Everyone nodded but Aria. Her eyes clouded with tears as she screamed, “I can’t believe you are giving the part to her! I am a senior!”
Reese shook her head. “I’m sorry, Aria, but Claire will take the solo.”
A tear rolled down Aria’s cheek before she turned and rushed out of the room. Looking out at the girls, Reese shrugged her shoulders. If Aria needed a minute, that was fine, she could have it, but there was no way in hell Reese would go out and coddle that girl. No one coddled her when she was in the industry, and no one would Aria when she left this studio. Call it tough love, but Reese was preparing these girls for the dance world… and it wasn’t a pretty place to be in. It was cutthroat and scary, and Reese did her hardest to prepare the girls for it.
Letting out a breath, she said, “All right, let’s do it again. Hopefully, Aria will be back in a moment.”
The girls all nodded in agreement. Her gaze met Claire’s, and she smiled. Claire smiled back, getting in position, but before Reese could hit play, the studio door slammed open. Judith Chapmen stood there, looking like a mama bear coming out of hibernation to find that you ate her baby bears.
Shit.
“Are you kidding me?” she screeched.
Reese stood up and came towards her but, before she could even say anything, Judith was in front of her, her finger in Reese’s face. “You’ve got to be kidding me! Aria is a senior and the best in the class. How dare you put some sophomore in her spot?”
As calmly as Reese could, she said, “It wasn’t her spot, Judith. Can we please take this to my office?”
“No!” she screamed. “It was! You are playing favorites with this girl! We all know it! She is not better than my daughter, hell she isn’t anywhere near the caliber of anyone in this studio!”
Oh, to be able to punch this bitch’s teeth in and get away with it, but since that wouldn’t happen, she shook her head, pointing to the door. “Judith, that is enough. I will not have you talk down my students. Let’s go to my office and continue this.”
“I don’t want to go to your fucking office. I want to get this over with now. Aria will have the lead.”
Reese scoffed. “With the way you are acting, you’ll be lucky if you guys are still in this studio.”
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“No, I’m not kidding, haven’t been since you waltzed in here.”
She glared as she took a step towards her. “That’s how you are, huh, Reese? Cold, a bitch, you don’t joke, you don’t even care about any of us. All you care about is winning. That’s all it is here. Strictly work. What do I have to do to get through to you that my daughter is the best? She has the heart, the technique, and she is the fucking best. What do I have to do… sleep with you?”
Reese took in a harsh breath. No, she fucking didn’t. “That is enough.”
“What? Is that how this girl that has only been here for a couple months has solos, duets, and now leading a group of senior and juniors? Are you sleeping with her dad? Is that how she is getting all this? We all know how you are.”
Her throat was tight, and she had to look away to collect herself before she decked this bitch in her face. “I don’t have to explain myself to you because if you didn’t know, the sign outside says, ‘Reese Allen Company’. I’m Reese Allen, and you are no longer a client here. Take your daughter and get out, or I will call the police.”
Reese guessed that Judith didn’t expect that, because her mouth dropped as Aria cried out behind her. This obviously wasn’t what they wanted. They wanted to steamroll Reese into doing what they wanted, but that wasn’t going to happen. “Leave now.”
“You fucking bitch. Let’s go, Aria,” she said, turning and grabbing Aria roughly by the arm.