Just so you guys know, Ava is pronounced Avha. I do not own Coke, Brooks & Dunn, or any other product mentioned in this story. However, the plot and characters are mine. No takey. Enjoy!

She sighed and pushed her long, black hair back from her face. Digging her suntanned toes deep into the hot Brazilian sand, Ava closed her darker-than-coal eyes, thinking about her latest mistake. She should never have let Ian do that. She picked up a handful of sand and let it trickle through her fingers. Ah, well, the damage is done, I suppose. Her mind mentally replayed the scene.

He grinned at her, his white teeth contrasting sharply with his tanned skin. She watched her dancing partner of five years down the stinging tequila. His dark brown, trademark Spanish hair shone in the dim light of the bar. After winning their latest contest, he had insisted on celebrating, and by celebrating, Ian meant drinking. Ava never drank and Ian often wondered why but he had never asked. Ian looked lazily at the clock on the wall, his eyes widening slightly when he realized it was two in the morning. He turned towards Ava and opened his mouth, trying to form words.

“G’Bye,” he had slurred.

She nodded, wondering briefly whether she ought to drive him home, but remembering the last time she had offered and he had, well, declined, was a nice way of putting it, changed her mind.

And she had let him go. He had gotten into his red Viper, parked next to her black Corvette. Those two cars always stood out. They were considered gas-guzzling “American cars” by many, but then, not many people traveled to America for dancing competitions.

Of course, that being the one night she let him go without offering a ride, he had gotten into an accident. She had visited him in the hospital, and he had smiled and welcomed her. His leg had been broken. The doctor’s had told him, it would take a good six months to heal, and that was six months without dancing. Ian had told her to get a new partner, she had informed her agent.

Ava was not looking forward to meeting her new dancing partner, but her agent had said he was good. It was her job, and you can’t ask for more than a good partner in her business. And, after all, Ian had been getting lazy and full of himself. Ava stood up and untied the light blue sarong that hung loosely around her waist, fully exposing her white bikini. She walked, an easy, swinging gait, made naturally graceful by years of dancing, towards the water. Ava dove in and began to swim strongly down the coast.

Thirty minutes later, Ava ambled out of the water and pulled her hair back loosely with a tie. Reaching her towel, she dried off, tied her sarong back into place and continued toward her car. She got into the vehicle, still marveling over the beauty and power of it, turned her radio onto her favorite station, and the sound of the American Brooks & Dunn filled the car. She shook her head, and smirked, thinking herself far too Americanized. She backed out and head towards her villa.

Arriving, she walked through the massive oak door and dropped her keys on the most convenient solid surface, walked up the staircase, and down the hall to her room. Ava, knowing exactly what she wanted to wear, slipped into her closet, grabbed the white, knee length sundress, and sauntered into the bathroom to take a shower, dry her hair, and get dressed.

Ava emerged fifteen minutes later, the light dress came to just above her right kneecap and slanted up to her lower thigh on the left. The neckline was flattering but not too low. She donned a pair of sunglasses and rushed down the stairs, knowing she’d be late if she dawdled. She grabbed her keys from the counter she had tossed them onto, locked the front door, and hopped down the steps to her car.

She pushed the door open with her hip, placing the keys in her purse, thinking how amazing it was that she had not received a ticket. She looked up and her eyes fell to her agent, who was talking to a black-haired man. Ava trotted up to her agent and gave a breathy laugh.

“Sorry I’m late, Roger.”

“Ava. So good to see you. No problem, your new partner just arrived.”

“So, where is he?”

Her agent tilted back his head and laughed. “He’s right behind you, Ava.”

Ava turned around slowly, and her eyes widened, “You are my partner?”

“I believe so.”

A corner of her mouth tilted up. “I’m afraid there’s been a mistake. Americans can’t dance.”

He frowned at her, his mirrored sunglasses blocking her view of his eyes. “I beg to differ.”

Ava took off her sunglasses and looked him over critically. She turned to Roger. “One week. I try him for one week, Roger. If I don’t like him, he goes,” she waved her hand around, “away. And you find me someone else.”

“Ava…”

“Roger, those are the only conditions I ever dance with him.” Ava placed her hand s on her hips. At 5’7”, unusually tall for a Brazilian, Ava was imposingly gorgeous. Her accented English swept along beautifully. She turned towards the American. “You understand the terms, do you not?”

Here, he nodded, looking amused and not offended in the least, and Ava noticed him for the first time. He was striking. The black hair, and angular features of his face were just right, and he was at least 6’1”, a good height for her to dance with. She’d just have to wait to prove him clumsy. She spoke, more softly this time, “Your name?”

He grinned, revealing perfectly white teeth, “I’m Devon.” His voice was deep and caressing to the ears. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“That sounded suspiciously like Devil.”

He smirked. “Well, we’ll just have to see, won’t we?”

(A/N) R&R, please! Hopefully, you guys liked this. It’s probably going to take place over a period of seven months. I’m hoping Devon was likeable and Ava came across as a Brazilian beauty who, loves to dance, or the dancing may come later, and you will find out their ages and what kind of dancing in the next chapter. I’m hoping Ava sounded rather controlling and arrogant, but it’s her job. She can’t dance and lose. After all, she has her gorgeous black Corvette to pay for. Im gonna be doin some looking into Brazil and the dancing, so this might be updating every two weeks, a little less. I know less about Brazil and dancing than high school and Texas, like in In Black and White, so….Anyway, the most important thing I wanna know is: DID YOU GUYS LIKE DEVON? Lemme know.

Have a great day!

Raven

Edit: -laughs-Yeah thanks you guys for pointing out what Roger said, it reallywas tacky. -shakes head- I think I fixed it and a couple other errors though. Thanks again!