Fate's Embrace Ch. 16

Joe watched Carol perform her master class, and it really was a performance, Carol explaining the benefits of learning from the history of modern dance and performing movement from Isabella Duncan to Martha Graham to Alvin Ailey to Merce Cunningham, Jacquie at the keyboard and Gia and Gio working with her sometimes. She ended up ending with Butoh!

"One more," she smiled. "Mine, though I learned a lot from your resident genius. Lindy?"

"Really?" Lindy reacted.

"You remember our first showpiece."

"Of course."

Years seemed to dissolve for Joe watching those two beautiful and amazing dancers dance to a piece he recognized.

Lindy must have been dancing before the class, dressed in tights under her warm ups, and obviously stretched.

It was an exhilarating piece, twenty minutes long, and gained a large applause afterwards.

"Don't forget the performance tonight at Arnolfini's," Carol announced after the applause died down. "It starts at seven but feel free to arrive later, in fact I prefer if many of you did. A bus will shuttle you there which will bring a few at a time. Those who come later can watch from the beginning or earlier on either Friday or Saturday, just retain your ticket which will be time stamped. Best part, it's free for students."

After that she left with Lindy who had put on her warm ups. Joe left soon after, Jenny busy talking to students she seemed to be getting along with.

The ladies weren't all that far ahead and Carol beckoned him to them. "Hey," said Lindy almost shyly.

"I've always loved that piece," Joe told them.

"It surprised me when you called me up," said Lindy.

"And acknowledged your influence," Carol added for her.

"Yeah," Lindy admitted.

They headed towards Lindy's dormitory which looked like a fancy manor and was even called one. They ended up settling onto the field of grass in front of it which ended at a sharp decline to the Hudson River, the Valley beautifully spread out before them, the soft mountains once depicted dramatically in the Hudson River School during the last century.

The sort of formal happened there during his last year at Bard, in fact about the same time he was presently there, and was his first live exposure to Punk Rock, Richard Hell and the Voidoids being the featured band.

He'd tripped his ass off that day, becoming paranoid at one point due to the intensity of the hallucinations, including him swearing to see sky divers over the Hudson with one seeming to perish, though he figured he'd have heard about it if it actually happened, and then some intense aural hallucinations wherein the faster he walked the faster the tempo from the band and vice versa, the walk leading him to the commons building where this big black student caught him gazing at himself in the bathroom mirror and laughing. But when he bumped into a coed on his way to his dorm, she told him it would pass and to try to enjoy it, which he ended up doing profoundly once in his room, looking out his window and seeing angels bearing a banner, something about Peace on Earth.

"When's the formal?" he asked.

"Next weekend," Lindy told him. "You coming up?"

"Just recalling the last one I attended."

She never heard the story since they were no longer a couple by then.

"Is this a truce?" Joe asked. "Or am I here as arbitrator?"

They'd been silent until they sat.

"It bothered me when you went off with Joe," Carol said.

"It bothered me that you stole my ideas," Lindy returned.

"So this was revenge?"

"No!" both Lindy and Joe said, Lindy adding, "I was horny and Joe was convenient."

"I heard you were with that blond jock," Carol said.

"My ex, though he hasn't got that through his dense male skull. I did want a post relation fuck, but he got clingy and whiny."

"And Joe was convenient."

"Like I said. He was open to it."

"Of course he was."

"I already knew it was a good choice, I could trust him and knew he's a generous fuck, but he's gotten even better. Your doing?"

"He came to me fully formed and actually showed me a thing or two."

"I'm right here," Joe reminded them.

"And you're minding the compliments?" Lindy pointed out. "I already said your head, both your heads, are plenty big enough."

Both ladies laughed.

"How did you know about Carol's borrowing?" Joe asked Lindy.

"I caught the troupe's first show, uninvited I might add."

"I thought I saw you," Carol said.

"We stayed to the end and snuck out."

"We?" Joe asked.

"Jealous already?"

"Just curious."

"A gay friend from the city I was staying with. I guess he ended up being bi. We got drunk and fucked that night."

"Sorry," said Carol.

"It wasn't the best fuck but it was okay."

"About stealing from you."

"So you admit it."

"Yes, but I think I made it my own somewhat."

"There's some differences, but I think it's more because of your body type and the way it moves compared to mine. I suppose I could see it as a compliment, but you understand the problem."

"Explain it," Joe asked.

"If I do shows in New York, or anywhere in the East really, they'll think I'm the one who's stealing. It's why I'm heading to San Francisco when I graduate. My sort of gay friend moved there and is setting up a performance group with a boyfriend he met there. They use props or maybe more devices like these wide rubber bands you can bounce away and to someone and people form into objects like chairs or bicycles or whatever. Kind of gimmicky, but kind of fun too."

"Sounds like you could bring some depth to it," said Carol.

"That's what I'm hoping," Lindy agreed.

"I'm glad but not surprised you got a gig straight out of school," Carol commented.

"Thanks. So was Joe worth the wait?"

"My timing still isn't great."

"Jenny?"

"Yeah, but she turned out agreeable to sharing, and I like her," Carol admitted.

"Unlike me?"

"Are you kidding? I love you Lindy and always have. Working with you was some of the greatest joy I've ever had dancing. I was envious, but when is a guy enough to end a friendship?"

"Good point," Lindy laughed. After a pause to become serious, she said, "I really didn't mean to upset you."

"Just a jolt from the past. I should have known better."

"Our living far away would make it near impossible to have a relationship even if I wanted to, which I don't."

"It's not that. Jenny isn't the only one I share Joe with. He's become quite the stud."

Lindy gazed at Joe, who looked down, avoiding eye contact, but for a moment looked up. Lindy saw sadness but no real guilt before his eyes lowered. What was the attractant which she still found in him, maybe even more than when they'd been together? He wasn't the blond handsome man her ex had been, smooth, nicely muscled and confident, nearly arrogant. She did see confidence of a different kind, the kind found in artists, more open and receptive, more curious and vulnerable, more sensitive. The cuteness which had been the original attractant remained, a boyishness with a hint of the feminine, though lessened by slimming of his face, losing the proverbial baby fat. But an innocence had somehow not succumbed to any toughness he might have learned in the city. His seduction had more to do with wanting to hug him than any clever game he probably didn't know how to play.

"You don't seem the type to make notches on your bedpost Joe," she finally said.

"It's a surprise to me," Joe admitted. "Any relationships have been few and far between since moving to the city. Since Jenny..."

"How does she feel about it?"

"She's surprisingly okay with it. She enjoys joining in. They've mostly been bisexual like her. In fact I'd say you're the exception to that."

"Except for Sue Anne I've known them all," Carol joined in. "And Sue Anne joined my troupe."

"Which one is her?"

"The blonde bombshell."

Lindy laughed. "I guess I can't blame Joe for that. Who else?"

"Gabby," Joe told her.

"Not lesbian?" Lindy asked Carol.

"Mostly, but she had a secret crush on Joe like I did."

"Yours was not so secret."

"Sorry."

"No. It was a fun riff for us and you didn't work your tall redhead magic on him."

"I wouldn't have notice," Joe insisted. "I was rapt by you."

"When it ended?" Lindy asked Carol.

"Besides Joe always noticing you after? I guess I thought it would be uncool moving in on your ex. I didn't want our friendship to get that complicated over a guy."

"I suppose I should be offended for all guys being so low in your priorities," Joe quipped.

"Not anymore," Carol said sadly.

"I'm sorry," said Joe.

"Are you?" Lindy asked.

"It's okay Lindy," Carol waved it off. "I made my bed."

"What's that mean?"

"I've been all about my work and a good fuck. Even Joe will tell you I'm not much of a loving kind."

Joe nodded in agreement.

"It's complicated things," Carol added.

"It has," Joe agreed.

Jenny arrived on the field with a young man and a couple young women, none whom Joe recognized. She jogged over to them, leaving her new friends. "We should probably head to the theater," she said.

"I should be telling you that," Carol chuckled through her remaining sadness. She and then Joe hugged Lindy before heading off.

"New friends?" Joe asked Jenny.

"He's gay and the other two are just friends I guess. They're sweet."

"They talk you into coming here?"

"Like I could afford it."

"We should get you your GED so you have some options."

"Like I have time for that."

"True," Joe chuckled.

"I'll look into it."

"Whatever you want."

"I just want to dance," Jenny said. "You should talk, college dropout."

"When we have time maybe we should talk about college. I know you're smart enough."

"You're biased, and most definitely the intellectual. I can see you as a professor in your patched jacket."

"Encouraging idiots like me how not to survive in the world writing poetry."

"There's more to life than just survival. We're both proof of that."

"Except there's no life if you don't survive."

"Don't be pedantic."

"Can't help it. Professor?"

They both chuckled.