The words I eat taste bitter-sweet in my mouth when Mariano floats me around the dance floor. I say float because that's how it feels like as he effortlessly glides me from here to there, twirls me, and then dips me to a Bossa version of Say a Little Prayer for You by the live band.
I was confident earlier because I grew up learning different dances—like everyone in my family. But I wasn't prepared to be swept up by Mariano's dancing. I should've known he's an excellent dancer because Malia is a phenomenal dancer.
I can feel everyone's eyes on us—at one point, I saw Cindy, the birthday girl give me two thumbs up—though I don't really pay anyone else attention because my sole focus is on my dance partner right now. He really surprised me tonight. The good kind of surprise. His movement is so smooth, you'd think he was made for dancing—just like he's made to be an artist, or to be the don of Chicago.
