"It's time for your first lesson in dirty dancing." Alice grinned evilly. I gulped.
"Rose, come be my model." Rosalie strutted from the door to where Alice stood. I couldn't believe Alice got her to go along with this. I scooted to the foot of the bed, wary, but intrigued.
"Dirty dancing is like sex. But with your clothes on." My jaw dropped in surprise and Alice and Rosalie laughed openly at me. I blushed deeply.
"I don't- I'm not...that doesn't help me." They knew I was a virgin. I shouldn't have to spell it out for them.
Taking pity on me, Alice tried a different approach. She stood off to Rosalie's side and pointed dramatically at her hips.
"This is the key to dancing," Alice stated. Rosalie obediently swayed her hips left to ride. "Without proper hip movement, dancing looks like this."
Rose rolled her eyes and then sort of jerked stiffly from side to side with her hips. It was clear she was trying to be awkward. I laughed and she chuckled once with me. Alice smiled a secret smile behind Rosalie's back. I had a sudden feeling that Alice set up these lessons to take care of more than just my poor dancing. Rosalie and I were actually getting along.
"Okay, hips. I can understand that." I tried to be a good student.
Alice snapped back into instructor mode and pointed dramatically at Rosalie's knees. "The next most important key to dancing is the knees. Rose, move your hips without moving your knees." A look of concentration passed over Rosalie's face while her hips swayed but her legs remained completely straight. It was pretty funny actually. I snorted and covered my mouth. We all shared another laugh.
"Okay, now show Bella both hips and knees together." Rosalie moved gracefully, swaying and bending them in tandem. I had to admit it was helpful to have Alice break down the movements for me.
"Okay, now it's your turn Bella."
Rosalie moved to the bed as I stood up. I ran my nervous hands down the sides of my legs. I turned and stood in Rosalie's place. Alice and Rosalie looked at me expectantly from the bed. Was I just supposed to start dancing? I burst into nervous giggles. The pressure was too much.
They looked at me like I'd cracked.
"Come on!" I pleaded. "This is so embarrassing. Can I at least get some music?" Alice's eyes glazed for a second and she emphatically told me that I wasn't ready yet.
"Just try your hips first," she suggested.
I popped my weight onto one hip. Alice nodded enthusiastically. I transferred to the other hip. I repeated the move a few times, each time feeling a little more fluid in the transition. This wasn't so bad.
"Okay, now your knees," Rosalie suggested. I slowed my hips to think about how to coordinate the movement with my knees.
"Don't stop moving your hips!" Alice instructed.
"Don't over think it," Rosalie offered. I bent my knees a little while I swayed my hips back and forth. It was amazing how much more range of movement I had with my knees relaxed. I'm sure I looked like a new born giraffe, all wobbly legs and knees - but I was learning.
After a few tries, I got into a rhythm that felt right. I looked to Alice and Rosalie who were both grinning in approval.
Alice deemed me ready to try dancing with some music and I was joined by her and Rosalie as we each swayed and danced to the music. It really helped to have both the music and their examples to follow. I already felt more confident in my abilities. After a few minutes, Alice turned off the music.
Alice directed Rosalie to the front again and I sat at the foot of the bed to receive my next lesson.
Together they showed me how to add in my upper body and some simple arm movements. When Rosalie danced using her whole body, it was beautiful. She looked so graceful and sensual.
"I'll be happy if I can be even a fraction as sexy as that." I realized I had just told Rosalie I thought she was sexy. I blushed and Rosalie smiled.
"Call me Rose. The rest of the family does," she said. I smiled in delight, trying not to be overly emotional at her kindness to me. While I tried to reign in my reaction, Alice started jumping up and down in joy. We rolled our eyes at her excitement. I solidified my suspicion that Alice was orchestrating our bonding time.
We turned on the music and practiced dancing for a few more minutes. I worked on moving my whole body together. Rose reminded me not to over-think it, which actually helped.
Alice turned off the music again and assumed her teacher role. "Now for the dirty part of dirty dancing."
I was instructed to sit on the bed again as Rosalie and Alice stood up. Alice turned on the music and they both started dancing. Slowly they danced closer together until they were touching. Instead of two people moving separately, they began to move together to the beat.
With their hips and torsos in unison, when one moved back, the other pushed forward. Then forward and back. It was a dance of give and take. It was fascinating to watch. Rosalie placed a hand on Alice's shoulder and she turned so they were back to front and the dancing changed slightly to accommodate the new position. Forward together, back together.
Alice instructed me to watch their hips, then knees, then upper bodies, pointing out helpful tips along the way. It was all the same movements I had been learning, but paired with a partner. Alice motioned for me to join them and the three of us practiced moving in sync with a partner.
Between the super natural good looks of two of the three of us, I was sure this little scene was something men be falling all over themselves to watch. But it didn't feel sexual, and it was surprisingly not awkward either. We were all having a fun time together. Dancing and laughing.
Once Alice was satisfied with my progress, she made me put my heels back on and practice it all over again.
When my dancing was labeled non-life threatening, we all sat on the bedroom floor. A question occurred to me as I carefully placed my shoes back in their box.
"Does Edward know how to dance like this?" Rose snorted, but didn't say anything.
"Maybe you'll just have to teach him a thing or two tomorrow tonight," Alice responded with a wink. "Now it's time to show you what you're wearing." She nodded toward the garment bag laying across her chair and I gulped.
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