Christmas All Around Us ; The Perfect Time for Love ; Playing for Keeps

by Carla Kincaid

  Misty seemed excited about the adventure -- or maybe she was just excited about the cookies -- but Rachel had her doubts. In her mind, a senior center was a place where lonely old people hobbled around longing for family members to come to visit them. It didn't seem like the kind of place Rachel wanted to spend any time now or in her future.

  "Are you sure the senior center is an okay place to take Misty?" Rachel asked while she and Julie cleaned the kitchen after Misty went to bed. "When I think of senior centers, I always imagine the places being kind of lonely and sad."

  Julie chortled with laughter. "Just wait. Sunrise Senior Center isn't anything like you're thinking," Julie said as she placed the last clean mixing bowl in the cabinet.

  Watching her reach up to the shelf made Rachel flashback to the less-clothed version of Julie in the same position last night. Now the feelings of sexual attraction were mixed with a deeper attraction to Julie in general. All of this was making it more and more difficult for Rachel to maintain a friendship focused demeanor.

  "As a matter of fact," Julie said as she turned back toward Rachel.

  Rachel quickly averted her eyes, hoping Julie hadn't seen her staring at her butt.

  "Most of the residents have more active social lives than I do! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how lively the center is," Julie continued. "In fact," she said with a yawn. "I think I'd better get some sleep so I'm prepared for anyone's energy from five to eighty-five!"

  Rachel smiled at the joke and used that expression to mask her disappointment. She'd been hoping to spend some time alone with Julie before they went to bed but she didn't want to suggest a movie -- or Netflix and chill time -- if Julie was really tired.

  "Okay. See you in the morning," she said making her voice sound cheery.

  "Sweet dreams!" Julie replied as she disappeared down the hall.

  Rachel nodded. She was pretty sure tonight's dreams were going to be just that. Sweet.

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  "Well, I think that's everyone," the center's director said as she walked up to the tables where Rachel and Julie had been serving lunch plates to the seniors while Misty handed out cookies. "We really can't thank all of you enough for your help. Especially you, Misty!" The director smiled at the little girl. "Your chocolate chip cookies are a big hit!"

  Rachel watched as a smile spread across Misty's face.

  "I do have one more favor to ask," the director continued.

  Rachel glanced down at the empty serving trays praying that the director wasn't going to ask them to wash dishes before they left.

  "Sure, Mrs. Carson," Julie said in her usually pleasant demeanor. "How can I help?"

  "Well, I know it's not on the schedule but a few of the seniors asked me to ask you if you could teach a short dance class. You see, they've been invited to participate in a Christmas talent show at another senior center across town tomorrow and some of our residents are feeling a little rusty when it comes to their dance moves."

  Rachel watched as Julie's eyes lit up.

  "Of course! I'd love to give them a quick lesson," she said. "You two won't mind if we stay a little longer, will you?" Julie asked looking at Misty and Rachel.

  "Can I dance too?" Misty asked making it clear that she wanted to stay for the impromptu activity.

  "Of course you can," Julie said with a smile. Then she looked at Rachel.

  "I don't mind staying to watch," Rachel said making it clear that she had no intention of joining the class like Misty.

  "Well, I guess that's a yes," Julie said excitedly. "Just tell whoever is interested in the class to meet me in the dance room."

  "Oh, thank you so much!" Mrs. Carson said as she gave Julie a big hug. "The residents are already waiting for you down the hall."

  Rachel followed Julie and Misty to the designated room and then found a spot in the corner where she could sit and watch.

  "Aright, everyone. Let's get started. I want to show you some moves that will impress those seniors at the other center," Julie said.

  The residents whooped with enthusiasm.

  Cleary, they're a pretty competitive bunch and nothing like the old people Rachel had been imagining last night. Rachel watched the seniors move onto the dance floor.

  "Mr. Earl, can you play us something upbeat?" Julie asked the man sitting next to a pair of speakers.

  Mr. Earl clapped his hands and then tapped at his cellphone screen. "I've got just the song," he said enthusiastically.

  The next thing Rachel knew, Lady Gaga's Teeth was blaring through the speakers and the seniors were following Julie across the dance floor. After repeating the dance steps a few times most of the group caught on and a few were even improving their moves toward the end of the song.

  "That was great!" Julie said breathlessly. "Do we need to do it again?"

  "No," a rather feisty participant yelled out. "That's enough of the line dancing stuff. We need to try something we can do with a partner."

  "Alright Mrs. Reynolds," Julie replied with a laugh. "But I'll need someone to help me." She looked toward Rachel with a smile and motioned for her to step onto the dance floor.

  Rachel felt a rock in her throat. Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head.

  "Come on young lady," another senior called out. "When you get to be our age, you'll regret not taking every chance you get to shake your booty!" The woman did a little shimmy that Rachel was sure looked better than any dance moves she'd ever tried. The rest of the group began to cheer encouraging her to participate.

  "I think you'd better say yes," Julie said with a laugh. "This is a pretty persistent group. They've had a lot of practice at getting their way."

  Rachel stared at the herd of grey heads nodding in her direction.

  "She's right," one of them said while shaking a finger at Rachel. "We're not the ones you want to say no to."

  Rachel was just about to give in and join them when another woman -- who looked to be about the same age as Rachel and Julie -- flowed into the room.

  Flowed was the only word that fit how this woman moved. She was tall, thin and graceful and the long full skirt she wore billowed around her like a cloud.

  "Maria!" Julie said with a big smile, turning her attention away from Rachel and toward the woman who'd just come in.

  Rachel watched Maria float across the room and practically dance into Julie's outstretched arms. A twinge of jealousy shot through Rachel's body but she did her best to mask the feeling. Not that anyone was paying any attention to her, anyway. Everyone in the room was rushing toward the other woman.

  "Hello, all!" Maria said as she reached out and hugged the people gathering around her.

  The seniors seemed to be as excited as Julie was to see her.

  "When I heard that you were having your Christmas party today I just had to stop by," Maria continued.

  "How are things in Florida?" Mrs. Reynolds asked.

  "Things are great but that doesn't mean I don't miss all of you! Now, what are we up to?"

  "Julie was just about to show us some dance moves that we can use to put those snooty residents at the senior center across town to shame," Mrs. Reynolds replied.

  "Mind if I join in?" Maria asked taking Julie's hand.

  Rachel felt her eyebrow raise.

  "I'll follow you," Julie said doing a curtsey in front of Maria.

  "Do you have any Tango music over there Mr. Earl?" Maria asked the man who'd returned to his seat beside the sound system.

  Mr. Earl's thumbs swiped across his cell phone and a moment later new music blasted through the speakers.

  "The Tango is a hard dance to master," Maria said over the loud music. "But there are a few moves we can teach you that will make you look like you've been doing the Tango for years."

  Maria grabbed Julie by the waist and the two women began a slow sultry step across the floor.

  "The key is," Maria continued to shout over the music. "... to keep your partner's body close enough so the two of
you appear to move as one."

  Maria whipped her leg around Julie who followed the turn without missing a beat. Rachel felt her jaw tighten. Who in the world dances the Tango at a Christmas party anyway, she snarled silently while everyone else stood enraptured?

  When the song came to an end, Maria spun Julie around in one final flourish and dipped her low to the ground. The room burst into thunderous applause.

  "Well, if you can remember that," Julie said breathlessly. "You're sure to win any dance contest by a landslide."

  The seniors all giggled and Misty jumped up and down begging to be next to dance with Maria.

  "Et Tu, Brute," Rachel mumbled under her breath.

  After a few more Tango demonstrations, Julie finally told the group she had to leave. She crossed over to where Rachel was sitting.

  "We should probably get headed over to the Christmas Village," she said breathlessly.

  "Yeah, I'll go get our coats from the front," Rachel said as she walked out of the room eager to put some distance between her and Julie. She wasn't accustomed to being on this end of jealousy and the feeling was making Rachel want to retreat to a safe space far away.

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  "You were really good!" Misty said still bouncing with excitement as they headed toward their next destination. Her car seat rocked back and forth to a dance beat the child obviously still heard in her head.

  "Thank you, Sweetheart," Julie replied. She reached between the seats and tickled Misty's toes. "If you keep up your dance lessons one day, you'll be even better than me."

  The complement got a boisterous cheer from Misty but Rachel didn't make a sound. In fact, she'd hardly said anything at all since the three of them left the senior center.

  Julie stole another quick glance at her quiet companion. She couldn't help but wonder what Rachel thought of her dance moves but she dare not ask because of the strange mood the woman seemed to be in.

  "I'll go grab the tickets for the sleigh ride," Rachel said as soon as they parked the car.

  Before Julie could say anything Rachel was already striding quickly toward the ticket booth. For a moment Julie watched her walk away wondering if the Christmas Villiage atmosphere was a little too much for Rachel to handle in spite of her desire to help Misty have a bright holiday.

  "Are we going to have hot chocolate?" Misty asked pulling Julie's sleeve.

  "Of course we are," Julie said refocusing her attention on the child. "And I even brought some marshmallows from home to add to each of our cups!" Julie held up a plastic bag filled with little white clouds and dangled it in the air above Misty's head. "All we have to do is stand in that line and buy the hot chocolate."

  This was the part about Christmas Villiage that Julie loved the most. She'd been coming to this farm for winter sleigh rides ever since she was a little girl. Memories of riding through the sometimes snowy hills with her family while sipping hot chocolate always brought her great joy.

  Misty clapped her hands in her usual expression of approval and then began to pull Julie in the direction of the beverage stand.

  As Julie waited for their turn her mind drifted back to the dance with Maria. What she wouldn't have given a few years ago to do a hot tango with the dance instructor whose job she took over at the senior center. Maria was an incredible dancer which was why she'd moved to Florida in the first place. She got a job working as a choreographer at Disney World.

  "Can I go see the reindeer?" Misty asked breaking Julie from her thoughts. Julie looked over the fence where Rachel was standing. One of the sleighs had returned from a run and there were a number of children reaching through the fence to pet the animals.

  "Okay. Go straight over to where Rachel is standing," Julie instructed. She kept her eyes glued to the child until she safely reached her destination. Then Julie's eyes locked on Rachel. She let out a sigh wondering if the sometimes stoic attorney ever had any thoughts about her.

  "Next!" the man behind the counter called.

  Julie stepped forward and ordered three cups of hot chocolate. Julie paid for the drinks and the man behind the counter handed the beverages to her in a cardboard cup holder. She walked over to a nearby picnic table to add the marshmallows before joining Rachel and Misty in the sleigh ride line.

  "Planning on a nice sugar high?" a slightly familiar voice behind her asked.

  Julie turned around to see Lisa Dawson holding two steaming cups of hot chocolate.

  "Oh my gosh! Lisa," Julie said standing to her feet. She and Lisa embraced in an awkward hug being careful not to spill the hot chocolate Lisa was holding.

  "It's so good to see you!" Lisa said. "What's it been? Four, no five years?"

  "Yeah, at least," Julie agreed with a big grin clearly remembering the last time she'd seen Lisa during Homecoming Week at UPenn the year after they graduated.

  "I tried looking you up in the alumni directory a few times," Lisa said. "But I could never find you."

  Julie's eyes widened hearing that news. She was surprised to find out Lisa remembered her at all more-less that the woman had searched online for her whereabouts.

  When the two of them were in undergrad, they didn't exactly hang out in the same circles. Lisa had been a part of a rather vocal contingent of LGBT students who were much more self-aware and politically active than Julie was in those days. In spite of having a crush on Lisa, Julie never really talked to Lisa because she always felt like the woman was out of her league.

  "Yeah," Julie laughed. "I keep meaning to update my profile but..." Julie shrugged.

  The truth was, whenever the postcards came in the mail reminding her to update her information, Julie always felt embarrassed that she didn't have any exciting answers for the employment or marital status questions.

  "Still a woman of mystery I see," Lisa said with a wink.

  "Mysterious? Me?" Julie asked perplexed. "I've always thought I was pretty predictable."

  Lisa let out a strange laugh but didn't elaborate on her comment. "So, are you here with your family?" she asked nodding to the styrofoam cups on the table.

  "No. Well, not exactly," Julie started to explain. "My friend Gail is in the hospital for a few days and her friend Rachel and I are looking after Gail's daughter for her."

  "That's really nice of you, Julie. I bet the little girl is having a ball. You've always had a special way with kids. I remember you used to teach classes at that pre-school around the corner from campus."

  Julie was shocked that Lisa remembered such a small detail from so many years ago.

  "Well, I better get this hot cocoa back to my parents before they send out a search party," Lisa said. "I'm keeping them entertained until my wife gets to town for the holidays."

  Julie had heard from a mutual friend that Lisa had gotten married a few years ago. Apparently, her wife was a big-time news reporter in Chicago where they lived.

  "Well, I hope you have a great vacation, Lisa. It was really nice running into you."

  "Hey, why don't I give you my info so we won't have to wait another five years before we see each other again. I try to come home at least a few times a year. Maybe we can have coffee and catch up on old times? I've got one of my business cards in my pocket. Reach in and get one and give me a call or shoot me an email so I'll have your info too."