Free Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams by Sue Watson Page A

for someone...’
    ‘For someone who’s chubby?’
    ‘No... for someone who hasn’t danced before.’
    ‘Mmmm well I haven’t danced since I was a kid, the dainty footwork might have more to do with the fact I can’t open my legs.’ He looked bemused, like I’d just imparted a sexual secret. I glanced away thinking to myself, ‘why would I say that? I have just told a good-looking stranger that I can’t open my legs?
    ‘I mean my leggings have ripped,’ I was about to illustrate the problem by opening my legs but fortunately stopped myself. He seemed unfazed and immediately stood up.
    ‘Here just wrap my jacket around your waist, that should keep you covered,’ he said, taking it off and handing it to me. ‘Look, I came over because I think you might be more suited to my class,’ he said, looking at the pony-tails’ wiggling bottoms as he spoke. ‘It’s not Zumba – it’s Latin American... Salsa... the foxtrot - Ballroom with a bit of spice.’
    ‘Oh no, thanks... I think I’ll just stick to watching Strictly on a Saturday night.’ Despite being interested in his class the whole Zumba thing had knocked what little confidence I’d built up.
    ‘Yes I watch that too... and the US version, ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ I watch that online. I love it... come to my class and you’ll be dancing like the TV professionals in a few weeks,’ he teased.
    ‘No. Thanks.’
    He looked slightly disappointed and I felt bad, and as he’d just loaned me his jacket I felt I should explain. ‘My mum and dad were ballroom champions actually. I never really got into it. I was too young and then it was too late... I just can’t.’
    ‘It’s never too late... and there’s no such thing as can’t,’ he looked at me. ‘Okay – no more clichés, but I’ll be honest, I was thinking... if you came along and perhaps convinced your friends to join us you might enjoy it and... well, if I don’t get enough pupils my class will close.’
    I felt bad for him, but I just wanted to go home.
    ‘I don’t know – I’ve already shown myself up once tonight, I was ten when I last danced. I’m in my forties now.’
    ‘Oh that’s right, women over forty can’t dance,’ he was nodding, his eyes smiling. His skin was quite crinkly, close up he looked older than I’d first thought – still handsome but probably about the same age as me. ‘Give it a go, just stay for the first half hour, it’s much “calmer” than Zumba and I reckon you’d be good. Thing is, I only have about six students and, I’m not being rude but they are all... mature. I need young blood.’
    ‘You sound like Dracula, and it’s a long time since anyone called me “young blood”,’ I laughed, ‘but I just feel weird doing ballroom after all these years... too many memories.’
    ‘Your parents, you mean?’
    ‘Yeah... I just... I would probably end up blubbing all over the floor.’
    ‘Blubbing is fine... it’s emotion. I don’t think I’m going to get much emotion from my current class. Have you seen how old my students are?’ he laughed. I glanced over at the little group of pensioners and smiled, they looked sweet, but I knew what he meant and I felt a bit sorry for him. I also had his jacket wrapped around my waist and now felt obligated to say yes.
    ‘The first fifteen minutes?’ I said.
    He nodded and, getting up, patted me on the knee. I thought that was quite an intimate thing for a man to do to a woman he didn’t know and as nice as it was I wasn’t quite sure how to take it.
    Once Zumba finished, the girls wandered over and had a good laugh about the leggings ‘incident.’ Mandy said Tony was one of her clients and when I told them I’d volunteered us for his class she clapped her hands together, I assumed she must have fancied him – the way she talked she fancied anything male with a pulse. The others said they were exhausted but Mandy and I convinced them it would be fun and we joined the group of elderly couples