Rose's Rush Hour.

Chapter Fourteen.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so happy. Every moment with Callum either made me smile, excited or comforted. And I wanted more. We fooled around at trinket stalls and laughed as we tried some games, and even ended up playing with smaller children – the Knight boys inclusive.

When it was 8:50pm, we moved into the Town Hall for the folk dance. The Hall was effulgent with light from the ceiling bulbs, and it had been decorated with burgundy and white linen across the walls, held together by flower arrangements.

A lot of people had already arrived and chatted amongst themselves. There was excitement in the air in anticipation of the dance. The only people who sat were the musicians who were in a corner, tuning their instruments.

“I have something to confess,” Callum abruptly said, his words so fast I barely caught them.

I looked at him and noticed how uncomfortable and jittery he seemed. He cracked his knuckles, his gaze flicking about the crowd in the room nervously. He looked like a ghost was following him.

“Are you alright?” I asked, concerned.

He took a deep breath and shut his eyes. “I can’t do it.”

I was confused but also apprehensive. “Can’t do what?”

He sucked in his bottom lip and promptly released it, his eyes still shut. “Dance. I can’t do it. I want to but I can’t.”

A sigh of relief escaped my lips.

“I’ll trip and I’ll fall. I’ll embarrass us, and I’ll embarrass you – Oh my God.” He held his breath as if a horrendous vision was conjured up behind his shut eyes. “It’s going to be horrible. Tangled on the floor with broken hip-”

I laughed. “Callum, open your eyes!”

One of his blue eyes peeled open.

“Both of them,” I instructed.

He looked at me with both eyes.

“Do you not know this dance?” I asked.

“Well...” He twiddled his fingers. “I’ve never danced here but...but I practiced, since this year I would be going with you.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Practiced?”

He nodded sheepishly. “Mother coached me tirelessly.”

I couldn’t help my goofy smile. The image was just amusing yet heart warming.

He blushed. “What if it wasn’t enough and we fall? In front of all these people-”

“We won’t fall,” I assured him in a soothing voice. “Just don’t think about all these people and focus on me. Me, who’s telling you to loosen up.”

He nodded so seriously it made me feel like I was a teacher and he was a student burning all my instructions to his brain.

“Loosen up,” he repeated and let his arms fall to his sides.

“There you go!” I grinned. “Now just think of nothing else but enjoying yourself. I know your mother taught you well.”

He nodded once, seriously again. “They were fruitful sessions.”

“Then you’ll be fine.”

And he was. He was shy and awkward at first, but he easily loosened up and got used to it. The first dance was a popular fast dance, that was both a group dance and partner dance. Some movements we did as a group, and others we did with our partners, including dancing while holding hands and spinning. Since it was a fast dance, all the actions had to be done quickly, which made it more exciting and enjoyable.