Page 23 of For Her
Istroll into the kitchen to find Mayzie in the breakfast nook where she likes to work best, laptop open in front of her, and her phone laying on the table top. She’s staring into space with her forehead crinkled, as she listens to the words coming from the speakerphone.
“Everything okay over there? I thought you’d jump at this!” The older male voice with a British accent asks her, and I recognize it to be Callum, one of the producers and judges forAmerica’s Next Top Dancer, the show Mayzie has a guest spot on as a choreographer. She shakes her head as if to bring herself back to the conversation.
“No… I mean, I am! Of course, it’s just I’ve never danced with a partner myself. How would I choreograph a routine and teach it to a couple?” she asks, tapping her pen in the palm of her hand.
“We have faith you can do it. I bet it’s something you’d pick up rather quickly. Of all the routines performed on this show, yours are the most original and emotionally expressive. Yours are the ones that leave a mark on people’s memories long after the episode airs. Just think what you could do with two people acting out a story, a relationship through movements you taught them.”
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” she shakes her head in disbelief, and I give her a nod and ago for itmotion with my hand before turning to the coffee maker. “I just wanted to make sure you were clear that it’s new territory for me. It’s going to be a learning curve, so if you can bear with me, I’m in,” she finishes with a hopeful smile.
“Wonderful!” Callum explains over the speaker. “I’ll let the rest of production know you’re a go.”
“Yeah, just let me talk it over with Jack and see how to work my schedule around it and all that, okay?”
“Absolutely, dear,” he says as I give a fist pump while pouring my coffee. “Talk soon.”
He signs off and Mayzie lets out an overwhelmed breath.
“Choreographing couples, huh?” I draw the words to build a little excitement as I saunter over to her and she gives me a shy smile.
“Yeah. I’ve always wanted to, but they’re talking about having me jump right in with no experience with it. It’s just a little scary. It was something I thought I’d get to learn myself first, you know?” She looks up at me as I sit down next to her.
“I understand,” I nod. “But I also think you can do it. Maybe you can just give yourself a crash course. I’ll help, because if you’ll recall, you havetoodanced with a partner before,” I wiggle my eyebrows at her and give a cocky smile as I bring my mug to my lips. I suck, but I treat my wife to private living room slow dances all the time.
“You really want to help?” she asks with a raised eyebrow and the smile I love.
“Hell yeah, I love dancing with my wife. And if it will bring your career up to a new level, I’m here for it.”
“Sweeeet,” she sings out in a high-pitched voice as she leans over her laptop. “I’ll just finish up this post and then I’ll research some moves for us.”
She leans over her keyboard and starts rapidly typing away, and it’s adorable how she’s excited to get through it so she can get to dancing. I’m wondering if maybe that should be her main career focus. Writing makes her happy, sure, but something comes over her when she dances. It’s like her entire personality is amplified but at ease at the same time, totally in her element. She was born to do it, that’s for sure.
The band only tours a few months out of the year, so there’s no reason we can’t trade off putting each other’s careers center stage.
“We just need to find a place to practice…” Mayzie murmurs, eyes still on her screen and fingers fluttering on her keyboard. “I could see if Dance It Out could let us schedule a regular time after hours. Or we could just move the kitchen table…” she continues to think out loud, and an idea of my own hits me. I slide off the booth style bench and grab up my phone with my free hand and start looking up what I want.
“What’s up, Baby?” Maze asks, not halting her assault on her keyboard.
“Nothing, Sweetheart, just got an idea for a new home project I want to look into.”
“You’re already busy with the nursery,” she points out, finally glancing up at me curiously.
“I know, but that’ll be done in no time. I’m just looking for something to line up next. You know me.” I look up and give her a wink which satisfies her enough to return her attention to her computer with a slight but eager smile.
Mayzie
I’ve always wanted to choreograph the couples’ routines. The style of dance determines the vibe of course, but more often than not, they’re romantic, intimate, and very expressive. I feel like an even bigger story can be told when its two people performing together. With a background in jazz, contemporary, and modern ballet, my imagination has always run wild with the possibilities, not to mention my life is so full of love.
And what is even more ideal, is that Turn it Up often tours during the fall and winter months, andTop Dancerstarts filming every May. There’s room for both careers in this house.
I’m blazing through my next blog post as I’m now much more excited to start notes and ideas on a routine.
“You poked me,”Jack states simply, later on in the shower. And no, he still won’t give my horny ass shower sex now that my belly is rounder, making me more obviously pregnant. He’s afraid of slipping and impaling me or losing his grip and dropping me on my ass or something. Anyway, I’m in here with him and coming onto him like a drunken prom date anyway, and he has his arms around me with our bodies pressed together and… what?
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. You poked me right in the stomach,” he playfully argues.
“I did not. How would I do that? My stomach is pressed right against yours…” I trail off as Jack’s eyebrows go up.