‘Aye, I can vouch for that. He’s no Anton Du Beke, that’s for sure,’ chipped in Maggie, making them all laugh, including their dance teacher.
‘I have to admit to not being what you’d call coordinated, too,’ said Max.
Noushka raised her palms, smiling kindly. ‘I’m sure neither of you are half as bad as you think you are. And, like I said, you’re here to have a great time and enjoy yourselves, which is what dance is all about, so just take the pressure off yourself and cut loose a bit. You’ll be swinging those hips like there’s no tomorrow by the time we’re done.’
‘Heaven help us with the size of mine,’ quipped Maggie, who regularly grumbled about her curves and the struggles she’d had losing her post-pregnancy baby weight.
‘There’s nowt wrong with your hips, missus,’ said Bear. ‘They’re perfect.’
‘Bleurgh!’ Jasmine mimed throwing up. ‘Give over, you two.’
‘Bear’s right, Mags, you’re gorgeous,’ added Lark, smiling over at her.
‘You so are,’ agreed Stella. ‘I’d give anything to have your curves rather than being straight up and down. I’m like a beanpole.’
‘So’ – Noushka flicked her hair over her shoulders once the banter had died down – ‘before we get started, I’d just like to sayhugecongratulations to Florrie and Ed, who I gather are the reason you’re all here today, to help celebrate their upcoming wedding. I’m so happy you chose to come here to do that, and I’ll do all I can to make sure you have a fabulous time.’
Smiling, Florrie caught Ed’s eye. ‘Thank you,’ they said together.
‘That’s very kind, we’re chuffed to be here,’ added Florrie.
‘So, don’t forget, this is all about having fun, not taking yourself too seriously, or getting stressed if you think you’re doing it wrong. And, yes, some of the moves can be a bit tricky at first, but once you get the hang of them you’ll be raring to go, I promise.’ Noushka headed over to the back wall, all long, lean limbs, and picked up what looked like a remote control. Seconds later, the jaunty rhythm of salsa music filled the air, pounding through their feet.
‘I’ll just show you a few of the easy steps to get you started and while we wait for my assistant – and Jean’s dance partner – to show up,’ Noushka said as she put on a headset microphone, taking a moment to adjust the fit. ‘I’ll take it slowly at first until you get into the rhythm, then we can crank it up a few notches. I’ll face the mirror so you can follow my steps. Okay, we’ll start with the left foot first, on the count of three. One, two, three…’
They’d been following Noushka’s instructions, with various levels of success, for a good five minutes when the door opened and in walked a man who Florrie couldn’t help but think looked more than a little familiar. Her mind took off, searching for where she’d seen him before.
‘Ah, good stuff, your dance partner’s arrived, Jean,’ said Noushka, her face lighting up. She quickly paused the music.
‘Hello, everyone. So sorry I’m late, but my rather naughty Labrador decided it would be a good time to chew my shoes,’ the man said in a soft Southern Irish accent that could melt the hardest of hearts. ‘But, hey, these things happen, and the shoes had seen better days.’ He gave a good-natured smile that crinkledhis chocolate-brown eyes in the most appealing way. Coming to a stop beside Noushka, he put his hands on his hips. ‘So, can someone point me in the direction of the lovely Jean?’
Florrie felt her mouth fall open. The man was the double of indie-folk singer Gabe Dublin. He even spoke like Gabe Dublin. Dressed like him, too. She stole a look at her friends to see that they were wearing matching expressions of astonishment. She turned her attention back to the man in question, taking in his floppy fringe and broad shoulders, the two-day stubble on his chin. Everything about him, even his posture, screamed Gabe Dublin. It couldn’t be? Could it? It didn’t make sense. Why would internationally famous Gabe Dublin be here, helping out in a dance studio in the middle of the North Yorkshire Moors? Surely he’d be living it up somewhere glitzy and glamorous, surrounding himself with equally famous people, or touring around Europe and the States?
Florrie blinked several times in quick succession, but it did nothing to change the message her eyes were sending to her brain.Time for a trip to the optician’s, Florrie, your eyes are clearly deceiving you. Conscious that her mouth was still hanging open, she clamped it shut.
Noushka rested her hand on the Gabe Dublin doppelganger’s shoulder with an easy familiarity. ‘This is my boyfriend, Gabe, who’s very kindly volunteered to be Jean’s dance partner for the session.’
Florrie’s eyes grew wide and she cast another glance around at her friends. It really was him! She caught Jasmine’s eye, her friend mouthing, ‘Oh my God,’ as a ripple of surprise ran around the room. Seeing him out of context had totally thrown them all.
‘Hi, folks.’ Gabe gave a small wave. ‘There’s no need to look so shocked there, Jean. I know I don’t look what you’d call graceful and elegant, but please let me reassure you that I’ve also been a pupil of Noushka’s and she regularly has me brushing up on my skills, so I can say with a certain degree of confidence that you’re in relatively safe hands with me as your dance partner. What I mean is, I don’t stand on anywhere near as many toes as I used to.’ Hegave an amused grin. ‘I’d all the elegance and coordination of a hippo with raging toothache when I first rocked up here, but I’m pleased to report, I’ve managed to shake off the toothache.’
That had everyone laughing, putting the group instantly at ease.
‘Okay, so we’ll have a quick recap on the steps we’ve just done, then we’ll move on to the next stage,’ said Noushka, getting things back on track. ‘Gabe, if you could go and stand next to Jean, that would be great.’
‘It’d be my pleasure,’ he replied.
Jean looked like all her Christmases had come at once when Gabe took his position beside her. ‘Hi there, Jean, it’s grand to meet you.’ He bent and kissed her gently on the cheek.
‘Oh, and it’s very grand to meet you, too.’ Jean’s eyes sparkled as her cheeks flushed pink.
‘Looks like Amery’s got a bit of competition,’ Ed whispered in Florrie’s ear as the music started up again, the pair of them sharing a smile.
The two-hour lesson passed in a blur of laughter and fun, with the friends declaring Noushka a wonderful teacher. She’d been patient, her instructions clear, and she had a kind way about her, a smile never far from her face.
Jean had been in her element with Gabe who’d made a fuss of her, bestowing copious compliments on her light footwork and natural sense of rhythm. And he wasn’t exaggerating; Noushka had commented on how Jean seemed to pick up the steps quickly. Unlike Jasmine and Max who couldn’t have been less coordinated if they’d tried. They’d spent most of the session tied up in knots, struggling to follow instructions, which had them snorting and giggling like a couple of mischievous school kids.
‘They were exactly the same at school,’ Stella had said, shaking her head and laughing when Noushka had tried to help out.
