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“Same,” I laugh.
“Oh yeah? How are the lessons with Julie?”
“They’re going really well.” I choose my words wisely.
But there’s no denying that theyaregoing well. The last class took a turn into unpredictable territory. I don’t know what I was thinking blindfolding her, but it helped. It fucking did something, that’s for sure.
And that hug? Shehuggedme.
It’s been one thing dancing with her, holding her close in a proper tango hold, but that was a kind of intimacy that left my body craving more. I’m notnota hugger, but the feel of her chest pressed up against mine, and her arms holding me tight like she couldn’t bear to let go, broke something open in me. I didn’t want it to end.
With each class I see her let loose a little bit more, and it’s only fueling this fire. She’s got power, more than she notices. She’s got an energy. It’s like she’s been pressed into a box for so long, I wonder what would happen if somebody let her out.
“Is she better than Tara?”
“She’s different.” Not that I would compare the two, anyway. There is no comparing them. Tara has had decades of experience, and at the end of the day, Julie is still an amateur. “She’s a different dancer than Tara, but—I can’t believe I’m saying this—I might feel a stronger connection with her. There’s a chemistry I feel like I’ve been missing.”
“Chemistry is good.”
I scratch the back of my neck. Chemistry is not what I was expecting. “Tara and I were great partners, but we’re tired. She’s acknowledging it; she’s taking a step back. I don’t blame her.”
“But Julie?” he asks with a smirk.
But Julie. Fuck, Julie is giving everything, and I can’t stop now. Not yet.
“I thought I was done with it, too,” I say. I know it’s not really a direct response to what he’s asking. But what I mean is that maybe these classes with Julie are somehow throwing me back in.
“Life surprises you sometimes.” He smiles around a mouthful of cereal like he knows what I mean.
“How’s it going working with her cousin?”
He pins me with a stare. “Don’t ask.”
“That bad?”
“Nah,” he says, smiling to himself. “Not that bad.”
He yawns again, pouring more cereal into the bowl.
“Hey,” he says. “I like this. You being home more. Me being home more.”
These moments between us aren’t new, but it’s been so long I kind of forgot how comforting they could be.
“Me, too,” I say.
But with that, I have to get up and get ready to go.
***
“How are the privateclasses going?” Tara asks once group class is done. The students have filed out, leaving us alone and the studio empty.
“They’re good. Good.” I nod in response. That’s believable enough, right? That shouldn’t result in any extra questioning. I’ve kept her up to date with the basics: Ethan bailed; Julie wanted to keep going, but things have gotten admittedly a bit more complex.
“Good,” she repeats skeptically. “Uh-huh.”
“We’ve got the third one tonight.”
“So, she was just looking for classes that worked with her schedule?” she asks, digging for more information.
