When I arrive at the dance studio, the vision of Claire dancing around the well-lit space stops me in my tracks. Beautiful isn’t a good enough word to describe her. She’s in light-pink tights. A matching leotard fits her snuggly, and a sheer skirt flairs around her hips. The ribbons of her pointe shoes wrap around her ankles and draw me in. Her movements are effortless.
She looks happy. She looks at peace.
Every spin and leap make it clear that she’s a talented dancer, and I wonder why it’s taken me this long to really watch her dance. Four years ago, the thought never crossed my mind, but then again, neither of us was really interested in what the other was doing. She’s completely enchanting, and at this moment I want nothing more than those crystals to work, so she can continue to live out this dream.
She stops dancing and turns to walk toward a bulky stereo situated near the window. Our eyes lock, causing her to freeze on the other side of the glass. Lifting her hand, she offers me a small wave, and I lift a paper bag full of to-go containers.
She glides toward the door and swings it open.
“You out here in the cold watching me?”
“Hard to take my eyes off of you when you look like that,” I tease.
“Come on,” she says, gesturing for me to come in. “If you stand out there much longer, our food will be cold.”
“You ready to head out?” I ask.
“Let me just grab my coat and boots,” she says, moving out of the way and letting me pass. She crosses the floor. Undoing the ribbons of her shoes, she removes them, pausing to massage the arches of her feet. She stands, sliding her feet into her fur lined boots, and then pulls on her coat.
“What time is it?”
“Almost seven. The food took longer than I expected.”
“Goodness, I was here all day. Thanks for letting me dance,” she says, meeting me near the door. “Helped keep me sane.”
She turns off the lights and closes the door behind us. Locking it, she drops the key into her coat pocket.
“How do you do that?” I ask.
“Do what?”
“Move like you were. I knew you were flexible…” I smirk. “But you’re incredible. It looked like you were floating.”
“Floating?”
I nod. “I don’t know, I’ve just never seen anyone look so beautiful as they move. I was trying to think of a word to describe it, and I guess my vocabulary isn’t big enough because nothing seemed adequate. You’re stunning, Sugar.”
Her eyes find me, and they sparkle in the moon light and she lets out a nervous giggle.
“What?”
“Sometimes I feel like I know you, and then you go and say things like that and you take me completely by surprise.”
“I’m just stating the truth.”
“What did you do today while I was at the studio?”
“Not much. I went for a run and then headed to the rink for a bit. Explored the town a little and ended up running into Chip. He’s actually a really cool guy.”
“What did you two talk about?”
“He vented a lot about Lolly and her shop and having to co-chair the decoration committee with her.”
“Oh yeah? You think Ginger was right and they’re going to fall for Stella’s scheme.”
“Ha! Actually, maybe. He really was trying to act like he didn’t like her, but I think she might be on to something. I could see it happening.”
“Really?”
