by Laura Gates
Beau stared away into nothing processing what he just heard. He was familiar with some Latin music because of Phoebe, and he always liked what he heard. He thought it might be interesting to see what all the fuss was about. "I appreciate your honesty, but I will try it. If I don't like it, I will do something else next time."
"Okay. Now I am a diehard metalhead, but I also love Latin music. I hope you will understand."
"It's okay. We all have different interests." They kept talking until they walked into the Aerobics room and set their stuff down.
Evie took her place on the front row, and Beau stood about four feet away from her. "Why the front row?" he asked.
"Because I have a hard time seeing the instructor from where you are," she said, "In fact, I would stand by me if I were you so that you can see what to do better."
"I'm 6' 1. I can see fine."
"Okay, you can stand where you are if you want. People might recognize you as they walk in, though. At least if you're in front, your back is to them, and they are too far to see you in the mirror."
Good point, Beau thought. "Okay, I will come up front," he said before walking to Evie's left side and standing there.
The instructor walked in front of the class and began getting the stereo working. She turned on a song with a slow dragging beat, but the song sounded happy. Beau remembered Richard and Kade messing around one day with a rhythm like this before they started working. He also recalled his first date with Phoebe watching her dance to something similar. He couldn't remember what the style was called, but he turned to his right to look at Evie. Her face lit up when she heard the song. The instructor approached Evie and gave her a hug. "Hey, Evie! How are you? !" she said.
Evie smiled. "I'm good, Pam. Thanks."
"Will you want to teach a song or two today?" the instructor asked.
"If you want me to," Evie said, cheeks turning pink, and looking up at Beau. Evie forgot to tell Beau she used to teach a couple of Zumba classes back in Baltimore.
The instructor turned to him, as well. "Is this who I think it is?" the instructor asked, recognizing him.
"This is Beau Halstead; my boss," Evie said. "Oh, my husband is a huge fan. I will have to tell him you were in class today. He might not even believe me," the instructor said. Beau felt a little stuck and turned to look at Evie. She looked up at him and mouthed, "Sorry."
"All right, everyone! Let's get started! I am Pam. If you are new to Zumba, just watch my feet, smile, and have fun," Pam, the Zumba instructor, shouted at the class. She turned on the music and soon led the class in some clapping and touch steps. Beau did his best to follow Pam. He looked down at Evie, and she had the biggest smile on her face as she moved her hips and raised her arms in the air one by one. She was even singing along to the words.
There was a lot of clapping and yelling. Beau wasn't sure what to think about the first song they did. He noticed that there were a lot of attractive women in the class. Beau did not complain, and he observed they all moved very well. He felt very intimidated at first, but he committed to trying the whole class. The first song turned out to be better once he figured out what he was supposed to do.
The next song had a very distinct rhythm and beat. This song was more toning than anything with lots of ab work, coordination, and sumo squats. It was pretty simple to follow once he figured out the 6-count move. He occasionally looked at Evie to make sure he was doing what she was doing. Her dancing and technique were perfect, and sexy, he had to admit. He suddenly realized that she was probably an instructor at some point. Beau saw the passion she had for Zumba.
Evie kept looking up at Beau to make sure he wasn't throwing daggers at her with his stare for putting him through the class. The glances were short-lived because Zumba always put Evie in a better mood. The music, the moves, and how Zumba made her feel is what kept her coming back and eventually led to her becoming an instructor herself. She hadn't taught a class since she moved to San Francisco, and Evie figured she wouldn't be able to since she would be on the road a lot. She missed teaching a lot.
During class, Evie and Beau would look at each other and smile. She had no idea what he thought of her, but she thought he was doing a good job keeping up even for a beginner. Being a musician had its perks when she started Zumba herself, so Evie was able to stay with the beat. She also thought Beau danced very smooth and silly at times, which made her laugh.
Beau's favorite part of the class was when Pam asked Evie to teach a song. The song started out with body rolls and side taps. He watched Evie and realized she communicated with the class nonverbally what was next very well. He started to listen to the song and realized the dancing complemented the song very well. Evie also took the energy in the class and amped it up even more. The heat reminded him when he was on stage looking at all the faces in the crowd only this time, Beau was surrounded by beautiful women being led by another beautiful woman.
Beau noticed everyone smiling in response to her infectious personality. There was even a couple of times he sang along to the song. Beau decided Zumba was an excellent way to help him in his recovery. Once the song, Fun by Pitbull and Chris Brown, was over, Pam took over teaching the class again.
The cooldown began with a flugelhorn playing, and Evie suddenly started to freak out once she realized what song was playing; Tumbao. This particular cooldown was very provocative because of the full-body rolls the class would do very close to each other. Beau had no idea what was coming. It was a simple Bachata at the beginning with stretching, but the body rolls were next during the chorus. When the time came, Evie held back, but the other girl on Beau's left did not.
Evie soon regretted bringing Beau because she didn't want to give him the wrong idea about Zumba, and she got a little jealous of the girl. Not to mention, she thought Beau was a handsome man with his eyes and his kind smile. The tattoos on his arms added character whether some people would have viewed them as intimidating. The other girl must have figured out who Beau was because she wasn't holding back at all.
Jealousy filled Evie, and she didn't know what to do about it. Plus,she had a little crush on her boss. She knew there were some more body rolls, so she decided to go all out. The final leg of stretching came, and Evie prepared for the body roll section mentally.
Evie stepped forward following the music, turned when she was supposed to, and bent over down to her toes rolling her body up as slowly and sensually as possible. Beau’s eyes suddenly went to Evie’s body roll, and he forgot what he was doing. The move sent Beau to a flashback when Phoebe took him dancing on their first date. Phoebe moved just like Evie did. That date led to their first night of intimacy and their relationship. He couldn’t think about anything else because his hormones were getting the best of him as he continued to watch his tour manager dance so provocatively.
Beau soon realized he was just staring at Evie, not moving a muscle. When she began walking away from him, he realized he needed to walk towards her so that the other girl wouldn't run into him.
When his back was to Evie, Beau body-rolled a little more dramatically than before, responding to Evie’s movements. She laughed, staring at his butt thinking how nice it looked. Soon, they locked eyes and felt some sort of electricity in their dancing. For the remainder of the song, he faced the right and focused only on Evie. When the song ended, they were both dancing very close to each other with Beau inches away from Evie that she felt him breathe on her neck.
Pam noticed the chemistry they shared and smiled. She sensed Evie's lack of self-esteem and figured this would boost it. When Pam gave her final bow, she clapped, and the rest of the class applauded, breaking the trance Beau and Evie were in. Blinking really fast trying to get a grip, Evie walked to her water bottle and got a drink.
After talking with lots of people, Evie and Beau walked back to the car. Beau had way more fun than he thought, and he made sure to tell Pam that. He even said he would be happy to meet her husband. They climbed into the car, and Evie pulled out of t
he parking lot heading back to the studio.
"That was way fun. Thank you," Beau said again. "You're welcome. So, what do you think of Latin music?" Evie asked. "I like it. It has a lot of energy in it like our music. What are all of the different styles called?"
"The four basic Zumba styles are Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia, and Reggaeton. However, some others we did today are Moombahton, Soca, Dembow, Bhangra, and Bachata. I really like the last two styles."
"Which ones were those?"
"You would know one as Bollywood, and Bachata was the cooldown."
"Oh, got it. The songs with all the Bom Diggy's, and the body rolls?"
"Yes."
"And I thought I was a music guru."
"You know way more about the B sides of metal bands than I do. Sure, I know a lot about different styles of music, but I wish I knew what you know."
"Well, I can always teach you."
"Sounds good. So, do they have any rock songs in the Zumba music world?"
Evie smiled. "Well, Zumba released a routine to Another One Bites the Dust by Queen, and We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister. I know a routine to Pretty Fly," Evie said, laughing.
"Can I request those songs for next time?"
"Yes, I will let Pam know." Beau pumped his arm and shouted, "Yes!" Evie laughed.
"So, are you a Zumba instructor? You seemed way more confident and aware of everything in the class," he said.
"I taught in Annapolis before I took the job here. I haven't tried to pursue anything because we will be going on tour soon."
"Why not? You are really good.”
“I don’t have time. There’s a tour to finish booking, two little humans who need their mom, and a band to manage.”
“Isn’t there a list you can get on when other instructors have something come up?” “Yes, there is a sub list.”
“Well, why not the sub list? Why should Death Toll stop you from doing something you love?”
Evie thought about what Beau was saying, and she knew he was right. “All right, I will talk to Pam about it tomorrow.”
“Good! So on tour, can we attend other classes in different cities?"
"Of course. I have been doing research on that for two weeks."
There was one thing that kept weighing on Beau's mind. "Okay. I am about to ask you some awkward questions, and I just hope you are okay with it," he said.
Evie grimaced a little. "Sure?" she said.
Beau cleared his throat. "Why did you get a divorce? You are such a great mom, colleague, and friend to everyone you meet. What happened? Was your ex a douche, were you unfaithful, was he unfaithful? I find it strange for a mom of two to suddenly take a job as a tour manager uprooting her family," he asked.
Evie was afraid of someone asking her that, but she had hoped that Luke or Kade would ask. She figured out how to explain what was going on, leaving out the abuse. "I really don't know what happened. The more he pushed himself into the corporate world, the more Jude became disinterested in me. That's all I can really say right now."
Beau felt like he only got half of his answer. Why would he become disinterested in Evie? She's beautiful, kind, smart, ambitious, independent, a wonderful mom, the whole package. What the hell is wrong with Jude, Beau thought to himself. He knew pressing would push her away, so he left the topic alone.
"Well, thanks for letting me tag along. I had way more fun than I thought I would," Beau said.
"Thank you for coming with me today. You made class way more fun," Evie said back.
"You're welcome. So, is this a daily thing?"
"Yes, but Pam's schedule is changing, so I will let you know what's going to happen."
"Sounds good."
They drove to the Hansens' house and picked up Levi and Harper. Soon, they dropped off Beau at his home. "Bye, Beau!" the kids said. "Bye, guys," he responded back. Beau soon rubbed Evie's arm that was leaning on the window. "See ya tomorrow," he said. "Bye," Evie said.
Beau began attending Zumba classes with Evie every night at 6 for the rest of the week. Each class got more comfortable, and Beau's friendship with Evie grew stronger as they continued to talk more about their childhoods, high school, Evie's college experiences, Beau's early Death Toll days, and where they were on specific days.
“Favorite band?” Beau asked.
“Death Toll. Duh!” Evie said without hesitation.
“Besides Death Toll.”
“Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, ACDC, Def Leppard, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Motorhead, and Skynard.”
Beau smiled, impressed, but asked, “You’re not going to ask me mine?”
“I already know you love Aerosmith, King Diamond, Thin Lizzy, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead.”
She's a fangirl, Beau laughed to himself.
“Favorite car?” he asked again.
“1967 GT 500 Shelby Mustang,” Evie responded with a big grin.
“Would not have pegged you for a muscle car girl,” Beau said, thinking to himself, Again, the hottest thing she could say.
“Oh yeah. I went to car shows with my dad all the time growing up.”
She is so cool, Beau thought to himself.
“Well, what about you? What’s your favorite car?” Evie asked.
“1967 Chevy Camaro. I drove that car in one of our music videos.”
Evie smiled at the response, remembering watching the music video.
“Favorite food?” she asked him.
“Steak. I am more carnivore than omnivore. What about you?” he asked back.
“Tacos, especially my brother-in-law's tacos.” Beau was impressed.
"So, what are you guys up to this weekend?" he asked.
"Oh, we know how to party. We are going to the park, visiting the children's museum, Pier 39 aquarium, and visiting the sea lions. Then when we get home and kids go to bed, I will get into my frumpy pajamas, eat a huge carton of ice cream, and watch an old movie," she said sarcastically.
"Can I come with you guys? I really enjoyed going with you to the park. I’ll even get my frumpy pajamas and watch the movie with you. Then when the movie is over, I will head home," Beau said, trying to maintain boundaries. He didn't want Evie getting the wrong idea.
"Are you sure you don't have anything better to do? I'm just doing boring single mom stuff," Evie said.
"Your life is not boring. Making memories with your kids is exciting. Watching their learning process is always exciting. Plus, taking time for yourself is good, too," Beau said. Evie needed to hear Beau's words as reassurance that she was doing a great job raising her kids. "Yes. We would love for you to come with us," she said. "All right. I will see you tomorrow. Bye, guys!" "Bye, Beau!" the kids said after dropping him off at his house again.
Chapter 7
Song Styles With Beau Halstead
Beau continued accompanying Evie and the kids to the gym as well as other outings. He really grew to love Zumba music and dancing, especially with Evie. Beau could not help but notice how happy dancing made her. He noticed how bright she smiled at Zumba. He sensed how passionate she was about dancing and fitness, and how that passion was being passed on to him. Beau noticed his energy levels had spiked. Writing songs wasn't as exhausting as it used to be. He soon found that he could keep up with the demands of his career, exercising, and even playing with Evie's kids. He also noticed that he had lost a little weight throughout his body and gained some muscle mass. He began to understand how Evie stayed so healthy and active.
The weather turned cooler as August transitioned into September. Beau and Evie were becoming better friends, but Beau's feelings for Evie grew each day he spent it with her. He watched her at the studio as she performed her daily tasks and even kept up with her kids. Without being asked, she made sure band members had enough water, coffee, or matte in Beau's case. She would go down the street to Sprouts Farmers' Market to get lunch and snacks for everyone every day. When Death Toll felt like they had a song worthy of being played on the radi
o to help promote their new album, Evie would call Crazy Tony from ALT 107.6 to come into the studio to listen and ask him to play the song on his radio station. Beau knew how passionate she was about her jobs as a tour manager and mother.
Beau continued to notice more of Evie's characteristics. Even though she was stunning, she put minimal effort into getting ready for the day. Evie didn't wear as much makeup as he had seen a lot of women. He noticed she liked wearing different colored wide-brimmed hats. Her hair had grown out about three inches since she moved to San Francisco, and he thought she looked sexy with it. Evie's hair stayed in beach waves most of the time, or she would throw it up into a high ponytail with no hat.
He noticed she was slender with lean cut muscles when she wore her gym clothes. Evie looked very sexy in them. While they were at the gym, Evie made the suggestion that they start lifting weights to help build up his muscle mass, which Beau thought was very considerate. Other guys would often walk up to the pair of them to talk to Beau and hit on Evie, which bothered him.
When she was working, Evie usually wore various button-up shirts, band tee shirts, large sweaters as it got colder, jeans, boots, and booties now that the weather was colder. He could tell Evie took more time for her children than herself. She was a very selfless person. She was very kind but spoke her mind when called upon.
Beau could tell she was super adventurous, but grounded. He believed taking care of her kids did that. She helped Levi with his reading and other homework assignments when not needed at the studio. Her sense of humor was very similar to his considering he heard her quote all sorts of movies from Disney to Friends to Sons of Anarchy to Monty Python's Flying Circus. One of his favorite times was when he watched Evie perform the “Silly Walk” sketch for Levi and Harper, and they began to imitate their mother. Plus, she cracked lame jokes just like he did all the time, and they laughed together.