Part 16: SMOOTH, Mar 04

16 6 12

by peteybee46

by peteybee46

SMOOTH

Mar 04

It was a slow Tuesday night at the Starlight nightclub and dance hall. No band, music provided by the playlist collected on someone's recording device. With only the rare exception, the playlist was pretty good. A nice variety between songs with a nice danceable beat occasionally interrupted with a few slow songs giving the dancers, had there been any, time to get the feel of each other. At times this was accomplished with dialogue, more often with gentle nudging and caressing.

The lighting was good. Low enough to provide the air of concealment while still being bright enough to avoid embarrassing approaches for a dance resulting in a guy with a longer hairstyle being asked to dance by another guy. Sometimes it happened anyway, usually prompted by the asker being a bit over-served. At a minimum, this resulted in embarrassment, at worst an invitation to continue the discussion in the parking lot.

The decor was such that it leaned toward a country music style but not so much that contemporary music would be out of place. The playlist on this night was made up of light rock, good tempo, good variety, volume not knocking you out of your seat in deference to the lack of crowd.

Steve and Ben sat at a table just off the dance floor in the second row. They had been friends all through high school and, having gone to different colleges, were taking this opportunity to catch up with each other. Steve had always been the more outgoing of the two. He never hesitated to ask a girl for a date, and the prettier the better. Ben was more reserved. More comfortable asking for that date after having met the girl at other functions and having to become at least slightly acquainted with her.

"Well, I'll tell you, Ben, the courses are tough but the girls more than make up for it. If I didn't have to study I could have a date every night."

"Sounds like the female population is almost as large as your ego," Ben replied with a grin. "How do you afford all this social life? Dating ain't cheap nowadays."

"I know! I had to work extra shifts last week to be able to pay off my credit card. But that girl was a knockout, well worth the extra shifts I had to put in."

A song had just started when Ben caught some movement in his peripheral vision. He looked across the practically empty dance floor to see a girl there, dancing by herself. From her movements, she was feeling the music as much as hearing it. And she could really dance. She caught the essence of the music and matched it perfectly with movements of her arms, body, and legs. If there ever was one, she was a vision to behold.

"Hey Steve, look over there," Ben said with a nod of his head.

"Holy Moly!" Steve said, and after watching just a few seconds added, "you should join her on the floor Ben."

"Dude, you know that kind of move just ain't me."

"Well, she needs someone to dance with. I'm going over. Should I go over?"

"The only way to know the answer to that is to give it a shot, Steve."

Without pausing, Steve got up, circled the dance floor among the tables rather than walking openly across the dance floor, and made his approach from the tables closest to where the vision continued to dance. She was so into the music she had not seen Steve coming around.

Ben had to grin as he saw Steve crank up his best dance moves while still at the edge of the tables. With a serious look on his face, arms moving with a silent finger snap in tempo with the tune, legs slightly bent to allow smooth gyrations, Steve eased into view in front of the dancing angel, spaced just far enough away that no doubt could be had that he wanted to be her partner.

The ethereal vision continued to dance for a few moments, so absorbed with her dancing she had not been aware of Steve joining her. As it did sink into her that she was no longer dancing by herself, her eyes got a bit wide, she shook her head, and like flipping a switch the moment was gone. she simply turned, walked off the floor, and continued out the door.

Steve, putting his all into matching the intensity of the girls dancing, had shut his eyes briefly as he moved and did not notice the object of his advancement had fled the scene. He opened his eyes, gaped at the empty dance floor, and also abandoned the song returning quickly to Ben's table.

"Well ol' buddy," Ben said, not able to completely stifle the giggle, "I'll give your attempt a 10, your dance moves an 8.8, and your ability to be super smooth about a 1.24! You never made a dent!"