Page 96 of In Step

“Thank you. You love dance. I love dance. I still do. But everything I thought was my life, that I couldn’t live without, seems to not have been the case after all. Career, success, fame, climbing that ladder, all those external things that I craved were taken from me without warning. I’m not saying they weren’t important. At the time they meant everything to me. I’m just saying that they don’t keep you warm at night or put that smile on your face like the one you’ve been wearing lately, the type of smile I’ve never seen on your face before.”

“I can’t give up my job, Judah.” It sounded desperate even to my own ears.

“Is Kane asking you to? Have you even talked about it?” He held up a hand. “No, don’t answer that. Not my business—”

“And yet, this is?” I arched a brow and his gaze narrowed. I lowered the brow.

“All I’m saying is that I don’t know a lot about your personal life. We’ve never been close like that, although maybe that’s changed now? I feel like it has. But if Kane is special—”

“We barely know each other.” But I recognised the lie for what it was the second it came out.

“Ifhe’s special, you know as well as I do, guys who make you feel like that don’t come along every day. How long sinceyourlast one?”

Never.I kept my thoughts to myself.

“Exactly. And there are always options, Abe. You just have to want them enough to fight for them. I thought I’d die without ballet, and I was doing a good job of making sure that’s exactly what happened.”

I winced.

“Then I met Morgan, and he was that someone special for me. And I discovered I hadn’t even started to live. Meniere’s and all, I wouldn’t change a thing, because it brought me to him. And that’s fucking saying something.”

He pushed off the basin and drew me into a hug. “Now, let’s get these kids on stage. I’m in the mood to dance. You?”

Never more.“What do you think? Have youseenKane? Holy shit.”

Judah laughed and held up his hand. We high-fived and hugged again before making our way back to the dressing room packed with excited children and nervous chatter.

* * *

The kids were amazing. Their performances went off with only a few small hiccups—Hannah getting one of her canes caught in Joseph’s chair, the chorus line missing a cue or two, and Jam’s sound system, which spat the dummy after the first song, leaving the packed audience of just over a hundred waiting a long minute or ten until it was rejigged.

Other than that, the kids were a huge hit, their individual and paired pieces earning lots of proud tears and hoots of delight. But it was the group work that stole the show, the “Top Hat White Tie and Tails” number, the best of the night, receiving a standing ovation. Joseph owned the stage with the mic, lip-synching like a pro, and Hannah’s cane work was spot on. Corrinne dropped her top hat once but managed to scoop it up with her cane, making it look like it was a planned part of the choreography. I made a mental note to award her the Best Save Of the Night prize in the five-minute backstage awards we planned to follow the forty-five-minute show.

Judah and I were kept busy whisper-shouting encouragement and instructions from the wings, queuing kids to go onstage, handing out props, changing scenery, and settling nerves. But in the grand finale, we joined the kids onstage for a brutally cut version of Vivaldi’sFour Seasons—about two minutes a season—with special effects courtesy of Jam, including thunder and lightning, birdsong, crashing waves, and blowing wind. Judah and I added a little professional ballet flair to the predominantly upper body dance choreography I’d planned for the kids, knowing they’d be tired by the time we got to the end, and I couldn’t deny it felt good to be back onstage instead of lurking in the wings or directing from the front. And when everyone joined hands at the front of the stage at the end of the finale, the audience erupted.

Leroy and Fox, the two mums, Patrick and Kelly, and Jon and Connie roared their approval in hoots and hollers. But no one clapped louder than Kane and Morgan and the parents of those amazing kids, rising to their feet and taking the rest of the audience with them. And taking my bow in line with Judah’s students and watching their faces glow with pride, my eyes filled and my heart swelled with something quite unexpected—the sense of being part of something... special. This tiny town in this tiny country, who’d have thought?

Between the class recital and the exhibition tango that would lead into the community dance, Judah and I changed into more suitable clothes, sexy fedoras included. We cleared the chairs, chatted with parents, and handed out our mini-awards to the kids—everyone got something.

That done, I was standing with Judah and Morgan in the hall, waiting on a signal from Jam to indicate he was ready to go, when a warm palm grazed my arse. I jumped and turned to find Kane’s wicked smile.

He put his lips to my ear and whispered. “Damn, you look hot.” He squeezed my arse through my black trousers and I was thankful my back was facing the wall. I’d chosen something looser in the leg but still firm around the butt, and the smooth feel of his hand on the globes of my arse sent fire licking at my balls.

“Stop that,” I hissed, keeping my voice low. “Or this is going to be an exhibition of more than just dance. I promise you’ll get a private performance later.”

Kane caught my eye and winked. “Make that a lap dance and you’re on.”

“Come on you two. Enough. I want photographic evidence.” Morgan pulled out his phone and Kane and I posed for a couple of shots with our arms around each other and one where he caught us looking at each other in some undoubtedly sappy way.

I returned the favour for him and Judah, and Leroy and Fox. “Flick me some copies, will you?” I asked, and Morgan nodded.

A drum roll quieted the hall.

“Here we go.” I gave Kane’s hand a quick squeeze and let it go.

Cora shooed the audience to the walls, and the lead partners strolled into the middle of the room—Judah, Martha, Jon, Fox, and me. We circled the centre as we’d rehearsed, eyeing the audience, our gazes sweeping over all the faces like we were cruising. After a round of the room, we eyed our partners, paused, and then, one by one, we gave them the requisite questioning look and nod while Jam moved the spotlight to show each one’s response.

I almost broke character and pissed myself laughing when Kane stuck his hand on his hip and gave me a haughty up and down look, as if weighing my merit. Then it was Leroy’s turn. He took one look at Fox and folded his arms with that ‘make me’ glare he had down to a fine art. Cora swished her skirt and smouldered—something mothers should never be seen doing. And Connie stuck one very long and slender leg through a hidden slit in her skirt that went almost to her neck. And lastly, it was Morgan’s turn. He shucked off his jacket to reveal a fabulous harness with silver buckles and D rings threaded between an impressive amount of body hair.

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