Page 57 of Clara's Secret Garden
He’s wearing jeans, a white T-shirt and a pair of trainers,which quite surprises me. I’d assumed he’d be in a pair of proper Latin danceshoes. Not that it really matters. We’re just here to have fun...
I do the introductions and the four of us chat for a whileabout Shaun’s building work over at Brambleberry Manor. And all the time we’retalking, I’m trying not to mind about Rory’s hand lying protectively on Lois’s ever-so-slimwaist.
‘Okay, people.’ The female organiser – in a slinky limegreen dress that looks amazing with her reddish hair – claps her hands.‘Welcome to Sunnybrook Salsaholics! I’m Carmen and this is Manuel. Any totalbeginners here tonight?’ She scans the assembled group. ‘Yes? Right, let’s gettogether for a quick lesson to get you started.’
I glance at Lois and Rory, but Lois is standing on tip-toe,whispering something in Rory’s ear and doesn’t appear to have heard her. Rorychuckles and kisses the tip of Lois’s nose, and I look away, something dyinginside me.
‘I’m feeling a bit rusty, so I wouldn’t mind doing thelesson, if that’s okay with you,’ I say to Shaun, and he nods in agreement.
I take his hand and lead him firmly away, to a differentpart of the dance floor, where hopefully I can forget about the lovebirds for awhile, and the music begins.
‘Okay. Let’s start with the basic step,’ calls the verydapper, dark-haired Spanish-looking Manuel, who’s dressed head to toe in black,with low-heeled shoes and ruffled shirt unbuttoned almost to the waist.
‘If you can count, you can dance!’ he continues. ‘Stepforward and back, one, two, three, pause at four, then back, five, six, seven,and pause at eight. Then do it all again!’ He and Carmen demonstrate, andstraight away I’m into the flow and moving with the music. I love it! I’m awareof some of the other beginners around me floundering with the steps, but I’m ina world of my own. It’s like I’ve never been away.
‘Great!’ calls Carmen. ‘You’re all doing really well. Nowtry the same step from side to side.’ She demonstrates and everyone follows hermoves.
‘Now let’s put it all together,’ calls Manuel, as he and Carmenmove together into a close hold and dance, with Carmen gliding backwards tostart as Manuel moves towards her.
‘Now it’s your turn! Take your partners and let’s go!’ callsCarmen.
The music is turned up and we begin the dance. And at first,I imagine Shaun is having one of his jokes with me, moving in a deliberatelyawkward and wooden manner, as if this is his first ever time.
‘Stop it!’ I hiss, laughing. ‘Do it properly!’
He grins. ‘I am, aren’t I? Doing it properly?’
‘No!’
He looks offended. ‘But I watched some videos thisafternoon, to get prepared. And all you do apparently is move your hips a bitand jig about. Isn’t that what I’m doing?’
I grin at him and shake my head as it slowly dawns on me.
Telling me he could salsa was another one of Shaun’s jokes.He’s completely out of time with the music and as wooden as a piece offurniture. In fact, trying to steer him around the floor, it actually feelslike I’m trying to shift a double wardrobe!
We keep bumping into people and receiving glares inresponse, and it’s all a bit embarrassing, really. But Shaun’s refusing to sitdown. Every time I try to pull him away, he laughs and pulls me back, and thenwe’re swaying awkwardly around the floor again like a pair of mechanised shopwindow dummies.
I suddenly catch sight of Lois, who’s practically doubledover laughing at us. She’s clutching onto Rory and pointing and wiping tearsfrom her eyes. And suddenly, it’s no longer funny.
Carmen and Manuel are both glaring at us, having obviouslymarked the pair of us down as trouble-makers. And even Rory is grinning over,clearly finding my efforts with Shaun hilarious.
I try to disentangle myself from Shaun – but just as I do,I’m aware of the organisers breaking apart, clearly with some sort of plan inmind. Carmen comes over to us and whisks Shaun into hold, pointing over at herpartner, who to my amazement is now dancing with Lois.
Carmen smiles at Shaun. ‘Your first time, huh? Let me teachyou a few of the steps.’
‘Oh. Okay.’ Shaun grins at me and shrugs, as I stand therewondering what I should do.
‘There’s a girl over there who’s clearly also a purebeginner.’ She smiles at me. ‘But I can see that you can dance. So why notpartner this man here? He’s got a nice natural rhythm but he could do with someguidance?’
‘Oh. Okay.’ I turn, and my heart gives a giant leap in mychest when I find Rory standing there.
And then somehow, we’re facing each other, holding hands andmoving with the music.
He smiles down at me. ‘Sorry about this. Bet you didn’tthink you’d have to actuallyteachsalsa tonight.’
I shake my head. ‘Don’t apologise. You move really well,actually.’
‘Do I?’ He glances at the couple near us. They’re dancingclose, the man holding the woman in front of him as their hips move in time,then he twirls her, then dips her to the side. ‘I’d like to be able to dothat.’
