I sighed, slowly getting out of the car and shutting the door behind me. I didn’t even get to see her in the building much, except when I was taking pictures of her in class.
I hesitated before speaking up. “Can we invite her over for a barbecue this Saturday?” I asked. “It’s pretty apparent we all want more time with her. I barely see her at all.”
Isaac and Preston stood still, waiting for Dem’s reply. I’m sure they thought it was a good idea too, though, of course, they wouldn’t admit it.
Dem paused as he reached the garage door to the house. “That sounds like a great idea. I’ll ask her tomorrow when Isaac and I take her out.”
***
Ivy
By Thursday afternoon, I was eager for the last rehearsal of the day to end. As soon as Steven dismissed us, I rushed to the women’s locker room, showered, and changed into a fun, red sundress, little butterflies dancing around my stomach the entire time. I touched up my makeup, and in under thirty minutes, I was walking upstairs, still careful to avoid anyone in the building. I gently knocked on Demetrius’s office door and listened carefully for his reply.
“Come in,” Demetrius called out.
I slowly opened the door and stepped inside, standing a little awkwardly past the doorframe. Demetrius still really intimidated me with his presence, and I didn’t quite know how to act around him yet, so I continued to stand awkwardly, looking around the room at everything he had out on display. There were old fans fromDon Quixote,autographed pictures of him and other famous dancers, and a few old posters from previous seasons, some of which featured him as the main character.
He looked up from his computer and, probably sensing my awkwardness, gave me a warm smile. “You look very nice. Red is a lovely color on you.”
I blushed at the compliment. “Thank you. I hope this is appropriate for today.”
“Very appropriate. Isaac’s changing; he should be ready shortly. You can sit on the couch if you’d like.”
I walked over to the couch and sat down, crossing one leg over the other as my eyes drifted to all the display things in the office. The longer I looked, the more my mind flooded with memories of the last time Demetirus and I were alone together—the strength of his scent, my first time perfuming, and him ordering me out. My body grew more flushed with each thought.
“How was your day?” he asked as he continued working at his computer.
“Fine, busy day,” I replied. “Yours?”
He glanced up, catching my gaze with a quick smile. “Fine, busy day as well.”
Isaac burst into the room, freshly showered and full of energy. He walked straight to Demetrius’s desk, clapping his hands in excitement.
“Dem! I’m so pumped! Are you ready to go?” he asked Demetrius.
I grinned, pretty sure he hadn’t seen me yet. Demetrius flicked his eyes to me briefly as well, sharing in my smile.
“Almost ready,” Demetrius returned to his computer. “Just let me finish this one email…”
“I can’t wait to see Ivy. We’re going to have a lot of fun tonight. Preston keeps talking about when she licked his neck…” Isaac leaned his arms down on Demetrius’s desk.
“Lucky for you, you don’t have to wait too long to see her again,” Demetrius interrupted him, gesturing to me on the couch.
Turning around, Isaac let out a slight gasp, locking his eyes on mine. “Sneaking up on me, Ivy? I punish girls for being sneaky.”
My breath hitched, but I managed to control myself. I stood up and walked over to him, poking my finger into his chest. “I believe I was here first, no punishment necessary.”
With a dramatic flourish of his hands, Demetrius closed his laptop and stood up. “Alright, let’s go!”
***
The Worley Interactive Museum was housed in a large grey building in the downtown arts sector of the city. From the outside, nothing hinted at anything out of the ordinary. The inside, though, was a splash of chaos and color—very much like Isaac.
Demetrius and Isaac escorted me to the front counter to turn in our tickets. I eagerly glanced around, taking in theexcitement of the designs while we walked down the hallway near the first few exhibits.
“Ivy, I’m in charge tonight, and I’ll lead you around for some fun,” Isaac stated confidently, holding my hand and pulling me along with him. Demetrius casually followed behind, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
The first exhibit featured a giant projector that cast a silhouette of whoever stood in front of it, while the screen alternated the color of the silhouettes and morphed their shape. We walked up to the screen, analyzing its effects.
