Larry found Krystal right where he thought she’d be, in her hiding spot—the smallest studio in the back of the building. She stretched then started the music and moved into position.
“Your timing is off.”
She stopped and snapped her head in his direction, surprised. “Huh?”
He repeated himself, raising his voice over the volume of the music. “I said your timing is off.”
“On which part?” She put both hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.
Confident that he now had her full attention, he stepped closer. “I can show you.”
Krystal contemplated her options. On the one hand, she was dying to know what Larry had found wrong with her routine. On the other hand, she thought she might literally die if she had to dance in front of him again.
“I really appreciate it but—,”
He cut her off. “Please. Let me show you.”
Larry’s voice was gentle and his eyes were genuine and warm as he stared down into hers. She wanted to say no, but somehow found herself nodding yes instead.
He quickly scanned through her music until he found the part. “Right here. You release too fast when you turn. You need to hold it.”
Krystal was skeptical that a hip hop dancer could teach her the proper way to do a modern dance turn, but she stood still as he lined his body up behind hers and gripped her waist.
Pressing against her back he slowly rotated her in a circle and extended one of her arms out at the same time. Her stomach fluttered anxiously.
“Oops!” She blushed a bit as she missed a step on the turn and stumbled into Larry’s chest. “I don’t think I’m getting it.”
“That’s okii.” He held her shoulders and patiently guided her back into position. “Do it again. This time try to relax and breathe. Just let yourself feel it.”
Larry replayed the music several times and Krystal kept attempting to repeat the turn on her own without success. She was about to give up when magically she heard it, a hidden beat buried beneath the music that she never even knew was there.
She adjusted her spin to the rhythm of it and flowed smoothly into her next movement eliminating the previous choppy pauses in her routine.
Larry smiled. “Tres bonne. Perfect.”
Krystal felt her cheeks warming again from his praise. She was amazed and impressed with Larry’s skill.
“How did you do that? I’ve played this song a thousand times and I never heard that beat.”
“I dunno.” He shrugged humbly. “I hear everything in the music. It’s always been this way for me.”
They stared at each other for a moment in a state of mutual admiration. Krystal shyly turned her eyes away first and checked the clock on the wall.
“It’s getting late.” She gathered up her things.
Larry glanced at his watch. They’d been practicing for over an hour even though it didn’t seem like much time had passed at all.
“I walk you out.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. My car isn’t that far away.” Krystal locked up the studio.
“No, you don’t go by yourself. It’s not safe.” Larry insisted on accompanying her to the parking lot.
He put his hand on the small of her back as they walked out the exit into the warm, dry desert air. The sun was setting and darkness crept over the red-tinted skies.
They were silent on the way and Krystal felt the nervousness in her tummy inexplicably returning. At the car she turned to thank him and her eyes fell to the tattoo on his left forearm.
Larry followed her gaze. “Yeah. I gonna change that.”
“Change it to what?”
“Trust nobody, except Larry.”
Krystal laughed in spite of her nerves and Larry beamed back.
“Thanks for helping me tonight and for walking me out.” She unlocked her car door and he opened it.
“No problem. I see you tomorrow, right?”
Krystal hesitated. “Um, I won’t be here. I, uh, I have to work.”
It was the truth. She did have a shift at her other job the next day. Larry looked like he was waiting for her to say something more, like maybe that they could meet up another time. And she almost did, but she got flustered and climbed into the car instead.
He closed her door and stood with his hands in his pockets while she pulled off. Krystal watched him shrinking smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror as she drove away and wondered why he was being so nice to her. But in the back of her mind it really didn’t matter why.
She couldn’t trust him. She couldn’t trust anybody anymore.
YOU ARE READING
More to Love (a Les Twins fanfic)
FanfictionKrystal didn't have self-esteem issues before she met Jay. She was always pretty and plus-sized and her figure had never been an issue with any other guy she dated, but her ex-boyfriend had shattered all that with his constant criticism and verbal a...
