resolved to leave last night’s kiss in the past and chalk it up to a moment of madness, she’d relived it about a thousand times since, and it was addling her brain. Even through her parka and his jacket, she could feel the contours of his muscular chest pressing against her flattened palms. She fisted them now, forcing herself to look away from him before he caught her gaping.
After making Stratton her case study last night, she’d resolved two things:
She needed to figure out a way to spend a little bit of one-on-one time with him to
figure out more about his mystery lady.
She needed to figure out a way to woo him away from her.
Her spirits dipped as she helped a young couple practicing for their wedding dance to re-align their dance pose. Therein lay the problem: How? How did you convince someone you were a better choice for him when he had feelings for someone else?
Well, she wasn’t giving up. That was for sure.
As the song ended, Stratton’s partner, a forty-something woman named Carla who’d been attending classes alone for the last two weeks, headed for the door.
“I have to pick up my kids from my ex at four on the dot,” she said. “Sorry to miss the last dance. Especially with him.”
“Oh, you can’t stay for five more minutes?”
Carla shook her head. “If I could, I would. See you next week.”
Val waved goodbye, watching the studio door close before turning back to the class. Stratton’s eyes caught hers immediately.
“Um, Stratton, we’ll have to be partners for the final dance,” she said, trying to keep her voice as light and level as possible as she pressed play on the CD player. “Simple waltz, everyone.”
As she made her way through the five dancing couples to Stratton, his eyes locked with hers, and he shook his head, gesturing to the folding chairs lining the wall. “How about I help you tidy up instead?”
He gave her a tight smile and bee-lined for the wall, folding chairs into a neat pile and leaving her alone on the dance floor. Her cheeks flushed with heat as she realized he didn’t want to dance with her, but she clenched her jaw, refusing to let her eyes water. Since he’d arrived this afternoon, he hadn’t been especially flirty or friendly. He was drawing a line, and she was on the other side of it.
“Wonderful, Chad and Maura,” she said, forcing a smile as the engaged couple whirled past her. “You’re going to look terrific at the reception.”
She flicked a glance to Stratton, who had about a dozen chairs neatly piled on the trolley that held them. He was watching her, and didn’t look away fast enough. The tips of his ears were red as he grabbed another chair and folded it.
“No spaghetti arms, Mr. Furlong,” she reminded, lifting the older man’s elbow.
In the mirror, she caught Stratton’s eyes again, but this time he didn’t drop her eyes. He held them for an extra second, his Adam’s apple bobbing lightly as he swallowed. Valeria broke the eye contact when Mr. and Mrs. Caporelli banged into her lightly.
“Remember to be aware of the other couples on the dance floor,” she said with a gentle smile.
As the music started its final refrain, she crossed to the CD player. Her feelings were hurt again , and he was rejecting her with his words again , even though he couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
Turning off the CD player, she clapped her hands. “Marvelous, everyone! Thank you for coming today. Remember that today was the last class for this session, and checks are due next week if you choose to continue into the winter session.” Her heart raced wildly as she lifted her eyes to Stratton, adopting the crisp, professional tone she used with undergrads when she assisted with classes at Penn. “Stratton, please stay after for a moment. I need to speak with you.”
He only had a few chairs left to stack, but his neck jerked up, and he stared at her from across the room in surprise.
She turned to shake hands with
After making Stratton her case study last night, she’d resolved two things:
She needed to figure out a way to spend a little bit of one-on-one time with him to
figure out more about his mystery lady.
She needed to figure out a way to woo him away from her.
Her spirits dipped as she helped a young couple practicing for their wedding dance to re-align their dance pose. Therein lay the problem: How? How did you convince someone you were a better choice for him when he had feelings for someone else?
Well, she wasn’t giving up. That was for sure.
As the song ended, Stratton’s partner, a forty-something woman named Carla who’d been attending classes alone for the last two weeks, headed for the door.
“I have to pick up my kids from my ex at four on the dot,” she said. “Sorry to miss the last dance. Especially with him.”
“Oh, you can’t stay for five more minutes?”
Carla shook her head. “If I could, I would. See you next week.”
Val waved goodbye, watching the studio door close before turning back to the class. Stratton’s eyes caught hers immediately.
“Um, Stratton, we’ll have to be partners for the final dance,” she said, trying to keep her voice as light and level as possible as she pressed play on the CD player. “Simple waltz, everyone.”
As she made her way through the five dancing couples to Stratton, his eyes locked with hers, and he shook his head, gesturing to the folding chairs lining the wall. “How about I help you tidy up instead?”
He gave her a tight smile and bee-lined for the wall, folding chairs into a neat pile and leaving her alone on the dance floor. Her cheeks flushed with heat as she realized he didn’t want to dance with her, but she clenched her jaw, refusing to let her eyes water. Since he’d arrived this afternoon, he hadn’t been especially flirty or friendly. He was drawing a line, and she was on the other side of it.
“Wonderful, Chad and Maura,” she said, forcing a smile as the engaged couple whirled past her. “You’re going to look terrific at the reception.”
She flicked a glance to Stratton, who had about a dozen chairs neatly piled on the trolley that held them. He was watching her, and didn’t look away fast enough. The tips of his ears were red as he grabbed another chair and folded it.
“No spaghetti arms, Mr. Furlong,” she reminded, lifting the older man’s elbow.
In the mirror, she caught Stratton’s eyes again, but this time he didn’t drop her eyes. He held them for an extra second, his Adam’s apple bobbing lightly as he swallowed. Valeria broke the eye contact when Mr. and Mrs. Caporelli banged into her lightly.
“Remember to be aware of the other couples on the dance floor,” she said with a gentle smile.
As the music started its final refrain, she crossed to the CD player. Her feelings were hurt again , and he was rejecting her with his words again , even though he couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
Turning off the CD player, she clapped her hands. “Marvelous, everyone! Thank you for coming today. Remember that today was the last class for this session, and checks are due next week if you choose to continue into the winter session.” Her heart raced wildly as she lifted her eyes to Stratton, adopting the crisp, professional tone she used with undergrads when she assisted with classes at Penn. “Stratton, please stay after for a moment. I need to speak with you.”
He only had a few chairs left to stack, but his neck jerked up, and he stared at her from across the room in surprise.
She turned to shake hands with
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