The Apartment: The Complete Affair Read Free Page B

down the hall until she found a door that was propped open with a large chalkboard on the floor that read
Ballroom Dance tonight, 5 to 7
.
    She stuck her head in the door and peeked around the corner, surprised to find that the elderly dance troupe she’d seen earlier had been replaced by younger couples ranging from their late thirties to their early sixties. They were paired up and dancing in tight formations, arms raised high as the ladies twisted and slithered against the men. Lily was amazed to find it rather erotic. The couples were arranged around the room in a large circle, and standing in the middle was a statuesque woman with unnaturally red hair piled high on her head. She was wielding a large, elegant walking stick that she held with both hands, tapping it on the floor in time with the beat of the music and nodding her head as each couple passed.
    “Good… good… watch your frame…” She was smiling until one of the women tripped over her own feet and stumbled.
CRACK!
The end of her stick came crashing down so loudly that it echoed over the music. “People! May I remind you that
you
were the ones who begged me to teach the tango this year? I wanted to stop at the samba. You’ve shown promise so far, but at the rate you are learning, this is going to take us weeks!” She frowned at each couple, completely ignoring the exotic music in the background as she sighed deeply and continued. “This dance highlights the man’s ability to lead, as well as the woman’s ability to follow. You’ve got to give yourself over to the rhythm and the moment. Ladies, you have to let your partners have their way with you on that floor. You have to surrender yourself to your emotions and stop letting your head get in the way. We are talking vertical sex here, people!”
    The flustered instructor looked up just then, catching sight of Lily across the room. She held up one finger to her and addressed the couples again. “Alright, I’ll be back in a moment, class. Keep working at it.” She stepped through the circle of dancers and made her way across the floor, first stopping at the stereo to repeat the song. “If this song ends before I’m back, you’re going to start the whole thing over again.” She turned to Lily. “Come!” she barked, sweeping through the door in a grand exit.
    They walked into the hall together, far enough away from the door so they could hear each other. Lily was taken aback by how extremely tall and graceful the woman seemed, as well as how much older she appeared close-up. The thick makeup she had slathered on did nothing to hide the deep wrinkles and laugh lines on her face. Rather than being repulsed, Lily was in awe of how much living this woman must have done.
    “Sorry about that, dear.” She smiled warmly down at her and held out her hand. Lily shook it timidly. “I’m Mrs. Knight. Were you interested in signing up for a class?”
    “Uh… no. Actually, I was wondering about the sign in your window. The apartment?”
    “Oh! Yes, certainly.”
    “If it’s still available, I was hoping I might be able to schedule a time to look at it.”
    Mrs. Knight looked at her watch and thought for a moment. “Well, I’m going to be stuck here for a while. If you don’t mind viewing it by yourself, I could give you the key and you could take a look at it right now.”
    “Oh, that would be great!” Lily couldn’t keep the enthusiasm out of her voice.
    “Well, come with me back to the office for a minute. I’ll grab the key for you.” They walked together down the hall, making pleasant small talk. Lily enjoyed the steady
click click click
of her walking stick as she tapped it out of habit.
    Mrs. Knight motioned for Lily to follow her into the small office, sitting down at a desk against the wall. She opened the center drawer and started rifling through piles of loose papers while Lily let her eyes wander around the cluttered room, landing on the many stacks of CDs in the corner. She had