The Delivery Dude

Fandango Friday

"Wow." Neo had wide eyes when I answered the door.

"Why thank you," I tilted my hip a little, leaning one arm against the door frame. I was wearing a silky red dress and short heeled shoes, having just come from Dance club.

"You look..." he swallowed a little, making butterflies flutter in my stomach.

I didn't let him finish the compliment, "Yeah well you're the only one who thinks so." With a depressed chuckle, I threw my hands out, "Turns out I suck at ballroom. I suck at everything except, clearly being the local cat lady."

Two of the neighbour's cats had drawn closer to us and I shooed them away, even though they had been the only two friends I had been able to vent to during the week of hell I had just been through. Who knew socialising could be this draining?

"Ok, come on," he left the pizza bag a few feet from my door. Oddly, it only seemed to have the one in it, which must have meant I was his last customer for the night.

"What?" I stood in my doorway as if there was this invisible barrier preventing me from joining the hot delivery dude.

"Don't worry," he turned back, his uniform tight fitting across his torso alluding to his well-developed muscles. "This isn't an episode of NCIS, think of it more as a favour for a friend."

"Friend?" I muttered, disappointed, speaking louder to say, "I've got enough male companions to last me a lifetime and another one after that." I scooped up the pizza bag on my way because I was in no mood to let it get cold or allow it to be stolen.

"Well then you're well on your way," Neo lead us around the corner to the small grass area at the front of my apartment block. It was the place my neighbours used to take their small chihuahua on walks during coffee break and where some of the others would park if in a hurry. It was fake grass so made squelching noses as we grazed across it.

"Here?" I placed the pizza bag down and crossed my arms again, "No way, someone will see."

Neo looked around, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, "I think we'll be safe from the paparazzi Cat Lady."

"Low blow," I shook my finger at him surprised when he took my hand in his and pulled me closer. "What are you doing?" My breath was short, his face inches from mine.

"Leading if you'll let me," his hand lightly rested on the small of my back as my arms naturally fell into place, one hand resting on his shoulder.

We started to do the waltz and I managed not to maul his feet which was a definite improvement.

The streetlight above flickered, the setting wasn't exactly a romantic candlelight dinner, but it was almost better because of it.

"See you're a natural," Neo was being kind, too kind in fact I wondered when and how he learnt to dance like this.

"No, you are." I was dipped and when I came back up, I smiled, "Classes?"

"Up until I was eleven," Neo twirled me out and back in.

I couldn't catch my breath.

"So, which dance is giving you trouble?" he held me still, so close, having pulled me back in.

"The Fanta-go." I couldn't recall the name of it but took my best shot.

"Fanta?" he rose an eyebrow, letting me go before clapping his hands in realisation, "The Fandango."

"That's it," I clapped this time.

"Well, that's a dance of passion and play," he stuck a pose and I clapped again.

He was smiling, rather enjoying the attention when I started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" he wondered, his cheekbones striking under the florescent streetlight.

"I'm getting the pizza," I unzipped the delivery bag I'd kept one eye on the whole time. "I eat, you dance, I learn. Win, win... win."

"Well don't take too long you'll miss my best moves," he shook his head with a cheeky grimace and started to dance making me laugh.

"Neo," I gasped, playing with him, as I reached in to get happiness wrapped up in a little thing called cardboard boxing. "I don't think we know each other well enough yet."

He did a spin for me and clapped like a professional fandango dancer, "That's what practice is for."

"Will pirouette for pizza."