It All Started with a Lie

Chapter 8.1

She laughed, taking my hands and guiding me through the motions. It was easier to follow her, her motions were firm and directing, but I still tripped on her feet a few times. "It gets easier, I promise," she assured me. "You just need the right partner. Believe me, if you find the right lead, it'll be a breeze, you won't even realize how well you are doing."

I nodded, not entirely sure I'd find a lead good enough for that. What measures their leading abilities; skill level? Or is it some sort of personal connection like Richard and me? Richard and I just clicked from the moment we met. Everything felt easy with her. Is that what I need to find? Because I am fairly certain a person like that only comes around once in a lifetime. "I think I will just have to come back next week with Richard."

She nodded with a smile. "I completely agree." Then she spun me, and missing her silent cues as to which direction to spin, I spun the wrong direction leaving us in a tangle of arms as I fell straight on my ass in a fit of laughter. An-mei was quick to join me, before offering her hand to help me up and waving on the next rotation so that she could stay with me for one more round. "Here," she rested one hand on my back and held my own hand with her other. "You just need to relax and let me take the lead. You'll feel exactly how I'm trying to move you." She gently swayed me forward, my feet falling in place with hers. "See?"

My gaze still locked on the floor, she lifted my chin with her thumb. "You don't need to look at my feet, just let your body take over." This was not something I was a stranger too, I had long since learned to trust my body, but I'd never had to follow anyone else. I was always a prodigy, the best in my class, because I worked hard for it. But I worked alone. I did it all by myself, with no help from anyone else, no one to lead me. I didn't know how to simply trust someone else to guide me. I was so used to doing it alone.

I tried my best to let her guid me, but I was so stiff, she could hardly do so, so we stuck to something simple, an eight step with a small spin at the end, which I almost got right. Almost.

I let her switch partners, though she offered to stay with me longer but I didn't want to impede on her night. She had plenty of new people to meet. And three introductions later, I still had no more skill than when I entered, and half the people I'd been paired with seemed just as lost. Finally, we switched partners for the last time this evening before 'free dance' begins, where you may ask anyone to dance. I have a feeling I will be spending my night dancing with Peter and An-mei. Without looking, and almost in instinct, I took my next partner's hands before meeting his eyes. And when I did, neither of us said a word, because we didn't need to introduce ourselves; we already knew each other, better than I'd like to. You have got to be kidding me. I take back what I said about this man being hard to miss. Despite his towering stance and broad shoulders, I had yet to see him this entire night, engulfed in my own world. Had he just gotten here? Had he been here the whole time? How did I not see him? "What are you doing here?" As if tormenting me about Beta Sigma Xi wasn't enough, the handsome asshole had to invade this too. I don't care if the sex was so good it was infecting my dreams, he was ruining my life, and he was still an asshole. But on the bright side, seeing his face turn red gave me great joy and I could use a smile today.

He chuckled. "Dancing, what else would I be doing?"

"Are you following me?" No way this guy spends his free time swing dancing.

He adjusted the collar of his muav button up and it is only then that I realize we match, his shirt the same shade as my dress. Of course. "I'm pretty sure I was here first, Darling."

I hated that stupid nickname. He thought he was so funny calling me Darling, because I am playing Wendy. So clever. "Oh so you just happened to notice when I got here?"