I do not own Dirty Dancing.

Chapter Thirty Five

POV Neil

Dance Lessons?

Baby, Oh, Baby,

A soothing female's voice came from upstairs, singing the last few lyrics of Love Is Strange, confirming that someone was there, or at least had been very recently. "Johnny!" I call upstairs into the dance studio. God, that man was hard to find. I'd been all over Kellerman's chasing after him, his cabin, the ballroom, inquiring with Penny and his Cousin. The Dance Studio had been my last resort.

When I rounded the corner, it was as if time slowed to a crawl.

All of a sudden, I could see everything that was going on in that room, reflected right to me by way of the mirror wall. Johnny and Baby were both in the studio, swaying gently to the music. Baby was bent over backwards, Johnny's arms tightly wrapped around her waist. Her hands clutched his jawline, Johnny's face pressing into her breasts.

They rose more and more with each beat, appearing to not have heard me the first time. Johnny lifted his head, nearing Baby even more. Baby tipped her head up eagerly, like he was about to kiss her.

Oh, my God, he was about to kiss her.

"Johnny!" I shouted for the second time, hoping it would stop the events before me.

"Yeah?" Johnny responded, as he strode away from Baby with considerable speed. Were they a couple? Why would Baby like someone like Johnny? They weren't anything alike. Maybe I could...

No, I realized. I couldn't. Johnny took in a lot of business, my Grandfather wouldn't fire him just like that. Besides, what would I say to him? Hey, Gramps, I saw Johnny dancing with Baby in the studio. Wanna fire him for me? He knew I liked Baby, so any claim involving her would make him skeptical, and besides, like it or not, what I had been been dancing. Not what I, or most people considered dancing. What the staff considered dancing. And I hadn't seen him actually kiss her.

My sweet baby,

You're the one,

While one half of the duo busied himself with the sizeable record collection sitting in near the phonograph, the other half stood in front of the mirror, holding a frame while practicing an innocent Cha-Cha that was nothing like the scene that had been going on moments before. "Baby, you're taking dance lessons?" I question.

Baby nodded, and an ember of pain settled in my throat. I had liked her. Had thought she liked me too. We had so much in common... there were so many things I could've offered her. And she had turned me away. For what?

For that damned Dance Instructor. For a 6 foot mass of sheer muscle, grace, and charm. For a summer fling. "I could teach you, kid," I say, outfitting my face with a fake smile, and performing a few dance steps. Carefully, I look over her attire. She'd never tied up her shirt for me.

Johnny sharply cut the record behind me. He didn't say anything- he didn't have to. I could easily see by the tension in the way he stood what that gesture had meant. Get. Away. From. My. Girl.

My, my. A little protective, aren't we?

Dropping the act, I stride over to the record player, ready to talk business. "Uh. Johnny, my Grandfather put me in charge of the final show. I want to talk to you about the last dance?" The Dance Instructor nodded, but didn't say a word. "I'd like to uh... shake things up a bit,"

He straightened from his work with the records. "Yeah?" Johnny asked, excitement building

"You know, move with the times?" I questioned.

Johnny's face broke into a grin. "Yeah, I've got a lot of ideas!" He exclaimed, "I've been working with the staff kids on this like cross between this Cuban rhythm, and the- and the Soul dancing," Johnny illustrated enthusiasticaly. "Like those-" The Dancer threw in a step for good measure, but his plans weren't going to go anywhere today, especially after what I had just seen. I had better things in mind for Johnny Castle. Or should I say worse.

"Woah, boy," I stop him, taking feirce pleasure in the way his face fell, "It's way over your head here," I said, "Now I thought, you always do the Mambo. Huh? Now why not dance this year's final dance," I glance at Baby, knowing she would like this, "To the Pachenga."

"Right." Johnny answered in a monotonous voice. Sarcasm. But at the edges of his tone.

I scowled. I was in charge here. Not Johnny. This was my decision, and if Johnny didn't like it, then he could find work somewhere else. "Well, you're free to do the same tired number as last year if you want," I suggested in a menacing tone. "But uh... next year, we'll find another dance person who'll be only too happy to-"

"Sure, Neil," Johnny agreed before I could finish. Just like I thought. "No problem. We'll end the season with the Pachanga. Great idea," He insisted, voice taking on a bitter edge.

I took a breath. Well, my work was done here. With a satisfied smirk, I walk by Baby on my way out, and hover next to her for a moment. Looking behind me, I see that he had returned to his records. Baby pursed her lips. "Sometimes he's hard to talk to, but the ladies seem to like him," Baby doesn't respond. She won't even look at me after what I have just said, but I felt the need to keep going on my way out, insulting her boyfriend with, "See that he gives you the full half hour you're paying for, kid,"

A smile curled onto my face when I heard the phonograph slam shut.