Dance For Me (Strip in the City, Book 2)

31 • Hot Debate

Tan

I sat down for another round of twenty questions at the hospital cafeteria with my parents, trying to choke down breaded cod and buttered mashed potatoes.

What I really wanted was soup and a steaming cup of Dadi's tea. I could feel a cold coming on, and I really didn't have the time to be sick right now. There was way too much going on between ballet, rehearsals for Blanche's grand opening, helping Krish with his speech, my friends, and, of course, finding quality time to spend with Dominick.

I pushed my plate aside and slunk back in my chair, opting for a sip of black tea instead of the tasteless food.

I caught my mom's curious look from across the table, and I knew she was about to launch into a lecture.

"Is there something you need to tell us, Tanu?" Mom asked, setting down her fork. "Because you're giving me the same look you used to give me when you were a girl, and you were caught in a lie."

I was lying to my parents. She wasn't wrong. But I had no idea what to do. Should I double down on my lie? Or should I come clean about not making principal?

At this point, there was no chance that I was pirouetting my way back into Celeste's good graces. She'd made it clear that I couldn't handle the pressure of the position despite dancing at a principal level.

When I met my parent's stern gazes, I crumbled. I couldn't disappoint them even more than I already had. I couldn't.

"No, mom. There's nothing going on. I've just been really busy."

Which wasn't technically a lie.

Mom and Dad exchanged a look that I knew all too well, and I wondered if they already knew. If somehow they'd caught wind that I wasn't going to be dancing a principal role in the Nutcracker this year.

"You've clearly been busy with the man you brought to Kolkata's? Aarul told us all about your date when we went for dinner two nights ago."

I pressed my lips together and set down my mug. How silly of me to think they cared enough about my ballet career to check out the company website or follow Liberty Ballet's social media page. If they had, they'd know that the cast for the Nutcracker was already posted. And Tanushree Nandy was listed under Snake. Not Sugarplum Fairy.

But no. They were more concerned about who I was eating dinner with.

"Aarul is twice as gossipy as his sister," I muttered under my breath before shoving half a buttered dinner roll in my mouth.

"He said you got onto the back of a motorcycle! A motorcycle, of all things!" my dad angrily said, pushing up his frameless glasses. A clear sign he was about to start his lecture about safety. "How many times do I have to tell you it's one of the most unsafe forms of travel? Had you gone to medical school, you'd have seen what road rash looks like up close, and it isn't pretty! Think about how long you'd have to miss work if you flew off a bike! You definitely wouldn't be performing on opening night, and you just got promoted!"

Wow. I didn't think he could find a way to rub medical school, ballet, and motorcycles in my face at the same time, but clearly, I was wrong.

"You're father is right, Tanu. What were you thinking? Are you thinking?"

I looked over at Krish, who was busy separating the carrots from his peas. Headphones on. Head bobbing up and down as he listened to music. He checked out of any conversation when my dad raised his voice. And I didn't blame him. If I had the ability to check out of this conversation, too, I would.

A few days ago, Dominick had asked me for some pointers on surviving dinner with his mom. Because I couldn't stop telling him my deepest, darkest insecurities, I'd gone on a tangent about never meeting my parents' expectations. After listening thoughtfully, he'd asked me why I kept coming back to sit through their questioning if they made me feel so guilty.