Page 2 of Landry

Gisele looked past Camille and smiled. “Your guy is headed your way.”

Camille rolled her eyes. “He’s not my guy. He’s just a dance partner.”

Before the big guy she’d been dancing with reached her, a shorter, wiry man wearing cowboy boots, a plaid shirt and a bolo tie ducked in front of her. He held out his hand. “Care to dance?”

Because it had been so long since she’d interacted with men other than as customers in her candy store, she didn’t want to say no. This man was less attractive than the tall one she’d been dancing with, but seemed nice enough. She nodded, gave the other guy a shrug and let the wiry guy in cowboy boots lead her into a two-step.

He was an even better dancer than the last one.

“Where did you learn to dance so well?” she asked over the sound of the music.

He spun her out and back, all the while moving around the dance floor, flowing with the perpetual circle. “A couple of years ago, while I was deployed, my wife left me for another man. I left the Army, sank into depression and drank a lot. I finally got tired of alcohol and decided to do something I hoped would make me happy.” He smiled, twirled her out and then back into his arms. “I learned to dance.”

Camille laughed, enjoying the dance even more. Though she wasn’t attracted to the man, she appreciated his candor about his past and his reason for learning how to dance. “How’s it going for you?”

He promenaded her around the dance floor. “I’m dancing with one of the prettiest girls in the room. You tell me.”

Again, she laughed. “Thank you. Though I’m sure I’m not the prettiest, and I’ve seen you dancing with so many other women. Good for you. It’s nice to hear a positive spin on divorce.” She smiled at him. “I’m Camille.”

“Todd,” he said. “I take it you’re divorced, as well?”

She nodded. “Divorced, one child.”

“I suppose the fact that my wife and I never had children together is a plus, though I always wanted kids. It’s best the way it ended with none to juggle between visitation weekends.”

“I suppose so.”

“Do you have to play that game with your kid?”

Camille shook her head.

“Dad’s not in the picture?”

Again, she shook her head, not wanting to spill her life story to this nice guy.

Todd spun her out and back into his arms. “Is one dance too soon to ask you out on a date?”

Her stomach knotted. “I don’t know.’

“It’s okay if you say no. I’m not the typical boyfriend type. Not tall enough. My body is built like a runner, not a weightlifter.”

“You’re perfect the way you are. I’m just not ready to start dating. You’ll find the perfect person for you, one who isn’t still trying to figure out her way in the world of being single with a child in tow.”

“Nicely put,” Todd said without a misstep in his dance moves. “Though telling me you’re not interested would have been fine. I’m used to it.”

Camille liked the guy and could see him as a friend. She just didn’t feel anything beyond that. But then, what did she expect? A spark? A tingling of awareness? Her pulse to quicken?

Yeah. She’d settled for a lot less with her ex-husband. As her first major relationship, Camille had just been happy that someone had claimed to love her. She’d given up college and married Richard, in love with the idea of marriage, children and making a home for her family. She’d never felt a spark or tummy flutters for Richard. Nor did she feel anything like that for Todd.

Having settled once, she refused to settle ever again. If that meant staying single, she was okay with that.

The song ended, and Todd delivered her back to her table, gave a gentlemanly bow and thanked her for the dance.

Camille smiled, squeezed his hand and leaned close, to whisper, “You’re going to find your special someone, and she’ll be so very lucky to have you.”

“From your lips to God’s ears,” he said, dipping his head.

After he left her, she turned to face Gisele.

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