along. Reece, could we talk in the back please? I need to go over scheduling with you." A complete lie, but one that would hold up under scrutiny. Besides, the bar was going to open shortly and she needed to finish this argument with Reece out of the public eye. She didn't walk as much as she stalked back to the office, and waited with a foot tapping against the flooring for Reece to show up.

(Rough translation: You're an ass.)

[Reece Turner]

Reece winched when he saw the fire in her eyes and unbeknown to him, his breath caught in nervous anticipation. She'd just turned into a dragon rather then a girl and his heart was racing with a slight twinge of panic in it as to how she would finish him off on the dance floor. He had no doubts that she was capable of destroying him. He kept his face devoid of expression. He'd always been told that he looked rather angelic and he prayed that this fact would win out over the fact that he happened to say that he'd rather be free of strings.

God, she turned him on and he was becoming more and more addicted to her company and her body and her eyes and her lips and the touch of her skin. The way she moved sent him out of his mind even when she wasn't trying to be the Godess of temptations. He would in all honesty do whatever she asked of him. Whatever she asked except sit down and pledge his life to do her bidding. There was too much to live for. Far too much to do. He was still young. He still wanted to be free. She'd have to understand that for once and for all.

Reece winched again when she called him an ass not using a laid back term either. She was pretending to not even know him by using formal instead of the informal 'Eres es'. Reece's jaw locked in disappointment but she'd stepped close hissing her words to him and suddenly her anger made her eyes burn bright and her lips red. Her face flushed making her bronze skin glow and he couldn't help the twitch to the corners of his lips as he avoided a smile. Her fingers wrapped around his shirt and his breathing came out in a soft sigh.

His eyes locked on hers until the lights burned brighter making him blink harder. Rules? She wanted rules? Reece's lips pursed thoughtfully, uncertain what precisely to say about that then he heard the cheering and she stepped back from him. His eyes fixed on the floor instead of on her or the crowd. He was very much used to hearing clapping and cheering. He'd grown up around it, with it, on the stage. She said it outloud, for him to meet her in the back so she could discuss schedules but the moment she left him, so did her spell over him.

Reece couldn't be under her control. Reece avoided arguments. Reece basically avoided many emotions. Only the ones that helped with his dancing were deemed appropriate emotions so when Aracelli said she wanted to talk Reece waited for her to head safely into the back room before he himself headed straight for the door.
"I'll be back later on tonight. I have some stuff to do."
Reece headed for the door while Lacey called for him to come back. There was just no way in hell he'd go willingly into the back room to have a fight with Aracelli. Just no way in hell that that was happening.