Alex’s gaze followed his hand. She waved to the boys. “Dan won’t dance with you. He doesn’t dance.”
“Ever?”
“Nah.”
Alex looked surprised. “Why not?”
Fluke leaned close and Alex had to brace a hand on his chest to stop him falling into her. Geez, he was drunk. “He’s too cool.”
“Oh, really? We should make him,” she said and Fluke took the hint, leaving her side to go to Dan.
His arrival at the bar, dripping with sweat, got Mitch and Ant’s attention too. “Teach wants to dance with you, Dan.”
Dan laughed and waved to Alex. He had no intention of dancing.
“Come on, Dan. You have to dance with her,” said Fluke.
“No. I don’t.”
“You owe me.”
“What do you mean?”
“For Katie.”
“Fluke, how drunk are you? You wanted me dead over Katie and now you just want me to dance with Teach?”
“Still want you dead, but I want you embarrassed first.”
“What?”
“I figure you can’t dance, which is why you agreed to the bet. I want to see you embarrass yourself and I know you haven’t been drinking so it’s gonna to be worse ‘cause you’ll be self-conscious and you’ll remember it.”
“Fluke, little man – that’s devious,” said Ant. “I’m impressed. Didn’t think you had it in you.”
Fluke gave Dan a shove. “Go.”
Dan stumbled forward, caught off guard by Fluke’s push. He looked at Alex, clearly waiting for him, her hands on her hips, standing at the edge of the dance floor. She gave him a wave and there was no mistaking it was anything other than a command to join her. Shit. He turned back to look at Ant and Mitch, saw undisguised glee in Ant’s face, and knew they’d bought the idea that he didn’t dance because he couldn’t.
He muttered to himself, “Alright, you bastards, you asked for it,” and strode off towards Alex.
She met him with a big smile and leaned towards him. “Fluke says you don’t dance.”
“I don’t.”
“So why the classes?”
“Long story.”
“Are you going to dance with me now?”
Dan looked back at the boys lined up against the bar, eager to watch him fall apart and make an idiot of himself. “Yep.” He executed a spin like Fluke attempted but with ease, sliding to a stop directly in front of Alex and taking her hand. They moved around each other and found their groove and, over Alex’s head, Dan could see Mitch laughing and Ant and Fluke looking like someone stole their Christmas. He couldn’t help but laugh himself.
When the track ended, the DJ shifted pace, Ed Sheeran’s A-team – a slow song with bitter sweet lyrics, a couple’s song. It nearly emptied the dance floor. Dan could see Mitch, Ant, and Fluke hooting – now he’d be in trouble, couldn’t just bop around, had to slow dance or leave Alex there. He looked at Alex; she was standing still, waiting on him, that slightly superior look in her eyes. She was so very beautiful in a dark blue dress that flowed around her hips and swirled around her legs, it was easy to take her in his arms and slow dance her in a small circle.
Held up close, Alex didn’t have to shout and Dan heard the surprise in her voice when she said, “You do dance!”
He knew he was rusty, rough in his movements, and wasn’t holding her right, but he was doing ok against expectations. “I never said I couldn’t.”
She said, “Oh!” in a breathy way that made a shiver spiral down his neck. Over Alex’s shoulder he saw the boys, goldfish with their mouths flapping, Fluke’s expression the most amusing, bug-eyed and slack-jawed. Assuming Fluke remembered, Dan didn’t think this was going to help him get over the Katie-death-wish thing any quicker.
He turned back to focus on Alex, skimming his hand over her back to secure her more firmly, enjoying the feeling of having her in his arms. He hadn’t danced with a woman like this since his mother and she’d been a lot taller than him. Ah, what was he thinking, he’d never danced with a woman like this, ever. It made him smile, it made him tuck his chin down to look at Alex, and it amped his confidence. He remembered what to do. He resettled Alex in his arms and used more of the floor space to dance her around. He could smell her perfume, something spicy and warm, and her long ponytail brushed against his hand, her hair a silky tickle.
“What are you doing here?” he said, close to her ear, hoping she’d breathe against his neck again in response. She was so out of place in this pick-up joint.
Alex lifted her head to look in Dan’s eyes. He’d surprised her. He was by no means expert, but he hadn’t trodden on her, backed her into anyone, or pushed her over, so it was a pleasant surprise to find herself enjoying being in his arms. “Scott and I won a competition heat tonight. We were too excited to go home. Wanted to blow off steam and this is the only place we could think of that would still be open.”
“Congratulations,” he said and she saw his smile crinkle his blue eyes and she smiled back. Yeah, she could see what Belinda was saying about him being a player. He was surprisingly smooth along with being incredibly good looking.
As the song ended, they realised they had the floor to themselves and in the seconds before the DJ repaired her song selection mistake, they stood there grinning at each other.
When Dan released her, he kept hold of one hand and laughingly brought it to his lips. Alex felt the barest touch of his kiss to her knuckles. She knew he was hamming it up for his friends, but it was a surprisingly cute thing to do so she’d rewarded him with a curtsey before belatedly recognising it as a player’s move and pulling her hand away.
Dan inclined his head in a little bow-like movement and grinned at her. He said, “See you Monday, Teach,” and was gone.
Alex followed him off the dance floor and watched him return to a round of backslapping from his friends. She was surprised to see money changing hands between them. Had they bet on his ability to dance? Well, they’d sure come unstuck. He might fancy himself as too cool, but he’d make a decent student if he didn’t flake out first.
Alex was still watching Dan when Scott put his arms around her. “Enough Neanderthal play time, hmm?”
“Dan can dance.”
“Very generous of you to call it that.”
Alex laughed. “I guess I was ready to be dumped or trodden all over, and look,” she said, turning in Scott’s arms to hug him back. “I survived unscathed.”
It was Scott’s turn to laugh. “What have I told you, girlfriend, about having such low expectations?” He kissed her cheek. “Come on, let’s get you home before you do something stupid like fall in lust with a caveman.”
The look Alex gave him in response would be described in polite circles as ‘withering’ and in the parlance of Son of a Beach Bar as ‘stink-eye’.
13. Tea Ceremony
Jeff didn’t bark and his tail was doing a mad three-sixty wag, so that meant the shadow in the frosted glass door pane belonged to a friend. Dan didn’t think twice about opening it and then he wished he’d done anything else. He looked at Jeff – traitor. He looked at Katie – capital T trouble.
She was dressed up, no weekend shorts and tee, buta black dress, butt skimming, tight-fitting, take-no-prisoners. She was on a mission and Dan had a sinking feeling he was it.
“Hey, can I come in?”
“Ah, Katie. I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.” Dan held the door, standing in the hallway, physically signalling the bad idea concept. Jeff, however, felt it was an outstanding opportunity and circled round behind Katie using his sheepdog herding abilities, sniffing at her shoes and making her step forward, giving Dan two choices – step back and let her in or have her virtually in his arms. He stepped back and somewhere in his head a siren started wailing.
“Does Fluke know you’re here?”
“Do you think I’m a complete tool, Dan? No, of course he doesn’t.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Katie.”
“Well, can’t I?”
Dan sighed, not sure what to do now that she was in the flat. They both knew this wasn’t a normal visit. “One cup of tea and you’re out of here.”
Katie flashed a brilliant smile. She tossed a fall of her red curls over her shoulder and sashayed down the hall to the kitchen. Dan watched the shift of her hips and heard her bright yellow stilettos clonking heavily on the floorboards, an ominous real world sound to rival the scream of the imagined warning siren in his head.
She had her back to him, filling the kettle at the sink when he arrived in the kitchen. That dress was underwear preview short. She had great legs in those heels, but he still wished she was in plain old shorts and thongs. This sophisticated Katie with glossy lips and jasmine perfume was on the prowl, and Dan was feeling entirely like snack food. He stayed on the other side of the room, leaning against the door jamb. If Fluke knew she was here like this, he’d go ballistic.
“What do you want, Katie?”
“I want to talk about what happened.”
“I told you I was sorry about that. It should never have happened. We’re mates and that’s enough.”
“What if I want more?”
“More what?”
“You put this stupid act on, don’t you, Dan?” He frowned at her, so she said, “I want more of you.”
Now he acted, coming into the room proper. “No chance, kiddo.”
“I’m not a kid anymore, and you know it.”
Dan sat at the table and watched as Katie made a tea ceremony of her intentions. The exaggerated sway of her body as she lifted the kettle to the teapot, the tap of her painted nails on the sink as she waited for it to brew, were all designed to draw his attention. The way she bent into the fridge to look for the milk was deliberately calculated to show off her gym-rounded backside. Her low lean across the Formica table to pour his tea was intended to give him a direct sight line down the front of her dress. When she sat, she gave him another hair toss, a flirtatious smile, and a sultry look through mascara enhanced lashes.
Dan closed his eyes to block her attempt to seduce him. So far an A-triple-plus for effort. If she were any other girl, she wouldn’t still be wearing that excuse for a dress and they wouldn’t be drinking tea in the kitchen. But she was Katie, the only woman in his life who wasn’t, by the slimmest of chances and Fluke’s intervention, an attendant or an amusement.
“What do you think is going to happen?” he said.
“I think we’re going to pick up where we left off.”
“What, you crying and Fluke screaming at both of us? Excellent.” Dan let his annoyance show.
“No, you know what I mean.”
“No. I don’t.”
Katie gave a half laugh, half gasp. Clearly she’d not expected this to be hard work. “Fluke’ll get over it.”
“What?”
“You and me together.”
Dan pushed back from the table, making the cups rattle in their saucers, startling Jeff who gave him a wide berth and coming to sit beside her.
“There is no you and me. Ever. Get it.”
“But you...”
“I was drunk.”
“Tell me you don’t think I’m attractive.”
“You’re sexy as hell, but you might as well be my little sister. I don’t want this. You coming on to me, it’s wrong.”
“That’s unfair. How is it wrong, Dan? We’ve known each other forever. We can choose to be together.”
“Do you know what choosing to be with me means?”
“Really hot sex.”
“Katie!”
“Well, you asked.”
“Is that it? Because if that’s all you want I’m ready. You know where the bedroom is.” Dan raised his arm and pointed. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Katie hesitated. Dan was glaring at her, standing well back from the table. “Not just that. We could have something real. We’re already friends.”
He dropped his arm with a hard slap against his side and Jeff leant into her leg. “You see me with a lot of female friends, do you?”
“No.”
“That’s right. I don’t do friends with chicks. I fuck them and I leave them. Is that what you want, ‘cause like I said, I’m ready.”
Katie bit her lip. “Dan, don’t be like that with me.”
“Isn’t that what you want? What you came here dressed like that for?”
“I just wanted you to see me differently, that’s all.”
“Fuck Katie. You came here to seduce me. So if that’s what you want, consider me fucking seduced.”
“No. I... I’ve made you angry.”
“You think?”
She blinked at him. He exhaled heavily and watched her drop her eyes to her teacup.
“I’m angry because I don’t want this. You don’t want this. I’m no good with women, kiddo, you know it. I don’t even want to remember their names.”
“But you’d be different with me.”
Dan came around the table and jerked Katie’s chair out from the table so it faced him. She was wide-eyed and looked about ready to burst into tears. He went down on one knee so he was more level with her. He’d wanted to scare her off, but he didn’t want to freak her out entirely.
“I’m already different with you.” He took her hand and spoke more softly. “You’re my only mate who’s a chick. Can’t we have that please? It’s far more valuable than anything else I can give you.”
“You don’t want me.” Now her tears started, soundlessly filling her eyes and cascading down her cheeks.
Would it be wrong to hug her, send a mixed signal? He didn’t know what to do now. Jeff did though. He pushed his big head into Katie’s lap and looked at her with his brown eyes, his ears laid flat in the universal dog gesture of ‘pat me, it’ll make you feel better’. Dan followed his lead and wrapped his arms around Katie, letting her sob into his shoulder. “I want you as a friend. A friend forever, not something throw-away.”
Katie’s voice was muffled by sobs and his t-shirt. “But what if we weren’t throw-away?”
He released her and sat back on his shins. “How long have you known me, Katie Dean?”
“Since I was five years old,” she sniffed.
“And have you ever seen me with a girlfriend?” He put a finger against her wet lips to stop her answering. “A proper long-term prospect girlfriend?”
Katie shook her head.
“That’s right. I’m kinda retarded like that. I can’t do it. Too much like my old man. I like my women temporary and on a rotational basis and I do not want that for you. You deserve the real thing and that’s not me. I can be a bloke you take to bed a couple of times or I can be a mate, but I can’t be both. And you can’t come over here all sexed up and get me all agitated like this again, ok?”
Dan stood, pulled Katie up with him, and wrapped her in a proper hug. “Can you just be my friend?”
Her voice was muffled against his chest, but what she said made him smile. “No. I need to hate you for a little while. Is that ok?”
He stroked a hand down her hair. “Perfectly ok. How long do you reckon you need?”
She said, “How about till hell freezes over?” and the wailing siren in Dan’s head shut off and he knew it was going to be alright between them.
14. Bluff
Alex tied the last blindfold around Mitch’s eyes. Now all the men were essentially sightless and suddenly helpless and all the women were smiling and eager.
“Remember, this is about trust. Guys, this is essentially how your partner feels. She has no idea what’s behind her and has to trust you to guide her. This is an exercise to demonstrate to you how she feels. And yes, it’s a bit dramatic, but it’s also the quickest way to prove the point. To dance well together you have to cooperate and be kind to each other,” she said.
There were groans and giggles as the couples got ready. M
elissa was missing this evening, so Alex partnered Carlie with Fluke and Scott was free to work with her to supervise the exercise.
“Girls, you’re leading this time. Guys, you’re moving backwards.”
More groans, more giggles. Scott started their music and the six couples began to move, stiffly, haltingly, with a fair degree of pushing from the women and resistance from the men.
“Ah, the zombie waltz,” Scott whispered in Alex’s ear as he brushed past en route to untangling Mitch and Katrina and the L-platers.
Alex surveyed the carnage. The only couple doing a reasonable job were Dan and Jenni. Their only issue was that, even blindfolded and going backwards, Dan was still leading, pulling a laughing Jenni with him. Alex tapped Jenni on the shoulder and when she moved back took her place, taking Dan’s hand in hers.
He said, “What’s happening?” as his other hand circled behind Alex’s back.
“I’m leading, that’s what’s happening,” she said, settling her hand on his shoulder.
“Weren’t we doing alright?”
“You were cheating.”
Dan just grinned under the thick fold of black cotton around his eyes. “We were cooperating,”
“You were cheating. Jenni was supposed to be leading. You were supposed to be following.”
Dan laughed, “Guess I’m not much of a follower.”
“Guess that changes right now.” Alex stepped forward, expecting Dan to step back. He didn’t and she ended up pressed against him. “Step back.”
He laughed again and pressed his palm more firmly into her back. “Do I have to?”
What was he doing, just being a Neanderthal or deliberately flirting? “Dan, step back.” Whichever it was, Alex wasn’t going to be played.
Dan stepped back and while he moved stiffly, he didn’t resist, as Alex danced him further into the room.
“We were just cooperating. Jenni was nervous.”
“So, you thought you could just do her part for her?”
“Yeah, isn’t that cooperating?”
“No. That’s being a bully.”
Dan stopped dead and Alex bumped up against him again, breathing in his just-washed soapy scent. “What do you mean a bully?” he said and she could tell from his ground coffee voice he was irritated.
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