Romancing The Dance

Note: There is a long slow burn start before the sex scene.

This story is fiction, and you are welcome to imagine the characters as you wish but

all characters are 18 years old or older

and are happy with the events. Events, Dance types and moves are as accurate as I can make them from the internet so please don't flame me on that account. Again: This story is fiction.

As with my other 1x: stories, there is an intro, 'Who Am I?' and a concluding 'For those who like closure.' There is also a 'If anyone wonders' where I try to address some things that I think might come up in comments, but it might generate more! But you can skip all of those if you are in a hurry, or don't care.

The details about Ballroom and Latin come from watching 'Strictly' and the internet. Strictly Come Dancing is known as Dancing with the Stars elsewhere.

Note:-

this happens in the UK and some things are different from that in the USA. See last item in 'In case anyone wonders...' if you think anything sounds wrong to you.

Thanks to

RunSilentRunDeep

for Beta reading and encouragement.

Who Am I?

My name is Shelly, as in Shy Shelly, though strictly it's Michellie. After Michellie Yvonne Jones, an Australian triathlete who won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the inaugural triathlon event. Why would an English girl be named after an Australian? Simple, my parents were born as Aussies, but moved to the UK when I was five. So here I am, twenty-three, with a strange spelling of Michelle, a gangly five ten figure, and a bit of a twang to my accent, all inherited from my parents.

I am not a sporty person, though I like swimming, don't mind cycling, and am fit. I won't be winning any medals, well, not at sports. No, what I do is Ballroom Dancing and would love to win at competitions. But the first problem is finding a regular partner as the ratio of women to men is at least three to one. The other problem is that many of the men are older, often divorced or widowed.

Now I took up Ballroom dancing as a way to meet men in a formal environment where my shyness could be disguised as formality. I go to the Hamiton's Dance Studio in town. Apparently they were very successful in their time, but rarely teach anymore, due to age and arthritis. So they employ a male and female professional, important to keep the membership numbers up.

I am an adequate dancer, and their professional, Giovanni, who I take, or rather took lessons from, told me that I am putting myself down as he thinks I am a very good dancer. But he recently left. As I am the tallest woman there though, I am not the ideal partner for many of the men as with heels I am often looking down on their bald spot and they are eye level with my modest breasts.

The Romance of the Dance

So, there I was at the weekly dance and competition at the Studio, called 'The Strictly Club,' named after the TV programme Strictly Come Dancing. Though I understand in the States and other countries it's named Dancing with the Stars. As so often I am a bit of a wall flower, waiting my turn and probably more than the other women who are more assertive or just have bigger boobs. There are plenty of widows who look daggers at me when an older man takes me for a spin, but mostly the men are quite gentlemanly and complement me on my dancing skills.

I have sometimes taken up invites to dinner from single older guys but as they are generally twenty years older than me, nothing romantic is going to happen, except possibly in their dreams.

When I get to dance with the younger, eligible men they tend to be less of a gentleman and try to grab as much of my backside or breasts as dance protocols permit. Their date suggestions are also less appealing, ranging from nightclubbing through to blatant, 'Come back to mine for some horizontal tango?'

So, after an hour and two dances I was thinking of cutting my losses and heading home to catch some fly on the wall medical documentary. Though that's a busman's holiday for a practice nurse at the local Doctor's Surgery.

Then HE walks in! Without hesitation, goes straight to the judges table and shakes their hands like he owns the place. Tall, Dark and Handsome, though that doesn't do him justice. It leaves out broad across the shoulders, glittering blue eyes, full wavy dark hair, and sensuous smile. He appears so self-assured in his movements and as he introduces himself to Mr and Mrs Hamilton and Giulietta, the female professional, with such a smooth deep voice.

And that was effectively the last I saw of him for a bit as he was mobbed by the dozen other single women who descended on him like vultures. Was I surprised? No worries. Was I upset? You bet! Sharks the lot of them.

When he started dancing, interrupting a couple at the end of a dance, most of the sharks initially stood near the windows, turning away offers to dance. I was sat at a table on the other side of the room and noticed that he only asked to dance with women who were already dancing. But then only for a couple of dances.

When he started to dance with one of the senior women a couple of sharks realised that standing around looking pretty was the wrong technique and accepted dance offers. As soon as one of them was asked to dance by the new man, they all wanted to be on the dance floor.

I relaxed knowing that, sat out of the way near the judges table, I wouldn't be asked to dance. Still, he was enough eye candy for me to hang around to watch him dance with the sharks as I nursed one of my two 'free' glasses of wine. The sharks were taking turns to pummel their boobs against him whilst failing to get a third dance. Possibly they were unable to impress him with their dance moves, or did he have a plan?

As the evening progressed, I kept an eye on him, admiring his style and wondering if I should be doing more than watching. I noticed Mrs Hamilton heading my way and expected her to say I should be dancing, but she stopped to speak to Edward. He is a competent fifty-something who had partnered with me in some competitions. And we did well in them. He glanced at me and turning back to her he seemed to nod, and then went back to watching the dancing, before taking to the floor with one of the widows.

After a dance, he went back to his seat and a couple of tunes later he got up, and instead of leaving he came over to me. "Michellie, would you do me the honour of the next dance?"

Well, with our history I couldn't disappoint him. "Why certainly Edward, I would be pleased to."

He honoured me with a second dance and halfway through it he commented. "Looks like it will be your turn next."

I looked at him puzzled. "What do you mean, my turn?"

He looked at the other dancers. "Mr New-Boy has been working through those who have been on the dance floor. But he only gives them two dances before he waves them off, quite politely but very clearly."

"How's that make it my turn?"

"He has been watching you and I expect that when the next dance ends, he will send Wendy on her way and will tap me on the shoulder and say, 'Excuse me' and I will give him your hand."

Well, I almost stopped dancing. "How do you know this, Edward? Has Mrs Hamilton told you?"

"Michellie, I know you are a Nurse at the Market Street Practice, and what am I?"

"Well, you are a Behavioural Scientist at the University."

"So, you should know I have been watching our interloper and I suspect that he is the new professional to replace George." At that point the waltz came to an end, and we had a short time between dances and could talk more normally.

"George?" I queried. "He was Giovanni!"

"He was no more Giovanni that I am Edwardo. Right, as soon as the next Latin dance finishes, he will be over."

"How do you know it will be a Latin and not another Ballroom?" I wondered but then I recalled that the dance styles had been alternating since he arrived.

"I see you have answered your own question." Edward certainly knew his people watching. "I think Mr and Mrs Hamilton are relying on you for them to pass the interview. But Helen did ask me to make sure you were warmed up." I was puzzled for a moment but recalled that Helen was Mrs Hamilton's name.

Mr Hamilton announced. "Please take your partners for the Passo Doble." The music started, and we didn't have the opportunity, or breath, to continue talking, so I couldn't ask what he meant. As the dance ended and the music stopped, we separated and I waited to get my breath back to ask, when George got a tap on his shoulder. He turned to the new man who gave a little acknowledgement with a nod of his head. He asked George in his lovely voice. "Excuse me but may I ask your partner for a dance?" And with that George took my right hand and placed it in the man's left and he guided me away from George.

Mrs Hamilton announced. "Please take your partners for the American Smooth." My mind was reeling, basically I had to dance four dances in one, Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot and Viennese Waltz. If I didn't follow perfectly, I would really mess up. The stranger gave a small bow. "I'm Julian, pleased to make your acquaintance. And relax, I lead but I don't bite."

I responded with a small curtsey and for reasons I don't quite understand, but possibly because Edward had been using it. "Pleased to meet you sir, my name is Michellie."

Julian raised an eyebrow. "An Antipodean I presume." And then the music started, and we started to dance. I had thought Giovanni was a great dancer, but Julian was in another class. I felt my dancing quality rise in response.

The music stopped, and my heart slowed. I had survived and even thrived. Julian was so right for me, with my heels I was just a little shorter than him, but our frames suited each other. Although I had my head turned from him most of the time, every time I saw his face he had smiled, like he was doing now. He took my right hand and kissed the back. That sent shocks right down my body, through my face, neck, nipples and mons and I smiled into his piercing blue eyes.

Mrs Hamilton stood to announce the next dance, and I hoped it would be the Rhumba. "Please take your partners for the Samba." I almost panicked; again a dance that required me to follow all his cues perfectly. And it needed space. As I looked around all the other dancers retreated to the sides of the room, giving us the floor. My dress wasn't what you would expect to wear for this dance.

Shelly would have wanted to burst into tears and run for the door. Julian fixed his eyes on me and in his lovely voice said. "I have faith in you Michellie, have faith in yourself." I took a deep breath and composed myself.

He has faith in me! I wish I did. His faith would have to do for us both.

We stood side by side. I rested my left hand through the crook in his right and as the music started, we were off.

My mind was in a whirl, it was so concentrated on getting it right. I barely remembered a thing until he lifted me, tipped me over and laid me on the ground. He rolled me on my back, and I raised myself on my arms, looked at him kneeling and smiling. I lifted my right leg, surely showing my damp panties and I arched my back. Then he was standing over me and reached down and lifted me to standing. About half the room started clapping and then the other half joined in.

He held me around my waist, and it was so good. We wandered back to where I had been sitting and stood there for a minute until Mr Hamilton announced. "Please take your partners for the Last Waltz."

Julian let go of me. I thought he was going to find someone else, and I nearly cried. He put his hand to my chin to lift my head. "Michellie, would you do me the honour of this dance?"

I smiled which caused two tears to fall. "Nothing would please me more."

His brow furrowed slightly. "Then why the tears?" And he wiped them away with his breast pocket kerchief.

Quietly I said. "Tears of exhaustion and happiness."

His voice softened more. "Would you like to sit this one out?" That voice, I almost trembled with desire for his touch.

"No, please take me." I realised the double meaning and so did he as we both snickered, then the music started. The dance floor was already crowded as even some women were dancing together, but he expertly guided me and held me tight. I was sure I could feel his manhood against my thigh.

When the music stopped, we all stood facing the judges table and he still had his arm around my waist. Mr Hamilton stood up. "Firstly, I must introduce formally Julian who we hope will be," With that he fixed his eyes on Julian who nodded and gave me a squeeze. "and indeed will be, our new male professional. Please give a welcoming round of applause." And the room erupted in clapping that outdid that at the end of our Samba.

When it died down Mrs Hamilton stood and took over. "Tonight's prizes will not of course include any dances with Julian," And you could almost hear the sighs of relief. "so for the Waltz we have..." And I tuned out, though I noticed when she mentioned Samba it was 'no award.' My ears perked up again "... Doble we have Edward and Shelly..."

Although he still had his hand around my waist Julian was looking around to see who was being congratulated and he saw someone shake Edward's hand. He whispered. "Which one is Shelly?"

"You have your arm around me, Shy Shelly to most people."

He gave me a bit of a squeeze and with a hint of humour whispered. "Oh a professional in the making, getting your working name already?" And I giggled.

I whispered back whilst the announcements went on and he kept looking around, but mostly to identify the men. "Says Julian, not much of a Giovanni, are you?"

"Oh, you would be surprised, my given name is Julio, after my grandfather." I must have had a puzzled look. "He came here aged three with his mother and sisters as a refugee from the Spanish Civil War, his father had died fighting Franco."

In typical British style I both apologised and expressed sympathy. "I'm sorry." But before I could say anything more, the announcements were over and people started heading for the exit, but Julian, or Julio, held onto me. Soon we were stood there alone as the Hamilton's and Giulietta approached. Now I must say Giulietta had a stunning figure for someone in her forties with children at university, but dancing keeps you fit.

Mr Hamilton reached out his hand to Julian and they shook. "Welcome aboard Julio, I hope your time with us will be mutually successful. I see you are taken with our Shelly already." With that I could feel that I blushed.

"Mr Hamilton,"

"Please call us Robert and Helen."

"Glad to join forces with you Robert, Helen and Giulietta."

With that Giulietta gave him a playful nudge. "If we are being informal, my given name is Juliet."

"Apologies and as we are using our names, surely you know this young lady is actually Michellie, all the way from the other side of the world."

The newly unmasked Juliet smiled at me. "I have heard rumours, but we will need a better dance name for her than Shelly, don't you think." I must have looked blank. "Julio, you have proposed to her; haven't you?"

With that I know I looked startled. Rose reached out her hand and laid it on my wrist. "To be his competition dance partner dear, but I can see he hasn't, the naughty boy. We didn't tell you as I know you would have run a mile." I nodded and was both impressed and slightly perturbed that I had been offered up to bait Julio.

Juliet must have sensed my confusion. "You did so well that you have won his admiration, not easy with this chap. Helen, we must thank Edward properly" And at that she wiggled her eyebrows. "for getting you loosened up and on the dance floor." I wondered at that then she added. "A bottle or two of VOSP?"

"Right!" said Robert; it felt strange suddenly being in the inner circle. Part of me wanted to run and hide but part of me longed to stay next to Julio. "Let's adjourn to the pub and formalise things." And with that we left, Helen locked up, and we crossed the road to the Weatherspoon's to get a drink just before last orders.

As well as the Hamilton's, Juliet was accompanied by her partner, Eugine, who I learnt was really named Edem, a tall Nigerian man and rather quiet, and a solicitor specialising in contract law.

Whilst I mostly sat and listened, they chatted about the competition and how much faith they all had in me, that I would turn Julio's head, and that is why they had kept the 'best for last.' Needless to say, I was totally embarrassed, but all the time Julio was giving me small touches or squeezes of my knee to show he agreed.

Then he asked. "So, Michellie," He resisted the use of Shelly. "what do you do for a living?"

I didn't think to qualify the answer. "I'm a nurse."

His face fell and he darted a look at Robert and suddenly he sounded cross. "Oh, so you have to do lots of shifts."

That surprised me so I quickly said. "No, I work as a practice nurse at the Market Street Surgery. Strictly nine to five and normally Monday to Friday."

His face changed again, as if the sun had come from behind a cloud and he smiled. "So, you won't have problems with weekend competitions and evening training?"

I blinked in disbelief. "Competitions, training, sorry, have I missed something?" I must have seemed so naïve.

Again, the look at Robert, who seemed taken aback, but was rescued by Helen. "Julio, you must realise that Shelly is quite modest about her abilities, but as you have seen, and experienced for yourself, she is our finest dancer. Knowing her, as we do," And here I was given a warm smile and nod from Juliet, who reached out to hold my hand. "we suspected that if she knew what we had in mind, she wouldn't have come this evening."

Juliet squeezed my hand and added. "Julio, I am sure that with your expert guidance she will be a superb partner for you in competitions."

And with that my life changed and I didn't realise what I was letting myself in for.

Life of a Dancer

As Julian and Mikayla, we had been dancing as partners for nine months and apart from my Nursing work and sleeping, I was living, and even eating, dance. Eating, yes, most weekday evening meals were now in Julio's company as we used the time to discuss the next competition and what rehearsals we needed to be doing. Most meals were at a modest restaurant or more usually a pub like Wetherspoons or Marston's, but occasionally something grander if we were away, which was most weekends. But never ate together at either his or my flat. In fact, we had never gone to were each other lived, but I didn't feel he was hiding anything from me, or me him.

Apart from the Hamilton's main studio, there was a second room, really a partitioned part of the main one sort of sliced off the end, which could be used for rehearsals or one-to-one teaching. Like the main room it had a mirror wall with ballet barre, but this and the main window could be covered with heavy curtains.

It had its own sound system, and the separating wall was heavily sound insulated so that music or other noises in one room didn't disturb the other. However, the only entrance to the room was through the main one and so entering and leaving during their lessons would create a disturbance.

To maximise our rehearsal time, I often attended Julio's teaching sessions that he gave to couples. For obvious reasons he couldn't do group work with young girls, unless I was available, which I normally was. Also my presence allowed him to do one-to-one teaching of single women, even a small group of women, a bit like a chaperone, which he otherwise would have had to decline. The real reason was that we could use any spare time to do rehearsals, sometimes watched by clients who had turned up early, who were often very complimentary on what they saw.