Passion and Pain (Dancers and Divas) (33 page)

“You look stunning, Elena. I can’t believe what you did with her, Veronika!” Elena’s mother said, covering her mouth in disbelief. “My baby’s all grown up.” Elena fell into her arms and hugged her tight.

“I love you too,
M
om.”

“Y
ou’re going to ruin your mak
e
up!” Veronika cried out.

“Always drama,” Sebastien said shaking his head.” Let’s go.”

“Where’s your girlfriend by the way?” Veronika said to Sebastien.

“I gave her the night off.” All three women gave him
“t
he look
”
.

“Joking!
I wanted to be able to focus on Elena tonight and it’s hard to grovel with a
blond
draping all over you.” Elena gave him a cuff on the head. It felt like the old days.

The doorbell rang. Elena smacked her lip with pleasure as she took in Jay’s red shirt, designed to match her dress
,
and his suave black suit
, visible through his open winter jacket
. Elena felt her stomach instantly tense just at the sight of him.

He came through the door and greeted everyone. “Will you give us five minutes?” They all mumbled and moved towards the kitchen as Jay and Elena went to her room.

“I wanted to give you this in private,” he said as he opened her gift. It was a gorgeous ruby necklace
with matching
earrings.

“Jay, that’s beautiful!  You didn’t have to do that,” she said.
“
I don’t need these gifts. I
only
need you.”

He laughed. “Thank you
,
honey but they’re not pure rubies, they just look real.”

“How did you know to get red?” she asked him.

“It’s your favorite color.”

She hugged him tightly. “I love you so much
,
Jay.”

“I love you too
,”
he said and kissed her. “I can’t wait till tomorrow night.” He kissed her again and held her tight, lightly stroking her bare back.

“I think it’s time to go, Elena,” her mother called out.

“Coming!” she gave Jay one last kiss and headed back out into the living room wearing her new jewelry.

“Oh my Elena!
That’s lovely, Jay,” Elena’s mother said.

Sebastien smirked. “Party time!” he said.

“Let’s go!” They all grabbed their coats and headed down to the party.

“Anya, Darius!” Elena exclaimed as she entered
“
the terrace
.
”
She liked seeing them together. At least they were getting
along
. She greeted her neighbors and school friends, excited to be there. As she went from hug to hug, Elena glanced regularly back at her mother to make sure she was okay with the food and gifts.

The music was playing and people were already dancing. She had barely greeted everyone before Rodrigo, one of her childhood friends, grabbed her for a salsa! But it wasn’t long before the music changed to hip hop and many of her childhood teachers battled it out. The Montacrue crew gave them a run for their money, too, before someone changed the music back to salsa. It didn’t matter. Elena loved it either way.

At midnight, Elena’s mother rang a small bell and brought out a stunning cake decorated with dancers all over the top.

“Oh Mom, how did you manage this?”

“I have my ways.”

Everyone joined in for a hearty rendition of Happy Birthday before Elena blew out her sixteen candles.  She was finally sixteen and there was still so much she hadn’t seen or done or achieved. She took a photo with her mother and with Jay and her friends
-
Veronika, Sebastien, Anya and Darius as well as one photo with everyone who could fit into the
camera frame.

By two in the morning, Elena was sending off the last of her guests. Only her close friends remained to help clean up. Elena sighed as she picked up the streamers and the leftover food. It had been a great night. She looked at Jay as he collected trash and smiled to herself. The celebrations were not over yet.

Forty-one

It was Sunday night and Elena was humming around the house.

“Still recovering from the party?” her mom said as she got ready for work.

“It was perfect, mom. Thank you.”

“I’m off to work now. Make sure you finish your homework, OK?”

“I will.”

As soon her mother left, she changed into
the
super lacey underwear she had bought for the occasion. The
panties
were red silk with lace around the corners and the bra made her breasts look
fuller than they actually were.
She
’d been
too embarrassed to get a thong. It had cost her one week’s pay, but this was an occasion that would only happen once, so it was worth it. She set up candles around the house and put fresh sheets on the bed. She couldn’t believe she was finally playing the
“
V
”
card
.

Jay was at home, humming to himself. He had waited five months for Elena and he was finally going to have her.  As he
in
s
pected himself
in the mirror, Letitia stood in the doorway. “You going to see that tramp again?” she asked. “She’s just making a fool of you, you know.”

Jay ignored her.

“She’s not a virgin.”

“Really?
And how would you know what she is or isn’t,” Jay said.

“Another woman can tell these things.”

“Trust me, so can a guy.”

“She spends a lot of time with Sebastien. They’re even lovers in the play.”

Jay sighed. “It’s a play, Letitia.”

“Suit
yourself
,” she said leaning against his bedroom door, “but I think she’s still in love with him. You should see their connection on stage. You can’t get that with just anyone.”

“Or maybe you’re just jealous because Sebastien doesn’t show any interest in you.”

“Your
funeral
,” she retorted and ambled away.

Jay rubbed his hands together.  Enough was enough. He wasn’t used to being kept waiting so long and he never would have bothered if she hadn’t been a virgin.

Elena was nervous. She wanted Jay badly but it was also going to be her first time. She heard that it could hurt. But then she knew Jay would be gentle. He always was.

When she opened the door, she could tell he liked her outfit.
She
saw him take in the short pleated skirt, the mid-thigh stockings and the white shirt tied at her waist to reveal her midrif
f. He
whistle
d
quietly
.

“You look fantastic,” he said as he rushed in, picked her up so her knees wrapped around him, and took her straight to the bedroom.  He hadn’t even noticed the candles.

He threw her on the bed and kissed her roughly, thrusting his tongue deeply into her mouth as he put his hands under her shirt, caressing her. She moaned instantly, unable to stop the assault to her senses. He started peeling off her stockings one by one. He took his pants and shirt off so that he was just in his underwear and lay down on top of her, one leg between hers. Elena could feel her bare legs against his and it felt amazing. As he began kissing her neck, he started
un
buttoning
her shirt.

“Jay, we need to slow down, this is going too fast,” she said. Her body was screaming for more, but panic set in. “I need a breath.”

He pushed her back down again. “Trust me
,
it’s
better this way.” He pressed his finger along her crotch and started rubbing it. Elena groaned loudly. “See honey, you’re almost ready for me,” he whispered in her ear before kissing it and making his way to her breast while ripping off her underwear.

“Jay, it’s too fast!” she had barely even said hello to him.

“Don’t think so much
,
Elena, it will be fine,” he told her. “Just trust me.”

Elena started to tense up. This felt all wrong. Jay was
n’
t usually like this.

“Elena, I love you. I won’t hurt you,” he said as he used his knee to part her legs and continued to rub her crotch.

“Do you have protection?” she called out in between kisses. “We have to be safe.”

Jay stepped back a bit breathing heavily. “I do, honey
,
but it’s in my pants pockets on the floor. You’re a virgin, you’ll be fine,” he told her as she groaned, feeling moist where he was touching her. She knew he was ready.

“No
,
Jay! We need to be safe!”

For a second there, Elena though he was going to ignore her. But he managed to regain control enough to step back to get his
rubber
.

Elena could see his aroused naked body cross the floor to his trousers. He seemed so powerful it scared her.

He fumbled with the packet, his hands shaking. “Damn, it ripped.”

He came back over to her. “We are going to have to do without it for tonight,” he said and lay back down on top of her and began kissing her again, deeply, continuously, so that she groaned again.

Her body was betraying her but she was not feeling loved. She felt like a puppet being used for a show.

“Jay, we can’t without protection. I don’t want to get anything,” she said breathlessly.

“Don’t you love me, Elena?” he said without stopping.

“Of course I do
,
Jay, but I don’t really trust all the other girls you’ve been with,” she whispered.

Jay jerked up immediately. Instantly, everything had changed. Elena’s body was screaming for more, feeling vulnerable being almost naked on her bed, but her heart and her head were terrified. This was not how she wanted to feel.

“I thought we discussed this?” he said through gritted teeth.

“We did. But you did say you had a lot of one-night stands with girls who obviously weren’t virgins. What if you picked up something from them?
”

“Great! Now I
’m
diseased man?”“

“Jay, it’s not that. I’m just trying to be responsible. Wouldn’t you want to protect me?”

He rolled his eyes. “You worry too much, Elena. Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I trust you, but it doesn’t mean I have to be stupid.”

“Did it occur to you that I may have already been tested and cleared?”

“Have you?”

“The point is, you never asked.”

“What if I get pregnant?”

“Aren’t you on the pill?”

“Yes, but only for the last two weeks. It takes three months for it to take effect. I hadn’t really been planning this for that long.”

“You know
,
Elena, there are ways to deal with that afterwards. It seems to me like there is always an excuse. Do you or do you not want to make love?” Jay asked her.

“Not when you’re angry at me. You promised me you would use a
rubber
and keep me safe. This whole night has felt like you were on a mission. I want to be loved, not conquered. Where is all the romance?”

He breathed deeply and came back down to lie on top of her. “I’m sorry it wasn’t romantic, but you just looked so hot, I couldn’t help myself,” he said, caressing her gently on her buttocks and her breasts. “Is that better?”

Elena was finding it hard to restrain herself. Her body had a mind of its own. He parted her legs once more, but she couldn’t. She pushed him away.

“What now?” he said. She leaned on her elbows and looked at him, tears welling in her eyes.

“It’s that Sebastien
guy,
isn’t it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re really in love with him, that’s why you won’t make love to me.”

“Who put that crazy idea in your head? You’re not listening to me!”

“I saw the way you looked at each other at your party last night. You know what, you can have each other. I’m done!” He stared at her half naked body and then turned away.

Elena brought her knees to her chest to cover herself. 
“
What
’
s gotten into you? This is
n’t
like you! I thought you loved me.”

“I thought you loved me too
,
but here we are, half naked, desperate for each other and arguing.”

“Jay, please, calm down. Don’t be mad. Please Jay,” as she ran from her bed and grabbed his arm.