Dancing Lessons Read Free Page A

didn’t know what he was thinking to even vaguely contemplate flirting with anyone.
    He stared up without saying a word, wishing he knew the right thing to say or do, and the instructor inclined his head toward him. He acted as if he was still addressing the class, but Chico felt like this instruction was for his benefit. “It’s called the box step because we’re moving our feet in a square. I’m going to show you the movements one more time, and then you get to practice for a while.”
    He pulled their clasped hands up higher, a move that brought him closer to Chico by barely an inch but felt like much more than that. Maybe it was the way it forced Chico to stand up straight, with his shoulders back. Their chests were nearly touching. He took a deep breath, and his other hand fell from the instructor’s shoulder to his bicep.
    “That’s it.” The man had the gentle, patient teacher tone down perfectly. The words should have been impersonal, professional, but Chico shivered all over again and lowered his gaze to the man’s collarbone. Then he looked right back up to his face in disbelief when his teacher moved forward and nudged Chico’s shoe with his.
    “This is ridiculous.” Chico managed a full sentence, but moved his foot in response to the hint, and for a moment they were close again, closer than before. He dragged in a breath and then stepped to the side when led that way. He was a second behind, but he went, following when they came forward again and then to the side once more before stopping. That was when he stumbled, surprised they were no longer moving.
    “He’s a natural.” The teacher angled his head up to tell the crowd. He said it easily too, like he meant it. Unlike everyone else in the room, he wasn’t looking at his feet or thinking about what his body was doing. He was staring at Chico and complimenting him.
    Chico unexpectedly felt himself warming up and was grateful a blush would hardly show in his features.
    “No, no, no,” he argued earnestly. “I’m really not. Not a natural at this or anything.” He tugged on their joined hands, then skittered back a step when that only brought their bodies closer to together, as if he’d been leading that time. He glanced around in total embarrassment, but the others seemed to be focused on their own foot placement and hand positions. “What am I doing? Oh my God. I’m sorry.” He tugged on his hand again, and this time it was released. “I didn’t actually come here to dance.”
    “But you’re here now.” The reasonable answer was the most confusing sentence Chico had ever heard in his life. It was so simple and logical his brain wouldn’t process it for a moment.
    He tossed his head. “The last thing I need right now is….” Chico wisely stopped there, and took a moment to swallow and wet his mouth. “I have to go. I was supposed to find—” He decided against asking this man for directions yet again, considering the way the last time had turned out. “Uh, thank you for the lesson,” he finished, stilted and impossible and kind of hating the person he’d turned into for the few seconds it took him to take his other hand from that warm skin and hurry to the door.
    He closed it behind him, with classical music still humming in his blood and his face hot. He rubbed a hand over the warmth at his side as he left the office, and he only stopped once he was safely back out in the foyer. Davi would see how flustered he was, so he took a moment to straighten his clothes and pat his cheeks while he stared at the articles and photographs on one of the walls.
    Chico was and always had been a small and fragile creature. He caught a glimpse of his wrist and wondered how it had felt when the dance instructor had held it to carefully pull Chico’s hand to his skin. No one should be that gentle in real life unless they were handling a newborn or trying to catch a ladybug.
    Chico stared hard at a black-and-white photo for a long time before