Sweet Sinful Nights(32)
“Oh, you’ll be coming at some point tonight, Shannon. You’ll definitely be coming.”
*
Over appetizers and a bottle of wine, he learned about the productions she’d choreographed, her career path, and how she’d started Shay Productions. He asked her questions, eager to hear what she’d been up to since college. It was as if he had a black hole in his knowledge of Shannon for the last decade, and it was starting to get colored in. Like a paint-by-numbers drawing, he was beginning to see all that he had missed. She’d worked on West Side Story, Anything Goes, and Chicago, had logged a gig as a behind-the-scenes choreographer on a reality dance show in Los Angeles, then spent some time with a Cirque du Soleil production, before returning to Vegas and working on a dance revue at Planet Hollywood. That show was the launch pad for her company and the production she staged for the Wynn.
“The show at the Wynn really put me on the map,” she said, as she took another drink of the wine.
“That’s a great venue and a great opportunity.”
“It’s funny because I’ve never really thought of myself as a lucky person,” she said, looking philosophical as she stared off in the distance for a moment. “But I’ve had a few lucky breaks in my career—meeting the right people, getting the right introductions—and it’s made all the difference. Like the reality show I worked on. I might do some more work for them. I’ve got a meeting in L.A. with the producers in a few weeks, about staging a one-night reunion show with some of the former winners, so there’s another bit of luck,” she said, rapping her knuckles on the table. “Knock on wood.”
“Hey. You deserve some luck,” he said.
She shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t really subscribe to the notion that someone deserves good things in life. Things just happen. Some people are lucky and some aren’t.”
“And some people are immensely talented and recognized for their talent. And that’s you,” he said, keeping his gaze firmly on her. He wanted her to know how much he admired her work, especially since he’d done a poor job showing respect for her career before.
“Thank you. I love what I do, and I wasn’t sure I would. I didn’t think I’d be able to survive without being the one dancing, as you know. You were there when I was injured. It was devastating, and at the time it felt like one of the worse things in the world. But then I moved on, and I’ve really come to love choreography.”
“Tell me what you love about it,” he said, resting his elbows on the table as he listened to her share her passion.
She tilted her head to the side, as if she were briefly considering his question. But she didn’t need to think about it for long. “I love being able to have a vision. To imagine what something beautiful will look like,” she said, talking animatedly with her hands. “And then to make that vision become a reality on stage. I love what my dancers are capable of doing, and being able to take the kernel of an idea and translate it into this moving, fluid entity in front of an audience.” She stopped, took a beat, then added, “And soon that audience will be your club-goers.”
He shot her a small grin. “Can’t wait to see that.”
“The show we have planned for Edge is amazing,” she said, enthusiasm latching onto her words. “It’s going to be so sensual and lush. We’re rolling it out in San Francisco first, I believe?”
“Yes, at our club there. I have no doubt it will be great. Thanks to you,” he said, then he reached across the table for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. He tensed for a nanosecond, hoping she wouldn’t pull her hand away. But instead, she squeezed back. “You’ve accomplished so much,” he said, and it occurred to him that she might never have found her way down this career path if she’d followed him to L.A. “I’m really proud of you.”
“And you have, too.”
“Shan,” he said softly. “I’m not saying this makes up for how things ended, or what I said then, and if I could go back in time I would completely do the whole thing over and find a way to be with you. But I’m glad for you that you didn’t put aside your career. I was desperate to have you with me, but I’m glad that you’ve been able to accomplish all that you have.”
She didn’t speak at first, and he wasn’t sure if he’d said the wrong thing yet again. Tension flickered through his bloodstream as he waited for her to pull her hand away or shoot him a harsh stare. Instead, she cast her eyes down at the table, folding and unfolding her cloth napkin. When she raised her face, she swallowed. “You’re probably right.” Then she continued, “My grandma told me you went to her house. To return the ring in person.”
He went with her segue, nodding and acknowledging that moment from years ago. “I did.”
She pressed her teeth against her bottom lip briefly, then breathed out hard. “I really appreciate that. You making the effort to get it back to her. To be certain it was with her.”
“It was the least I could do. Shan, I really did try to find you at first. As best I could. You weren’t easy to track down.”
She shot him a rueful smile. “I was too hurt. I missed you too much.”
“I missed you, too,” he said, running the pad of his thumb along the outside of her hand, not wanting to let go of her, not wanting to stop touching her.