by Amelia Grace
‘Morning, Yolande—no good today?’
‘Way too busy to be good,’ I said.
Xander put his hand on my shoulder and stopped me. ‘You need to eat.’
‘I will, as I work.’
‘No. Sit down and eat, or I’ll carry you there!’
I lifted an eyebrow at Xander. He was being ridiculous. I turned to continue to Gram’s office and took two steps, when suddenly, Xander picked me up and put me over his shoulder.
He carried me to a table, pulled out a chair and sat me on it. ‘I’m not leaving until you’ve eaten the breakfast I’ve made for you.’
Darcy stopped at the table with a spoon. ‘You’re in on this too?’ I said to him.
‘Xander has a point,’ he said, and returned to the coffee machine.
‘Fine!’ I said, and opened the bag. I pulled out a container of warm porridge and a container of blueberries. I poured the blueberries over the porridge and started to eat.
‘The cherries, bananas, walnuts, bagel with peanut butter and pasta with sauce are for you to eat throughout the day. Darcy will bring you tea and chocolate milk to keep you hydrated at given times,’ Xander said. He pushed a lock of hair behind my ear, his touch sending a tingle down my spine. ‘Full dress rehearsal tonight.’
‘I remember.’ A twinge of anxiety shot through me, surprising me. ‘Can you take Gram’s bicycle out the front for me ... and ah ... thanks for the food,’ I said.
When Xander re-entered the store, I held the empty porridge bowl up to show him, then poked my tongue out at him. I went to the workbench, grabbed my apron and tied it on while I went to the cold room to collect flowers for Gram’s bicycle. When I came out Xander was leaning on the workbench. ‘Anything I can do to help?’
‘Here’s my list.’ I held it in front of him.
His eyes widened. ‘Now that’s a list ... I can take flowers out the front for you.’
‘That’d be great, considering I’m late today and you made me sit and eat breakfast.’ I looked up from the flowers I was arranging and frowned at him.
‘Is there a problem?’
‘Are you okay with taking the flowers outside?’
‘Yes, why?’
‘It’s kind of a girly thing for a guy to do ...’
‘Yolande ... I’m a ballet dancer ... I’m beyond worrying about what people think of me.’
‘Are you?’
‘Am I what?’
‘Do you prefer men?’
He rolled his eyes at me. ‘Yolande ... I’m—’
Arms wrapped around me from behind. It was Charlotte, her sherberty perfume floating around me.
‘Xander, this is Charlotte, my partner in crime, as fake a florist as they come, like me.’ I smiled at Charlotte and she beamed back at me with the warmest light in her eyes.
‘Actually, Landi’s fakeness is far superior to mine. She may even hold a bit of floral knowledge in that crazy head of hers.’ Charlotte grinned and held out her hand to Xander to shake. I watched as Xander placed his hand in hers, Charlotte almost incinerating on the spot.
Charlotte looked back to me, her cheeks flushed. ‘Catch you later, Andi, we better get organised before Gramps comes in and berates us.’ She looked back at Xander and inclined her head. ‘Nice to meet you, dearest Xander!’
Charlotte turned and walked to the sales desk, leaving a trail of virtual glitter flowing behind her.
I gazed up at Xander and shook my head at him.
‘You have just witnessed someone going gooey on me.’
‘I’d hate to imagine how many girls fall at your feet. Do they know they’re wasting their time?’
‘They all fall at my feet except for one—you.’
‘Is that a problem for your ego?’
‘No. It’s refreshing, and I like that you’re not like the others.’
‘Compliment or insult?’
‘Compliment ... now, which flowers am I taking outside?’
I picked up the bouquet of pink pastel flowers I had just made for Gram’s bicycle basket. ‘These ones. You know where they go. I’ll do the others. See you tonight—and ah ... thanks for the food.’
He took the blooms from me and his fingers brushed over mine. My pulse skipped a beat and I took a moment to collect myself.
He stilled and frowned, while looking deeply into my eyes. I didn’t want to go all gooey on him, but I feared it was too late.
‘Looking forward to it, and don’t forget to eat,’ he said, then left.
I blew air between my pursed lips. He was just my dance partner, right? I picked up a spray of miniature lilac roses and put them into my hair. Then took a spray of miniature pink roses over to Charlotte.
‘He’s been in the store before, right? I remember you watching him walk out the doors,’ Charlotte said while I decorated her hair with roses.
‘Yes. He’s my dancing partner.’
‘No way! You get to touch him?’
‘Yes.’
‘He looks a bit like Prince Siegfried from Swan Lake.’
‘That’s because he is Prince Siegfried from Swan Lake!’
‘No. Way! I can’t believe it ... so you’re dancing with a prince?’
‘Something like that ...’
‘Has he kissed you?’
‘No ... it’s professional. We have a competition on Saturday and then we say goodbye.’
‘How do you feel about that?’
‘Good,’ I said. But I knew it wasn’t going to be good. I liked him more than I cared to admit.
‘What type of dancing are you doing?’
‘Ballroom—a waltz and a foxtrot. But I did ballet until I was eighteen.’
‘Did you get to kiss the ballet boys?’
I grinned at her. ‘I’ve kissed a good share of danseurs in my time.’ I giggled. ‘Mia and—’ I took a breath. Saying Mia’s name out loud still hurt, ‘—Mia and I ... use to kiss the guys we thought might be gay, to see if we could convince them to go straight.’
Charlotte burst out laughing. ‘What’s it like kissing a gay guy?’
‘Hmm ... it was so long ago I can’t remember...’
‘Yes, you do. You never forget!’
‘I don’t kiss and tell.’ I wrinkled my nose at Charlotte. She was my favourite fake florist and flower power sister.
‘Is Xander gay?’
I pressed my lips together and wobbled my head. ‘I’m not sure. I’ve asked him, but we’re always interrupted when he’s about to answer my question.’
‘I hope he’s not,’ Charlotte said, her eyes shining.
‘It doesn’t matter if he is. He’s a beautiful dancer, and that’s all that matters.’ I looked down at my work boots, not believing a word I had just said. ‘We’d better get back to work or the shop won’t open on time and Gram will be furious! We don’t want Gramps turning into a fire breathing dragon.’
Charlotte lowered her head. ‘I think she’s already furious that she can’t be here in the store ...’
‘I know ... but we have a plan to raise money for research now.’
Charlotte wiped away a tear. ‘Let’s do this and make your gram well again!’
‘Absolutely!’
I returned to the workbench and checked my list of jobs. A pot of tea and a teacup appeared in my vision. I looked up at Darcy. ‘Thanks.’
‘Are you going out with him?’
‘With who?’ I asked.
‘You know ... Xander.’
‘No, why do you think that?’
‘He opens doors for you, he brings you breakfast, and this morning he helped you with flowers. No guy would help you with flowers unless they were trying to impress you.’
‘He’s being nice to me because I’m his dance partner. That’s all.’
‘You think?’
‘I know!’
‘And I know, because I’m a guy!’
‘Well, you’re wrong. He’s just a gentleman who will do anything for anybody—’ I stopped talking
, lifted my chin and narrowed my eyes at Darcy, ‘Much like you.’
Darcy lowered his head and smirked. He looked up at me again. ‘I’d better get back to my barista self.’ He tapped the work bench twice, turned and left.
I shook my head while I watched him walk away. He was the most backward guy at coming forward. Maybe he needed a dose of liquid courage.
*~*~*~*~*
I wiped the crumbs from my lips before I sat the in car. I had saved the best food till last - the bagel with peanut butter. I had eaten everything in Xander’s paper bag today. Just for him. And I had created a paper plane out of the paper bag. Just for him.
Xander sat in the driver’s seat and turned on the engine, then looked at me. ‘Did you eat everything?’
I tilted my head to the side and threw the paper bag plane at him.
It hit him on the arm and fell into his lap. He picked it up and turned it this way and that. ‘You know you could improve the aerodynamics with this ...’
‘Is that a challenge, Mr Parker?’
‘Perhaps it is,’ he said. ‘But for now, we have some dancing to do.’ He pulled out onto the road and drove to my parents’ house, where I gathered my two dancing gowns and shoes.
We arrived at the hall and Xander unlocked the door and pushed it open.
‘Ladies first,’ he said with a slight dip of his head.
I stepped inside the hall and stopped as I caught my breath. There were fairy lights everywhere. It was beyond beautiful. It was magical. It was like a fairy tale ... except fairy tales weren’t real. But here I was with Prince Siegfried ...
I swallowed the lump in my throat to stop myself from crying, and turned back to Xander. ‘Did you—’
‘Yes.’ He gazed deeply into my eyes. Warmth flooded my body and I closed my eyes.
I shook my head. ‘You didn’t need to do this—’
‘I wanted to make our dress rehearsal special,’ he said, and frowned at me.
Had I hurt his feelings telling him he didn’t need to decorate the hall?
‘It’s ... it’s amazing and wonderful and ... magnificent, like you.’
‘And like you,’ he said, his voice gentle.
‘Thanks, Alexander Parker. You’re a girl’s dreams come true!’
Xander smiled at me, took my hand and walked to the church pew with me.
I put my backpack on the seat as I always did.
I turned toward Xander when he started to speak. ‘At the dance venue the first thing we will do is change into our competition clothes, warm up and stretch, like tonight. Tomorrow night is our final practice. It will be short, so we can rest.’
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Now stand outside the front door while I get changed into my waltz gown.’
‘Yolande, I’m used to being in dressing rooms with ballerinas, remember?’
‘Please ...’ I said in a quiet voice. I didn’t want him to see my chest scar again.
‘For you, I’ll go to the other end of the hall and turn my back, if you like.’
‘You won’t peek at me?’
‘Not until you tell me I can turn around.’
‘Okay. But if I see you peeking when you’re not supposed to, you’re out that door!’
Xander smiled. He grabbed his costume and walked away from me. When I was comfortable with his distance and the sight of his back, I found the opposite corner of the hall and changed into my gown. I looked down at my chest. The scar was well covered. Good.
I walked towards Xander. ‘You can turn around now,’ I said.
He turned and faced me. He looked damn good in his suit. He lowered his chin and swallowed as he looked at me. A shot of anxiety flared through me. Perhaps I had chosen the wrong gown to dance in.
‘Can you zip me up, please,’ I said and turned around for him.
I felt the light touch of his finger against my spine as he fastened my gown. My body tingled from his touch. It travelled through me, warming me.
‘Thanks,’ I said, and walked away to put on my dance shoes.
When I stood, fully dressed to dance, I looked over at Xander. He was in the middle of the hall with his hands in his pockets, waiting for me, looking every bit a high-profile fashion model would. No wonder women were spellbound around him. Even I had to fight his magical potion of allure.
As I came closer, I gazed into his blue eyes. He made a deep connection to my eyes and held them, even as I stood in front of him.
‘I want to say you look beautiful, but you don’t like the word beautiful, and pretty isn’t suffice—’
I put my finger over his lips. He didn’t need to say anymore. I didn’t need to hear words of flattery. ‘Will you dance with me?’ I said.
‘I’d love to,’ he whispered, and then the music began ... Once Upon a Dream.
Romantic dance session number twelve had started. First, the waltz until three times without error, then a change of ball gown to dance our foxtrot, three times without error.
It couldn’t be any more beautiful than dancing under the fairy lights that adorned the hall.
Did he truly know what a gift he was?
Chapter Thirty-Four
WHAT THE MIRROR REFLECTED WAS A LIE. What the mirror showed me was a flawless face with artistic make-up for ballroom dancing, which, like a mask, was hiding the real me ... the one who let go of her best friend’s hand when she needed me the most ...
I leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting the face before me. It appeared unblemished. I applied one last burst of hair spray to my hair. Charlotte had created a beautiful up-do with loose curls framing my face, and added miniature roses from Flowers for Fleur.
I brushed my hands down my waltz ball gown, rechecking that my chest scar was completely concealed. I turned while I looked at myself in the mirror. The coloured cascading flowers looked perfect on the white gown.
Flowers for Fleur. For Gram.
I hoped she was here to see me dance with the Prince Siegfried.
I stepped out of the make-up room and looked for Xander. He was talking to a dancer, dressed just like him. Tonight, he was the colour of red, of passion, of love, of power, of sensuality. I sucked in a shuddering breath.
The dancer’s eyes moved from Xander to me. Xander followed the dancer’s gaze and turned around to face me. He stilled, and his breath hitched. He placed his hand over his heart and bowed a little, then took two ballet steps toward me before he corrected his walk to that of the other ballroom dancers.
He stopped before me. ‘Wow!’ he said. ‘Beautiful.’
‘Wow, yourself,’ I said back, ignoring his use of the word beautiful. He reminded me of the world saving prince in all the fairy tales. But when I looked around the room, it was filled with princes. Maybe they weren’t so unique after all ...
He took my hand in his and kissed the back of it, his lips warm and soft. Warmth rushed through me like a warm apple cider on a freezing cold day. I wanted to capture the “Xander Effect”, bottle it, and keep it forever, for I knew it would all come to an end after midnight.
‘Let’s warm up,’ he said. I wanted to tell him I was already warm, but I didn’t. He took my hand in his and I followed him closely, inhaling his scent of citrus with a hint of liquorice, vanilla, lavender, amber and sandalwood.
‘Does anyone here know who you are?’ I asked while we stretched.
Xander looked around. ‘There’s only one other ballet dancer I recognise. But we’ll keep each other’s secrets.’
‘You gave yourself away, Zan.’
‘When?’
‘The first two steps you took towards me were the steps of a danseur.’
‘That’s because I was distracted,’ he said.
‘By what?’
‘Whom ...’
I rolled my eyes at him. ‘Whom?’
‘You.’
I turned my face to the side as I felt my cheeks warm. I looked back at him. ‘That’s because you were waiting for me to throw a paper plane at you!’
Xander narrowed his eyes at me. ‘Yes. I had to be on alert in case of an incoming bomber.’
We warmed up and stretched for fifteen minutes and rehearsed a couple of our steps. Xander looked up at the dance call board and our names were illuminated. Our final waltz was about to begin.
Xander took both of my hands in his. ‘This is when the magic happens, when you and I become one. Don’t think, just feel ...’
I wanted to tell him the magic had already happened. But I didn’t.
Xander stood beside me and took my hand in his. The doors opened, and we stepped out onto the dance floor. An applaud echoed through the theatre and Xander dropped my hand as we separated for the start of our waltz. It would be spectacular, there was no doubt. Xander was a gifted choreographer and he had incorporated some clever ballet moves into our routine. It definitely gave our performance the “wow” factor.
I stilled in my position and waited for the music ... Once Upon a Dream ... and then it began. My nervous energy transported me into another dimension, where it was just me and Xander, dancing in a magical castle where no past existed, no future, just the present, in a way I chose to be.
Within a minute and a half our waltz had finished. I inhaled deeply, like I hadn’t take a breath during the entire performance. When I looked into Xander’s eyes, they were bright with unadulterated passion. I wanted to keep my eyes connected to his, swimming in pure delight. It would hurt to break our deep soul contact, one I had never known before. I felt like I was tied to him by an unknown force, but I had to break it, before I fell too deeply.
Xander stood from his kneeling position, stepped closer and closed his eyes, then kissed me on the forehead. ‘UN-believable,’ he whispered through smiling lips as he stood next to me while we bowed to the judges. He took my hand in his and we walked with grace across the dance floor, smiling, like seasoned professional ballroom dancers did.
‘UN-believable?’ I asked once we were in the warm up room again. Had I done something wrong?
‘Yes. I never knew you could dance like that.’
Oh ... that ... ‘I disappeared into the music and let it transport me to another place and time.’ Away from the last three years of my life, to a time where the sun shone brightly, and no clouds ever entered my life.