The dance lessons were not working. It was plainly obvious. The promise of teaching his feet to co-ordinate was going nowhere.

His teacher was looking resigned more and more to the fact his student was plainly unco.

So much for his desire to woo the beautiful Hayley. She attended the same dance class as he did. She was tall, dark-haired and lithe in ways that made his inability to dance with even a modicum of grace all the more frustrating.

As a result of several attempts to be dance partners and her feet suffering the assault he subjected them too, it was agreed she would take a new partner and he extra dance lessons.

Across the room, he watched her dance gracefully around the room with Bill Woodfull a man twice her age and as smelly as old men can get. There was no doubt she was enjoying a new dance partner, they did move well together, but then again Bill, despite his age, had been dancing a long time and would make any partner look good.

He had to forego dreams of dancing with Hayley for the withered hands of Iris Keith who to her credit encouraged him to try harder and to concentrate on what they were doing, a Pride of Erin at the time.

At break time she sidled up to him to ask how the lessons were going.

“I have two left feet I’m afraid,” he said dejectedly, “I think I may have to give all this away, Iris’ feet are doing as well as yours.”

“Oh please don’t give up,” she implored, “ I’d miss you. You’re the only reason I come to dance lessons. Bill drives me mad, he never stops talking, and I haven’t a clue what he’s on about.”

“But I thought you liked dancing.”

“I do, but you know if it came down to it I’d dance the Town Hall Crawl with you just to be held close.”

This last statement floored him. He never suspected she felt that way. As they departed and made their way to their respective partners, she squeezed his hand, “See you at the end? We could go for a drink?”

For the rest of the lesson time, he floated.

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/first-line-friday-april-13th-2018/