Chapter Thirty-Seven
As Anatoly parked the car, he could feel Maggie’s tension ebb away. No doubt she’d seen the sign and had figured out where they were going, but he still held his tongue.
It had been a little difficult to find a reputable dance hall last minute that would take them, but after a couple attempts, he’d been able to talk someone into letting them join the class last minute. All it had taken was the mention of Maggie’s birthday also being their first date and the lady on the phone had been glad to put his name down.
As soon as the vehicle was in park, Anatoly stepped out of the car and hurried around to open Maggie’s door for her. Then he offered her a hand as she got out, worrying that she might slip given she was wearing heels instead of boots. The parking lot was mostly clear, but one could never be too careful this time of year.
She smiled up at him, her pink lips and dark honey eyes alluring. It was so easy to grin back at her, the warmth of her touch tantalizing him, promising him more if he only took her in his arms…
But this was her birthday and Anatoly wanted it to be special. His heart had almost broken when she told him that she’d normally be working. He had decided then and there to show her just how much she meant to him and how much she deserved good things.
“Dancing, huh?” Maggie asked as he placed her hand on his arm and started guiding her toward the entrance. “I didn’t figure you for the dancing type…”
He chuckled at that and as they arrived, opened the door for her to step inside first. The evening was dark and cold; he imagined she was chilly given her attire and wanted to make sure not to linger outdoors too long.
They were greeted with instant warmth and a friendly, “Welcome in! We’re just about to get started!” A second later a young woman with black hair and umber eyes hurried over to greet them, her smile broad and inviting.
“I’m Roxanne, the proprietor. Are you here for the class tonight?”
“Da, I believe reservation is under Anatoly Brusilev,” he answered, giving Maggie’s hand a little squeeze.
“Ah yes, Mr. Brusilev, our late comer. My assistant already filled me in. And who is the lovely lady with you?” she asked.
“I’m Maggie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’ll be your teacher tonight,” Roxanne announced. “There are coat racks just over there and refreshments at the counter if you need water during the class. Please, make yourselves at home.”
As Roxanne glided away to greet another couple, Anatoly moved to help Maggie with her coat, but she was already shrugging out of it. That’s when he noticed what she was wearing and his undead heart nearly came to life again. He thought she’d looked pretty on the night they met, dressed up for a date, and again the first night they had kissed, but nothing could compare to how she looked right now.
Maggie was radiant, the blue and white floral sundress accenting her curves and swishing around her knees. But it was more than that: it was how she held herself, how she moved in it that would have taken his breath away if he needed to breathe. She looked genuinely happy and the brightness made her even more lovely to him.
She hung her coat up on the rack and turned to face him, a slight grin on her face that made his heart ache with the desire to kiss her.
Anatoly slipped an arm around her waist, drawing her close and whispering in her ear, “You look good enough to eat, Maggie.” He waited a second for the double meaning to sink in and then added, “I am blessed man indeed to have such ravishing woman on arm tonight.”
At that, her cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink and he could sense her heartbeat quicken. “Anatoly, what’s gotten into you?” she asked, sounding both pleased and surprised.
“You,” he answered without any hesitation and he kissed her forehead before sliding his hand down to take hers. “Shall we, my love?”
She nodded and followed him as he guided her onto the dance floor where the other couples were starting to gather.
The dance hall was nicer than the building exterior suggested with low lighting and floor-to-ceiling mirrors along the back wall. Sage incense burned nearby and candles glowed, twinkling like starlight in the reflection. A great deal of effort had been put into making the studio feel romantic, which Anatoly appreciated as he wanted this night to be magical.
“Okay, everyone, please gather around, we are about to begin,” Roxanne called, clapping her hands together. The last few stragglers joined in at her beckoning and she gave them a broad grin that revealed perfect teeth.
“Excellent,” she continued, looking over the various couples with her eyes glowing. “Tonight is a crash course in dancing for couples. We are going to work on three dances,” she explained, holding up her hand with three fingers raised and two folded against her palm. “Consider it a sample of the various classes I offer here.
“First, we will do the salsa, then the waltz, and then, we’ll finish up with the foxtrot. We will have scheduled breaks in between each, but if you need to step out in the middle of class, please feel free to do so. Any questions?”
The other three couples exchanged uncertain glances and nobody spoke up from among them so Roxanne moved the class along with the expertise of someone who had been doing this for a long time.
“Very well, now for my second favorite dance, the salsa!” She danced a few steps to demonstrate and received a round of applause when she was done. “Thank you, thank you. Now, get into position, we’re going to start!”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Nervousness clung to Maggie like a damp shirt. She hadn’t done much dancing before, but it was something that had always been on her bucket list of things to try. She just hadn’t gotten around to it. Not that she expected Anatoly to have known that, it was more that he’d managed to pick one of many things she had always told herself she’d do someday.
Then the music began to play and Maggie couldn’t help but gulp as she faced Anatoly. What if she was garbage at this? What if she stepped on his feet? ‘What if’ kept running in circles around her mind until the moment Anatoly took her hand and laid his other on her waist.
