Thea
Shoot. Any chance you’d like to help out at the studio on your day off?
Help a pregnant woman out?
It’s not my fault you didn’t use a condom
Thea
We did!
What the fuck?!
Thea
Well… it broke. But the intention was there!
Oh thank God. I was getting ready to sue the condom company on her behalf.
That is…
Thea
Incredibly unfortunate? Yes, I’m aware.
But we are moving on! The studio needs to be finished so I can actually teach students.
I eye Ernest. I’d like to think he’ll be mad at me for leaving him today, but I think he prefers when he can have the couch to himself.
Fine, be there soon.
“This place really does look great. Not going to lie, it was giving a little more crack den than ballet studio before you took over.”
Thea is standing in the middle of the dance studio—conveniently located next door to the soon-to-be Bardot Brothers Coffee Co. She takes a moment to look around the entire space, as if she’s seeing it for the first time. The walls are a soothing shade of green, the floors have been cleaned and re-stained, and we are currently almost done adding a translucent film to the giant front windows that face the street. Thea explained the need to let some light in while also preventing dancers from getting distracted by the passersby.
She absentmindedly rubs her belly, which looks like she just had a really large lunch, biting her lip as a blush runs up her neck and fills her cheeks. After a few moments of silence, I wave my hand in front of her. “Earth to Thea.”
“Hmm? Oh! Sorry, what’s up?”
“You were thinking about sex, weren’t you?” Or maybe that’s just me. Sex with Ben. Because of course he was working at the coffee shop when I arrived today.
Thea looks as if I’ve offended her sensibilities. “What?! No! Sex? What’s that? I?—”
“Mhmm, very convincing.” I cut her off. “So are you and Jules…?”
She stares at me. “Are me and Jules what?”
Thea is either an idiot orreallydoesn’t want to talk about this. Too bad. Ben is making me feel destructive, and unfortunately Thea is in the line of fire. “Fucking, Thea. Are you and Jules fucking?”
Thea spins around, searching the area for… an answer maybe? She finds nothing to help her in the empty studio. “So, that’s a no. But you want to be.”
She proceeds to explain to me how Jules istooperfect, so obviously she can’t sleep with him. Again.
I watch as she lays herself across the floor in exasperation. It’s hard for me to relate to this exact scenario, but I do feel bad for her, and Jules is a good guy. Taking a seat on the ground next to her, I do my best attempt at friendship. “Just because Chloe’s sperm donor is a douche canoe that wouldn’t own up to his part in her creation, doesn’t mean all guys are like that.”
From what Thea has told me, Chloe’s dad essentially groomed Thea and then left her as soon as she got pregnant. “I’ve known Jules since high school. Middle school actually. He’s always been a good one.”Unlike his brother.
“It’s annoying. The man should have at least one flaw. And even if it didn’t work out romantically between the two of you, he would never let that affect his relationship with his child.” I’m absolutely certain of that. The Bardots—minus Benjamin—are good people.
