Oh Juliet

Lately, all my life had been dance, work, dance, and, sleep, over and over again. I had a competition in a few weeks and while I didn't exactly have to worry about my dances - or where I placed on the podium - I had tons of dancers that needed my help perfecting theirs. Since I didn't have time to think let alone prepare my own meals, the mothers started to worry and would make me dinner. Then pretty much force me to stop and eat for twenty minutes.
This started to really bother Grace. I was never around to help with anything and apparently I needed to meet her new boyfriend. Tonight.
"Remember we have dinner plans tonight. You need to meet Ty. I think you'll like him!" She told me as I searched for my ghillies.
"Seriously? I just fucking got those. I need to break them in." I mumbled, ignoring everything my roommate had just told me.
"Juliet, are you listening to me?"
"No. I'm kind of having a crisis." I yelled from my room.
"It's not even six in the morning, it's going to be fine." She leaned against my doorway, crossing her arms. She never understood when it came to dance.
I've never been really good at anything in my life. I was an average student. Average athlete. Got the average guys when I was younger. Most of the friends I had were fake because of daddy's money. Then I started dancing. For a while, I was still the average girl. I was alright when I didn't practice. Then I realized how great I could be if I tried.
Grace was the opposite. She was great at anything she tried, runs marathons, graduated with honors from college. President of every club or sorority she was in. I don't really need to go on, you get the point.
"No. I need to be to the studio by six so I can get at least two hours of my own dances since I'm pretty much booked tonight."
"With the dinner."
"I'm sorry, but I really don't want to be the third wheel on your lovely date. Maybe you can have him stop by the house while I'm acutally here?" All the bags and boxes I have in my room were on the floor. My mother would have a panic attack if she saw all the brand new clothes I just got. "There they are!"
"I can have him bring a friend."
"Oh good. A double blind date. That's exactly what I wanted."
"Jules, please. Just do this. For me." She gave me that face, the one where she gets what she wants, and I was pretty much done for.
"Fine. Send me the time and place and I'll be there as soon as I get done at the studio."
"Wear something nice." Our versions of nice are two different things. So I mean, leggings and a nice shirt would work, right?
"Whatever." I called, running out the door to the elevator. I was running late and probably forgot something.
Normally, I would just walk to the studio and then to work, but this time I was running. I dropped my bag at the door and started up some music to warm up to. Sneakers would have to be good enough for the day.
"Good morning Juliet," Our receptionist greeted, "Are those donuts?"
"Yeah. Do you want one?" I asked, opening up the box to her. I saw her eye one, but hold back. "Come on you want one."
"Fine. Damnit Julie. I'm trying to eat healthier."
"It's worth it." I dropped my bag off at my cubicle and put the donuts in the kitchen, bringing one to my boss.
"Good morning, Juliet. How's your morning."
"I hope you're not offended sir, but I'd rather still be at the studio." I smiled and sat down at the chair in front of his desk, waiting for him to tell me what I need to do. He just laughed. I'm sure that's the answer he was expecting.
"Okay. I need you to send out a few things before noon today, I have a meeting at 1 and I'll need all my notes ready. There's really not much to do today so I'll let you get to the studio early. Also, I need you to pick up my dry cleaning."
"Sounds good, I'll get right on it."
My job was actually really easy. Sometimes it was stressful, but it was a good entry level job. A lot of getting coffee, but my boss was actually pretty cool. I'm pretty sure the best part was the fact that after being married to his wife for twenty years, he's still head over heels in love with her. Saves me from a lot of awkward advances.
"Hi dad." I answered my phone as I carried the drycleaning and iced coffee back up to the office. Thank you apple headphones for saving the day once again.
"How's your day going?"
"Pretty good. I just have to get this stuff up to Luke's office and I'll be done for the day." I made it to the elevator right before the doors closed. I pressed the floor I needed to go to and waited.
"So I'm guessing the job is going good?"
"Yeah, it's great. Better than the last one I had."
"Are you sure you don't want to come to work for me? I'll give you a better salary and it won't be an entry-level job so you won't be getting coffee."
It was an almost daily occurence that my dad tried to get me to work for him. I knew it was because of my work ethic, I mean I did learn from the best, but I didn't exactly want people to think that I was still being spoon fed by my father. I liked to earn everything I was given.
"Why? You paid for my college. You pay for my rent. I think I'm set on money for a while. Ask me again in a couple of years, then maybe I'll come work for you." I walked into my boss's office, still talking to my father.
"If you're happy there, I'll stop asking."
"That's all I want, dad." I hung up the dry cleaning on the back of the door, setting the coffee down on the desk.
"Everything set for Houston? Austin said he's flying in for it."
"Everything except for some of the girls' dances, but I think we'll get it done."
"I'm guessing they care about their placement more than you do."
"What's the fun if you're only doing it for the trophy? Gotta go, I'll call you and mom later." I pulled the headphones from my ears and gathered them in my lap.
"He's still trying to get you to switch over?"
"Yeah. He hates that his daughter is working for one of his biggest competitors."
Working for Fortune 500 companies runs in the family. My dad, my brother, and now me. Except for my mom. She plans weddings for a living which is going to come in handy one day. Oh and my little sister. She wants to be a doctor. For now, at least.
This isn't my life plan, though. I want to run my own dance school some day.
"I wouldn't be too happy either, but I can definitely see why he wants you to work for him so bad. You're probably the best assistant I've had."
"Thank you. It means a lot."
"I don't have anything else for you to do today, so you can go to the studio like I know you're dying to."
"See you tomorrow morning."
When I'm dancing, I lose track of time. I can go over steps hundreds of times and not get tired of the repitition. It got to the point where if I messed up, I just kept dancing. I mean, shit happens. Then before I know it, I have 5 minutes to get to dinner on time.
"Shit." I cursed, quickly untying my shoes and stripping out of my dance clothes. If she bitches about my clothes or hair, I might just walk out and come back. The only reason I was doing this was the mere fact that I loved Grace and would do anything for her.
They were already seated by the time that I got to the restaurant. I saw Grace first and recognized the guy sitting next to her.
Fuck. Me.
"Sorry I'm late. Kind of lost track of time." I think my best friend would be mad at me but she looked really happy with her boyfriend.
"That's fine. Juliet, this is Tyler." Yep. I know exactly who he is. "And you already know Jamie."
"Yeah, I think we've met a few times." I smiled as I sat down on the empty chair next to him. I honestly can say I've never experienced anything more awkward than this. Grace never knew about me and Tyler. I don't think Jamie did either, but it sure was going to make for an interesting night.
"So Grace tells me you're one of the best Irish dancers in the world," Tyler said. I'm positive he knew that long before Grace told him.
"Yeah. I placed fifth at Worlds last year." So that's pretty neat. Want to know what else is neat? My knife. I wonder if I stabbed Jamie with my fork I could get out of this and bring him to the hospital.
On second thought, hockey players are a special kind of crazy I mean, Peverley fucking died and wanted to go back into the game. Jamie would probably be like, oh no I'm fine, because that's just my luck.
I ordered some really strong drink, hoping that it would make this night a little better. Considering the most alcohol I've had in one sitting since my birthday was a glass of wine, I'm sure it would.
"How was work, Jules?" Grace asked.
"Good. He let me go early so I could go practice." I told her as I took another sip of my drink. It wasn't helping the situation.
"How many hours a day do you practice?
I shrugged, trying to think of how many on average were spent dancing. "I think like five or six when I'm preparing for comps. But who knows."
"Don't you get sick of it?" Jamie was intrigued that I could possibly devote so much time to something like that.
"Dancing? No. I love helping my girls. Dancing keeps me sane. It was really the only thing I've ever been good at."
"Juliet that's not true," Grace started to say.
"I really don't care," I half heartedly laughed, "I was meant to dance and I'm good at dancing so the other things don't matter. But enough about me. Let's hear a little about you, Tyler." I raised a brow. I could probably tell you everything he was going to say.
"No, why don't you talk more about dancing."
"What? Don't have anything interesting to say other than the fact that you're a professional hockey player?"
"How did you know he played hockey?"
"Grace, you bought me glass tickets to their game. Sarah brings me with her to the employee's suite all the time. But Jamie's the most elegible bachelor of Dallas so, I mean. Come on."
"Right, I forgot you're actually kind of into hockey." Kind of into the player that's sitting in front of me, but I won't mention that.
When I saw our food coming, I couldn't hide my excitement. For the next ten minutes I would be able to shove some wonderful, juicy steak in my mouth and avoid conversation. They all kept talking, but I was really interested in making sure that my steak was properly chewed so that I wouldn't choke.
After they finished their dinner, they decided they wanted to stay and talk for a while.
"I'm really sorry to bail early, but I have to go. It was great meeting you, Tyler. Jamie, call me some time and we'll go out again. I'll be home later tonight."
I briskly walked home, calling Vivian on the way there.
"I'm not saying no by any means, but I thought you didn't want to drink until after your first comp this year?"
"Yeah well you know how I was hooking up with Tyler Seguin on the regular?" She was the only one that knew, she was really good at keeping secrets.
"Yeah, why?"
"Grace has a new boyfriend named Tyler." I let her take a minute to put two and two together.
"No. They are complete opposites!"
"And I just went on a double date with them and Jamie Benn so I need to get drunk. I just got to my place. I'll meet you at the usual spot in half an hour."
Not only was my roommate perfect in every way that I wish I was, she now had the guy that I wanted. The one that I could have if I wasn't so stupid.

Notes