One, Two, Three

Denver's POV

"Are you sure you don't want to go home? The day is practically done," I said.

Raul stubbornly shook his head. "I've never canceled a class. I'm not starting now."

"I wasn't suggesting that you should cancel. I could handle the lesson. It's a small group."

Conrad was coming with his friends. Apparently there was a wedding on the horizon, and the guys couldn't dance to a simple rhythm without looking like hopeless idiots. Rosie's words, not mine. I hadn't had many close friends (male or female) in my life, and I tended to keep people at a distance, but that girl and I had clicked from the get go. Maybe she just put me at ease because she was so open herself. She made me feel included in their group of friends instead of the outsider that I was. And wasn't it strange that she had done that instead of Conrad, the one I had known the longest (even though I knew him but I didn't really know him, know him)? I needed to stop confusing myself.

Right when he opened his mouth to protest, he started coughing loudly like he had been all day. He turned to hack in a direction away from me.

"Were you about to tell me again that you're fine?" I smiled cheekily.

Raul cleared his throat with a frown. "Fine. I'll go home." He pointed a finger at me to show he meant business. "But if you need anything call me and I'll come right back."

A knock on the large glass window stole our attention.

Rosie waved and pointed at the doorknob, as if asking permission to enter the dance studio. I nodded and waved them inside. One by one they filed in: Rosie, Annie, Tim, and Conrad.

"Everyone this is Raul," I gestured. "He owns the studio." I went around the room to introduce everyone. "He was at Bailey's birthday party, but I'm not sure if everyone here got the chance to meet him."

Raul nodded. "Normally I run things, but I'm afraid I'm in the middle of being kicked out of my own studio."

"He's sick," I explained to the group, "but he's having a hard time accepting it."

"Mind over body?" Annie guessed with a gentle smile.

He nodded. "Something like that." He reached for his light suede jacket on the coat rack. "I'm going to go before Denver tries to physically remove me. Have fun," he waved on his way out.

Raul lingered midway out the front door.

"Go on," I waved him away with both hands. "I've got this covered, I swear."

Rosie spoke first. "Was there a reason he didn't want to leave you here alone?"

"He can be a little overprotective under the right circumstances," I said.

"Over you or his studio?" Tim asked.

"Me. He never had any kids of his own so he tends to focus a lot of energy on me." I wrung my hands together, uncomfortable talking about myself to a bunch of near strangers. "Anyway. Where should we start? Was there a particular dance you guys wanted to learn?"

"Something simple," Annie said when she wrapped an arm around Tim's waist. His arm circled her shoulders. "My man has no rhythm outside of the bedroom."

Conrad shook his head. "TMI Ann. Nobody here needs to know those details."

Tim shrugged. "I don't mind. There was a compliment hidden in that insult."

"Okay, let's start with the basics." I went to my iPod that had been tethered to the studio's speakers all day. "Everybody relax and follow my lead."

Rosie definitely belonged in the class I taught that was full of teenagers. Everything made her laugh. But she made up for her constant disruptions by grasping everything with ease. It was a shame she hadn't grown up dancing like I had. Her miniature frame would have been perfect for professional dance competitions.

Annie was picking things up just as well, but not as quickly as Rosie.

Tim was…a work in progress. I had seen worse dancers in my time teaching so he wasn't as much of a lost cause as Annie repeatedly teased.

Then there was Conrad. He was stiff and obviously uncomfortable.

"Relax," I had advised him more than once. I stopped after the third time because he would lock up a fraction more each time I made that remark. He was going to be the true challenge. Fortunately for me he wasn't the groom, so there wasn't too much pressure on me to smooth out the rough edges.

After an hour, it was clear that Tim had had enough.

Annie chuckled and left an affectionate kiss on his cheek. "Okay Mr. Broody Face. We get it." She looked to me. "Is it okay if we call it a night?"

"I was just about to suggest we wrap things up," I said.

"Sorry Denver," Tim apologized. "But this just isn't my idea and fun."

"But we appreciate your time all the same," Annie added.

"And obviously you have a shit ton of patience," Rosie laughed openly at Tim and Conrad's apparent displeasure.

They weren't the first men that who been dragged to the studio against their will for dance lessons because they were severely lacking. And I knew damn well they wouldn't be the last. It was part of the job.

I walked over to shut off the music. "When is the wedding?"

"In six months," Annie answered.

"That's good. It gives everyone plenty of time to get comfortable."

"Six months? Is that how long it takes to perform a miracle?" Rosie grinned.

The girl was relentless and I couldn't help but laugh right along with her. If it had been another group, I would've tried harder to hold it back. It would be unprofessional, but I felt at ease among this quartet even though I was just getting to know them.

Even Annie let a small giggle escape before Tim clamped a bearish hand over her mouth. "We're leaving now." He nodded towards me. "Thanks for helping us out."

Annie had to use both of her hands to free her mouth from Tim's trap. "Can we come back next week? It's obvious we need all the help we can get."

With that comment, Tim hoisted her over his shoulder, her head behind his shoulders, and her hands clawing at his back to keep herself upright. She was laughing. "Wait, she didn't answer me yet!"

He walked to the door, straight faced, ignoring her.

Rosie was practically bouncing behind them as they exited the studio. She faced me with a jovial grin. "This was awesome. Thanks Denver." She snapped a finger at Conrad. "Text me the details." Then she waved at both of us and walked out, chasing Tim and Annie down the street.

I turned to Conrad. "What details?"

"They really do want to come back for more lessons," he said. His hands were shoved deeply into his pockets. "I mean, if you have the time for us. I'm sure after what you saw today, you're probably rethinking agreeing to give us dance lessons."

"I've seen worse," I encouraged.

His head tilted and his blue eyes pinned me with a slightly pointed look that read: I'm not buying your story, lady.

I had to bite my gums to keep from smiling at his expense. "But not by much."

Conrad smiled good naturedly. "Yeah, I didn't think so." He shrugged. "I've never danced a day in my life. In case it wasn't already obvious."

The idea of never dancing was such an outlandish thought to me. Everybody danced now and then. Didn't they? "You never went to dances in school?"

"I wasn't very social."

"What about the prom? You had to have danced at your prom."

"I didn't go. Couldn't afford it. Me and Rosie stayed out all night at a beach with some friends. Tim drove us home in the morning."

"Well," I began, "I could relate to the first part. I mean about not being very social."

He looked genuinely surprised. "I never would've guessed that about you."

"I mean, I had friends. But nothing of substance. Does anybody really make lasting friends like that in high school that carries past high school?"

I had posed it as a rhetorical question, but Conrad answered anyway. "You're asking the wrong guy."

Silence filled the studio.

Years had passed since we originally met, but this was the first true one on one conversation we had ever had. That small, simple fact was somehow jarring.

I brushed back my dark hair. "Anyway, I should lock up."

"Yeah," he nodded and looked a little sheepish. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hold you up. I'm sure Bailey is waiting for you." He looked like he wanted to say more but he stopped himself. He took a step backwards. "Do you need a hand with anything?"

"No, no," I shook my head. "Honestly, I just have to shut off the lights and lock up."

"I'll walk you to your car."

I chuckled at that.

His blue eyes brightened with curiosity. "What?"

"Nothing."

It took less than a minute to do what needed to be done. He was waiting for me on the sidewalk with his hands still shoved inside of his pockets when I locked up behind me.

"Where did you park?" he asked.

I held back a smirk and pointed behind him.

My red Honda hatchback was parked neatly, directly in front of the studio.

"Oh." Conrad rubbed the back of his flushed neck, understanding now why I had laughed at his offer to walk me to my car.

"Where did you park? Maybe I should walk you to your car," I said.

He dipped his head with a short laugh. He pointed down the street to the four story parking structure. "There wasn't any street parking available when I got here."

"It's Sunday. There are plenty of restaurants in the area, so lots of families come here after church I think. It's much more crowded on the weekends than it is during the week," I explained.

He nodded in understanding and pulled out his cell phone. "So what should I text Rosie?"

"What do you mean?"

"About continuing the dance lessons."

"Next Sunday at the same time?" I offered.

"Works for me." He fired off a quick text before pocketing his phone. Then he shot me a playful smile that I couldn't help but reciprocate. "And I'm apologizing ahead of time for all the shitty dancing you'll have to put up with next week."

Author's Note: Found an old USB that had this and bunch of old memories on it. I'd like to finish this story just for the sake of having two out of three stories completed.