The Love Clause | ✓

08. waltz with me

Alia had a feeling her feet would be doomed after a dance session with Mr. Henderson, and that was a thought she couldn't shake away that easily. It was a fact, with those stiffened shoulders, rigid neck and deep silence – while Carol talked and talked about the dance teacher and the studio–, that Mr. Henderson would, well, suck at dancing. She couldn't blame him.

At company's party he's never even looked at the dance floor. While some drunken collaborators would dance, giggle and finish another glass of champagne, Mr. Henderson would stay aside, talking in a low voice with some stern executive man, nodding and looking at his expensive Rolex, waiting for the right time to vanish without seeming too eager to go home.

He wasn't the dancing type. Alia – and her poor feet – could feel that.

They entered the studio, and Jane's eyes flashed towards them. She was in Edward's strong arms, and smiled to her parents. "Oh, you came just in time! We're about to start."

"Lucky us, darling," Rupert said in a tired voice. Carol rolled her eyes, smiling. "Lucky us."

The teacher, a Russian woman with a stern expression, pale blond hair and a perpetual disgusted face, gave a wan smile to the four couples. She explained how graceful and fluids the movements should be in a good waltz and how the couple should float, and not dance. Then, beside Mr. Henderson, Alia took a deep breath.

Listening to the teacher's comments on posture, attitude and movements of the damn waltz, she felt... dumb. There was no way she'd do that that on the dance floor. In a way, Alia felt sorry for Mr. Henderson's feet too.

Dylan, May, Rupert, Carol and even Jane were listening to the teacher's instructions with full attention, nodding here and there. Mr. Henderson was serious, looking at the woman with a stern face and stiffened shoulders. The only one seeming incredibly lost, apart from herself, was poor Edward, whose half-opened mouth and furrowed brow made him look like a helpless idiot.

"Well, now that I've told you the basics," the teacher said, her wan smile showing up again, "we can dance and correct any wrong movement on the dance floor."

She pressed a button on a remote controller and the first measures of a waltz filled the studio. Alia gulped, Mr. Henderson grabbed her hand, and they started to dance.

▬▬▬▬

"Jesus, you're massacring my feet!"

The other three couples turned their heads when Jane screamed for the fourth time in a row. Edward's guilty expression would be funny if Jane wasn't so pissed at him.

"I'm sorry, baby," he started in a low voice, making an ashamed face. "Do you want to stop, or—"

"Just... just be careful, will you?" Jane gave him an irritated smirk, placing a hand on Edward's broad shoulder again.

"I promise I will, baby."

Jane shot a refrained smile to Alia, and took a deep breath before waltzing away with Edward. Carol and Rupert were holding each other on the dance floor, just swaying to the music. Dylan and May, on the other hand, were glued to each other. The teacher corrected their posture six times before giving up and turning her attention to the bride and the helpless groom.

Alia turned her eyes to Mr. Henderson, who was watching Jane and Edward with a concerned face, following every move with furrowed eyebrows. It didn't take long for Jane to whine a Jesus Christ, Edward! again.

"Hm, she doesn't look... happy," Alia said, eyeing Jane with a rueful face. The groom was trying to help, but the bride was massaging her feet with a furious expression. "Edward doesn't seem to..."