Step

Chapter 1

Maggie Malone steered her black Toyota Prius into the parking lot of the Del-Mar Apartment complex and pulled into a spot under a shady elm tree. It was Tuesday evening, and as with every Tuesday she and her sister Molly got together at Molly's place for a glass of wine, some snacks, and get caught up on the past weeks' news. Maggie was a real estate agent and a good one, which meant she spent nearly every evening and weekend showing houses. Maggie didn't mind. She loved her job and couldn't imagine doing anything else. It was the perfect occupation for a single gal in her late twenties with no obligations or romantic interests. Maggie and Molly agreed several years ago to set aside Tuesday evenings lest Maggie become totally consumed with her work.

Del-Mar Apartments were located just north of Blue Mound Road and a quarter mile away from Brookfield Square shopping mall. Not too far from where Maggie lived in Waukesha, Wisconsin. It was a fairly quiet town for the most part, offering plenty of real estate business for Miss Malone. Of course she could always hop on the freeway and make the half hour drive into Milwaukee if a client preferred to live closer to the city.

Maggie shut off the engine and grabbed the bottle of wine from the passenger seat. It was her turn to buy and she opted for an Australian Shiraz recommended by Bert at the liquor store. Bert knew full well of Miss Malone's regular visits with her sister and tried to suggest a different wine each time. The ladies were rarely disappointed and quiet often delighted by his recommendation.

Molly opened the door and gave her sister a wide bright smile. "Right on time!" she lilted cheerfully.

"Naturally," Maggie replied. She gave her sister a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "This is my favorite time of the week."

"You're so sweet."

Maggie and Molly were both redheaded Irish girls and could easily pass for twins. Maggie was four years older than Molly, but retained a youthful quality in her face that belied her true age of 29. Molly had a bigger bust than her older sister, which was perfectly fine with Maggie. In the world of real estate sales, having big boobs was not an asset. Maggie rationalized that large breasts gave the overall impression of unprofessionalism and male clients tended to spend more time checking out the lady's bust than the houses they were evaluating. Maggie was glad she had a fairly unimpressive figure and chose to dress as a professional businesswoman in matching jacket and slacks. Not the most flattering of apparel, but Maggie was in the business to sell houses, not pick up dates.

They poured the wine, uncovered the tray of snacks, and retired to the living room. Maggie sat on the sofa and Molly sat across from her in the wing back arm chair. "So," Maggie began, "what's new with you?"

Molly sighed and crossed her legs at the knees. "Nothing much," she mused dramatically. She rested her hand on her knee and wagged her fingers at her sister. "I did manage to pick up a nice piece of jewelry over the weekend."

Maggie's eyes grew wide. There was a diamond ring on the fourth finger of Molly's left hand. "Oh my God!" Maggie exclaimed in shock. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes!" Molly squealed with delight. "I'm engaged!"

"To Jeff Brandeberry?"

Molly scowled with irritation. "Of course to Jeff Brandeberry! Who else?"

"Just making sure. You two had been seeing each other for over a year. I was wondering if he would ever pop the question."

"Well he did and I said yes."

Maggie rose to her feet to give her sister a warm hug. "I'm so happy for you, Molly. I really am."

"Thanks, Mags. That means a lot."

"You should have told me," Maggie frowned playfully. "I would have brought champagne instead."

"What? And miss that look on your face when I told you? Priceless!"

They returned to their seats and Maggie asked, "So are you planning a big wedding or a small one?"

"Medium size. We both agreed on a church wedding, but nothing too extravagant or ridiculous. Too many times a bride tries for fancy and elegant and it turns out to be a circus."

"Or a nightmare."

"Exactly."

Maggie grinned and asked, "Remember our cousin Heather's wedding?"

Molly let out a loud guffaw. "When they released those doves?" She threw her head back and laughed. "One of them pooped on the Groom's mother!"

Maggie giggled. "So much for a classy event."

"My wedding is not going to have anything outlandish. Small and simple. Jeff will have his brother James as best man and I will have my sister as Maid of Honor."

"Awww," Maggie mewed. "I'd be happy to stand up for you, Molly."

"Of course you know you have to wear a gown for the occasion."

Maggie grinned and refilled both of their glasses from the bottle. "I suppose I can make an allowance this one time."

"Traditionally it's the oldest sister that gets married off first," Molly remarked casually.

"Too late for that to happen. Besides, I think you have to be a couple before you tie the knot. Last time I checked I was still a single."

Molly grinned mischievously. "I can help with that."

"Thanks but no thanks. Having my little sister hook me up with a blind date is not my idea of a good time."

Her sister shrugged with indifference. "You would think a real estate agent would meet enough men on your own. A good looking eligible bachelor might be looking for a house in the area . . . you two get to talking . . . one thing leads to another . . ."

"No such luck there either, sis. Whenever I meet a client - regardless of his attractiveness or marital status - my mind automatically shifts into business mode. I become more focused on satisfying his needs than satisfying my own." Maggie drew in and released a long deep breath. "It doesn't matter. I like my life and I love my job. I don't even mind the term 'spinster' now that I'm on the fast track to thirty. I don't need a man in my life to be happy."

"I have a challenge for you," Molly said. "Bring a date to my wedding."

"A date?"

"Yes. I don't want my own sister to come stag to my wedding, plus you'll need to have a partner to dance with at the reception."

"I'm sure there will be plenty of guys at the reception who will want to dance with me."

"That isn't the point. Look, Jeff and I settled on a date four months from now. Surely you can find someone to go with you by then."

Maggie conceded with a huff of exasperation. "All right. I'll do it, if only to make my sister happy on her wedding day."

Chapter 2

Maggie climbed into her car and thought about Molly's wedding. Of course she was happy and excited for the couple, but was more concerned about her dancing skills. More precisely, her lack thereof. Having two left feet was an understatement. Maggie doubted she could maneuver a single dance step without tripping over her own two feet. Not to mention she'd be wearing a formal gown and high heel shoes. That was a guaranteed disaster waiting to happen. The sister of the bride takes a spill into the string quartet. Cousin Heather's dove poop fiasco would pale by comparison.

There was still time, Maggie realized. She could take dance lessons and avoid making a fool of herself. Maggie checked her cell phone for a dance studio near by. She found one less than two miles away. Maggie pulled up the map and started her car. She needed to sign up for lessons before the wine buzz wore off and she chickened out.

Right Step dance studio was located on one end of a strip mall located at the corner of Elm and Jefferson. It was a red brick building that also accommodated a barber supply outlet, pet grooming salon, custom jewelry and repair, and a liquor store on the end. Most of the cars in the parking lot were by the liquor store.

Maggie entered the door into the foyer of the studio. On her right were four chairs along the windows facing the parking lot and a desk on the far wall, supposedly for making reservations. The opposite wall displayed several large photographs of extreme close ups of human legs and torsos in various dance movements. Maggie determined the loud rock music was coming from a room on the other side of the wall. A dance class, no doubt. She thought she'd take a sneak peek and see what the dance studio had to offer.

The room was immense with a light pine wood floor and a wall of mirrors on the opposite side. A stereo unit on her left blared the song "What a Feeling" while a slender brunette danced by herself about the room. She was a willowy woman with short black hair, slim arms and legs and small bust. Maggie guessed her to be in her early thirties. The gal wore snug black leotards and fit them perfectly. In fact, everything about the woman was absolutely exquisite.

Maggie stood by the door and watched in rapt attention as the lady executed a perfectly choreographed rendition of the scene from the movie Flashdance. Maggie thought she was observing a replay of the movie before her very eyes, however this gal was far sexier than Jennifer Beals.

Maggie was surprised she considered the lady to be sexy. She never felt that way about any woman before. However, she couldn't ignore or deny the stirrings she felt inside her chest at the exhibition this dancer was giving her. Maggie realized she had been holding her breath since the moment she entered the room.

The song ended and the lady moved her arms in a flourish and struck a pose. Maggie couldn't help applauding her performance. The dancer smiled and crossed to the table holding the stereo unit. "I didn't know I had an audience," she laughed.

"Sorry about that," Maggie winced. "I heard the music and couldn't help myself. Curiosity got the best of me."

"What did you think?"

"I thought it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen."

The woman chuckled and wiped her face with a towel. "I'm glad I can still get a rise out of an audience." She dabbed the perspiration from her arms and offered her hand. "Sally Right."

"Maggie Malone." She accepted her host's shake. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"No, of course not. Whenever I have some down time between students I like to give myself a good workout." She patted her flat tummy. "Keeps this old body in shape."

"You look incredible."

"Thanks."

"Speaking of students, I was wondering if I could hire you to teach me how to dance."

Sally nodded soberly. "That's what I'm here for."

"My sister is getting married and she wants me to dance at her wedding. Only I'm terrible at it. I don't want to be a complete embarrassment."

Sally nodded once again. "How much time do we have?"

"A few months."

"Good. At least we don't have to subject you to a crash course."

Maggie smiled and said, "Don't be so sure. It may take all that time to whip me into shape."

Miss Right chuckled and gestured to the door. "Let's go sit down, shall we?" They moved into the front room and took up chairs next to each other by the window. Maggie liked the fact that Sally sat with her and not behind the desk. It instantly made her feel at ease and comfortable in the instructor's presence. Sally relaxed and crossed her slender legs at the knee. "Tell me about this wedding."

"What do you want to know?"

"Is it going to be big and fancy, or small and casual?"

"Molly told me that the wedding will be small, but knowing my little sister as I do, over time it will grow to be huge. Molly's always talked about having a fairy tale wedding and a ridiculously huge reception. Neither of us had been married before, so I'm sure she'll want to do it up big. No doubt the reception will be gigantic. We Irish love nothing better than a big party. I'm sure every relative in the country will want to attend. Thus the reason for me needing to learn how to dance. "

Sally nodded with understanding. "Will you be wearing formal gowns?"

"Undoubtedly."

"And dance traditional ballroom dances?"

"Unfortunately."

"No big deal. We can start off with the basic steps of the waltz, foxtrot and rumba. That way you'll feel more comfortable no matter what music they play. Then we'll polish your moves and have you ready for social dancing."

"Social dancing?"

"Where you have a partner."

"I see."

"Of course, I'll be the man and you'll be the woman."

Maggie laughed. "Great! I like being the woman."

"So when do you want to start?"

"Well, my schedule is kind of hectic. Why don't you tell me when you want to be here and I'll arrange everything to accommodate you?"

Sally smiled and nodded. "Sounds good to me. Tomorrow okay?"

"That will be perfect. The sooner the better, otherwise I may change my mind and chicken out."

Maggie began her dance lessons with Miss Right. Sally was an amazing teacher and very easy to follow. Maggie found out that she liked dancing much more than she expected. Maggie started out with her first lesson lasting a half hour, then immediately scheduled two more lessons for the following week.

Maggie soon discovered she enjoyed Sally's company more than she liked learning how to dance. Maggie looked forward to her dance instruction with eager enthusiasm. What she liked even more was holding the woman in her arms. Maggie never touched a lady in that way before. Maggie also came to realize that she found Miss Right very attractive. She enjoyed Sally's personality and wit, her sense of humor, and her easy relaxed manner. Not to mention those gorgeous eyes . . . and those beautiful full lips . . . and that sinewy sensuous body. Maggie never really noticed women's figures before, other than evaluating how a certain outfit looked on a lady's body or if a skirt matches her blouse. However with Sally it was different. Maggie couldn't stop thinking about how sexy the lady was. More over, Maggie wanted to spend more time with Sally, particularly away from the dance studio. She wanted the two of them to be friends. Perhaps more than friends . . . gals who hung out together and enjoyed each other's

company. Maggie never had a friend like that before. She resolved to ask Sally out for a drink after the next lesson in order to get to know the lady better.

After the third lesson was over, Sally checked her watch and said, "Time to call it a day."

"Do you have any more students tonight?" Maggie asked.

"No. You're the last."

"Care to join me for a drink?" Maggie couldn't believe her boldness. She had never asked a lady out on a date before. Then again, it wasn't a real date, merely two friends going out for a drink. She half expected the woman to turn her down. After all, Sally probably had more of a social life than Maggie did.

Sally considered a moment, then nodded her head in acceptance. "Sure. I'd like that."

"You would?" Maggie was actually surprised.

Her companion returned a wry smile. "Why not? I think it would be nice for us to get to know each other better."

Maggie brightened. "My sentiments exactly!"

There was a small bar two blocks away and the ladies decided to hike it. Maggie said, "I'm so glad you wanted to go out tonight. I'm an admitted workaholic and don't spend a lot of time socializing."

Sally nodded soberly. "I hear ya'. Sometimes the day goes by so fast I forget to eat."

"Maybe that's how you keep your amazing figure," Maggie stated honestly.

"Thank you. Anyway, I sometimes get so caught up in my busy schedule I forget what day it is. I've blown off more dinner dates than I can count. It's downright embarrassing."

"Don't talk to me about being pathetic. If it wasn't for your dance lessons, I'd have no social life at all."

Sally laughed. "You're right . . . that is pathetic."

Maggie gave her a playful scowl. "I wasn't expecting you to agree with me!"

They went to a quaint little tavern called the Keg and Cork. They found a nice quiet booth in the back where they could chat. There were only about a half dozen patrons in the place and soft ethereal music drifted in from hidden speakers. It was the perfect surroundings for a cozy conversation between friends.

Sally took a sip of her wine and said, "All right, let's each give a recap of our life's story in 90 seconds or less."

Maggie chuckled. "That would just about do it for me."

"I'll even go first," Sally said. "I graduated from high school with average grades. Not a whole lot of ambition there. Got a job as a waitress at a local diner and immediately got married to a gypsy truck driver named Phil. He would be gone most of the week, which was fine with me. We'd get together on the weekends. Not too bad an arrangement. That lasted about six years. One day I found out he was having an affair with an exotic dancer in Omaha. I found out about it because Phil came home after a week on the road and said, 'I'm leaving you for a girl in Omaha.' Just like that. 'Sell everything and take half.' The bum. Six years of my life wasted with nothing to show for it. I decided then and there to demonstrate some initiative and ambition for once in my life. I started this dance studio. Looking back, getting a divorce from Phil was the luckiest thing to ever happen to me. Sometimes you need a swift kick in the butt to get moving."

"I imagine so."

"Your turn."

"Okay. As you know I have a sister, Molly, who is getting married in a few months. No other siblings. Our parents died in a car accident when we were teens, so we had to fend for ourselves. I was eighteen and Molly was fifteen so we were old enough to live on our own. We had an estate sale and sold the house and all the furniture and used the money to get an apartment together. I took care of her like a mother all through high school and continued on until Molly got out of college. By then she was old enough to live on her own. I had to skip college because I had to work to support us. After Molly graduated I got my realtor's license and went into selling real estate. I like my job and am very good at it. Molly is now the branch manager at a bank here in town. We get together every Tuesday religiously. With our busy schedules it's too hard to catch each other on the phone." Maggie took a drink of wine. "I think my time is up."

"You left out the most important information."

"I did?"

"Any relationships?"

"No. None at all. I had to work right out of high school to support me and Molly. No time for dating, I'm afraid."

"Sounds to me like both our personal lives have been fairly lacking up until now."

Maggie regarded the woman thoughtfully. "Would be interested in going out with me?"

Sally smiled with amusement. "Go out with you?"

"Yes. I mean to movies and to dinner and things like that. I miss out on so much because of my work schedule and because I don't have anyone to pal around with."

Miss Right tilted her head thoughtfully. "I'd like that. I haven't been to a movie in years. Or had anyone over for dinner. I'm actually a fairly decent cook. Maybe I can cook dinner for us sometime."

"I'd like that." Maggie smiled and sipped her wine. She had invited Miss Right to go on a date after all, and it felt really good.

Chapter 3

Maggie and Sally practiced the waltz with the simple box step. The stereo unit played the theme from Around the World in 80 Days.

Sally said, "Next time I want you to bring high heel shoes. Since you'll be dancing at a wedding, you have to practice the moves in the shoes you'll be wearing at the reception." They executed a turn perfectly. "Believe me, dancing in heels is an entirely different experience."

Maggie grinned at her partner. "Plus it will make us closer to the same height, seeing you are a couple inches taller than me." Her face took on a thoughtful expression. "That won't work. You'll be in heels too."

"I will?"

They performed another turn. "Of course. I want you to come as my date."

Sally was slightly taken aback. "Your date?"

"Yes. Seeing as I've grown accustomed and comfortable having you as my dance partner, it's only natural that you come along as my date." Maggie belied a wry smile. "Besides, I'll bet you look stunning in a formal dress."