by Pamela Prim
Hearts racing, chest to heaving chest, Milo and Talia lingered in the space where their dance ended.
"Did you feel that?" he asked.
"Every single moment."
She did not want him to let her go.
His chest heaved again, raising and lowering quickly. Talia settled into the warmth of their enmeshed energy.
"Good. I want you to feel that way again when you dance. Give it a go. This time with the same passion."
Holding his hand out, Milo twirled her about, releasing her.
She ran her hands across the front of her leotard, then smoothed her hair.
A deep breath. Was he saying that she was not passionate enough? What was he trying to tell her?
"You can do this, Talia. Or maybe you cannot."
His raised brow, his expression challenged her.
"I'm quite capable, Milo."
He motioned for her to begin. She was well aware that his eyes were focused on her, as were his expectations.
Showtime.
Growing up, her instructor taught her to always be ready. As a dancer, one would never know when an important opportunity would be staring at you. A once in a lifetime chance could be right in front of you. There was no time to choke. And Milo, as it stood, was one of the best dance instructors in the Northeast. He was the instructor to the instructors. Simply having the chance to audition for him was a privilege that most dancers did not get. And here she was.
Talia knew she could not afford to mess up.
Passion. Milo wanted her to dance with passion. As she started to move, she remembered what it felt like to have his hands on her hips. The feeling of his chest against hers, his breath on her neck. The feeling of him taking charge, leading her around the dance floor, creating their every move.
It fueled her, ignited her to think of how his touch set her body on fire.
It fueled her, incited a feeling in her that she'd never known.
Talia wanted more. She wanted to know what the next step was. Wanted to know why a man she didn't know made her feel a barrage of emotions that she'd never felt before. Just thinking of Milo fueled her passion. Made her want to dance and made her want to know what it was like to experience true passion.
As she swayed her hips, she wondered what it would be like to have a man truly desire her. What it was like to really turn a man on.
What turned Milo on? What drove his passion?
Talia let the rhythm of her daydream take over. Her body moved as if on autopilot. She thought of all of the women she considered sexy and beautiful and tried to channel their energy. A pirouette around the floor, and then gracefully ending with a Swan's pose.
The music softly faded out.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Talia exhaled to slow her racing heart.
"I put my all into that."
Milo stood stoic, not speaking at all.
A sudden sharp pain traveled up the length of her leg causing her to almost fold and fall to the ground. Talia caught her balance.
"I can tell that you did."
Milo quickly walked over and helped Talia stand straight.
"Maintain your posture. We should get your leg taped up. Keep it from swelling."
He had not said a word about her performance. It was fine because the condition of her leg took precedence.
"I could probably use a little ice and elevation."
"You will definitely need to soak tonight. You have done great work today, Talia. Is this one of the first times back dancing to this capacity?"
Their eyes met again. She held his gaze.
"It is."
He helped her shift her weight from standing on her leg to leaning on him.
"It shows. And that's okay. You've been sidelined a while. No need to worry. We can get you back in tip top shape. You've done enough for the day. Rest and relaxation is in order here. We should resume with practice in two days. Gives you a day to do a bit of rehab and a day of rest. Come back with your leg properly wrapped and ready to dance. Are we on the same page here?"
Talia could not hide her excitement.
"Thank you so much, Milo. I appreciate the opportunity."
"Saturday."
Milo led her over to where her bag was and waited for her to pick it up. He politely walked her outside and waited for her to get into her car once the ride arrived.
Talia could not get a read on him, could not understand what he was thinking or perhaps feeling. She just wanted to know that all of what she felt was not in her head. That she had not just imagined the chemistry between the two. She wanted to feel like he was feeling some of the same things that she was experiencing. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe because he was so much more experienced than she was.
It was possible that she had fabricated all of it, and simply got wrapped up in the euphoria of it all.
She had until Saturday to cool down her fires.
That was more than enough time to clear her head and get back focused on dance. She had to make the company. Milo's approval was the only way that she would. She told herself to focus and that Saturday would be a new day.
And she would be more than ready for Milo.
3
Two months.
It had taken Talia two months to rehab her leg working with Milo. He was intense, relentless, and did not let her back down or get discouraged.
Two months.
Working with one another closely day in and day out. She knew what it felt like to be in Milo's arms. She'd come to love what it felt like to be in Milo's arms. The feel of being supported by him and led by him. He was the picture of strength and Talia had grown to trust him. She had also grown to love the time that they spent with one another, but her audition was near and he promised her that with her current conditioning, she was more than ready.
Even when she did not feel like she would be, Milo assured her that she would be more than capable during the audition.
And when their practice sessions were over, she always hoped that Milo would ask her out for coffee or even a glass of wine. Something that would extend their time together. In that two months, he had not. In the two months they had been working closely, he never asked her about her personal life, where she'd come from, what she wanted to do with her life, where she wanted to go, or anything that was outside the scope of dance.
She's gotten to know the feeling of his body so close to hers and come to love the scent of his cologne. He was always wearing something a musky scent or something light and clean, but masculine.
Milo emanated masculinity from his pores. From his commanding stare down to the way he entered the room. Everything about Milo was assertive and forthcoming while he had the ability to exude a sensuality that Talia had never seen in a man. It made her want to further examine her own sensuality.
"You're a woman. Feel it," he kept saying. Reminding Talia with the sway of their hips in synch with one another that there was a sensual woman inside of her begging to be freed. She wanted so much to free that woman, really get to know her. It always felt like other women knew how to tap into that side of themselves. Talia was always so unsure in that space. That was until she met Milo.
Being around Milo made her fell like she was naturally feminine. Her movements changed, softened. She felt more calm and peaceful, like she could do anything. Milo motivated her to push past all of her challenges.
And yet they had not spent any additional time together outside of dance.
Until today.
"You've done well Talia. Are you available for a drink after practice? Of course to go over what you will do to finalize your audition."
The words he spoke were music to her ears. "I would love to. That sounds wonderful."
He held his hand out in front of them, beckoning for her to follow his lead.
"There is a place down the street that we can walk to conveniently."
"I think that would be perfect."
She grabbed her bag and foll
owed him. Waiting for him to lock the door of the studio, Talia stole a peek at the man. His salt and pepper hair added to his allure, but she knew that he was no older than mid 40s. She'd followed his career and knew that Milo had started his career in his early 20s and had been an instructor for about twenty years. Pretty much her entire lifetime.
He stood to extend his arm to her, her escort.
"It's a beautiful night. I love it when there is a cool breeze like this."
"Yes. I often choose to walk on nights like this," Milo replied. "The lights, the hum of the city. The rhythm. It's all so intoxicating. Part of the reason that I love living in the city. Keeps you upbeat and alive. Makes you keep remembering your purpose. Why you are here. Motivates you. Well, at least it motivates me."
Milo turned to look at her.
"How long have you been here in the city, Talia?"
"Most of my life I lived about an hour from here. Nice quiet life. But my mother would bring me to the city for my dance classes and I decided that when I grew up, I would come live here."
"So here you are."
"Yes. So here I am."
Talia glanced up at Milo to see something she'd never seen before.
A smile.
He was smiling as he slid his arm around the small of her back and gently pulled her close to him by the waist. Talia continued to follow his lead. She was interested in seeing where things would go for the night.
The last thing that she wanted was to be disappointed. Anticipation had been building for far too long. And now here she was, finally getting a chance to spend a little time alone with Milo, and it would have nothing to do with dance. For months Talia dreamed of getting Milo's undivided attention outside of the studio.
Something about Milo made Talia want to be closer to him, learn more about him, and learn more about herself. He'd been such a great teacher thus far. She wondered how much more she could learn from Milo.
There was so much to learn. She was not experienced whatsoever and until now, she had not taken the time to learn much about relationships or sex for that matter.
Talia was willing to let Milo be her teacher.
The night was young. It could go anywhere.
4
Cocktails.
Conversation.
Casual company.
There was so much to talk about. Talia loved the way that the conversation flowed so easily.
"It feels like we've known each other for years."
Milo sipped his drink. "Agreed. You are certainly intriguing, Talia. So much to offer."
The music played, the drinks flowed, and the two enjoyed one another. Talia loved how closely Milo sat to her. He was so very attentive. It was exciting to have all of his attention in this way.
"You are more than ready, Talia." He did not take his eyes off of her when he sipped his drink.
"You really feel like that?"
"I do," he replied. "You are way more amazing than you give yourself credit."
She knew at this point that she was beaming with pride. "Milo, I really appreciate that compliment coming from you. I think that you are an amazing teacher and you have really pushed me to move beyond my fears. I know that I was holding myself back due to this injury."
He lit a cigar, took a puff, and then set back. "Most dancers do. An injury can completely side line a career, as we both know. Rehab is not easy. But the body is resilient. The body is art in motion and it is designed to fix and heal itself. As long as you do the work."
Talia ran her finger around the rim of her glass, thinking about what he'd just said.
"Thank you for believing in me. I need to hear that. This audition will be pretty easy."
"Hard work, but you will do just fine. So tell me more about yourself, Talia."
She opened her mouth to speak but then realized that she was not sure where to start. There was so much and surely Milo does not want to know all of the ins and outs of her life.
"I think I'm pretty simple. I've been dancing since I was a child. Started because I didn't want to play sports the way my mother thought that I should. I happened to be good at dancing and grew to love it more than I thought that I would. One minute I was dancing at small recitals, the next minute I was going to a school for the arts and earning scholarships. Here I am."
Milo grinned. "You say that as if it's some small feat. You are so modest, Talia."
The way her name rolled off of his tongue was sweet like sugar. She wanted to hear it again and again.
The one thing Talia noticed that night. They never danced. Not once even though the music was amazing and the mood was perfect. They sat in the booth, side by side, smiling, talking, being.
Her mind began to wander, wondering what it would feel like if there was more. The cocktails gave her a sort of buzz and the conversation was perfect. Everything was perfect.
Yet he didn't cross the line. Not once did his lips touch hers or his hand brush her inappropriately. Not once. Talia did not know whether to be flattered or to be disappointed. Was he not attracted to her? Was she not giving him the right signs?
Milo continued to be the perfect gentlemen, a constant teacher and guide to her throughout the process of her rehab. Three months of daily practice and being in his arms was beginning to be unbearable for Talia. The chemistry was growing and at this point, she was not sure that he even noticed. By the time her audition came, she was almost sure that he did not have the same attraction to her. She'd heard one too many times about the student falling for the gallant teacher. Now her story was much the same. There was no way that a man as experienced and suave as Milo would even approach a woman like her, a novice at much of anything that had to do with love.
But he was there. Every moment. Every step of the way. Every day practicing with her, helping her to gain her strength. Milo was hugely responsible for so much of her progress. Their time was nearing to an end.
But there he was.
After dancing her heart out at the audition, there he was.
Milo.
"Milo? You came?"
"I did. I don't think that I've ever done that before. But I feel invested at this point. I wanted to see your process all of the way through."
His boyish grin calmed her. She loved to see him out of his element, in a space of calm and genuinely appearing happy and content. When he was the dance instructor, there was an air of complete confidence and authority which Talia had grown to love. When he was Milo outside of the dance studio, she found him to be of a more cool and calm demeanor and she had come to love that about him as well.
"I appreciate you coming. I did my best. Gave it my all."
"I could tell, you did. How did you feel up there on the stage?"
Talia paused a moment, hoisting her bag up further on her shoulder. "Like the most beautiful woman ever. The most confident that I've felt I think in life."
Milo moved in close, his fingers tilting her chin up so they were eye to eye.
"Talia, you looked more than beautiful. Your grace was incomparable. The way your hips swayed was mesmerizing. You captured all that it means to be a dancer, the passion and the power. Job well done."
His words took her breath away.
"Don't say anything." He placed a finger over her lips gently. "I have a surprise for you. If you have the time."
Talia simply nodded and followed as Milo led the way.
5
"I wanted to do a little something special for you, Talia. I hope you don't mind. It was very impromptu, but there was a lot of thought put in here."
Milo turned the key and they entered an expansive loft apartment.
"This is my home. I took care to prepare dinner and we have some wine, and some extras. I thought a celebration would be in order."
Overcome, Talia walked in, trying to make sense of it all.
"It was just an audition. I don’t even have the job yet."
"Yet," he replied with a smile. "Yet. We will speak positively. You will ace it. Th
e judges loved you. Let me take your things. Make yourself at home."
Milo grabbed her bag and her jacket and set them in a closet. She watched as he walked to the kitchen area and opened a bottle of wine.
"I hope you don't mind a bit of white wine here."
"It's perfect," she replied.
Taking a sip, the wine settled her. She took a seat on the bar stool and watched as Milo prepared the food. He moved like an expert in the kitchen. Milo served dinner by candlelight and the two of them dined and laughed, settled in one another's company.
Once their meal was finished, they both took a new glass of wine to the living room.
"Who knew that you were this funny?" Talia sipped her wine.
"Well, I don’t think I'm that humorous. But I most definitely like to laugh. And I enjoy life."
Milo set his glass down on the table and motioned for Talia to lift her leg. He took both of her legs and rested them in his lap. His hands massaged, kneaded from her feet up her ankle and then to her calf muscle.
His touch felt amazing. Sensual but firm.
"I'm new to this Milo."
Talia hadn't meant to blurt out what she was thinking, but the words came right out of her mouth without a second thought.
"It's okay."
"I've never…"
A light squeeze to her leg let her know that nothing else needed to be said.
"You've been in good hands since you met me. Why would anything change now?"
She knew what he was saying was truth. Even when he was firm with her, Milo was gentle. Even when it seemed like he was not paying her any attention, apparently he was.
"You are telling the truth," Talia replied. She stared into his eyes, trying her best to let him know that she was ready.
"I have wanted you for some time, Talia. I think that now is the time."
Talia was not aware that he was interested in her in that way. To feel his touch was invigorating. A tingle traveled down the length of her spine as he pulled her close. When his lips brushed hers, she could taste the faint hint of wine. The kiss had been a long time coming. They spent time so close together in proximity, in such sensual embraces, and never had a lime been crossed.