by T A Ford
“So, I’m here. Taking dance lessons from flamingos,” Cue said.
Rodney chuckled. “Baby-girl there?”
“She’s here. Had a quick exchange with her.”
“Oh? She talked to you?”
“Yeah, she’s still not impressed though. But she seems to be enjoying this activity. She did her dance in front of an audience. I was surprised by her courage.”
Rodney laughed. “You saw her dance? Man, she’s awful, isn’t she?”
It kind of irked him that Rodney would dismiss her passion so casually. It looked like something important to her. He’d have to help his friend better understand the ways to support Dina.
“No. She was okay.”
“Bullshit man. I pay for those lessons. Saw her perform once and had to dash out to keep from laughing through the entire thing.”
“Hey, chill brother. This dancing thing, it’s good therapy for her. It will help her with social cues, how to engage and interact with others. Some of the sanest people in the world can’t get in front of a room of people and dance the way she did.”
“Yea, yea, I heard this from another doctor. It’s why I pay for the classes. I’ll tell you what, those classes didn’t keep her from stabbing Rafael with a pencil.”
“My point is—”
“She’s my sister, man. I know what’s important. You free tonight? Card game over at my office. Got an open bar.”
Cue felt his stomach cinch into a knot. Rodney knew his vices well. And he suspected his friend knew he was backsliding. “Sure, how much is the pot?”
“A thousand dollars a hand. I can spot you,” Rodney said.
“I cover my own bets. I’m fine.”
The door opened. Dina came out in her coat.
“See you later,” Cue said.
“Later,” Rodney replied and hung up.
Dina looked at Cue standing against the wall. It was ten degrees colder than it had been when they arrived. She kept her coat closed and hurried past him.
“Dina?”
She paused. “How do you know my name?”
“Matteo introduced you as Dina.”
“Oh? What do you want now?” she asked.
“Coffee?”
“Why?” she frowned.
He pointed to a cafe across the street. “Can I buy you a coffee?”
“At night?” she asked. “Why drink coffee at night?”
“Oh, yea, right. Cocoa?” he asked.
“No. I don’t want anything from you,” she said and started to walk away.
“But I need your help,” he called out after her.
She glanced back at him curiously.
“I got two left feet. This dancing thing looks scary. I’m the only guy. Can you have dinner with me? Right over there. And give me some points on the class.”
Dina stared at him. This time she didn’t frown. She seemed to be focused on his shoes and the question. Students continued to leave. She stood there on the sidewalk staring at his feet as they passed them by.
“Please?” he said with a smile.
“Okay. I will date you. For tonight only. But I want a pizza.” She pointed to the restaurant next door.
He winked. “Pepperoni or sausage?”
“Just cheese,” she said and went across the street without him. He dashed out into the street after her.
Chapter Five
A Very Special Lady
Dina loved pizza. Especially the large New York slices. She stood at the counter watching the guy slice the fresh pie for them. Cue had ordered an eight-slice pizza and lemonade for them both. She was impressed. He heard her complain that she wanted lemonade not water earlier. “Chivalry isn’t dead,” she mumbled.
“Can you find us a seat? I’ll bring it over,” he said.
“Oh, okay,” she agreed. She located a table nearest the back of the restaurant. She got a few napkins and began to wipe it down. Cue brought over the pizza and drinks.
“Let me help,” she smiled.
He gave her the pizza and set the bottles of Minute Maid down. He got the pepper, garlic and parmesan shakers and joined her. “Wait!” She threw up her hand to stop him. She reached into her purse and pulled out her hand sanitizer. She squirted some on his palm and then hers. He smiled and rubbed it in.
“Is the pizza good here?” he asked.
“All pizza is good,” she smiled and took a slice.
“Not true,” he said, doing the same.
“Well I like pizza. No toppings. You can’t go wrong with just cheese, sauce and dough.”
“Aah, but it’s the dough. There’s a technique to it, a finesse. If not tossed right it’s just thick and bland.”
Dina shrugged. She took a bite and pulled away a long strand of cheese. She smiled and ate it all. Cue sampled his pizza. “I’m impressed.”
“See?” she grinned.
“I do now.”
“How long have you been dancing?” Cue asked.
“You heard Matteo. A year.”
“A year with him. But looks like you’ve danced longer,” he said.
“Not it doesn’t,” she smiled.
“What?” Cue frowned.
“My brother said I couldn’t find a beat if he drew me a map and gave me the sun as my flashlight,” she laughed merrily.
Cue shook his head and laughed with her. “You were doing fine.”
Chewing, Dina stared at him. She blinked her big round eyes at her as she nibbled her pizza. He couldn’t fathom her being the pencil bandit. She was too pure for any type of violent episode.
“Why did you sign up? What do you do? You don’t look like a dancer. Where are you from? Do you live near here?”
Cue chuckled. He grabbed a few napkins and wiped his mouth. “I have to answer one question at a time.”
She bit into her pizza and nodded.
“First question, why did I sign up? I already told you, I’m new to Atlanta. I was curious.”
“Okay.”
“What do I do? That’s a long story,” he began. “I’m a doctor.”
“Really?” she asked.
He nodded. “And I think you said I don’t look like a dancer. That’s true.”
Dina smiled. “Where are you from?”
“Boston originally, but my family has all moved north to Maine. My parents were from there originally. The kids are grown so they went back home.”
“And you came to Atlanta,” she said.
“Yes. Are you from here?” he asked.
“No. Augusta. I moved here with my brother after my mother....” She took a bite of pizza to keep from finishing. She chewed. “What do you want to know about the dance class?”
“Do I have to wear tight pants like Matteo?”
Dina laughed. She fell over to her side laughing. Cue smiled. She nodded. “The men wear the pants, yes. Leggings.”
“They make them for men?”
“Yep, with stirrups. You can get a pair on Amazon.”
“Oh wow. My next question is, do I need tap shoes, or can I wear regular—”
“Tap. Silly. That’s the point.”
“I guess that’s all my questions.”
She frowned. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “Truth is I just wanted a slice of pizza.”
Dina’s smile dimmed. He feared he’d flirted too much. She checked her phone for the time. She sent a text. “My brother is asking where I am.”
“Your brother?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. Abruptly, she rose and walked over to the counter. She asked for a pizza box. She came back, and he watched her put the slices inside. He smiled at the fact she didn’t offer him any of the leftovers. “I have to leave Doc. It was nice meeting you.”
“Maybe we can do this again?”
“No thanks,” she said and put on her coat.
“Was it something I said?” he asked.
“No. I just can’t date anyone right now. I have personal issues.”
“Wait, what? Not date—”
“Date. You heard me,” she said as she pulled on her coat. “You want to date, have sex with me because you saw the way I danced with Matteo and it excited you.”
“No Dina—”
“It’s a sexy dance, but that is just for show. We don’t sleep with each other. Matteo understands the rules. And so do the band members. I don’t have sex with the men I dance with.”
“No, Dina I—”
“It’s fine. Thanks for the pizza. And don’t forget to order your tap shoes. That’s most important. You can wear shorts if you want, but you need the shoes.” She walked out of the pizzeria without a second thought. He sat there staring at the empty pie pan. What did he miss? He didn’t even get her phone number.
Cue rushed out of the restaurant. He dashed across the street and nearly got hit by a car. He hurried to the parking garage just as she pulled out of the space and stopped the car. Dina stared at him curiously. He went to her side of the car and she rolled down her window. “Name it? Anything. Let’s do it.”
“I told you I don’t—”
“Not a date. You’re the first friend I’ve made in Atlanta. How about a movie?”
“I don’t like theaters. They’re too crowded.”
“Okay, then maybe something fun. One of those video game places. Or we can—”
“Thanks for the pizza Doc. I’m not interested, okay? Now go away. Bye-bye!” she said and rolled up the window. Dina drove off.
Cue threw his hands up in defeat. “At least she’s honest.”
He walked back over to the car. He got inside of it and sat there for a moment. Then he remembered what Rodney had given him. He leaned over and reached into the glove compartment. The schedule had her visiting the bookstores in the city on the weekends, and noted her love of ducks. Cue filed it away for a need to know. He decided Rodney’s poker game sounded like a good idea.
“RODNEY, WHAT DO YOU want with your eggs?” Dina asked. She made flapjacks and turkey sausage. She also had cinnabons in the oven. “Rodneeeeeeey!” she shouted.
“What?!” he yelled down at her. “I’m on the phone Dina.”
“Oh? Okay, geesh, you should have said so.”
Dina had spent the past week with her brother and already she saw signs of him getting aggravated by her presence. He used his other condo to hang out with his friends and bring over his different girls. She stayed at home, alone. She cleaned and cooked, hoping for him to come home and hang out with her. She kept her books in her room. But she had to use her yellow post-it notes. She tried not to put them on everything. Just what was important. And he didn’t seem to mind, at first. Unless it was one of the rare occasions he invited one of his favorite two girlfriends for a sleepover. He made her remove some of them, but not all.
The thumping sound of Rodney running down the steps announced his arrival. He put a laptop on the counter. “Look at this,” he said.
She walked over as he picked up a plate and started to fix himself something to eat. “Wash your hand please.”
He sighed. He did as she asked.
“Wow. It’s nice. How many bedrooms?”
“Three. And the theater room can be turned into a library. I bought it yesterday. Penthouse view.”
“You did what?” she frowned.
“An investment. You ready to have your own space again?” he asked with one of his mischievous smiles.
“So soon? I thought I’d stay a little longer.” She pulled out the cinnabons and put the tray on the stove.
“You can stay for as long as you want. You can stay in both places if you want. But I know you kid. You want your own space. And your books? I know you’re hiding them all around here.”
She grinned. “Yeah. I am.”
“Good. I’ll take you to see it in a few days. It’s in escrow. If you don’t like it, we’ll find another. No hurry.”
“Will you go to work today?” she asked and fixed herself a plate.
“I got meetings outside of my office.”
“I have to go to the bookstore today. And then I have practice. Matteo mentioned that in a few months the dance team will go on tour. He said it could be something to grow my talent if I come with him.”
When her brother didn’t respond she glanced back at him. He was staring and chewing. She could tell he didn’t trust her enough to agree to something like that. She understood. “I told him it’s not for me. You know. I’m a homebody, not a traveling girl.”
Rodney walked over and kissed the back of her head. “Thanks for breakfast.”
“Bye,” she said as he left her alone. Dina sighed. She ate on the kitchen stool and stared at the food. Suddenly she remembered that they were low on eggs. She pulled out the drawer, got a pen and yellow sticky note and wrote a reminder to get a carton today. She walked over to the fridge and stuck it there with the other sticky notes. Suddenly she felt much better.
CUE PARKED HIS CAR next to Dina’s Acura. He got out and went to his trunk to get his duffle bag. He’d taken the past week to chart Dina’s symptoms. He believed from the moment that Rodney told him of her struggles she suffered from anxieties and obsessive compulsive disorder. He hadn’t witnessed explosive behavior or extreme emotional mood swings in the short time he spent with her. He’d taken yesterday to follow her through her life. From her visits to six bookstores, to her shopping at Staples to buy a box of sticky notes, she seemed cool and calm. She also went to the grocery store and bought a loaf of bread, and then went to Piedmont Park and fed ducks in a pond. All of her behavior seemed predictably harmless. This idea that Rodney had of him finding out her mental disorder by inserting himself into her life this way was flawed for many reasons. However, he was very intrigued. An occupational hazard. The more he watched Dina the more endearing she became. He tried to shake his attraction to her, but he thought of her often. He even turned down a call from his ex. That wasn’t like him.
Cue entered the dance studio to the guitarists warming up with a tambourinist. Marissa approached him first. “Welcome back señor. Rumor has it that you’re a doctor?”
“Rumor?”
She smiled. “A student tipped us off. We’re impressed. We have a diverse clientele, even a few attorneys, but you are our first doctor,” she said, and stroked his arm. “You’ll need to change and join everyone upstairs,” she continued. “Your first class starts in twenty minutes. Are you nervous?”
“Uh, not really. I hope it’s okay, but I didn’t find these man ‘leggings’ I was told to buy on Amazon. I have basketball shorts.”
“Aww,” she pouted. “Before you leave tell me your size and we will get a pair ordered for you.”
He tensed at the thought. She had to be close to his age—he was thirty—but she carried her youth well. And her body was as tight as any dancer’s. “I’ll be your instructor today. You are our only male student.”
He nodded and went through the door. If for some reason the class didn’t give him access to Dina, he would definitely come up with some kind of doctor’s excuse and go home to fast food and ESPN.
“OH HI DINA!” CARMEN said.
Dina pulled her long skirt up to her waist. Carmen entered the changing room. Dina refused to speak. Talking to Carmen made her nervous. Carmen, who was at least fifty, had a way of chatting up others and getting a person to confess all their secrets. A gossiper trickster that never let anyone know the details of her own personal life. Dina was a dancer. A professional. That was it.
“It’s a weird storm brewing. Weird for October. Weatherman even said that there will be tornados,” Carmen warned. “The rain today was ridiculous. You don’t like the rain, do you?”
Dina walked over to the mirror. Her naturally coily hair was all over the place. She took out her hair moisturizer and rubbed it on her hands then palmed it through her hair, making sure to smooth down the front, back and edges.
“You have the prettiest hair. You should wear it loose and not behind those headbands.�
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Dina had chosen a pink and white wraparound headband. She pulled it over her head and let it hang around her neck like a necklace as she picked out her coils with her hair pick. She then brought the cloth headband up and pushed her hair away from her face.
“You are such a beautiful girl Dina. Are you dating anyone?” Carmen asked.
“Excuse me,” Dina said, and pushed past Carmen. She felt the urge to tell Carmen to shut up, but she suppressed that urge. She hurried from the dressing room to the elevators to avoid the drama. The lights inside the studio blinked. Dina noticed. But it didn’t delay her. Carmen was extra chatty and she wanted away from her. Carmen also saw Dina cry once on Matteo’s shoulder when a storm outside made her scared to drive home. She always brought up the rain when she could. Dina had entered the elevator and pushed the button to take her up to the third floor when an arm came in and stopped the elevator from closing. To her surprise Cue walked in.
“Third floor please,” he said with a smile.
“Hi Doc!” she said, relieved it wasn’t Carmen.
“Hi Dina,” he replied. She pressed the button and the elevator began to climb. They rode the elevator in silence. She appreciated his not forcing her into polite conversation. He nodded for her to get off the elevator and she exited first. Several students were already in attendance. Most wore dark leotards and tights like her. Only Dr. Cue and two others wore street clothes. But she noticed he did have tap shoes. That impressed her.
“Sorry friends, Matteo has another appointment this evening, so you only have me. Hope that’s okay,” Marissa said to the students. Everyone but Dina nodded and smiled. Matteo made her feel at ease. He understood her dancing. Marissa made her feel small and insignificant when she tried. She almost turned to leave, when Dr. Cue stepped next to her.
“I’m nervous, feel like I’m having a panic attack,” he whispered.