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Dancing for an audience always felt so personal to Lena. Every time she got on a stage, she felt connected to everyone she could see. She always tried to pull them into the dance, make them feel how she felt and she found joy in that.
That being said, this was the first time she was dancing this particular dance in front of someone she personally knew. Thankfully it was an ensemble so eyes would be cast to her troupe just as much as they would be cast on her. For the first time in what seemed to be forever, Lena was nervous.
She could hear the whistling from behind the curtains as the lights dimmed. With her back to the curtain, she felt it rustle against her as it went up. The spotlight hit the main dancer and for a brief moment, nothing else mattered. She took a deep breath and let her body do the talking.
They had practiced for weeks and Lena had to say, everything was flawless and by the time they were done, the thunderous applaud had Lena grinning widely. Her eyes flew across the room to find Natalie but they were already hurried off the stage by the stage manager.
Lena didn't have time to look for Natalie as she went through quick change after quick change until finally they got their break. She just hoped the younger woman hadn't run off.
Her set was done for the day and after throwing on a pastel green silk robe, Lena went out from the backstage and did a proper search for her friend.
Natalie hadn't really known what to expect when she agreed to come see Lena dance, but regardless she was happy to be supporting her friend. With the help of her animal companions, she chose to wear a nice white top paired with skinny jeans and flats. According to Adam, it was a balance between casual and nice attire. Really, the feline knew his stuff. She had to be thankful for the advice, because when she got to the venue, she realized this might not have been an average dance show.
When the show began, it was impossible not to miss Lena from the group. To the trainer, she stood out, and for more than just her bright hair. Dark eyes grew wide as she followed the show, watching the impressive performance her friend put on. Though she knew that Lena was an exceptional dancer, seeing her preform like this was something else entirely.
As the show came to a close, Natalie wasn't quite sure how to find her friend. She stood near the lobby with other groups of lingering people, hands pressed together as she looked around for the dancer to appear. Eventually, her eyes settled on bright red hair, and the trainer threw a hand up, waving over the crowd to try and catch her attention as she made her way up to her.
"You were... incredible!" Nat greeted, pressing a hand to each of Lena's arms. "I had no idea!"
When she finally found Natalie, a bright smile appeared on her face and she rushed over to her friend, pulling her in for a hug after hearing the compliment. "Thank you so much for coming!" She responded, squeezing Natalie tightly before letting her go and pulling her to an empty table.
Signaling for a waiter to come over and take their orders, Lena turned to look at Natalie, her smile widening. "I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Truth be told I wasn't even sure you'd still be here." She laughed. "But it was good?"
It wasn't like Lena to be so unsure but Natalie was a friend and her opinion mattered greatly to the redhead.
When she was pulled into a warm hug, Natalie wrapped her arms around the dancer's waist. Even when she pulled away, Nat kept her close. "Why wouldn't I be here?" She asked genuinely. There was no way she would have left and not seen her friend until the end and then after the show. She sat down at the table, leaning forward with her forearm against the hard surface.
"It was beautiful!" She smiled, reaching up to tuck a few extra strands behind her ear. "I've never seen anything quite like it." Nat laughed lightly to herself, shaking her head. "I didn't know what to expect when I sat down."
This was exactly why she loved being around Natalie. Whatever she said could be taken at face value and still be meaningful. Lena surrounded herself with people who were truthful for that reason. She didn't want to have to decipher everything people said.
Lena reached out to grab her hand and squeezed it tight. "I'm so glad! Yeah, I didn't know whether it would be a thing you would like. But it was good yeah? The girls here are phenomenal. Like I've danced with professionals around the world but these girls are a league of their own." She nodded.
The waitress came over and with a cheerful greeting, she asked for their orders. Lena placed hers and waited for Natalie to do the same before she turned back to the brunette. "Now that you know what to expect, will you come around again?" Lena asked with a mischiveous glint in her eyes.
Natalie offered a squeeze of Lena's hand, holding onto it even as the server came to take their order. After the dancer, she placed her own and turned her focus back towards her. There was no hiding that look on her face, and for it, Natalie let out a little laugh, thumb brushing across the dancer's hand lightly.
"How often will you be doing this? Of course I would come to more shows. It's so... interesting." Her eyebrows furrowed as if she wasn't sure if she chose the best word, but she continued with it regardless. "Anything to support a friend."
She grinned at her response, curious as to why Natalie had the frown but not questioning it. At least not yet. "Well, I'm a regular dancer so I'll be rotated between Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays but I'll at least have one full day of the week. But you have to be here on The Green Fairy appearances. She only comes on once a month and she's absolutely fantastic." The Aussie gushed.
She wasn't even exaggerating either. Luca had such an eye for talent that she was glad she was passed over for the main event. Even though he wasn't a dancer himself, he knew what he liked and he had pretty good taste, and it paid in dividends for sure.
She squeezed Natalie's hands once more. "I still can't believe you're here. Not because I thought you wouldn't come but just..." She waved a dismissive hand before leaning forward to peck Natalie's cheek. "I'm just glad. Have you had dinner? I'm already off the clock and I couldn't eat before because we were so busy rehearsing."
Natalie nodded as she listened, making sure to note when she could see Lena again. Though she had no idea if she would be able to make it regularly, she would certainly try. And though she wasn't quite sure who Lena was referring to, the trainer could see the enthusiasm gushing from her, and that was enough to convince her.
It was strange to see Lena cut herself off. The woman usually carried a confidence that Natalie was in awe of, and this felt different. Before the trainer could think to question it, she felt gentle pressure against her cheek, and instantly after the heat that rose to her face. A small smile played about her lips as she shook her head. "No, I haven't eaten yet. We should get something proper for you. I can't imagine how hungry you must be after all that. Is there something you're craving?"
Lena was not known for being perceptive but even she couldn't miss the blush on Natalie's cheek and she couldn't help the smile on her face. She was also quite glad that Natalie hadn't eaten either. At least she wouldn't feel obligated to watch Lena chow down.
The question brought a chuckle out from Lena and even though the answer was right at the tip of her tongue, she did know her audience and she didn't feel like Natalie deserved Lena's dirty talk, even though they have known each other long enough to warrant comfortability regarding those things.
Then again, the other woman did blush after being kissed on the cheek, so really, Lena should just be careful.
"There's this new salad bar that opened around the corner that has a huge selection. The girls and I have been going there for the past few weeks. And the servers there are really sweet. We have discounts so...let's have this drink and then we'll go yeah?" She grinned just as the server came around with their drinks. Lena gave her a couple of dollar bills as tip and waved her off with a huge smile.
"Thank you Willa!" She called out before tipping her drink back in one shot. "Oof! I gotta go change. Stay! There's a singer coming out in a bit. You'll enjoy her." Lena pecked her cheek one more time before scurrying off to change.
When she got back, her makeup was gone and she was ina dark green t-shirt that hung off one shoulder and jeans, with her hair tied up in a messy ponytail. She went back to the table she had left Natalie at and squeezed her shoulders from behind. "Shall we?"
Natalie briefly considered offering to cook for the dancer back at home, but she figured that the time it would take to whip up a meal would take too long, given that neither of them had eaten yet. The suggestion offered sounded perfect, and the trainer nodded in approval. "That sounds wonderful," she replied. It was hard to pass up a good salad bar. When the server returned, her fingers wrapped around the stem of a wine glass, tilting the crimson liquid to her lips.
"I'll be right here." Natalie confirmed, smiling at the second point of contact before watching her friend scurry off. As she waited, she savored the wine she had, watching the next performance, though she struggled to maintain focus.
When she felt familiar hands against her shoulders, she looked up with a soft smile. "We shall," she confirmed, finishing the little that was left in her glass before standing up. "Lead the way."
Once Natalie stood up, easily towering over Lena, the redhead hooked her arm through the younger woman's and led her out of the club, waving to a few of the people she knew. They spent the walk to the new salad bar talking about the performances and only when they arrived at their destination did Lena let Natalie go.
"Lena! Hey! How'd your first show go?"
For a good minute, Lena regaled the people behind the counter of the show before she turned to Natalie, gesturing for her to look at the choices. Fresh fruits and nuts were showcased in transparent plastic tubs neatly arranged in the display case along with a colourful array of vegetables.
"I'll have my usual with extra cranberries please. And hook my girl up as well, yeah?"
Though she was taller, Natalie didn't mind in the slightest being lead. She kept up with the conversation, mostly letting the dancer take the lead. She was far better at conversing, only shown by the way she waved to the multitude of people she knew, even as they reached the restaurant. Once inside, she looked towards the options available, letting her friend talk while she tried to make up her mind. It was only when she was referred to did she speak at all.
Quickly, she pointed out the things she wanted, smiling to the people behind the counter before turning to Lena. "This is an impressive selection." She pointed out, always being one for a good meal with quality products.
As the servers did an impressive job on the arrangement, Lena nodded at Natalie's remark. "This was actually born from a Kickstarter campaign and they source fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms. And whenever possible, they get imported fruits so there's always something new on the menu every so often." Lena smiled.
"And whatever they don't manage to use in a day, they'll send off to soup kitchens and meals on wheels." She added as she moved down to the cashier, fishing out the money to pay for their order. She picked up the tray and guided them both to a seat.
"The girls and I think this place is a God send. They have proteins upon request so sometimes we splurge but most of the things they have on hand and their portions make for a good meal." Lena finished before laughing. "I sound like a sponsored ad."
Natalie found herself smiling at the way her friend gushed about the food being provided for them. It was refreshing to see someone as excited about a meal as she often was cooking one. More, though, was that Lena managed to get Nat just as excited about the meal based on the description. When the container was handed to her, she beamed, taking it with both hands. "Thank you, you don't have to pay for that." She tried, but the transaction already finished. "I'll owe you a meal sometime." She settled with then.
She spotted an open table and guided them for it. "You could be a sponsor for them." She joked lightly, taking a seat.
"I'll hold you to it." Lena responded with a wink as they went to their seat. Natalie's remark made her laugh and shrugged. "We kinda all are." She turned to the servers and beamed at them. "The girls and I do our best to steer traffic down here, especially after shows and they do the same for us. They're actually pretty damn good at sussing out our specific clientele."
She turned back to Natalie with a cheeky grin before opening her container to start going through her salad. She gave a satisfactory moan at her first bite. "Finally food." She said with a chuckle.
"Oh! I completely forgot, Hannah and the girls are asking when you'll be coming back to join us. They miss you." She grinned.
