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The music in the kitchen was louder, the lights brighter. Leon made his way through the crowd, clasping my hand until he found the kitchen sink.

“Finish up,” he shouted, referring to my drink.

Still grinning, I gulped down the rest of my cocktail and gave him my cup. He filled it with cold water and gave it back to me.

“Drink.” He flashed his brilliant-white teeth in a smile.

Grasping the cup, I took a long, cleansing draft of water. It tasted so, so good.

From his pocket, he produced a pack of chewing gum. “Here, you’ll probably need this?”

I frowned but took the gum anyway, putting it in my mouth and starting to chew.

“Shall we dance?” he asked, his eyes shining with tantalizing promise.

“Yeah,” I breathed. I wanted to move. The pulsing beat of the music was seducing me. I couldn’t keep still.

“Bring your water.”

We made our way into the cavernous living room. All the furniture had been cleared and the whole room was moving, people dancing everywhere, following the beat of the music, all as one. On one wall and over the heads of the dancers, reds and blues and yellows and greens swirled together… like oil.

Wow.

Leon grabbed my hand and we started to dance. I started to float free. Leon could dance. I mean, really dance. He held me close, and I matched him step for step.

We danced together.

We danced apart.

We danced in red and green and blue and yellow.

It felt so good to be part of something that moved seamlessly together, part of a giant sea, wave after wave.

Spiraling.

Twisting.

Twirling.

Floating on the sea.

Riding the wave.

The music pounded on and on, and I was lost and found in the dancing.

I was free.

Free.

Finally, free from everything.

The music thumped through me. On and on, different tempos, different styles, all loud, all seductive… I didn’t want it to stop. I saw Jack. He was dancing with Immy.

“Yeah!” he roared.

“Yeah!” I bellowed back.

“You’ve got such amazing hair,” Leon shouted in my ear.