"Blondie, meet Khalid. Khalid, this is Aurora," Adrian introduced them. The guy looked in his mid-twenties.
"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm your dance tutor."
"Dance?" she furrowed her brows at Adrian.
"Uh, yeah. You'll be taking classes with him until the week is over," Adrian explained.
"Okay."
There were different class sections, and she was going for the beginners. She knew nothing about dancing. Rather, dancing wasn't her thing. There was no harm in trying something new. There were always first times for everything.
Khalid's first impression was accurate, so she guessed he could make dancing much easier for her. He opted to be her dance partner, as everyone else had one, except her. As a dance tutor, she had to stand out with him to learn. She had always been a terrible dancer; she didn't mind embarrassing herself again.
The slow songs began playing. Then Adrian sat back on an empty bench, watching her take every step. It was fun watching her learn hard, even though she wasn't taking the right steps.
He captured the moments with his phone, just so that he could tease her later on. He had no greater joy than taunting her life after they met. For a reason, he loved her facial reactions when he did so. It was more than satisfying.
Soon, the first class was over with Khalid, yet Aurora learnt nothing.
"You're such a talented dancer," Adrian popped his head from behind her. She jumped in fright and turned to him.
"Jeez! You scared the hell outta me."
"Just as your dance steps did to me," Adrian burst into laughter.
She rolled her eyes, then looked away.
"Blondie, you know what?" he asked.
"No, tell me."
"I'll teach you the dance as your new dance partner."
"Good idea, but why?"
"Because I said so."
"Hmm, okay." She shrugged.
"You looked at your tutor like you were admiring him. And you leaned in closer while attempting to dance. You guys look cute together, and I'm shipping you two," he teased.
"W-what? I mean, it's just a dance. Or is that your way of saying you're jealous?" she said, laughing hard.
"Gross, never! Why on Earth will I get jealous? You're not my girlfriend." He kept a straight face to limit the familiarity.
"Okay," her voice lowered.
His words pierced through her heart; she didn't know why it hurt. She just had to face reality.
…
"It's time for the second round," he broke the silence. She didn't expect Adrian to be serious on being her new dance partner, but he was. His actions were unpredictable. They never ceased to amaze her.
It was a romantic song that couples danced to in films. Adrian gave her time to learn before they started practicing.
"You've watched enough. I guess it's time for practice," he snapped his fingers in her face to gain her attention. She nodded in response, feeling a bit nervous already.
He made the first move; pulled his hand around her waist and drew her to his chest. Her heart was thumping loud. His eyes never left her face. The way his hands fitted perfectly on her waist was, yet, a mystery.
"This is not some romantic movie. Stay focused," he said. His breath danced on her lips as he spoke, sending a shiver down her spine. She flung her arms around his neck and took a soft grip, unable to maintain a good eye contact.
"I know it's really hard for us–At least, try looking into my eyes," Adrian said as he tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ears.
"Honestly, I… I'm trying," her words didn't flow fluently. The right words to express how she felt weren't found yet.
Finally, she made an attempt and lifted her gaze to his dark blue eyes. She could swear they were magical. It reminded her of the ocean. Staring deeply, she got lost in them. It felt as though there was no one else in the room when their eyes met.
They joined in the dance alongside with the others. His dark rosy lips were another thing her eyes caught. They were more than tempting. It was something she felt she couldn't resist. Her heart was racing fast, and she had this strong feeling that what she felt was mutual between them. His eyes couldn't afford to hide it.
…
Her dance steps improved with time. They were lost in each other, but couldn't find a way to express themselves. Disrupting the perfect moment, Aurora accidentally stepped hard on his big toe.
"Ouch! Did you have to always ruin everything? Literally, you danced so well. Now, you crushed my toes." he said, bending down to give his toe a little massage. Their fingers brushed as they did the same thing.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, backing off immediately.
He did the massage himself and got back on his feet.
"No more mistakes, you get it?" he asked.
She nodded. "Back to dancing, right?"
"That can't be. We were singing a while ago," he said in sarcasm.
"Sorry," she apologized again.
They got engaged in the dance and continued as they advanced into higher steps. Adrian took her by her hand and spun her in a circle, waiting for her to fall back into his arms. It turned out to be a wrong time.
Aurora missed her steps and spun uncontrollably, then ended up falling to the ground. As a result of reflex action, Adrian landed right over her body in a failed attempt to catch her in the air. At least, he saved her head as his hands curled up her neck.
Their lips were inches away. Then she pressed her lips against his.
He pulled away, and wiped his lips with his face towel. "Did you do that intentionally?" he asked in a fierce tone.
She only gave out a sheepish smile and wished in her head that the moment could be replayed until forever comes.
"This gets me thinking how much you weigh," she said, then he realized he was still on the top of her.
"You're holding me to yourself. Can you just stop taking advantage of everything?" he asked.
"Sorry," she loosened her grip, a little hurt by his words.
He got back on his feet, expecting her to do the same, but she still froze in her position, staring back at him.
"Principessa, are you expecting a helping hand?" Adrian asked, already sick of her behavior.
"Shh! Right now, I'm in lots of pain. I can't move a single bone," she cried.
"You're really dramatic. It seems your jawbone wasn't affected," he teased.
"Jokes apart. I'm serious!"
"Well, it's your problem. Maybe you'll rest here until you feel better, then you can go home by yourself. Besides, I didn't put you in this state."
"But you insisted on bringing me to this place. You can't just leave me behind."
"I didn't pull your legs all the way here. So, if you don't meet me in the car now, I'm afraid I'll leave without you."
"I hate you!" she sobbed.
"Best thing I've ever heard, blondie," he giggled, passing her a roll of tissue paper.
Then he lifted her into his arms from the ground. He accidentally jerked on his way out, and she let out a scream, thinking she was going to fall. For support, she threw her arms around his neck, shutting her both eyes.
Peering through, she found him staring at her. She tried hard to hide her blush. Then she let out a coy smile, and tilted her head to rest on his chest while he carried her. She could hear his heartbeat thumping loud, feeling safe in his arms.
He made her lay comfortable in the back seats, then walked over to the driver's seat and drove off. No one uttered a single word during the ride. They feared that if either of them spoke, it would definitely result in an argument.