Chapter Three, Conclusion, Secrets: Simply Ballroom 2
A slow foxtrot played. Matt and Emily moved gracefully around. They were a little bumpy and not as smooth as the other dancers. They held each other closer and tighter than the others. Matt smiled at Emily, but he looked uncomfortable. He stepped on Emily's foot a few times, but Emily was too gracious to complain. She looked happy to just be with him.
Emily was stunning in her simple, jade cocktail dress. It was knee length, still too short in her opinion, but she just loved the color. It had no frills, just simple, clinging elegantly to her shape. Her hair was up in a simple bun at the base of her neck. Matt was the least flashy of the men. He wore navy dress pants, and Jess swore his white shirt was silk, but he wore no coat. She noticed Mrs. Fine's face twitching at how coat-less he was.
The music changed to fast and upbeat. Matt and Emily sat this one out. It was a jive. Abby and Connor were doing a basic jive. They were a little out of sync, and not doing any hard moves, but they were both smiling. Jess was happy they were enjoying themselves.
Abby looked slick and sassy. She wore a red dress. The ruffled skirt cut at an angle so one side ended above her knee, but on the other side went mid-calf. The top had short, barely there sleeves and a simple scoop neck. She wore a long red feather in her hair.
Connor looked 'like king of the chimney sweeps,' according to Lester. A rich chimney sweep, thought Jess. He had a white shirt with red piping, nice trousers which continued the red piping on the sides, his long, black coat with tails, and of course the hat.
As for Lester and his wife, they looked smashing. He wore a tux, like Becker, but Jess had finally talked Becker into a bit of color. He wore a light yellow shirt, matching Jess, while Lester's shirt was light blue. Mrs. Lester wore a dazzling long teal blue gown with long sleeves, a high, ruffled collar, and little ruffles bordering the sleeves and the bottom of the skirt. Jess winced inwardly, she knew it was a designer gown, and that Mrs. Lester had to pay over a thousand pounds.
Mrs. Lester was trying to get Lester onto the dance floor.
"James, darling, please. What was the point of coming if you were just going to sit here huffing?" pleaded Mrs. Lester. James Lester sat, arms crossed in complete contempt.
"The point my darling, was to show my support. I am here. I support my...people. I do not dance."
"James, you promised me one dance."
"Yes, and I will keep that promise the last 30 seconds of the last song. Now, please, I can't see Connor making a fool of himself."
Mrs. Lester stamped her foot. Lester glanced disdainfully at her. "Fine, one dance, but you can forget about the 30 seconds later."
As they stood, the music changed to what Becker had named 'Mrs. Fine is thinking' music. It was kind of like elevator music, light and non-descriptive, and it would play between the dances.
"I wonder what dance we'll be doing?"
"Doesn't matter, dear, one string of spastic movements is pretty much like the next."
Mrs. Lester pulled him onto the floor next to Jess and Becker. '"I do hope you are armed, Captain, so you can put me out of my misery."
"Sorry, sir. My mother frisked me before we left her home."
Jess and Mrs. Lester chuckled, than Jess looked with alarm at Becker. "You aren't joking, are you?"
Lester saw the captain shake his head. As Mrs. Fine announced the rumba. "What is that, an appetizer on the catering table?"
"No, James, it's the next dance."
A slow Latin ballad played as Mrs. Lester moved in a four step pattern. "No, dear," she said. "You're moving too fast." Lester grumbled as he stumbled along, trying to match his wife. "Now you're going to slow."
"Since when are you the expert, darling?"
"Since I've watched it on telly."
Lester snorted. "I don't believe that counts."
Mrs. Lester pulled away, completely out of his embrace, and was only touching him with one hand.
"What the hell are doing?"
"The rumba, James."
"What kind of dancing is this? Now what are you doing?"
"It's called a cucaracha dear."
"I thought we were doing the rumba?"
"It's part of the rumba. It actually means 'pressure step.'"
"It's nothing but moving side to side and wiggling your hips. I am a dignified gentleman in a high position, all be it secret, inside the government. I am not meant to be wiggling! Now what are we doing?"
What they were doing was called a New York. It was basically the move actors did at the end of a play, when the man flamboyantly took the lady's hand and they presented themselves to the audience, their arms extended extravagantly out to the side.
"Now, this I don't mind, so much," said Lester. "I do deserve applause."
"Now, sweetheart," said Mrs. Lester, "are the spot turns. Simply turn around, no James, not so fast, fluidly, darling, fluidly. That is not amusing. We are not doing the hokey pokey! Stop it James, it isn't funny."
Lester had 'stuck his right foot in' and was 'shaking it all about' when Mrs. Lester grimaced, put her hands on her hips, and then turned and stormed off the dance floor.
"And that," he said straightening his tie, "is how James Lester does the rumba." He too left the dance floor in the middle of the dance.
Becker and Jess were one of the few couples doing the rumba correctly. Becker had a dopey grin on his face. Something about the way the fringes on Jess' dress moved made him happy. It could have been the fact that they drew his eyes to her waist, which was wiggling at that moment.
Abby and Connor weren't faring as well as Becker and Jess, and Connor was wishing the dance was the hokey-pokey. He could do that. They finally gave up trying to do the complex steps and just moved in the general directions of everyone else.
Finally, a break was called.
Lester had found a bottle of wine and was quite happily sipping, but when the others showed up, he took the bottle in his arms, and snarled, "Mine."
The others made do with punch.
"I hope we waltz soon," said Emily.
"I hope someone calls a fire drill soon," said Matt.
"Hear hear!" cried Lester, toasting Matt with his wine glass.
"I liked the jive," said Connor, "but I'm waiting for the…"
"Samba," everyone finished with him.
"Is anyone having fun?" asked Jess warily.
Everyone but Matt and Lester nodded, even Abby.
"It's not so bad," said Abby. "It might be easier with someone who had a tad more coordination."
"Hey!" cried Connor as Abby chuckled.
Mrs. Becker came over at that moment, arms full of wine bottles.
"Your mum's the best Becker!" cried Connor, and everyone agreed.
Mrs. Becker chuckled while Becker said, "I know."
Jess looked adoringly at him.
Mrs. Lester approached Jess. "I was wondering, if you'd mind terribly, since my husband won't participate correctly," she paused to glare at him, and he lifted a whole wine bottle in toast of her, "What I'm trying to ask, Jess dear, is that..."
"You'd like to borrow my partner?"
"Yes, please, just for one dance. It would be a shame to waist this," and she raised her voice in Lester's direction, "frightfully expensive gown." She smiled at Jess.
"All right. Just one though, and you bring him right back to me. Someone always tries to steal him." Becker chuckled and offered Mrs. Lester his arm. She took it, looked at Lester and stuck her tongue out at him, and let Becker lead her to the floor.
"Now I'm partner-less," said Jess. She eyed Lester.
"Oh, no. Don't even think about it, or I WILL fire you," said Lester.
"You can dance with Connor," offered Abby.
"As long as the next dance isn't the samba. I'm dancing with Abby for the sexy dances."
It turned out that the next dance was the classic waltz. Jess danced with Connor, Becker with Mrs. Lester, Abby was asked by an older gentleman, Mr. Rogers, and Matt was still with Emily.
Becker watched Matt as best he could without insulting Mrs. Lester by not paying her attention. What Becker saw made him proud. Matt was waltzing well, very well.
Matt and Emily were the definition of grace. They flowed around the dance floor. Their legs were together, nicely extended, and their feet were close. Matt did not step on Emily once. Emily was touched. Matt had obviously practiced, and done it for her. His smile was different. It wasn't the forced, uneasy grin during the other dances. This smile showed his love for her.
Finally came time for what Connor called the "sexy" dances even though Mrs. Fine lectured him on what the dances were.
Samba, she said, was a "lively rhythmical dance derived from the dance styles of Brazil."
Once he heard Brazil, he thought of Carnival, which made him picture nearly naked ladies in outrageous costumes, which translated in his mind to "sexy."
The cha-cha-cha, according to Mrs. Fine was "energetic with a steady rhythm, related to the Cuban style cha-cha-cha which was more sensual. Again, Connor heard only parts: "Cuban" which meant hot and spicy to him, "energetic," which in terms of dancing meant "wiggling sexy-like," and finally sensual which meant, well, sensual. For Connor, the cha-cha-cha was a sexy dance.
The tango was definitely a sexy dance. He'd seen Jess and Becker dance it, and he couldn't wait to try. After Mrs. Fine said that the original form of tango started in the lower classes of Argentina, some even suggested in brothels, Connor really wanted to try. Abby, however, said she would not bend backwards, and let him catch her head, then snap her back up to standing position. She was afraid he'd snap her into the wall. Abby could be a party-poop-er.
"I want to thank you for coming to night. That concludes our dance." Connor was about to scream, "Samba!" when Mrs. Fine said, "Oops, we omitted a dance. Please join us for the"
"Samba!"
Connor finally got to dance his samba.
The samba began with forward to backward steps set to lively Latin music. All the couples started out well, dancing forward then stepping backward. Then the steps changed. The forward -backward steps continued with a side to side step, and then returned to the forward to backward step. Matt and Emily got confused and were just moving back to front, but by this time Matt was actually enjoying himself.
Connor and Abby kept up pretty good. The tempo was lively and Connor loved shaking his hips.
On one of the sidewalks, where the couple turns to the side and steps front-back, side-side, Connor accidentally let Abby go and she stumbled sideways a little. She slid into Becker. She quickly apologized and rejoined her partner. They continued the dance. Connor's favorite part was called 'whisks,' basically shimmying while doing the front-back steps. Connor discovered that he loved to shimmy.
"Whoo!' he yelled. He started prancing around Abby, which was not part of the Samba, and even at one point did something like a break dance spin on his back.
"How much wine did he drink?" yelled Matt over the music.
"Not THAT much," Abby yelled back. She giggled wildly. Her fiancé was nuts, and she loved him.
Connor finally returned to the proper samba steps, throwing whisks in whenever he felt the urge, swinging his hips too much, but no one cared. They were having fun. Lester was overjoyed because it was the last dance.
Yes, Lester was dancing again.
Right after the last dance, Mrs. Becker walked up to Lester's chair. The team all watched as Lester and Mrs. Becker had a discussion. Lester shook his head. Mrs. Becker took away his bottle. Lester's face went red, Mrs. Becker smiled. Then, she stooped down to him, and suddenly, Lester was up, escorting her for the last dance.
For the samba, Lester was with Mrs. B, Mrs. Lester was with Mr. Jackson, one of the younger, single dancers, and the other couples were all with their original partners.
Mrs. Lester wondered what on earth Mrs. Becker had said to get James up and dancing. As they sambaed Becker and Jess, both giggling, moved over to fill Mrs. Lester in.
"Mum said she just asked," said Becker, noticing Mrs. Lester's doubtful look he said, "Yeah, I didn't believe it either. I think she threatened him."
"With what?" asked Mrs. Lester.
Becker shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she threatened that she and Jess would take him dress shopping next time."
"Or she threatened that you would make him play paintball with your men," added Jess, "in his favorite suit."
"Then of course there are top-secret threats that a mother and a wife of a military man would have access to," said Becker.
Mrs. Lester laughed. "Your mother is a wife. She could have just reminded him what married life was like with an unhappy woman."
They all laughed. Whatever she said, Lester was now fully participating.
As the dance ended, Lester went to his wife and kissed her cheek. He then apologized. Everyone looked at Mrs. Becker, who only smiled.
"Well, that concludes our dance. I would like to thank Mrs. Becker for bringing so many new dancers."
"Wait. The Beckers get a spotlight dance!" yelled Mr. Jackson.
"Yes," cried Mrs. Rogers. "Those are the rules. They must have a spotlight dance for bringing new dancers."
The audience began clapping and whooping. Mrs. Fine agreed. "Yes, Mrs. Becker, you and your son may pick a dance."
Mrs. Becker smiled and all the couples knew what she was going to do. "I give my dance to Miss Parker after all she is Hil...his partner now. Does anyone have any dance requests?"
Everyone yelled, "Tango!"
Mrs. Fine chuckled, "Imagine that." She pointed the remote at the music player, and then glanced at Jess and Becker, "Keep it clean."
The audience booed, to which she replied, "R-rated at least."
Jess and Becker smiled, but each blushed.
According to the dance hall rules, this was a spotlight dance. Jess and Becker would start, alone, then after one minute, everyone else could join, assuming they wanted to miss the sultry dance moves Parker and Becker were capable of doing.
The music started, and the couple was in each other's arms about, a foot apart. Then they began the smooth, long strides of the tango. They pronounced each beat with a flourish and click of their heels. Jess' confetti fringe shook wildly as she stomped.
They moved around, doing proper tango steps, and the crowd was beginning to think they'd gone G-rated. Then Jess lifted her leg up, and wrapped it around Becker's bum. Becker let one hand go, so she dipped down disturbingly close to the floor, dipping her head to inches above it. Becker quickly snapped her up till they were face-to almost face.
Becker smiled seductively at her, and then pushed her away, brusquely. The crowd gasped as the little yellow dancer came back to them, but Jess had no concern. She was in control, and wouldn't fall. She then took two steps toward him, and as he reached out to her, she did a little saucy whirl away from him.
He took two long strides forward, and caught her waist. She stretched her back backwards, and lengthened it. She was now completely in his hand. She looked like a long yellow line, which Becker drew slowly across the dance floor. He then bent over her, and using his free arm, pulled her up into an embrace.
Jess than jumped up, linking her legs around his waist, and he supported her with one arm. Wrapping her legs around him, she bent her body down, so only her legs gripped him. She stretched her arms out to touch the floor. He then brought her upright, and held her as she jumped down. Now completely disentangled, they performed smaller, jaunty, tap-like steps. They held onto each other with one hand, and Jess twisted, twirling up and down the floor, Becker keeping hold of her. Finally, he let go and she twirled away.
He pranced after her, with long, fluid moves. She surrendered into his embrace. He picked her up, and she wrapped her leg around his bum, but this time, it was backwards. She faced the crowd, and her leg was bent back hooking around Becker. He held her with one arm, and then he spun her, her whole body turning around his back. She was behind him now.
She ran up, desperation in her face, and grabbed him from behind, wrapping her arms around his chest. He longingly grabbed her hands, holding onto them. He then let go of one hand, but kept hold of the other as he moved away in long, teasing strides, taking her with him. She twirled and sashayed her hips toward him.
The timer buzzed, indicating one minute.
The dancers shook themselves awake. About half of them joined Jess and Becker the other half stayed where they were, watching the show.
"No, Connor. I am not letting you hold me upside-down while my head bashes against the floor," came Abby's voice over the music. He had to settle for her wrapping her leg around his bum.
To Becker's surprise, Matt and Emily were also dancing. They didn't try the fancy, crazy moves but kept with the long strides. They were good. Emily was especially good at sashaying her hips. Matt tended to smile widely around then.
Lester was back with his wife. He was snapping his heels like a bull-fighter. As they passed by, Becker said, "This is a tango, not a Paso Doble."
"A what?" asked Mrs. Lester.
"The bull-fight dance," said Jess, twirling back into Becker's arms.
Lester's voice got hushed and he asked seriously, "There's a bull-fight dance? Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner? Sweetheart, we could have danced a bullfight."
"Who'd be doing the skewering?" she asked, not exactly fond of the idea.
As the tango music played, Becker and Jess kept staring at each other.
"Jess," he said finally. "Would you care to go out, without the team, or my mother, or our boss?"
"Just you and me?" she asked.
Becker smiled. Maybe it was because he was tired from the dancing, or maybe it was because he had the most beautiful woman in his arms, but he wasn't nervous.
"Yes," he said. "You and me on an actual, real date. What do you say?"
"I say yes, I'd love to."
Becker was about to lean down and kiss her. "Shoot. I keep forgetting my mother's in the room."
Jess laughed. "I don't think she'd mind."
Becker smiled. Then he did lean down and kissed her. They stopped dancing, and stood, in the middle of the very public dance floor. In front of family, friends, and strangers they kissed the heck out of each other.
They vaguely heard the sound of applause through their dream-like haze. Becker even thought he heard some, "about times," coming from a couple of familiar voices. He wasn't willing to bet on anything else that went on at that moment. He focused on Jess, only her.
Jess Parker had left the dance hall. She was floating somewhere close to heaven. Her beloved Captain was kissing her. She really didn't care about anything else.
When they finally broke apart, they smiled at each other, and Becker touched her cheek. He held out his hand, which Jess took.
Becker felt so good that he decided to ignore the smirks on well, everybody.
Mrs. Becker decided to leave her son alone. There would time for teasing, and "I knew its" later. She did however, smile at Jess, and nodded her approval to the young woman.
The dancers began filtering out of the dance hall and Mrs. Becker called to Mrs. Fine, "See you next time," she said.
Mrs. Fine asked, "How many new dancers will you have for us?"
Mrs. Becker chuckled and said, "I don't think there will be anyone else."
Only the ARC members heard Lester, "I have access to a Mammoth if you're interested."
The End.