Strong Reflection: Book 2 of the Dark Series Trilogy (7 page)

Sanchez came back with a big black duffle bag.  Ashley took the bag and then cupped Drew’s cheek.  “Come on, let’s do the damn thing.”

Drew smiled and they took off towards the dressing rooms.

Everyone else took a seat around the table.

“You are in for a super treat.  She never should have stopped.”  Holly said.

“What are you talking about?”  Sanchez took the words right out his mouth.

Kyle watched Nancy shake her head at Holly.  She didn’t want her daughter to elaborate.

Holly just shook her head, smiling, “Watch.”

Kyle knew Holly was talking about Ashley but what her meaning was escaped him.
 Looking at Sanchez to clarify, he felt satisfaction.  Sanchez didn’t know anything more than Kyle did, he looked just as confused.

Chapter 4

Kyle settled back in his seat.  He ordered a round of drinks.  The overall atmosphere was festive. Club Beats was actually quite large.  The stage was huge.  The business obviously did more entertaining than the patrons did any dancing and partying, as Kyle had assumed.  They also served food, simple food, but still food.  It had a menu in the center of each table, stuck between a glowing little red lamp and an ashtray.  The ashtray was a bit confusing as it was a non-smoking establishment, which at least 3 postings claimed.

Seeing a security team and bouncers making a circuit of the club, Kyle knew this event was just a bit more upscale than he originally imagined.  He took a closer look at the other people seated, waiting for the show to begin.  The audience as a collective he would put at upper middle class, corporate jobs. There were some blue collar workers but they were definitely outnumbered.

“You’re surprised?”  Kyle’s mother, Cheryl asked, taking in her son’s scrutiny.

Smiling, he leaned towards her, “Why is it that you always know what I am thinking?”

“That’s what we mothers do, dear.”

“Well, we need more mothers in the FBI.  No crook would have a chance to commit a crime, let alone a federal one.”

“Progress will eventually catch up to society’s needs and women will run everything.”  His mother teased.

“Ha, from your mouth to God’s ears, because He certainly knows men have made a mess of it all.”  Kyle laughed.

Cheryl touched Kyle’s shoulder.  “What’s bothering you?”

Kyle caught his mother’s hazel eyes, at the moment they were a honey gold.  They changed often and without pattern.  He could see her concern for him in their warm depths.  “I am fine, Mom.”

“Oh, piffle!  Tell that to someone who doesn’t know you from front to back.”

He was close with his mother, even before they lost his dad to a car accident 10 years ago.  He didn’t keep much from her but he was reluctant to say what was bothering him.

So he was completely flummoxed when his mother simply questioned, “Is this about Ashley?”

“How in the world…?”

“I know my son.”

Quirking a brow, Kyle challenged.
 “Do tell, what do you know about your son?”

“I know he’s a good man, he tries to keep everyone safe, his employees, his family; especially his family.”  She covered his hand on the table with her small wrinkled one.  “I know he worries about being a good man when it comes to his relationships.  I know my son is in love with a woman he’s been fighting his feelings for, for a very long time.”

Kyle’s jaw went slack.  “How…?”

“Come on, Kyle.  I am old, not blind.”

“But, I didn’t do anything to indicate how I felt about Ash… uh, her?”  Kyle gave Sanchez a glance.  He knew the other man couldn’t hear his conversation with his mother over the noise.  Sanchez was having one of his own with his niece and sister.  But, Kyle wanted to be careful of anyone from work finding out about his feelings for Ashley before he was ready to reveal them.

“You were rude to her, insulted her, wrote her up constantly and told her we were not her family.”

“And 
that 
told you how I feel about her?”

Cheryl shrugged.  “Dear, it’s just a version of that old playground classic of pulling the girl’s ponytail or pushing her down when you like her.”

“Ah, didn’t realize I was so transparent.”

“No one but me noticed.  Nancy thinks you think Ashley is ugly and that you hate her.”

Kyle choked on the swig of beer he just took.  “Ugly?  Is she crazy?”  Kyle gave his sister a bugged-eye look.  She was laughing along with Holly at something Sanchez said.  “Anyone with eyes can see that Ashley is beautiful, stunning really.”

“Nancy said something about you comparing Bunny and Ashley with Ashley being the loser.”

“Great!”  Kyle pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Look, I am not proud of that moment.  It was taken out of context.  Ashley nor Nancy were ever meant to hear those 
stupid 
words!”

“So you admit the words are stupid?”

“Of course I do!  I wish I had never said them.  I was pissed and said something that wasn’t true because I didn’t have proper knowledge.”

Cheryl gave his hand a gentle pat.  “That’s why I always say: never talk out your ass without all the facts.”

Kyle gave his mother a double take, seeing the humor sparkle in her eyes he laughed, “You 
always
 say that?”

“Of course, dear.”   Cheryl Strong cupped her son’s cheek.  “Now, what is taking you so long to get Ashley in bed and giving me some more grandbabies?  You know, Drew is 19 and Holly is 18.  I need my baby-babies to cuddle and spoil.”

Scandalized, Kyle looked around the table, making sure no one had heard his mother’s words, “Mom!”

“What?”  His mother was unconcerned.  Kyle saw that she expected an answer.

Giving up on any semblance of decorum with his parent, Kyle answered good-naturedly, “I am working on it mom.”

The lights were dimmed and an MC came onto the stage.  He was young, jovial and good-looking, a perfect host.  Kyle listened as the man explained the rules of the competition and how the final decision would ultimately be theirs.  He also told the audience they were about to see 5 teams compete and the judges would be taking into account: style, originality, technique, severity, sexiness and showmanship. The judges would reduce the contestants to 3 teams and the audience would do the rest when the time came to vote.

“Mack and Drew got the technique, severity, originality and style in the bag!”  Holly spoke as though it were a foregone conclusion.

The MC called for the first team, Citified.  Citified was a black couple, both were in their late teens early twenties.  The music started hard and fast.  Kyle watched their moves with interests.  Hip-hop was very athletic.  The couple moved with an enviable fluidity.  The guy did some great flips and tricks, while the girl gyrated in time with the beat.

After the first 3 groups went Kyle was ready to admit he was enjoying himself.  The dancing was very energetic.  The participants executed some very hard moves.  And after seeing these teams, Kyle wasn’t so sure Holly’s conviction about Drew and Ashley having certain categories in the bag was particularly sound.  Holly was bias.  Of course she would be rooting for her brother and Ashley.  Kyle found he liked the second team, Awesome Twosome, the best so far.  They were pretty incredible.

“Here comes the biter.”  Holly sneered, looking at the stage as though she smelt something bad.  Kyle was getting a whole new language lesson tonight.  He was learning terms like biters, being someone who stole moves from another.  A whigger was apparently a white person who ‘acted’ black.  

There were terms for dance moves also.  He liked the ticking, popping and crunking.  They had a precision and symmetry he used when doing his workouts.  Oh, but his absolute favorite move for the ladies was the twerk.   Kyle wondered if Ashley was going to twerk and if she did, could he stop himself from getting hard.

“See that, right there,” Holly was pointing out a move that had the girl in the air and the guy catching her.  “That is Kyle’s move.  He and Mack thought it up, by mixing a pike from cheerleading, crunking and Drew’s football drills.”  Holly was getting agitated.  Soon her infamous Strong temper was going to show itself again.  “Man, would you look at that, they didn’t even do it right.  They got nowhere near the height Mack and Drew can get.”

Kyle watched the duplicitous girl.  She had rhythm and was pretty.  She and her teammate look good together.  The crowd certainly loved them.  The pitch in screams rose considerably for Double Trouble. The girl had even taken Drew’s name for his dance team.  Kyle disliked the girl more and more.

Double Trouble made a strong finish and left the stage to some very loud cheering.   The MC came back to the stage.  “Now our last team, Ebony and Ivory,” The host looked up from his index card.  “Aww, isn’t that cute?”

The audience agreed by parroting the man’s ‘Aww’.   “Well, here they are, let’s give it up for Drew Strong and Ashley Mackenzie, a-k-a Ebony and Ivory!”

The audience clapped a welcome.  Kyle found he was clapping just as hard as everyone at his table, Sanchez did a whistle and Holly was screaming along with Nancy.  His mother clapped vigorously.

The entire stage was black! The house lights went all the way down.
 A spotlight appeared and in the center was Drew.  Kyle could only see Drew’s face.  He had to be wearing all black.  Suddenly a finger snapping started and then a strong drum beat.  Drew moved to the beat as the lights on stage came up.

At first Kyle didn’t see Ashley but then he noticed everyone at his table looking up.
 She was on a platform above Drew.  She wore all white and Drew was indeed in all black.  They did the exact same moves, dancing in sync to perfection, just about 8 feet apart.

Holly could barely keep still in her seat.  She clasped her hands together and said.  “Here it comes.”

Kyle watched and then gave an anxious gasp with the rest of the crowd when Ashley went into a spin and hand stand at the edge of the platform and then pushed off into thin air!
 Drew jumped up as Ashley was coming down.  One of his hands caught her at her waist as they did a little spin and landed together in the straddle position with Ashley directly in front of Drew, without missing a beat, they crunked forward in beat to the music.  The crowd erupted in thunderous applause, some, like Kyle and everyone at his table, came to their feet.

“Yea, that is how it’s done biyotch!” Holly shouted to the table that held Double Trouble’s fans.

“Holly, dear show some modesty.”  His mother scolded.

“Screw modesty.”  Nancy scoffed and then screamed.  “Yea, that’s my boy and my best friend!”

Sanchez added his two cents.  “That’s my date!”  And then thinking better of what he said added, “The

girl is my date.”

Kyle wanted to give Sanchez a glare but he was too transfixed with the scene before him.
 Drew and Ashley moved together like lovers.  Like lovers who had been fucking for years.  He stared in horrified fascination as Drew smacked Ashley’s ass as she dirty-danced around him.  When she was standing behind him they snaked in opposite directions, creating a V with their bodies.  She dirty danced back in front of him and then they did a body roll together, with Drew only inches behind her.  They went down pretty far before they started back up to standing position.

Drew and Ashley were exceptionally limber and fluid. Together they moved as one, in perfect synchronicity.  Drew touched Ashley’s body like he did it all the time, smacking her ass, cupping her hips.  For a lift he even caught her at her crotch, lifting her and throwing her over his shoulder into a spin. Kyle’s anger rose with each new touch.  The 
only
 way they could move like that together is if they had been fucking…a lot!  

Kyle fumed as team Ebony and Ivory finished.  When had they done it?  Where?  He almost lost all appearance of calm when the thought: 
Drew popped Ashley’s cherry
 went through his mind.  Kyle surged to his feet, blinded by anger.

“Where are you going?”

Kyle ignored his mother as he made his way to the rear towards the corridor with the dressing rooms.
He was stopped by a very large man wearing a ‘Security’ t-shirt.  “Sorry, man, no customers in the dressing rooms, the bathrooms are over there.”  The man pointed to a different hallway to his right.

Not caring of the misuse of his authority, Kyle pulled out his ID and badge.  “That was my nephew who was just on stage.  I need to speak to him and his teammate.”

The man checked out his credentials, his eyebrows shooting up, “Assistant Director, huh?”  He gave Kyle his ID back and stepped aside.  “Your nephew and his girlfriend were on fire!”