The Forbidden Dance
A light breeze picked up from the water's edge and fondled about Juliet's nearly bare shoulders. She wrapped the shawl she was carrying tightly around her small frame, trying to sample what little warmth it offered. The cold still tingled her pale skin and she surrendered, unable to stand the now whipping wind any longer, and turned to leave when she noticed a form producing from the shadows an old oak was scattering across the lawn. Through the soft light of the full moon she could clearly make out the figure of a young man: Romeo.
She watched as he neared closer and closer, drinking in the sight of him. He was dressed rather peculiarly, she thought, wearing a pair of dark blue pants which sported a few black stains and a white undershirt with similar marks. When he was to her she placed her arms lightly around his next, careful to keep her torso a few inches from his as not to dirty her dress.
"You're filthy!" She blurted out. It wasn't exactly what she had intended to say; she had thought of inquiring him more discreetly about his appearance. However, there was a greasy streak lining his tanned cheekbone, which her eyes refused to stray from and her mouth was too quick for her mind to think of a more mild reply.
Romeo looked himself up and down; also taking in her formal dress, white and fair compared to his dark attire and shrugged. "You're beautiful," She blushed momentarily then gave him a look revealing that that wasn't quite the answer she had been seeking. "My dad's a mechanic. He makes me work on Saturdays." He continued.
"That's very interesting."
"Is that so?" he smiled. She noticed that he had a very boyish look about him- adorable and playful- which in return made her smile deeply.
Juliet nodded her head and bit gently down on her bottom lip. There was still one question unasked beating inside her head, a question she wanted to know the answer to more than her previous one. "So, what are you doing here?" she asked timidly. She knew that he didn't like places like the club. He called it superficial, just a place for people to show their money off- whether they had it or not- to people who had just as much or little of it as themselves. He didn't have much of it anyway, and didn't want people who did shoving it into his face offering to buy him a drink, saying he can pay for the next round. Even if he did have it, he had sworn with his hand crossing over his heart, he would never gallivant around showing it to everyone he met.
"I came to rescue you." He stated simply, a new smile hinting across his face; a sly smile.
Juliet arched a brow, wondering what he was scheming. It would be the second scheme that day she would fall victim to. "Rescue me?"
"Want to go to a real party?"
Romeo tugged on her hand as he led them out onto the overcrowded floor. The room was dark with a few lights darting out of the pitch-black ceiling, giving the room a smoky glow. The Brazilian music pounded in her chest and Juliet felt her heart take up its fast beat. The excitement was overwhelming. She had never been in a place like this before. Never had she seen people so natural, unbound by the 'sophisticated' rules of the country club. She watched with interest as the many couples danced to dances that were foreign to her. Dances that were beautiful and seemed to transform the crowd into a magical swarm of color and laughter. Ravishing dresses swirled around the girls like wild fire- colorful and dazzling. Suddenly unsure if she could fit into this atmosphere she dragged her feet, slowing Romeo down.
He turned, a questioning look crossing his face. "What's wrong?"
"I can't dance to this." Her eyes were big with fear and doubt. He brought his hand up to stroke her cheek reassuringly.
"Don't worry. I'll show you." She felt her feet following him as he ushered them to the middle of the dance floor. "Okay, don't think about the dance. Just feel it; in your feet, your arms, your heart."
"No thinking, got it." She drew in a deep breath and began moving her feet, more to the beat of a waltz than to the Spanish music drilling into her ears.
"No, no, no. You're thinking too much," He knocked his knuckles lightly against her skull. "Your brain isn't going to let you hear the music with your heart." He tapped his finger above the rhythmic beating in her chest.
"I can't do it. You're just wasting your time. I'm going back to the table. You go a head and dance. Don't stop on account of me." She mingled her way through the throng of people and felt his tight grip bringing her back to him.
"That's not the Juliet I know. So willing to give up. Now I said I'd show you a real time and that's what I'm going to do." He scratched his head, trying to think of a solution to their problem. "First lets fix this." He reached towards the back of her head and removed the bow holding up her hair and gave it a little ruffle. The mass of raven colored waves unclumped from its ponytail and fell across her shoulders. "That's better." He took out a bandanna from the back of his pocket and raised it over her head.
She pulled back in protest. "What are you doing?"
Romeo rolled his eyes. "You'll see. Just let me do my work." She closed her eyes in defeat, waiting for the cloth to cover them. "Can you see?"
"No."
"How many fingers am I holding up"
Juliet pushed his hand away, sensing its location. "I don't know!"
He chuckled and grabbed her swatting arm in his. "All right, now find the beat. Let it flow through out your body. Let it move you. Got it?"
"I think so."
"Sway your hips." His hands slid down her sides, resting on her waste and he pulled her closer. He started moving his feet and her body followed his lead. "Whatever you do don't lose the feel. Remember there are no mistakes, just movements. You got it. Now be free."
Juliet listened to the sound of his voice, felt his hands on her hips as they swirled them in the form of a figure eight, followed the beat of her heart. Her body swayed, her feet following and the beat became familiar. Soon she lost herself. She didn't even notice the bandanna slip to the floor or his hands leaving her as he took part in the dancing, no longer instructing her, occasionally giving her a twirl and a dip. She was free.
A light breeze picked up from the water's edge and fondled about Juliet's nearly bare shoulders. She wrapped the shawl she was carrying tightly around her small frame, trying to sample what little warmth it offered. The cold still tingled her pale skin and she surrendered, unable to stand the now whipping wind any longer, and turned to leave when she noticed a form producing from the shadows an old oak was scattering across the lawn. Through the soft light of the full moon she could clearly make out the figure of a young man: Romeo.
She watched as he neared closer and closer, drinking in the sight of him. He was dressed rather peculiarly, she thought, wearing a pair of dark blue pants which sported a few black stains and a white undershirt with similar marks. When he was to her she placed her arms lightly around his next, careful to keep her torso a few inches from his as not to dirty her dress.
"You're filthy!" She blurted out. It wasn't exactly what she had intended to say; she had thought of inquiring him more discreetly about his appearance. However, there was a greasy streak lining his tanned cheekbone, which her eyes refused to stray from and her mouth was too quick for her mind to think of a more mild reply.
Romeo looked himself up and down; also taking in her formal dress, white and fair compared to his dark attire and shrugged. "You're beautiful," She blushed momentarily then gave him a look revealing that that wasn't quite the answer she had been seeking. "My dad's a mechanic. He makes me work on Saturdays." He continued.
"That's very interesting."
"Is that so?" he smiled. She noticed that he had a very boyish look about him- adorable and playful- which in return made her smile deeply.
Juliet nodded her head and bit gently down on her bottom lip. There was still one question unasked beating inside her head, a question she wanted to know the answer to more than her previous one. "So, what are you doing here?" she asked timidly. She knew that he didn't like places like the club. He called it superficial, just a place for people to show their money off- whether they had it or not- to people who had just as much or little of it as themselves. He didn't have much of it anyway, and didn't want people who did shoving it into his face offering to buy him a drink, saying he can pay for the next round. Even if he did have it, he had sworn with his hand crossing over his heart, he would never gallivant around showing it to everyone he met.
"I came to rescue you." He stated simply, a new smile hinting across his face; a sly smile.
Juliet arched a brow, wondering what he was scheming. It would be the second scheme that day she would fall victim to. "Rescue me?"
"Want to go to a real party?"
Romeo tugged on her hand as he led them out onto the overcrowded floor. The room was dark with a few lights darting out of the pitch-black ceiling, giving the room a smoky glow. The Brazilian music pounded in her chest and Juliet felt her heart take up its fast beat. The excitement was overwhelming. She had never been in a place like this before. Never had she seen people so natural, unbound by the 'sophisticated' rules of the country club. She watched with interest as the many couples danced to dances that were foreign to her. Dances that were beautiful and seemed to transform the crowd into a magical swarm of color and laughter. Ravishing dresses swirled around the girls like wild fire- colorful and dazzling. Suddenly unsure if she could fit into this atmosphere she dragged her feet, slowing Romeo down.
He turned, a questioning look crossing his face. "What's wrong?"
"I can't dance to this." Her eyes were big with fear and doubt. He brought his hand up to stroke her cheek reassuringly.
"Don't worry. I'll show you." She felt her feet following him as he ushered them to the middle of the dance floor. "Okay, don't think about the dance. Just feel it; in your feet, your arms, your heart."
"No thinking, got it." She drew in a deep breath and began moving her feet, more to the beat of a waltz than to the Spanish music drilling into her ears.
"No, no, no. You're thinking too much," He knocked his knuckles lightly against her skull. "Your brain isn't going to let you hear the music with your heart." He tapped his finger above the rhythmic beating in her chest.
"I can't do it. You're just wasting your time. I'm going back to the table. You go a head and dance. Don't stop on account of me." She mingled her way through the throng of people and felt his tight grip bringing her back to him.
"That's not the Juliet I know. So willing to give up. Now I said I'd show you a real time and that's what I'm going to do." He scratched his head, trying to think of a solution to their problem. "First lets fix this." He reached towards the back of her head and removed the bow holding up her hair and gave it a little ruffle. The mass of raven colored waves unclumped from its ponytail and fell across her shoulders. "That's better." He took out a bandanna from the back of his pocket and raised it over her head.
She pulled back in protest. "What are you doing?"
Romeo rolled his eyes. "You'll see. Just let me do my work." She closed her eyes in defeat, waiting for the cloth to cover them. "Can you see?"
"No."
"How many fingers am I holding up"
Juliet pushed his hand away, sensing its location. "I don't know!"
He chuckled and grabbed her swatting arm in his. "All right, now find the beat. Let it flow through out your body. Let it move you. Got it?"
"I think so."
"Sway your hips." His hands slid down her sides, resting on her waste and he pulled her closer. He started moving his feet and her body followed his lead. "Whatever you do don't lose the feel. Remember there are no mistakes, just movements. You got it. Now be free."
Juliet listened to the sound of his voice, felt his hands on her hips as they swirled them in the form of a figure eight, followed the beat of her heart. Her body swayed, her feet following and the beat became familiar. Soon she lost herself. She didn't even notice the bandanna slip to the floor or his hands leaving her as he took part in the dancing, no longer instructing her, occasionally giving her a twirl and a dip. She was free.