with my right foot, you take a step forward with your left, and then we do a little turn like this,” she said, moving our bodies before continuing, “until we’re facing a new direction. See.”
I completed the steps without thinking. I just followed the movement of her body, not over-concentrating like before. I’d never been a great dancer, but with Rose it felt natural. All I had to do was lose myself in her voice, and my body responded. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that I wanted to fuck her until she couldn’t walk, but shit, at least my horn-dog urges were good for something.
“Look at you, you’re doing it,” she enthused.
My gaze warmed on her and we continued dancing until one song bled to another and another. Before I knew it, we’d been practicing for an hour, but it felt like we’d only just begun. Rose didn’t even realise that I was enjoying being near her on a level that had nothing to do with learning how to dance. And it wasn’t just sexual. I liked being around her, having the feel of her body beneath my fingers. She made my head feel clear and untroubled. When a vibration sounded, interrupting us, she let go of my hand and went to pull her phone from her bag.
“Hey, Iggy, what’s up?” she answered, her voice a little breathless. I knew it must’ve been from all the dancing, but it made me think of sex again. I wanted to make her breathless in so many different ways. She tugged at the end of her top, and my eyes followed the movement.
“Yeah, uh-huh, okay. Sounds good. See you tomorrow,” she said cheerily before hanging up. I watched as she placed her phone back in her bag and turned to face me. “Apparently, Alicia’s organising for everyone to have drinks tomorrow night to celebrate the first week of rehearsals. It’s a little early to be celebrating anything, if you ask me, but it could be fun. Do you want to go? I’m sure Alicia will ask you when you see her tomorrow either way.”
“Are you going?” I asked, stepping closer so there was less than a foot of space between us.
“Yep, it’ll be good to blow off some steam.”
“Then I’ll go, but…I don’t really know anyone.”
She began putting on her coat and handed me mine. “Well, maybe you could use this as an opportunity to get acquainted with the rest of the cast. Alcohol is a fantastic social lubricant, you know.”
I grimaced. “I’m a horrible drunk.”
Rose grinned. “Oh, really? Do you start spouting insults and telling everyone what you really think of them?”
“Something like that.”
It was a lie, but fuck if I was telling her the truth. Ale turned me into a randy bastard, and I was certain that if I got drunk around Rose, I’d try doing all the things I’d so far only been picturing in my head. Best to only have one or two pints tomorrow, then.
“I get really giddy when I’m drunk, laughing at stuff that isn’t even funny. You’ll see. It’s irritating as hell.”
I bet it was more cute than irritating, but I let her think I believed her all the same. Rose locked up and we left the studio, sharing a taxi home since we lived so close to one another. It had been a real stroke of luck, actually. Jacob had rented out the house for me, and though it was way bigger than what I was used to or needed, I liked that it meant Rose was within reach.
We got to her place first, and she grabbed her bag, then opened the door. Before she got out, she turned back to me. “You did great tonight, really. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, and smiled warmly.
“See you tomorrow, Rose,” I replied, and made a concerted effort to return her smile. It was awkward and stilted, but her eyes still lit up. She must’ve thought I was a right grumpy old bastard with the way I went around frowning all the time. The trouble was that a smile made you vulnerable. It showed a person you liked them, gave them a strange power over you. Or maybe I was just a freak to think it did. After a moment Rose shook her head.
“Not a single bloody clue,” she muttered to herself, getting out and closing the door behind her. Twisting in my seat, I watched her climb the steps to her