Post by onyxfyrefly on Feb 15, 2012 20:57:47 GMT -5
*deep breath* Okay, I'm going to be brave and finally post the story I've been working on. I've been lurking around here for awhile and wanted to throw my name into the hat. This is my first story on Nox so please be kind. Oh, and I tweaked Rebecca's background just a bit to make it fit with the story. I hope you all like it and remember that reviews make the world go 'round!
It was a beautiful spring morning in Ireland, the sun was shinning and no one wanted to be inside. Unfortunately for the five men that made up Celtic Thunder they were trapped inside with their producer, Sharon.
“Don’t look so down, lads,” fussed Sharon as she walked into the great room of the house they had rented. “This won’t take long and you can be on your way.”
The five grumbled but kept their comments to themselves.
“As you know,” Sharon started. “Belinda will be leaving us soon and we need a new choreographer. Instead of auditioning people I went ahead and called in a friend. I’m sure you all will love her. She’s immensely talented and a sweetheart to boot.”
The group all sent glances at each other at Sharon’s words. Belinda had been a great choreographer but was sometimes set in her ways and didn’t always grasp onto the concepts that they were interested in. Hopefully the new girl would be able to put a new spin to their show.
Almost on cue the doorbell rang and Sharon hurried to answer it. A few moments later she returned and was beaming.
“Lads, I would like you to meet your new choreographer, Cori Johnson.”
It took several long moments for the group to register Sharon’s words. The young woman in front of them was stunning. She wasn’t particularly tall, perhaps 5’6 or so, with curves that were built from a lifetime of dancing. Her skin wasn’t dark nor was it light, it was a warm coffee color that was set off by brown eyes so dark they seemed black. Her hair was long but was pulled back into a loose knot on the top of her head. To top it off her smile was deadly; welcoming and kind with just a hint of mischief.
“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”
The woman’s words finally snapped the group out of their reverie and they surged to their feet, shaking her hand and welcoming her aboard. Once the introductions were over, the group settled down and got back to business.
“Now, I know I said that Cori was going to be the new choreographer but she will also be helping out in different areas as well. She’ll be assisting with costumes, understudying for the dancers, and will be helping me out as an unofficial assistant.”
Several eyebrows shot up and both Sharon and Cori laughed. “I know it sounds like a lot but why don’t you talk to the lads and let them know about your background?”
Cori nodded and turned to the group. “As Sharon said, I’m going to be a Jill of all trades for the upcoming tour. Once upon a time, more years ago than I’m sure Sharon is willing to have me admit, she did me a favor and got me my first dancing gig in Ireland. So, when she needed a favor I was more than willing to help out.”
George smiled and the young woman and attempted to guess her age. She seemed young, maybe in her late twenties, but carried herself with a wisdom of someone much older. “How did you get into dancing and costume design?” he finally asked.
Cori laughed and looked shyly away. “It’s a bit of a long story but I started dancing when I was three and it went from there.” She paused and seemed to reach back for a memory before continuing. “My dad always said that ‘we only have one life to live, so if you find something that interests you pursue it to the furthest extent.’ I took that saying to heart.”
“I was always interested not only in dance but in music and in language. Dance also led me to costume design because I wanted to know how clothing was affected by dancing and vice versa.”
“It sounds like you spent a good portion of your life studying. What’s your degree in?” asked Paul, fascinated by the fact that someone would look at a subject from so many different angles.
“Actually, I have four degrees.”
“Four?” exclaimed Damian. “I can barely make it through one lesson without falling asleep!”
Cori laughed and sent him a smile. “I have an Associates in Dance and Fashion design, a Bachelors in Vocal Performance, and a Masters in Literature.”
“That’s impressive,” said Ryan knowing how difficult it was for him to get a degree in accounting let alone three other degrees as well. “How did you find time to do it all?”
“I haven’t slept since I was sixteen,” Cori replied when earned her a laugh from everyone. “I just put my mind to it and learned how to multitask. I double majored whenever I could and worked on multiple degrees at the same time.”
“Are all your degrees from the same school?” Paul asked.
“No, I earned my Masters in New Mexico, my Bachelors in Colorado, my Associates in Dance in Sydney and my Associates in Fashion design in London.”
The guys were quiet for a moment while they let everything sink in. Finally Keith, who had been silent until then, sat up a little straighter. “You’re C.J. aren’t you?”
Cori grinned and nodded.
“My sister is going to flip! She practically worships the ground you walk on!”
“Is your sister a dancer?”
“Yes, she loves to play the piano and sing but her passion is dance. She started taking classes at your studio in Dublin a couple of years ago and does nothing but talk about her wonderful teachers and how amazing the classes are.”
Damian looked between Cori and Keith with a frown. “Wait? What are you talking about?”
“Many years ago I started my own dance studio. It was a success and my students wanted to know if I was going to open any other studios so they could tell their family and friends to go. One thing led to another and now there are dance studios in Dublin, New York, Chicago, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Houston, London, and Sydney. My former students run the studios but I try and pop in from time to time when I can.”
“You can sing, you can dance, is there anything you can’t do?” asked Ryan. He was in awe of the woman in front of him and even though he had just met her he couldn’t wait to get to know her better.
“Well, I’m classically trained on the piano and taught myself how to play guitar when I was eight but I can’t draw to save my life. Aside from sketches for clothing designs I am doomed to forever draw misshapen stick figures.”
Everyone laughed then Sharon glanced at her watch. “I’m sorry to steal her away, lads, but we have quite a bit of work to do before rehearsals begin tomorrow.”
Cori stood and shook their hands once more. “It was a pleasure to meet you but be ready for tomorrow.” She winked at them then followed Sharon out the door.
As soon as the door closed the group turned to each other. “So, what did you think?” asked George. He thought that the young woman was going to make a wonderful addition to the Celtic Thunder family. She was brilliant and self-assured without being cocky. Hard work was an old friend and she seemed to love a challenge.
“I think she’s going to be great!” exclaimed Paul. “She seems to have a good head on her shoulders and she’s a classically trained singer. I wonder what part she sings, she doesn’t seem like a soprano to me…” The others laughed as Paul went off into his own world of arias and concertos.
“I can’t believe that she is THE C.J. of C.J.’s studios. The stuff that they come up with is brilliant and even though I know nothing about dance I can see how passionate she is and that is passed onto to her teachers and her students.” Keith chuckled and pulled out his cell phone. “Excuse me, but I have to let Becca know about this.”
Damian watched as Keith walked away with his cell phone glued to his ear. “Do you think she’d be able to help me with my studies?”
George chuckled. “I don’t know how much extra time there is going to be but I’m sure if you asked her she’d be more than happy to help you.”
The oldest member glanced over at Ryan who was strangely quiet. “You okay there, Ry?”
The dark haired singer snapped to attention and shook his head. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“So what did you think of Cori?”
Ryan paused for a moment as he thought over the question. The moment he saw her he felt butterflies in his stomach, something he hadn’t experienced since high school. She was beautiful, smart, talented, and totally out of his league. He held back a sigh at the thought. What would a famous choreographer want with a scrawny singer from a tiny village in Ireland? Shaking the thought away he plastered on a smile and turned to face George.
“I think she’s going to be great but I’m a little nervous about rehearsals tomorrow.”
George chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder as he walked by. “Me too lad, I’m not as young as you four you know.”
Ryan smiled and stood, attempting to find something to do so he would stop thinking about the dark haired beauty. He’d just met her but already she was occupying his thoughts. Hopefully the brutal rehearsal she had promised them would take his mind off of everything.
It was a beautiful spring morning in Ireland, the sun was shinning and no one wanted to be inside. Unfortunately for the five men that made up Celtic Thunder they were trapped inside with their producer, Sharon.
“Don’t look so down, lads,” fussed Sharon as she walked into the great room of the house they had rented. “This won’t take long and you can be on your way.”
The five grumbled but kept their comments to themselves.
“As you know,” Sharon started. “Belinda will be leaving us soon and we need a new choreographer. Instead of auditioning people I went ahead and called in a friend. I’m sure you all will love her. She’s immensely talented and a sweetheart to boot.”
The group all sent glances at each other at Sharon’s words. Belinda had been a great choreographer but was sometimes set in her ways and didn’t always grasp onto the concepts that they were interested in. Hopefully the new girl would be able to put a new spin to their show.
Almost on cue the doorbell rang and Sharon hurried to answer it. A few moments later she returned and was beaming.
“Lads, I would like you to meet your new choreographer, Cori Johnson.”
It took several long moments for the group to register Sharon’s words. The young woman in front of them was stunning. She wasn’t particularly tall, perhaps 5’6 or so, with curves that were built from a lifetime of dancing. Her skin wasn’t dark nor was it light, it was a warm coffee color that was set off by brown eyes so dark they seemed black. Her hair was long but was pulled back into a loose knot on the top of her head. To top it off her smile was deadly; welcoming and kind with just a hint of mischief.
“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”
The woman’s words finally snapped the group out of their reverie and they surged to their feet, shaking her hand and welcoming her aboard. Once the introductions were over, the group settled down and got back to business.
“Now, I know I said that Cori was going to be the new choreographer but she will also be helping out in different areas as well. She’ll be assisting with costumes, understudying for the dancers, and will be helping me out as an unofficial assistant.”
Several eyebrows shot up and both Sharon and Cori laughed. “I know it sounds like a lot but why don’t you talk to the lads and let them know about your background?”
Cori nodded and turned to the group. “As Sharon said, I’m going to be a Jill of all trades for the upcoming tour. Once upon a time, more years ago than I’m sure Sharon is willing to have me admit, she did me a favor and got me my first dancing gig in Ireland. So, when she needed a favor I was more than willing to help out.”
George smiled and the young woman and attempted to guess her age. She seemed young, maybe in her late twenties, but carried herself with a wisdom of someone much older. “How did you get into dancing and costume design?” he finally asked.
Cori laughed and looked shyly away. “It’s a bit of a long story but I started dancing when I was three and it went from there.” She paused and seemed to reach back for a memory before continuing. “My dad always said that ‘we only have one life to live, so if you find something that interests you pursue it to the furthest extent.’ I took that saying to heart.”
“I was always interested not only in dance but in music and in language. Dance also led me to costume design because I wanted to know how clothing was affected by dancing and vice versa.”
“It sounds like you spent a good portion of your life studying. What’s your degree in?” asked Paul, fascinated by the fact that someone would look at a subject from so many different angles.
“Actually, I have four degrees.”
“Four?” exclaimed Damian. “I can barely make it through one lesson without falling asleep!”
Cori laughed and sent him a smile. “I have an Associates in Dance and Fashion design, a Bachelors in Vocal Performance, and a Masters in Literature.”
“That’s impressive,” said Ryan knowing how difficult it was for him to get a degree in accounting let alone three other degrees as well. “How did you find time to do it all?”
“I haven’t slept since I was sixteen,” Cori replied when earned her a laugh from everyone. “I just put my mind to it and learned how to multitask. I double majored whenever I could and worked on multiple degrees at the same time.”
“Are all your degrees from the same school?” Paul asked.
“No, I earned my Masters in New Mexico, my Bachelors in Colorado, my Associates in Dance in Sydney and my Associates in Fashion design in London.”
The guys were quiet for a moment while they let everything sink in. Finally Keith, who had been silent until then, sat up a little straighter. “You’re C.J. aren’t you?”
Cori grinned and nodded.
“My sister is going to flip! She practically worships the ground you walk on!”
“Is your sister a dancer?”
“Yes, she loves to play the piano and sing but her passion is dance. She started taking classes at your studio in Dublin a couple of years ago and does nothing but talk about her wonderful teachers and how amazing the classes are.”
Damian looked between Cori and Keith with a frown. “Wait? What are you talking about?”
“Many years ago I started my own dance studio. It was a success and my students wanted to know if I was going to open any other studios so they could tell their family and friends to go. One thing led to another and now there are dance studios in Dublin, New York, Chicago, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Houston, London, and Sydney. My former students run the studios but I try and pop in from time to time when I can.”
“You can sing, you can dance, is there anything you can’t do?” asked Ryan. He was in awe of the woman in front of him and even though he had just met her he couldn’t wait to get to know her better.
“Well, I’m classically trained on the piano and taught myself how to play guitar when I was eight but I can’t draw to save my life. Aside from sketches for clothing designs I am doomed to forever draw misshapen stick figures.”
Everyone laughed then Sharon glanced at her watch. “I’m sorry to steal her away, lads, but we have quite a bit of work to do before rehearsals begin tomorrow.”
Cori stood and shook their hands once more. “It was a pleasure to meet you but be ready for tomorrow.” She winked at them then followed Sharon out the door.
As soon as the door closed the group turned to each other. “So, what did you think?” asked George. He thought that the young woman was going to make a wonderful addition to the Celtic Thunder family. She was brilliant and self-assured without being cocky. Hard work was an old friend and she seemed to love a challenge.
“I think she’s going to be great!” exclaimed Paul. “She seems to have a good head on her shoulders and she’s a classically trained singer. I wonder what part she sings, she doesn’t seem like a soprano to me…” The others laughed as Paul went off into his own world of arias and concertos.
“I can’t believe that she is THE C.J. of C.J.’s studios. The stuff that they come up with is brilliant and even though I know nothing about dance I can see how passionate she is and that is passed onto to her teachers and her students.” Keith chuckled and pulled out his cell phone. “Excuse me, but I have to let Becca know about this.”
Damian watched as Keith walked away with his cell phone glued to his ear. “Do you think she’d be able to help me with my studies?”
George chuckled. “I don’t know how much extra time there is going to be but I’m sure if you asked her she’d be more than happy to help you.”
The oldest member glanced over at Ryan who was strangely quiet. “You okay there, Ry?”
The dark haired singer snapped to attention and shook his head. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“So what did you think of Cori?”
Ryan paused for a moment as he thought over the question. The moment he saw her he felt butterflies in his stomach, something he hadn’t experienced since high school. She was beautiful, smart, talented, and totally out of his league. He held back a sigh at the thought. What would a famous choreographer want with a scrawny singer from a tiny village in Ireland? Shaking the thought away he plastered on a smile and turned to face George.
“I think she’s going to be great but I’m a little nervous about rehearsals tomorrow.”
George chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder as he walked by. “Me too lad, I’m not as young as you four you know.”
Ryan smiled and stood, attempting to find something to do so he would stop thinking about the dark haired beauty. He’d just met her but already she was occupying his thoughts. Hopefully the brutal rehearsal she had promised them would take his mind off of everything.