Chapter 10: Dinner and Dancing
Teli was nervously waiting just inside her door when Shane pulled up. She quickly ran out to greet him, tossing a good-bye over her shoulder to her mother, who had a knowing smile on her face. Teli hopped into the front seat and smiled at Shane.
"Nice wheels." She said, forgetting the traditional 'hello.' Shane's smile widened and he reached up to pat the dashboard of the dark green Ford.
"She's old, but loyal. Gets me where I need to be." Teli grinning and rolled her eyes playfully - she was feeling energetic and the butterflies in her stomach were flying at mock ten.
"I see you have the typical 'guys and their cars' thought process." Teli teased with a smile. Shane pretended to be in shock as he drove away.
"Me? Never..." he said with a comic's dramatic flair. Teli laughed.
"So, where are we off to?" She asked.
"Well, there's a pretty good band playing at one of the resorts by the lake. I've heard them a couple times; they've got a good sound. So, I thought we could get dinner on the porch and watch them play, maybe do some dancing." Shane replied.
"Sounds great to me." Teli said with a grin.
The old resort was bustling with early tourist business, there to catch some good music along with dinner. Teli and Shane were seated on the porch after only a small wait, close to the band but far enough from the dance floor to see.
"Great table." Teli commented on their luck. Shane nodded his agreement. The butterflies in Teli's stomach were starting to settle from their frenzied flight and as the date progressed Teli relaxed and found herself having a great time.
"So Shane, what's your story?" Teli asked, feeling a little bold. Shane didn't seem to mind the question in the least.
"Well, not much to tell really," he started, thinking. "I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have and older brother and a younger sister. My older brother took care of both of us - my mom was sick for a long time and my dad left when my sister was born." Shane's voice trailed off, looking at Teli's reaction. Her face show interest and some concern, so he hesitantly continued.
"I left my home when I was 17, traveled here and became a ski and snowboard instructor during the winter tourist season." He finished.
"And how did you come to be at our school then?" Teli asked, curious.
"Well, someday I'd like to go to college and get a Public Relations degree. A bit crazy, I know, but it's a goal, right? So, with some prodding from my boss at the ski hill, I enrolled second semester this year to finish high school." Shane explained.
"That's really cool Shane." Teli said, impressed. "But, in today's society, what would you do with a PR degree?" She asked.
"I don't know. Try and make a difference in this messed-up world I guess." Shane said with a soft smile. Teli nodded, it was a good ambition.
"So, what about you?" Shane asked, "what's your story?" Inwardly, Teli flinched at the question.
"Well, it's kind of an odd story..." She began, her tone testing.
"Like mine wasn't." Shane replied, obviously curious.
"Well, I was adopted when I was five by my parents, Jane and Dave Stevens and they brought me here." Teli said, giving the short version and hoping he wouldn't ask for details. It didn't work.
"Adopted?" Shane asked, wondering.
"Yeah. To tell you the truth, I don't remember much about my old home. The common theory is that I've blocked those memories. Apparently the situation I left wasn't a good one." Teli tried to explain.
"In that case, I guess it's a good thing you don't remember." Shane said, his face revealing a bit of genuine concern. Teli smiled.
"I guess so." The two just looked at each other for a moment. Teli wanted to leave the subject of their pasts for a while, so she decided to take her leave for the moment.
"Well, if it's alright with you, I'm going to take a quick trip to the lady's room." Teli said with a grin, rising.
"Oh, I don't know if that's alright..." Shane teased.
"Riiiight..." Teli said, throwing a wink at Shane as she turned and walked away.
Teli laughed to herself as she walked towards the bathroom. She could feel Shane watching her as she walked away, and made sure to swing her hips just a little extra bit. Shane's electric eye contact had been making her butterflies jump around all evening. With the thought of those silvery-blues eyes fresh in her mind, Teli rounded a corner.
Teli ran smack into the shoulder of a man about to round the corner. She felt his eyes sweep over her face quickly, but before she could look up he had turned his face away.
"I'm sorry." Teli managed to quickly say. The man just nodded and walked swiftly away, giving Teli only a split second to take in his appearance before he disappeared around another corner. He was maybe 35, tall, with dark brunette locks that had been visible above the up-turned collar of a leather jacket. Teli shrugged off the odd feeling the encounter had left in her and walked on. She stopped short within ten paces.
On the ground was a picture of her.
Shocked, Teli picked the picture up to get a better look. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and the prickly, being-watch feeling returned. Teli whipped around, her eyes scanning. But all she saw was a shadow as it quickly jumped across her path.
"You okay Teli? You look like you've seen a ghost." Shane asked, sounding concerned when he saw Teli's face as she walked back to their table. An image suddenly shoved its way to the front of Teli's mind - a long blue hallway and a tall, dark haired, young man marching away. 'Seen a ghost...' Shane's words echoed in Teli's mind as she pondered the image. 'No, not a ghost...' But Teli quickly blinked the image away.
"I just ran into some creepy guy back there is all, I'm fine." Teli replied, still trying to shake the prickly feeling. Shane crinkled his brow as if to ask 'are you sure?'
"I'm fine. Really." Teli said, forcing a smile and finally sounding confident. Shane relaxed and returned the smile.
"Okay. Well, do you want to dance, you know, to get your mind off of it?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'd really like that." Teli answered with a relieved smile. Shane's eyes seemed to sparkle as he stood up and offered his hand. Teli took it, glad for the welcome distraction. They walked hand-in-hand to the dance floor. The band was playing at a good up-beat tempo and the two easily stepped into it. It took only a few seconds for Teli to realize, somewhat to her surprise, that she was with a skilled dancer, and she let Shane take the lead. Soon Shane had spun Teli into the middle of the floor where they had a little more room to show off. Teli could tell Shane was impressed with how easily she kept up with him. Teli in turn was impressed that Shane could do all these fancy moves and still hold her eye contact. Except during the spins and twirls, Shane's silver-blue eyes were locked with Teli's emerald greens.
The beat of the song changed from even, dynamic energy to a slow rhythmic flow. Shane didn't miss a step; he just spun Teli in closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. Teli's arms went around his neck as she let Shane pull her body against his. Their noses were just inches apart, their eyes remained locked.
****
"She's getting pretty close to this guy." A male voice spoke into a pay phone. He listened to the response.
"I don't think now is a good idea." The man said. A muffled voice came out of the phone in response.
"She's not showing any signs of being ready for this." Listening.
"Yes, I know that. I'm just saying...What?! How do you know they might have a lead!?" The man hit the phone hard when he heard the response.
"Shit." The phone was hung up with force.
****
As the last bars of the song slowly died away, Shane's warm grip slightly tightened around Teli's waist. One hand reached up to touch her cheek and his eyes asked a simple question. Teli rose up on her tiptoes as Shane brought his lips down to hers.
****
Dear Angel,
Wow, today was full of interesting moments. I'll get the . . . odd parts over with first, then get to the good stuff.
At dinner tonight, I got up to go to the bathroom and on the way there I ran into this guy. I know, I know, it was probably just some guy, but I got a weird feeling as he walked away. He walked too smoothly, too gracefully, too... silent. And his eyes flashed over my face before I could even react, and that's fast. I probably could've shaken that off, but then I found this picture of me on the floor. I remember the day it was taken - I was tutoring Sally and kept feeling like I was being watched. Obviously, I was right. Creepy, it's just way creepy and I don't like it.
Okay, on to the fun part. :) Shane took me out tonight. We had a great time. I'm really liking this guy. He's so easy to talk to, he's funny, he's... oh gees. I'm starting to sound like Kat! I'm sure I'll get plenty of quizzing from her tomorrow. Well, you're probably curious too, so, yes, we did kiss. Once when we were dancing and again when he dropped me off. He's so much different from any other guy I've been interested in! This is so fun! I can't wait to see where this goes. Talk to ya later.
-- Teli
Teli was nervously waiting just inside her door when Shane pulled up. She quickly ran out to greet him, tossing a good-bye over her shoulder to her mother, who had a knowing smile on her face. Teli hopped into the front seat and smiled at Shane.
"Nice wheels." She said, forgetting the traditional 'hello.' Shane's smile widened and he reached up to pat the dashboard of the dark green Ford.
"She's old, but loyal. Gets me where I need to be." Teli grinning and rolled her eyes playfully - she was feeling energetic and the butterflies in her stomach were flying at mock ten.
"I see you have the typical 'guys and their cars' thought process." Teli teased with a smile. Shane pretended to be in shock as he drove away.
"Me? Never..." he said with a comic's dramatic flair. Teli laughed.
"So, where are we off to?" She asked.
"Well, there's a pretty good band playing at one of the resorts by the lake. I've heard them a couple times; they've got a good sound. So, I thought we could get dinner on the porch and watch them play, maybe do some dancing." Shane replied.
"Sounds great to me." Teli said with a grin.
The old resort was bustling with early tourist business, there to catch some good music along with dinner. Teli and Shane were seated on the porch after only a small wait, close to the band but far enough from the dance floor to see.
"Great table." Teli commented on their luck. Shane nodded his agreement. The butterflies in Teli's stomach were starting to settle from their frenzied flight and as the date progressed Teli relaxed and found herself having a great time.
"So Shane, what's your story?" Teli asked, feeling a little bold. Shane didn't seem to mind the question in the least.
"Well, not much to tell really," he started, thinking. "I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have and older brother and a younger sister. My older brother took care of both of us - my mom was sick for a long time and my dad left when my sister was born." Shane's voice trailed off, looking at Teli's reaction. Her face show interest and some concern, so he hesitantly continued.
"I left my home when I was 17, traveled here and became a ski and snowboard instructor during the winter tourist season." He finished.
"And how did you come to be at our school then?" Teli asked, curious.
"Well, someday I'd like to go to college and get a Public Relations degree. A bit crazy, I know, but it's a goal, right? So, with some prodding from my boss at the ski hill, I enrolled second semester this year to finish high school." Shane explained.
"That's really cool Shane." Teli said, impressed. "But, in today's society, what would you do with a PR degree?" She asked.
"I don't know. Try and make a difference in this messed-up world I guess." Shane said with a soft smile. Teli nodded, it was a good ambition.
"So, what about you?" Shane asked, "what's your story?" Inwardly, Teli flinched at the question.
"Well, it's kind of an odd story..." She began, her tone testing.
"Like mine wasn't." Shane replied, obviously curious.
"Well, I was adopted when I was five by my parents, Jane and Dave Stevens and they brought me here." Teli said, giving the short version and hoping he wouldn't ask for details. It didn't work.
"Adopted?" Shane asked, wondering.
"Yeah. To tell you the truth, I don't remember much about my old home. The common theory is that I've blocked those memories. Apparently the situation I left wasn't a good one." Teli tried to explain.
"In that case, I guess it's a good thing you don't remember." Shane said, his face revealing a bit of genuine concern. Teli smiled.
"I guess so." The two just looked at each other for a moment. Teli wanted to leave the subject of their pasts for a while, so she decided to take her leave for the moment.
"Well, if it's alright with you, I'm going to take a quick trip to the lady's room." Teli said with a grin, rising.
"Oh, I don't know if that's alright..." Shane teased.
"Riiiight..." Teli said, throwing a wink at Shane as she turned and walked away.
Teli laughed to herself as she walked towards the bathroom. She could feel Shane watching her as she walked away, and made sure to swing her hips just a little extra bit. Shane's electric eye contact had been making her butterflies jump around all evening. With the thought of those silvery-blues eyes fresh in her mind, Teli rounded a corner.
Teli ran smack into the shoulder of a man about to round the corner. She felt his eyes sweep over her face quickly, but before she could look up he had turned his face away.
"I'm sorry." Teli managed to quickly say. The man just nodded and walked swiftly away, giving Teli only a split second to take in his appearance before he disappeared around another corner. He was maybe 35, tall, with dark brunette locks that had been visible above the up-turned collar of a leather jacket. Teli shrugged off the odd feeling the encounter had left in her and walked on. She stopped short within ten paces.
On the ground was a picture of her.
Shocked, Teli picked the picture up to get a better look. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and the prickly, being-watch feeling returned. Teli whipped around, her eyes scanning. But all she saw was a shadow as it quickly jumped across her path.
"You okay Teli? You look like you've seen a ghost." Shane asked, sounding concerned when he saw Teli's face as she walked back to their table. An image suddenly shoved its way to the front of Teli's mind - a long blue hallway and a tall, dark haired, young man marching away. 'Seen a ghost...' Shane's words echoed in Teli's mind as she pondered the image. 'No, not a ghost...' But Teli quickly blinked the image away.
"I just ran into some creepy guy back there is all, I'm fine." Teli replied, still trying to shake the prickly feeling. Shane crinkled his brow as if to ask 'are you sure?'
"I'm fine. Really." Teli said, forcing a smile and finally sounding confident. Shane relaxed and returned the smile.
"Okay. Well, do you want to dance, you know, to get your mind off of it?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'd really like that." Teli answered with a relieved smile. Shane's eyes seemed to sparkle as he stood up and offered his hand. Teli took it, glad for the welcome distraction. They walked hand-in-hand to the dance floor. The band was playing at a good up-beat tempo and the two easily stepped into it. It took only a few seconds for Teli to realize, somewhat to her surprise, that she was with a skilled dancer, and she let Shane take the lead. Soon Shane had spun Teli into the middle of the floor where they had a little more room to show off. Teli could tell Shane was impressed with how easily she kept up with him. Teli in turn was impressed that Shane could do all these fancy moves and still hold her eye contact. Except during the spins and twirls, Shane's silver-blue eyes were locked with Teli's emerald greens.
The beat of the song changed from even, dynamic energy to a slow rhythmic flow. Shane didn't miss a step; he just spun Teli in closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. Teli's arms went around his neck as she let Shane pull her body against his. Their noses were just inches apart, their eyes remained locked.
****
"She's getting pretty close to this guy." A male voice spoke into a pay phone. He listened to the response.
"I don't think now is a good idea." The man said. A muffled voice came out of the phone in response.
"She's not showing any signs of being ready for this." Listening.
"Yes, I know that. I'm just saying...What?! How do you know they might have a lead!?" The man hit the phone hard when he heard the response.
"Shit." The phone was hung up with force.
****
As the last bars of the song slowly died away, Shane's warm grip slightly tightened around Teli's waist. One hand reached up to touch her cheek and his eyes asked a simple question. Teli rose up on her tiptoes as Shane brought his lips down to hers.
****
Dear Angel,
Wow, today was full of interesting moments. I'll get the . . . odd parts over with first, then get to the good stuff.
At dinner tonight, I got up to go to the bathroom and on the way there I ran into this guy. I know, I know, it was probably just some guy, but I got a weird feeling as he walked away. He walked too smoothly, too gracefully, too... silent. And his eyes flashed over my face before I could even react, and that's fast. I probably could've shaken that off, but then I found this picture of me on the floor. I remember the day it was taken - I was tutoring Sally and kept feeling like I was being watched. Obviously, I was right. Creepy, it's just way creepy and I don't like it.
Okay, on to the fun part. :) Shane took me out tonight. We had a great time. I'm really liking this guy. He's so easy to talk to, he's funny, he's... oh gees. I'm starting to sound like Kat! I'm sure I'll get plenty of quizzing from her tomorrow. Well, you're probably curious too, so, yes, we did kiss. Once when we were dancing and again when he dropped me off. He's so much different from any other guy I've been interested in! This is so fun! I can't wait to see where this goes. Talk to ya later.
-- Teli