Page 37 of Only Time Will Tell

“Yup, so it’s time to learn.”

Suddenly it came to me. I knew what to get Charlie for a wedding gift – I’d take dance lessons and surprise him at the reception. That was, provided I was capable of learning how to dance. Feeling more at ease, I tuned into the program Charlie had chosen for us to watch, some HGTV renovation series.

The next day at work, I flagged down one of the women I worked with and asked her if she knew of any dance studios. After quickly explaining my conundrum, she recommended one near work that her cousin Suzanne ran. I spoke to Suzanne and she scheduled me right in, the only problem was I needed to let Charlie know I’d be late coming home.

Me: Hey babe, how’s your day?

Charlie: Ugh, so much to do and so little time to do it in. What’s up?

I smiled, picturing his face while he typed that.

Me: I’m gonna be home late tonight. Actually, I’ll be home late on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next two weeks.

I held my breath, waiting for his reply.

Charlie: ???

Ugh, here goes…

Me: Do you trust me?

Charlie: You know I do.

Me: Then know this is me working on my wedding gift to you.

No one loves gifts better than Charlie.

Charlie: Okay 😊

By the end of the day, my nerves were off the charts. My palms were sweaty and the anxiety skyrocketed the closer I got to the dance studio. That only worsened when I stepped inside and saw it looked more like a ballet studio. Leotards were not happening. Six-foot-four-inch men built like running backs don’t look good in tights. At least, this one doesn’t.

“You look like a deer caught in the headlights,” a tiny woman said to me.

“Um, yeah. I’m a bit nervous and am way out of my element here.” I debated on calling the whole thing off. Maybe Charlie would appreciate jewelry more as a gift. Now that I can do.

“You must be Alex. I’m Suzanne.” She extended her hand.

“Yes. Hi. Thank you for taking me in on such short notice.” A group of kids whizzed past us, giggling. God, if I’m taught in front of kids who dance circles around me I’ll never recover from that humiliation.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to make you wear tights.” She covered her mouth to thwart her giggles, having somehow read my mind. “And you’ll be with other adults as well.”

“Am I that transparent?” I had to ask.

“It’s not the first time I’ve seen fear cross a groom-to-be’s face. Come on, follow me.” Deeper into the studio we walked and entered a room with mirrored walls and wooden floors. “Class,” she spoke to the other adults in the room, “this is Alex. He’ll be joining us for the next two weeks to get ready for his wedding reception.”

I froze. Now I really felt like a fool. One by one, they introduced themselves and congratulated me. A couple of them, I learned, were here for the same reason I was, which helped calm me, though only somewhat.

An hour and half later, my tired ass pulled into our garage. I was greeted by an excited puppy dog version of Charlie. He jumped to his knees on the couch, bouncing and turned to look at me over the back of it.

“Sooo,” he said, biting his bottom lip.

“So what?” I asked, my giant goof was silly when it came to surprises. He loved them but wasn’t patient when he knew he was getting one.

“You know what. How did my surprise go? Is it done? Can I have it now?” He hopped up and down on his knees.

“Ha-ha. Down boy, you’re gonna break something and I told you already. You don’t get it until our reception.” I kissed the top of his head and sat down beside him. He jumped into my lap and knocked the wind out of me. “Oomph,” I groaned.

“I’m too excited to wait. You know patience isn’t a virtue I possess,” he said, bouncing on my lap.