“Let’s move the couch toward the dining room and give ourselves more room.”
“Right.”He nodded and almost cursed himself for not thinking about that instead of looking around her house.
They each grabbed an end of the couch and lifted it, walking it next to the dining table.“We have about forty-five minutes until dinner is done and has to rest.Are you okay if we shorten tonight’s lesson?”she asked, looking hesitant.
He didn’t know why.She had worked hard the past few weeks, and he was pretty confident in her skills, despite what happened tonight.Fifteen minutes wasn’t going to change anything.“Yeah, that’s fine.”
For the next forty-five minutes, they went over the same drills.Rob added a few new moves, but he just kept going over the basics.The more it was repeated, the more it would sink in and eventually become second nature.
“Alright, I’m going to call it,” June panted, sweat coating her skin as the timer in the kitchen went off.
“Go ahead and get changed, I’ll take care of dinner.”
“Thanks,” she replied, looking relieved.“There’s a guest bath right there if you want to freshen up.”She pointed to the door down the hall and took off down it.
Rob turned off the timer and set the pan on the stovetop to rest.He decided to use the time until June was ready to use the bathroom and splash some cold water on his face.He wasn’t sweating like June had been.Though he should have brought a change of clothes with him but hadn’t thought about it.Oh well.He lifted his arm and smelled his armpit.Didn’t seem too bad.
He went back out into the living room and saw June still wasn’t back yet.He wondered what was taking her so long.He moved the couch back where it belonged and looked back along the decor in her house.It was homey like his own, though he was sure she’d designed it herself and not had family help her.
Rob spun around at June’s approach.She wore a navy-colored top that hung off the tops of her shoulders and a long floral skirt that kissed the floor.Her hair was up in a twist.It was dark from her shower.
She looked beautiful.She had shown up for lessons with off-the-shoulder tops, but he had never noticed the soft contours of them before.They were graceful and delicate-looking.
“Hey,” she greeted him.
“Hi, dinner is on the stove, but I didn’t know where your plates and silverware were, so I didn’t set the table yet.”
“Thanks for doing that.”
“Not a problem.I like your house.”He waved around at him, taking his focus off of her.“I can see why though that lessons didn’t work out here.”
“Not a lot of room in here.The kitchen is one of the biggest rooms in the house.There isn’t much of a backyard, but I’m hardly in it to notice.”
“Have you thought about remodeling it?”He had with his to make it a more open concept, but not everyone preferred that.
“No, I like it this way.I grew up in houses like this with separate rooms.It’s a weird thought seeing one’s entire house from the front door.I know that’s the thing now, but I like the separation.”Her eyes widened in shock.“Not that I find anything wrong with an open floor plan.I know yours is.”
“June, it’s fine.”He chuckled at her trying to back pedal and appease him for his floor plan.“Open floor plans aren’t for everyone.Personally, I feel the half walls box in the house, and I feel closed in, but that’s just me.”
June looked around her house as if seeing it with new eyes.“I never thought about that.”
“It’s what fits the person.Your house though, even with half walls, doesn’t feel boxed in.”
“Well, that’s good.I’d hate for you to feel caged in my house.”
“Never.”He liked being in her house.It felt more like a home than his.
“Good.”
“I’ve noticed you don’t really have any photos, just art.”At least from what he’d seen in the living room and dining room.He didn’t know about the rest of the house.He couldn’t exactly ask to explore her bedroom without her raising an eyebrow.
“I never really liked my picture being taken.I prefer art on my walls than seeing my face looking back at me.Can I get you anything to drink?I have water, wine, and juice.”
“Water would be great.”He still had to drive home, so he didn’t want to drink tonight.
“Alright, I’ll be right back.”June came back a moment later and handed him a glass of water.“I just need to set the table, and we can eat,” she informed him as she started setting up the table.Rob set down his glass and began helping her.Another habit they had formed together.
“Does Rosa ever come over for meals?”he asked as June served up their plates.
