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Just when Micki thought she was going to faint or laugh hysterically from sheer anxiety, the woman smiled, which was vaguely terrifying and advanced, putting her hands on Micki’s shoulders and pulling her in for an air kiss on each cheek. “You did such a lovely job with Josh’s tribute dance, honoring me, my dear. I was quite moved.”
Without another word Mrs. Benfield moved around the table to her own seat and sank into the chair like a queen taking a throne. Her companion, who didn’t introduce himself but clearly wasn’t Mr. Benfield, scurried to join her and the two of them began a private conversation.
“You can sit now,” Josh said, touching Micki’s elbow. He pulled her chair out further for her and helped her adjust it once she was seated. “The worst part is over.”
“Am I still alive?” Micki was shaken by the entire interlude, which she supposed was Mrs. Benfield’s intent. Leaning closer to Josh she whispered, “Did she mean a single word she said?”
“Probably not, candidly, but the room took notice and it’s now assumed she approves of your presence here tonight.”
Well thank you very much, empress Benfield, Micki thought with annoyance. Way to put a girl at ease. Not.
Dinner was sumptuous course after sumptuous course, most of it too rich for Micki’s taste although she tried to sample all the dishes. She drank too much wine but the event was getting on her nerves. No one made much effort to include her in the conversation, not even Josh, which she planned to bring up with him later. She could tell he was happy to reunite in person with two of his brothers so she’d cut him a small amount of slack. Mrs. Benfield ignored Micki entirely, as if now she’d granted her imprimatur of approval on the dancer’s presence at her table she wasn’t required to lift another finger, much less make conversation.
When dessert was served Micki was relieved. The evening couldn’t go on much longer, could it? Josh was introduced to make his speech and went to the dais where he proceeded to make an effective, obviously heartfelt talk about the charity they were all at the event ostensibly to support, mixing serious tones with amusing anecdotes and ending on a powerfully uplifting call for the attendees to reach deep into their accounts and make this the best fund raising night ever.
“He’s damn good, isn’t he?” Sam leaned over to speak to Micki. “He’s got them in the palm of his hand.”
“And no notes,” she answered.
“The family wants him to run for office, for the Sectors Senator-at-large but so far he’s not biting,” Sam confided.
“Oh.” Micki’s confidence took a dive. She wasn’t the material from which senator’s wives were made. High level interstellar politicians needed a spouse from a family as rich and powerful and connected as their own.
The man hosting the event joined Josh on the platform, thanking him for his speech and then Micki was astounded to hear him suggesting Josh and his partner from ISD should show the crowd what he’d been up to on the program. The crowd began clapping and chanting for the dance.
Micki was ice cold. What just happened? Would he agree? They hadn’t even warmed up and were in formal clothes, although she could dance if she had to. Josh glanced at her, one eyebrow raised and reluctantly she nodded, because she knew him so well now she could tell he wanted to do it.
Josh raised his hands to quiet the crowd. “All right, I yield to popular demand. Give us five minutes to pick a dance and tell the band what music we need and we’ll take a turn around the floor.” He left the dais with a bounce in his step and came straight to the table as another speaker was introduced. Standing beside Micki he said, “You’re okay with this, right?”
“No problem” she said, wishing she’d had some warning. She took his outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor, where the band leader was waiting.
“We could do the number from week one,” Josh said to her. “Maybe add in a few flourishes. We can’t get any more athletic in these clothes and no warm up.”
“Fine. We can do two partial lifts and a spin.” Micki told him exactly where in the music to insert the new moves and Josh told the waiting conductor what to play for them.
They took their position on the dance floor and as the music began they stepped off into the first sequence of the old fashioned dance. Josh had improved so much since he first performed this number on week one and Micki felt as if she was floating in one of her own dreams. The idea of an audience faded away from her consciousness and she lost herself in the music, the man and the movement. Josh managed both partial lifts without a flaw and dimly she heard applause but the music kept playing and she danced on in the arms of the man she loved. They added in the spin move toward the end and finished in a beautiful pose, staring into each other’s eyes as if there was no one else in the universe, let alone in the ballroom. Micki couldn’t remember ever being so happy.
The applause was thunderous and Josh presented her to the audience the way he’d done on ISD and Micki reciprocated the move while he took a bow. Despite the calls for an encore, they left the dance floor and headed to the Benfield table.
“You really are quite gifted, my dear,” Mrs. Benfield condescended to say before she and her friend left the group to dance.
Josh’s brothers were full of compliments although they were teasing him too.
“He’s worked hard,” she said in defense of her partner. “The trick is to make it look easy.”
“I couldn’t do it without you.” Josh kissed her hand.
Micki took a quick drink of water and grabbed her small purse. “I need to go fix my hair. I can feel the braids coming loose—I hadn’t planned on doing so much dancing tonight so I didn’t pin it as tight as I should have.”
“I like your hair loose better,” Josh said, gazing into her eyes. “Don’t be gone long.”
“I won’t, I promise.” Laughing, a bit out of breath, she made her way to the elegant ladies’ room off the main floor, which was deserted. Micki made quick work of fixing her hair and was about to rejoin the others at the family table when Sydni breezed in.
“There you are—I’ve been searching all over for you,” the assistant said. “Incredible dance by the way.”
“Thank you. You were looking for me? Did Josh need something?”
Micki couldn’t imagine why Sydni would seek her out.
