New Steps
"Hey Andie!" at the call, Andie West turned and found her boyfriend, Chase Collins rushing toward her from the dance studio. They had a few weeks until the end of term showcase, and her and Chase was doing a big street dance sequence. The MSA director, Blake, had approved the routine, even asking Andie to teach some of the other students the moves. He had become so much mellower in the aftermath from the Streets.
A few weeks ago Andie, Chase and their crew of MSA misfits had competed at and won the Streets, the biggest, baddest dance competition in Baltimore. Even though Blake, Chase's elder brother, had forbidden it and expelled Andie because of it. He had followed with Sophie and had been extremely impressed. So much so, he had reinstated Andie at MSA.
But Andie thought of none of this as Chase pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly.
"Hey there. Blake actually let you go early?" she said breathlessly as he drew back.
"Yeah. I think he's trying to make up for nine years of being an asshole," Chase said cheekily.
"I heard that!" Blake's smooth baritone echoed ominously from the dance studio.
"You'd better run," Andie said jokingly as they turned and ran into the sunshine to join their friends.
"You coming to the barbecue tonight?" Andie asked, as she twiddled the dials of Chase's car stereo.
"At Missy's? Sure." He replied as he drove her towards home. It was the first time Andie had ever been to the Collins' house, and she was getting nervous. Apart from Blake and Chase, she had never met any of the other Collins, and she wondered if they would like her. After all, her and Blake were getting along, in a stilted, slightly awkward fashion. Andie fidgeted with the hem of her dress. Chase noticed and grinned cheekily. "Stop fidgeting. You look great," he said, grabbing her hand and holding in his own.
Andie had changed into a turquoise blue halterneck dress, and silver heels, her long brown hair let loose and tumbling down over her shoulders. It was the only dress she owned and she felt uncomfortable without her trackies and trainers.
"Ready?" Chase asked, as he pulled up outside a large house with white columns holding up the second storey. Andie gulped.
"I'll never be ready," she muttered, as Chase got out, chuckling, and handed her from the car.
"You'll be great," he said, kissing the side of her head. "Just watch out for Leticia. And Carlie….." Chase trailed off as two small girls suddenly exploded from the doorway of the intimidating house.
"Chase!" they barrelled into Chase, almost knocking him to the ground. Andie jumped out of the way, just in time.
"Hey Titch! Hey Carlie!" Chase said from the floor. He glared up at Andie. "Thanks for the support."
"I think you've got it covered," Andie said, as the two girls stopped assaulting their brother long enough to smile shyly up at her.
"Andie, this is Leticia and Carlie. Titch, Carlie this is Andie," he introduced them from the floor.
"Andie!" they jumped up and hugged her waist wildly.
"Hey nice to meet you too," Andie said after a minute.
"Leticia, Carlie! Stop bullying your brother and get in here! It's almost time for dinner!" a feminine voice called from the house. Andie and Chase looked around to find a small, delicate woman in her late fifties come bustling out of the house. From the moment Andie saw her, she knew she must have been a ballerina in her time. Obviously this was Chase's mother.
Kindly yet appraising brown eyes met hers, and she was reminded rather forcefully of Blake. Her hair was the same colour as his, and she had the same authority about her. But she had Chase's irresistible charm as well.
"Andie, it's so nice to finally meet you," Caroline Collins pressed Andie's hand in welcome. "Come in,"
"T-Thanks," Andie stuttered nervously as Chase got up off the floor and followed her in.
The Collins' house was unlike anything Andie had ever seen. It was like a set straight from the Hills. The cream walls were covered in pictures of the two older boys, as well as the two twin girls who had attacked them outside. Caroline led them into the kitchen.
"John? This is Andie, Chase's girlfriend," she gestured to a tall, blonde-haired, handsome man in his fifties. As Andie watched him, she saw Chase's looks and Blake's confident arrogance in his stance.
"Nice to meet you, Andie." John Collins didn't look up from the plans rolled out before him. Andie recognised the plans for the new MSA building. Chase sent her an apologetic look as they sat down at the table.
"Andie, Chase you staying for dinner?" Caroline asked, as she dished up salad and fajitas for the girls.
"No, Mom. We're headed for a barbecue at Andie's friend, Missy's place," Chase said quickly.
"Oh that'll be fun." Caroline said, smiling slightly.
"Yeah, Mom, you should see Andie salsa," Chase said, pretending to fan himself. Andie hit him hard on the shoulder.
"You salsa?" Caroline asked, looking at the petite girl in front of her with new interest.
"Yeah. My mom taught me when I was little," Andie explained, blushing slightly.
"Do you dance in other styles too? Blake told us you were a street dancer," Caroline pressed, her curiosity quirked. Any girl that got Chase's serious attention had to be interesting.
"Well, Blake's trying to teach me ballet-"
"Trying being the operative word," Chase interjected.
"But it's a lot harder than hip hop," Andie continued, calmly ignoring Chase.
"Yes, it can be difficult at first. I'm sure you'll get it eventually," Caroline said gently. "You look like a great dancer,"
"Thank you, Mrs Collins," Andie said, blushing slightly. Not in her wildest dreams did she imagine the reception she had received from Caroline and the girls.
"Caroline, dear. And you keep an eye on this boy of mine. He needs a firm grip on his reins. Even when he was a little boy and he used to run around the neighbourhood in diapers-"
"Anyway, Mom, we'd better get going," Chase interrupted hastily. Andie and Chase stood up to leave.
They heard the squeal of brakes outside the house, as the twins shouted simultaneously "Blake!" and rushed out of the door.
"Three, two, one," Caroline chanted under her breath, and Andie couldn't help but smile. Out of the window she saw the door of the black Mercedes open, and Blake get out, a briefcase in one hand. Carlie reached him first, as he dodged out of the way, smiling and laughing with the twins as they chased him around the front lawn. Andie was a little shocked to see the usually dignified and arrogant Director Collins so free and affectionate. He ruffled Leticia's hair, before he swung her up over his shoulder, Carlie hanging onto his other hand.
"He's such a dear boy. Always so good with his little sisters," Caroline said, watching him over Andie's shoulder. She frowned; 'dear boy' would not have been the words she would have described him with.
Right then, Blake walked through the door of the kitchen, Leticia still over his shoulder, as Carlie laughed and ran back to her dinner.
"Let me go, Blake!" Leticia laughed, beating her little fists against his back.
"Not until you say 'Uncle', Titch," Blake joked right back, his professional persona dropped.
"Blake stop bullying your sisters; we have company," Caroline scolded gently, an affectionate twinkle in her eye. Blake swung around, finding Andie and Chase standing by the window.
"Oh, hey Chase. Hey Andie," he said cordially as he placed Leticia on her feet. Leticia hugged him and ran to join her sister.
"Hi, Director Collins," Andie said, slightly formal.
"You can call me Blake outside school," he offered after a second's silence.
"Ok…Blake," Andie said stiltedly. He smiled at her and she smiled back, trying to be friendly.
"Are you staying for dinner?" he asked, as Chase started dancing around the kitchen with Carlie, who had finished her dinner.
"No; we just popped in to say hi and now we've got a barbecue at my girl, Missy's house," she explained.
"Too bad. Mind you it's a madhouse around here at dinnertime," Blake said, indicating his wrestling brother and sisters.
"Nice. Your…crew going to be there?" he asked, struggling to find the right word.
"Yeah."
"Oh good. That'll be fun,"
Andie looked for some way out of the slightly awkward conversation.
"You should come with us. It might be fun," she suddenly offered. She stopped, surprised. Why had she just offered?
"I don't know…" Blake said, surprised at himself that he was actually considering it.
"Yeah, Blake you should come. You gotta see Andie salsa," Chase joked. Blake looked at Andie in surprise.
"Are you trying to embarrass me?" Andie took another swipe at Chase.
"You salsa?" Blake asked.
"Yeah. Do you?"
"Of course he does. Taught Chase everything he knows," Caroline interjected proudly.
"Gee thanks Mom. Actually Blake was the one interested in ballroom and Latin as well as ballet. I just stuck with street. He can do a mean tango," Chase explained, his tone teasing.
"Thanks for that Chase," Blake said dryly.
"Just keeping it real, Blake," Chase shrugged. "So you in?"
"Sure, why not?" Blake replied easily.
"Well, we'd better get going. We're gonna be late. Missy better not try and fix me up with Alejandro again," Andie said. "Bye, Mrs Collins. Bye guys,"
Andie watched as Blake and Chase farewelled their parents and their siblings. They were both so affectionate, relaxed away from school. It was a strange and nice change.
Missy's House….
As Chase and Andie led Blake towards the brightly lit house, the smell of grilled meat and roasted peppers filled the air.
"You go on ahead." Blake heard Andie say as Chase disappeared through the back gate.
"What's up?" he asked but then Andie pulled him into the shadow of a large tree." Andie!"
Andie loosened his tie, whipping it off his neck completely before she undid the first three buttons of his shirt.
"You are not going in there looking like you've walked out of a board meeting," she said, tugging at his jacket. He sighed and shrugged it off.
Underneath he wore a black shirt and trousers, and he looked like a Latino, except for his pale skin.
"Well, do I meet your requirements?" he enquired slightly sarcastically.
"Yep. Come on," she took him by the arm and pulled him into the back garden.
Missy really had outdone herself. The garden was laced from fence to fence with paper lanterns, the round domes spilling golden light over the dance floor and grass.
"Andie!" A young Latin girl raced up and enveloped Andie in her arms.
"Missy, this is Blake, y'know from scho-"
"Oh right, yeah. From MSA," Missy cottoned on quickly. "Come in, grab some food. The dancing's gonna start soon,"
"I see Chase is already at it," Andie nodded at Chase already on the dance floor with Aunt Maria.
"She's gonna be hogging him all night" Missy warned jokingly. They laughed as they moved off.
Blake sat and watched from his chair as Andie and Chase swirled and swivelled around the dance floor. He had to hand it to her, she knew how to move.
"Andie is good, no?" Missy's mother, who was sat beside him, inquired, a big smile on her face.
"Yes she is. Very good," he trailed off.
The tempo of the music changed, the pace increasing and he got up, making his way over to the dancers. In the crowd he saw Moose and Sophie dancing, laughing unrestrainedly. Andie and Chase had just made it to his side of the dance floor when Chase spun her away from him.
Andie laughed, as she felt another set of arms catch her and effortlessly fling her towards the ground, strong hands around her waist. Wait, she knew those hands. Andie looked up into the piercing brown eyes of Blake Collins.
"Mind if I cut in?" he asked winningly, a charming smile on his face. Andie looked to Chase, still grinning and relaxed.
"Sure. I think Aunt Maria's after another dance. See you later Andie," he disappeared into the crowd without another glance. He knew Andie was safe with Blake.
"Well, shall we show them how it's done, Miss West?" Blake enquired with a raised eyebrow. Andie found it surprisingly easy to smile confidently up at him.
"Let's,"
Together, as the tempo moved up a notch and the beat changed, Andie and Blake moved through all the twists and turns of the salsa. He had to hand it to her, she was keeping up with him easily, as she spun and ended with her back to him. He spun her back, as he noticed the others watching them, laughing, clapping. She pulled away and he pulled her back, their bodies entwining and disentwining in an endless rhythm. As he felt the music shift, heading towards its crescendo, he dipped her towards the ground, before bringing her back up, one knee raised to his hip. Her arms had ended twined around his neck, her body pressed against his, and her eyes stared into his. He had never noticed how beautiful her eyes really were until that moment.
"Not bad, Miss West," he said jokingly.
"Not too bad yourself, Director Collins," she retorted, her easy manner reflecting onto him.
"Blake. It's just Blake," he reminded her gently. At the sound of his smooth voice, Andie abruptly focussed on the lips just in front of hers, the dishevelled hair beneath her fingers, the strong hand holding her knee, and the crisp black linen pressed against her torso, concealing the perfect body within.
Gradually they became aware of the applause and wolf whistles from the crowd around them, as Blake dipped her once more and then spun her out, dropping her into a curtsey. They both laughed and parted ways as the music started up again, Chase reclaiming his girlfriend, Blake dancing with Missy.
Later on, when they packing up, Missy caught up with Andie.
"Hey girl, that was some hot stuff going down tonight," she said, cornering Andie in the kitchen.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Andie turned away, loading dishes into the washer.
"I'm talking about the super-hot dance teacher you were dancing with for mad long, and nearly making out with by the end of the song," she continued doggedly. Andie shook her head, her gaze falling on the two brothers outside, helping to take down the lights from the trees.
"I wasn't making out with him. We were just dancing," she protested stubbornly.
"Yeah whatever. He is cute though." Missy said.
"Yeah," Andie sighed noncommittally. Missy huffed in frustration.
Later that night, Blake stood at the window of his bedroom and sighed. The barbecue had been fun and relaxing, and he had seen Andie in a whole new light. She truly was a talented dancer. And one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. He stopped himself right there, as he sighed again and turned away, to get ready for bed.
