A fiddle played a happy closing note as Emma moved across the old gym floor to find a new dance partner. Her last one had been a creepy old man who needed suspenders to hold his pants up under his Santa Claus belly and who danced slowly and tried to hold her way too close. She shuddered involuntarily at the memory. Her eyes caught those of a tall, dark-haired young woman whom she had met at a few other contra dances. They shared a smile and walked to meet in the middle of the floor.
"Hi Luce!" Emma said. "Would you like to dance?"
Luce smiled and Emma's breath caught. She was so lovely, with her full pink lips and bright blue eyes and warm smile. "Yes, I'd love to!"
Emma smiled back. "Great! Do you prefer to lead or follow?"
"I usually follow," she replied, almost coyly.
Emma nodded and led her out onto the dance floor. As the music started up again and they flowed seamlessly in a fast-paced reel, the couple smiled at each other more openly and held each other a little closer each time they rejoined for a partner swing. Emma was barely aware of the neighbors she swung and do-si-doed with, as they were just keeping her from rejoining Luce in an embrace. Her hand tingled where it had held Luce's, and she wanted her other hand to be permanently formed to the shape of Luce's upper back.
Luce laughed when Emma sent her into a twirl, and Emma grinned as she admired the grace of her movements and the shape of Luce's hips. When the song ended, Luce and Emma held each other in a swing position for a few moments longer, grinning foolishly at each other.
"I need water," Luce said, "but would you like to dance the next dance with me, too?"
Emma sucked in a breath to avoid laughing nervously; Luce had just broken one of the unspoken rules of contra dancing - to not dance with the same partner two dances in a row, unless they were your significant other, or someone you were very interested in - and she felt pretty damn special and excited. "That would be great!" Surprisingly, her voice stayed even.
The next dance, and the dance after that, and after that, passed in a blur of Luce's smiles and piercing gazes. Emma was short of breath, and not just from the dancing. She was so enchanted and she couldn't let Luce leave without her tonight. There were only two dances left, so now was her chance.
"Hey Luce, my dancing legs are a bit tired, and I was thinking about heading to the Kat for a beer or two before going home. Would you like to join me?"
"For the beer or for the going home?" Luce winked with an irresistible smile.
Emma laughed. "Either. Both." She guessed that suggesting a lesbian bar must've been the final push if Luce was uncertain what she was hoping for.
"I'd like that," Luce nearly purred in reply, and they grabbed their jackets and walked out the door.