Worth it All
Dancing for their lives
Just a short one. I'm trying to prepare for a 750 word project, so I had to start with something right at 2000 words. I know, I write longer stories, so sue me! No editor on this one either. All errors are my own.
Inspired by
"I Love to Watch a Woman Dance" [Eagles; Long Road Out of Eden]
Relax; it's just a story, people.
I walked into the event completely out of breathe. The meeting I'd just left had started just after lunch and was one of the most important so far this year. The company I own - I'm James MacMillin, by the way - manufactures ancillary components for computers and smart devices. Today's presentation might translate into thousands of headphones purchased by our client, if they accept our proposal.
Being self-employed, and owning a successful company, while very good in some respects, comes with a definite down-side. The latter showed its ugly head within seconds of my arrival.
Scanning the room, I quickly found my wife, Hanna. She was on the dance floor. That wasn't completely unusual; in fact it wasn't unusual at all. Hanna loved to dance. This event - her company's - was both to celebrate a recent acquisition and merger, and since it was December, doubling as their Christmas party. I'd been so late getting home, cleaned up, and driving across town, that I'd already missed all the speeches, congratulations, and other rigor amole. Hanna, herself, was up for an award in merchandising, and if she'd been chosen, I'd already missed it.
What was unusual was Hanna's partner. Steve Ross had been Hanna's co-worker for nearly a decade. She'd never liked him, or so she told me. He was a horn-dog, a womanizer, and lately with the advent of catchy labels, a misogynist. He had an ego bigger Mount Olympus, which was also a place he claimed to hail from. His water cooler tales of conquest were unrivaled. Hanna had often come home to tell me 'what happened with Steve today.'
But now, she was dancing a slow number with the tall handsome scumbag. Red flags and other sorts of warning systems immediately manifested in my brain. Her head was on his shoulder. Steve's hand wasn't on Hanna's ass, but it was much, much closer than it should be, in the current setting or any other. The worst part was the look on her face - it was... contentment. She was content and happy and thoroughly enjoying herself dancing in his arms.
I knew we'd been slipping apart lately. She knew too. That slippage was never intended. Our oldest, Aubrey had gone off to Michigan State five months ago, and Zack our other child was in his senior year. Hanna and I were the very last things on his mind lately, and we felt that. The feeling of no longer being needed was hard for both of us, because we'd put an awful lot into those kids lives. At the same time both of our careers were ramping up. That part was expected but not necessarily welcome. Hanna and I had always planned our lives, and we expected to be there for each other as the birds left the nest. We'd decided we would reconnect, take some of our accrued vacation and go somewhere exotic.
Steve saw me first, standing there looking foolish with my mouth open. He softly whispered into Hanna's ear as his cheek warmly rubbed hers. If he was worried they'd been caught, he sure wasn't showing it. Hanna really surprised me, as she only gave a slightly perceptible nod in response to her dance partner. I'd seen enough.
Crossing the room at a brisk clip, I tapped on Steve's shoulder.
"Hey Steve," I said apprehensively, "I finally made it. Thanks for looking out for Hanna and keeping her busy."
"Glad you could make it, Jim," Steve replied, without stepping back or even stopping the dance. "This song's almost over, then she's all yours." He emphasized that part, as if returning a borrowed gardening shears at my front door. The cocky smirk almost made me want to hit him. Hanna didn't even look up at me.
I realized I was just standing there in shock, and after a second I slunk off, trying to minimize my embarrassment. I went to the bar where at least ten people stood in line before me. I turned to watch the remainder of the dance between Hanna and Steve. They seemed to be whispering sweet nothings to each other now. He was smiling that seducer's smile - the one that says, "I've got you now."
The song ended and Hanna slowly let go of his hand, as it almost trailed away. Steve wasn't keen on leaving it there. Just before the last of their two fingers parted, Steve reinitiated himself by pulling her close. The band started another slow number right at that moment, so it looked very natural. She was looking up at him then, Steve saying a lot to her as they both stared dreamily into each other's eyes.
I had no idea that anything had changed between Hanna and Steve. But just then I was wondering if her dislike for the man may have all been made up. They gazed at each other like lovers. She followed his lead very well, and his dancing style was much different from mine. I turned towards the bar and began to panic. There were still six people waiting. I didn't think I had that long. I stepped out of line and walked back to the dance floor.
"Okay, Ross," I almost barked, "I really must insist." With his additional three inches in height, Steve made an exaggerated look down his nose at me. Hanna's dreamy look didn't entirely fade away. Indeed, her lingering smile slowly drifted off as she came out of the trance she was in.
"Sure," he said nonchalantly, "I'll see you in a bit, Hanna." As he stepped away, I immediately took my wife's left hand in mine and danced her away from where her potential paramour stood. Nothing was said for a minute. I was trying to organize it all in my head, because when the dance ended, I'd have a hard time trying to talk to her without causing a scene.
"Do you remember our first time?" I asked softly as she adjusted to her new dance partner.
Finally she looked up and into my eyes. "Of course I do." She related. "It was right after a dance like this, at my senior prom."
I allowed it to sink in for a tiny bit. I had a bad feeling that Steve had her heart in his grasp, and that she may even leave with him, if I couldn't break this spell. I had to play my part perfectly.
"Yeah, me too," I replied. "I was so enthralled with you on that dance floor. I'd never felt closer to someone before that. But the night of Richard and Anna's wedding, that one took the cake."
