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“Pretty good. We went upstream farther than we usually do and froze our butts off keeping the net moving. Fish are slower in colder water, but we caught enough to fill our orders for the day.”
She tapped his nose with a finger, leaving a glazed sugar mark. He laughed and wiped it away, licking his finger for good measure. She stepped forward and pointed to her sugary lips. “You missed a spot.”
His laugh deepened as he covered her mouth with his in a very wet kiss. “I can give you a bite if you want?”
He snapped his teeth together. “Why? I could just take a bite out of you.”
She giggled and scooted around him and out the office door. “Our rehearsal starts in a few minutes. Want to stay?”
He checked his watch and shook his head. “Better not. My family’s getting in any minute, and I still haven’t showered.”
She wrinkled her nose, though his smell was her favorite, fishy or not. “I’ll be glad when this is over. I’ll be home around ten. Can you drop by for a minute? We need to talk about something.”
Concern filled his brows. “Is everything okay?”
She bit her lip. Things were scarily okay, and it was time she did something about it. “Yes. It’s nothing really. I just want to see you.”
The creases in his forehead settled, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Not a problem. Good luck with rehearsal.” He kissed her once on the lips then headed to the entrance. The bell jingled as the door opened and closed. She took a slow breath, releasing the tension in her shoulders. She’d almost given everything away.
She turned back to her desk, grabbed her cider and remaining fritter, and headed back to the stage area for a very long evening. Little dancers sat on chairs, dressed in their Christmas costumes. Bells rang as they switched seats to chat with their friends. It’d been the perfect start to her dance year. At the beginning of the season, all the classes were full to the point that she had to create new ones to accommodate the growing interest.
It was an exciting adventure she’d started and the thought of leaving Danvers hadn’t crossed her mind in months. She clapped her hands to get the dancers’ attention. “All right, friends. Let’s start?”
Hours later, after walking through the show two times, she left the stage relieved and proud. Her teachers had worked hard to get the students prepared. She waited for the last parent to pick up their child before she locked the door and headed back to her office for her purse.
A knock sounded at the front of the studio and she turned around to see which dancer had left their shoes. Instead of a tiny girl, Emilie screamed when she saw who waited for her on the other side of the door. She hurried to unlock it, swung the door open, and ran into her friend’s arms.
“Bridgett, what are you doing here? Aren’t you guys still on tour?”
“We got the week off.” Bridgett’s glossy black hair swung around her.
Emilie stepped back to take her in. She wore a jean skirt and a silky white blouse. “You’re wearing real—”
“Real clothes? I know. You look weird, too. I wanted to visit the studio. Is it okay to walk around and take a peek?”
Emilie froze when another person knocked on the dance studio window. It was Finn, and he looked like a mess. What was he doing here?
She led Bridgett into the studio and pointed down the hall. “Check out the renovated stage. I just need to take care of something, and then I’ll join you. Go ahead and take a tour.”
Bridgett gave her arm a squeeze. “I can’t believe you’re running your own studio. This is awesome.”
Emilie beamed while her friend flitted down the hallway, taking in everything. After leaving the dance company, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to run a studio or even dance. Now she’d achieved everything she’d wanted and more.
After a few seconds, she went back to the door with some hesitation. Finn had already opened it and stepped inside the front entryway. “Hey, sorry to let myself in. I just needed to talk.” His voice was strained, embarrassed.
“Are you doing okay? What’s up?”
Finn sat down on one of the plush sofas in the reception area. “Well, first, how’s Ava? I’m sure you’ve been in touch with her now that she’s back at Gail’s.”
Emilie sat on the opposite side of the couch. “She’s doing okay. I know she’s been avoiding your calls, but it’s better this way.”
Finn wiped a hand down his five o’clock shadow. “I know. I really do. I feel bad the way I ended things.”
“I see her occasionally, and she’s slowly making some good changes. She started business school this fall and seems happy. Though I’ve been too busy to check on her much.”
Finn scooted to the middle of the couch. “I actually came here to talk to you. Maybe I made the wrong choice by cancelling everything. There’s a chance Ava and I could make it work again.”
Emilie looked up at the ceiling, grateful there was no inkling of attraction toward Finn anymore. “Look, you need to relax. You’re smart and did something she couldn’t do. Even now, you have to admit you made the right decision. Don’t doubt that.”
