I picked up my phone and started to scroll through my contacts to ask my doctor friend for a favor when there was a knock at my door.
“Carla,” Damon’s deep voice resonates through my room door. “Hayley asked me to fetch you.” He knocked again.
At least it wasn’t on the adjoining door and he was actually using the main door for a change. I couldn’t count the number of times I’d had to ignore his knocking on that partition door.
“Hold on,” I called and desperately tried to find the doctor’s number. Maybe I should just hobble to the door and say my ankle was killing me.
“She said to tell you, and I quote ‘Don’t pull any of your usual stunts you do to get out of dancing.’ There was a bit more to it, but I’m not comfortable repeating it.” Damon said to my door.
Crap! That’s the problem when you have had a best friend since before you could walk. They knew everything about you. I was going to have to literally face the music and dance. I grabbed my purse and shoved my phone along with my room card into my bag.
As I walked past the mirror, I glanced at my reflection. I was being bold today and wearing my white 1950s style dress that had thin straps and a H-neckline with a pinafore style bodice. It pinched in at the waist with a slight flare into a full skirt that reached the middle of my knees. I had my hair up as I didn’t need it getting all in my face while I was trying to concentrate and not fall on my ass.
On my feet I was wearing the cream slip on shoes I was wearing to the wedding. Hayley advised her bridal party to wear their bridesmaid shoes in. The way I danced, these heels probably won’t even last the evening.
“Carla, you are in there, right?” Damon knocked on the door. “Or is Garry having fun with me again?”
I walked to the door and pulled it open.
“Yes,” I sighed, swinging the door open. Damon looked very handsome in his casual cotton shirt, jeans, and groom’s shoes. He smelt really sexy too. “I am.”
“Hey,” Damon’s eyes ran the length of my body. “You look very nice.”
“Thank you,” I gave him a smile as I stepped out of my room while pulling the door shut behind me. “So, you’re my warden today?” I said with a tight smile.
“Why don’t you like dancing?” Damon asked me, looking a little surprised. “I thought everyone loved to dance.”
“Not me,” I shook my head as we climbed into the elevator and headed for the ground floor. “It’s not one of my happy places.” That was an understatement.
“Well. I promised Hayley I’d get you to the dance studio.” Damon held the elevator door open when we stopped on the ground floor.
“I see the Ferrari is already waiting by the door,” I looked at him.
“Hayley said you may bolt so I was not taking any chances.” Damon grinned as we made our way to the car. “It can’t be that bad,” Damon said as he buckled up.
I smiled at him while thinking, You have no idea!
***
“Hello.” Of course the instructor had to be a light-footed charmer with his perfectly petite partner. She was so tiny I thought she might be Smurfette. “I’m Lucian and this is Patty.”
Huh, I thought, that’s quite a let-down name after Lucian. I was thinking something like Starlight. Their smiles were definitely plastered on though. No one was that friendly and smiley when they were about to teach dance.
“May I have this dance, beautiful lady?” Lucian stepped right in front of me. Nope, no, not happening. I was about to decline when I got elbowed in the ribs by Hayley.
“Yes, Carla, have this dance,” Hayley hiss whispered to me.
“No,” I moved up a bit so she couldn’t elbow me and collided with Damon.
“I have to decline for the lady.” Damon took my hand. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be her dancing partner.”
Was he helping me? I looked at him suspiciously. What was he up to? I was stuck between the devil and twinkle toes. Should I grab my ankle and say it was a sudden attack of gout. Do you get gout in your ankles? I wondered. Appendix! I’m going to grab my side and… before I could even say anything, he pulled me onto the floor.
“Okay, there’s something you should know,” I whispered up to Damon as the instructor took Hayley hostage to show us how to stand. “I can’t dance.”
“I know,” Damon smiles down at me. “We move in the same social circles, remember?” His grin got wider. “Relax, I’ve got you.” He bent his head and whispered into my ear, sending a shiver through me.
Oh no! He saw me trying to dance at some of the school dances I suddenly remembered. Now that was embarrassing and back then I thought I was really bopping up a storm. Well, that was mortifying, especially as my dancing had only gotten worse with age.