I swung my head in her direction. "What did you say?"
"Close. Your. Eyes. Trust me."
Obviously, I didn't trust her, but I reluctantly did as she asked, feeling absolutely ridiculous.
"You too, Tallulah."
I tried to relax, but I couldn't. I was acutely aware of every point of contact between me and Tallulah. My hand on her back, her hand on my shoulder, our palms pressed together in the air.
"Good," Carmen said, her voice sounding closer and softer. "I want you to sway back and forth.Gently. Don't move from your position. Just sway. Jamison, you start and guide your partner."
Once again, I did as she asked.
"Good, good. Just like that. Continue to move, don't think about it too much. Feel the motion and let your body guide you. Now, add the steps. Remember, Jamison is leading. One, two, three. Yes, yes. One, two, three."
Behind the darkness of my eyelids, I was not allowed to overthink the mechanics of the steps, and it made a difference. Tallulah followed me naturally, responding to the smallest pressure of my hand on her back. When I stepped forward, she stepped back. When I shifted right, she glided right along with me.
"Now, open your eyes," Carmen continued in the same soft voice.
I opened my eyes, and Tallulah was looking at me, her expression unguarded. Similar to how she had looked in the bakery when we were both high. Her lips were slightly parted, and her turquoise earrings swayed with our movements.
"There you go," Carmen said, backing away. "Continue to dance like that. One, two, three."
We shuffled across the floor, maintaining the connection we had found when our eyes were closed and we were entrenched in darkness.
"You're not doing too badly," my partner remarked.
"You're doing a good job yourself. I think your family was wrong about you."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
Her smile carved warmth into my chest.
We continued to execute the box step, and now we were more relaxed, she seamlessly followed my lead. Every now and again, her hand tightened on my shoulder, especially during the turns. I remained acutely aware of the warmth of her back under my palm and noticed how the skirt swirled around her calves. But we were doing much better.
Carmen clapped her hands to get our attention, and everyone in the class stopped dancing. "Well done. Now, we're going to add music." She floated over to the sound system with an elegant walk. She twisted a knob, and a gentle tune flowed through the speakers, a classical song I didn't recognize but which settled in my muscles.
"Same movements," she instructed. "Remember to let your male partner lead. From the top! One, two, three."
After an awkward start, Tallulah and I waltzed in place, using the music as our guide.
We danced to multiple songs, performing the same steps over and over. With each repetition, the movements became easier and more natural. After a while, I realized I had stopped counting. Carmen wasn't counting either. She moved between us, occasionally repositioning the hand of one student or fixing the posture of another. But ultimately, she allowed us to become one with the music.
Since I wasn't concentrating as hard, I noticed other aspects of Tallulah's appearance. The ring in her nose wasn't a diamond. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be another type of stone, as it lacked the brilliance of the more expensive gem. I also noticed she bit her bottom lip when she was concentrating, and every now and again she looked up at me and smiled, as if to reassure me that I was doing a good job.
Whenever she did, I wanted to close the distance between us and finish what we had started at the bakery. A problem, I know. A huge problem.
Because Tallulah was the opposite of everything I had convinced myself I needed in my life. I was a planner, but she was someone who went with the flow. She used intuition to make decisions, whereas I relied heavily on data. She was too much like Maria, my ex-wife. Carefree, unconventional, and living by her own set of rules.
Was she really like Maria, though?
Life with my ex had been chaotic, and she tended to make impulsive decisions without considering the consequences. Tallulah, on the other hand, despite her unconventional beliefs, had built a successful business and raised a well-grounded daughter.
She didn't seem as careless as my ex-wife. Her behavior, though different from mine, seemed grounded in intentional actions, and those unconventional beliefs had helped me get the best sleep I'd had in months.
I wanted to know her better, but would it be strange for us to get involved when our kids were marrying each other?
