"I guessed as much. Come on, Disney; fight back," she playfully cajoled, ready for another tumble.
Carmen was in such a great shape; I couldn't begrudge her from indulging in her victorious smile. It wasn't her fault I didn't come fully prepared, physically or mentally. But damn. I wished she would go gentle on me just a wee bit.
Mustering up strength to get back on my feet, I arched my back a little, hoping to release the tension from the aching muscle. "I'm not from Disney," I coarsely stated, annoyed.
Carmen beamed at my reaction. "You sure look like it."
There was nothing wrong with being a Disney star, but I wasn't innocent, nor was I aiming to transform my image into one.
"Hurling insults, and it's not even lunchtime yet? My, don't I feel special."
She snickered. "It's nothing personal. You're just too pretty. Figured you'd have been a perfect Disney princess and shit."
Disney princess. I didn't fit the bill to be one.
"What do you do, apart from judging people you barely know?"
Carmen thoughtfully considered me. "Well, that's a hard profession to master, but on occasion, I dance professionally-music videos, concerts, and the works."
Ah, that was where the spunk was coming from. Well, apart from the fact that she was Latina.
"That's awesome." There was a hint of jealousy in my tone. Had it not been for acting, I probably would have pursued that other passion of mine, though it had been months since I had indulged in losing myself in music. "I once was obsessed with dancing that I dedicated my summers before a mirror, dancing my heart out. But I haven't seen the inside of a studio since I ventured out here for auditions."
"Maybe it's high time you should. How about you join me tonight and show us some moves?"
Her invitation took me off guard. I hadn't considered that she would take an interest in my passion. But even if I did take her on her kind offer, I wasn't sure if my body was up to par. Certainly not in Carmen's league surely.
"It's been forever; my body's probably not in shape for that." Her kind of dancing only commanded your soul, and after this present match, my body's state would be beyond beat.
"You don't look like you're one to back down on a bet." Carmen wasn't one to take no for an answer. "If I win on the next round, you're coming tonight. Fair game?"
"All right, let's have at it." I took her challenge, unfairly thinking that I had a decent shot at winning, or better yet, even just to gain ground. But Carmen was far stronger, far quicker than anticipated. The woman knocked me down in less than a minute.
"Shiiittt," I yelped as I took another swift kick on the side of my hip, then the other, beating me in one swift motion without pause, knocking me off balance before she Rambo-fied herself and hastily pinned me to the ground while I scarcely took air into my lungs.
"Jesus, stop trying to kill me!" I coughed out as she loosened her hold.
Damn, she just went G.I Jane on little ole me. Carmen was obviously beyond my league.
"Guess you'll be seeing me tonight, Disney." Carmen grinned triumphantly as she helped me to my feet.
Even in my defeat, I refused to allow succumbing to my body's ache, though I wanted to collapse on the floor.
"Oh, don't forget to ice and take some Aleve, and wear heels."
"Got it," I mumbled as I mentally checked the list of her demands. I should've known hedging bets never panned out my way. Ever.
It took over an hour before I finally made my way towards my parked car. Much of my time was spent hovering in the locker room, wondering how in God's name I was going to be able to deliver dancing in my achy condition. But, as much as I was tempted to bail out, I couldn't muster seeing Carmen's knowing smile and smart retorts. Somehow, I felt as though I had something to prove to her. It wasn't the taunting or her name calling me "Disney." It was more than that. For some odd reason, I just wanted to prove her wrong, whatever the basis of that reasoning might be. So tonight, come hell or high water, I was going to be in her well-renowned studio, dancing until I was numb from the pain in my body.
Pulling my BMW out of the parking space, I joined the madness of LA traffic while I scanned my dashboard screen for music when my phone rang. My eyes immediately flickered to who the caller might be.
Well, well, well, I grinningly thought as I took the call. "Hi, stranger."
"You're back in town and you didn't even call? I'm extremely offended." Kyle's smooth voice boomed into my car's Bluetooth, laughing.