Hutch remained silent as he pondered what Clara had said. He wasn't certain he believed her, but he understood that she believed herself. There was a sadness embracing her tone, that spoke to her conviction, and he was sympathetic to the pain that accompanied it. Seeing others happy, didn't make either of them miserable, it just made them feel the emptiness more.
"You told me to save you a midnight dance. Is this close enough to count?" Hutch asked as he glanced at the clock, to see it was just a few minutes passed eleven.
"I think I can let it slide," she responded as he lifted his hand and extended out his fingers. "Dad used to tell me about the balls and celebrations at the palace in Qor'ropi. I think he knew I liked them more than the war stories he'd tell Jay. In them, he'd praise you for your dancing skills. Any chance he wasn't stretching the truth, just a bit?"
"Over there, no," he replied as she slipped her hand into his, "and you can blame him for that as well. But here, we shall have to see. The rhythms are different from what I'm used to, and the music still sounds strange. But I will do my best to adapt and not make a fool of us both."
"I'm fine with being a fool, Hutch, as long as we're having fun while we do it."
Hutch surrounded her hand with his own and guided her over to the dance floor. The song was an even, mild tempo, and the couples, mostly older, were gently turning circles and drifting, to the casual nature of the tune, barely reminiscent of a waltz.
Seeing an opening on the floor, Hutch stepped into it, pulling Clara along. Given the mild pacing, Hutch paused for a couple of beats, as he lifted her one hand, and set his other to her mid-upper back. Rocking back upon his heel, he began to follow the steps he knew, doing his best to lead and hoping she could follow.
He knew it looked awkward, because if felt terribly so. Yet Clara didn't seem to mind or care. She was smiling and giggling, finding amusement in every moment she could, in every misstep and mistake.
How she reminded him of Kahala as they moved about the floor felt wrong. He could see so many similarities between them. He could hear her laughter echoing in Clara's. He could see her joy in her smile. And when he closed his eyes, he could feel her hands in his. She was equally as vibrant, and full of life. Eager, intelligent, and kind. Yet, she lacked Kahlala's ferocity and forceful nature. Hutch was glad that he could still see the differences between them, although he thought it nice to be reminded of his xalgar. It made it a touch easier for him to enjoy his surroundings, even as he struggled to alter his dance steps enough to make them both appear as if they knew what they were doing.
"Forget you stealing a dance with my wife, I'm stealing my daughter," Casimir remarked as he and Celina circled up beside them, as one piece ended, and the next one was set to begin, "Take over for me here, will you?"
"Sorry Clara, but it seems I have no choice on this," Hutch replied, and before she could protest, Casimir and he had switched places.
When the music resumed, this time with a faster tempo, Hutch near tripped over his own feet right from the start.
"There's no need to alter your footing," Celina told him, as he attempted to adjust yet again, terrified that he'd make her struggle as horribly as he had Clara.
"Sorry."
"Don't be. Just relax instead. Try to remember, I've been dancing with Cas for years, and you move like he does."
"He was the one who taught me," Hutch replied, and immediately took her advice. Relaxing his shoulders, he stopped trying to fix his footing, and without either showing even a hint of effort, they fell into step with each other. "I'm afraid if things keep up like this, I'm going to shatter all the illusions Cas managed to plant in Clara's mind."
"I doubt you can break them all," she said, with a gentle smile. "Some are far too accurate to even call illusions. When it comes to dancing, I think he may have even undersold you."
"I find that difficult to believe. You're the one making us both look good."
"I don't know about that. You're the one leading after all."
Celina wasn't wrong. They were moving wonderfully together. But he was still certain that it had little to do with him, and everything to do with her being well practiced. Casimir on the other hand, made dancing, for Clara, look easy. Which gave Hutch this odd feeling of dread, as if he knew there would be more dance lessons in his future.
As promised, Hutch was allowed a single dance with Celina, and after a round of applause for the orchestra, whose conductor, announced they were going to take a five-minute break, Hutch escorted Celina from the floor, over to one of the vacant, round, high-top tables near the windows, where the lights weren't as bright and the air was cooler, with Casimir and Clara following close behind.
"That was so much fun. Thanks for the dance, dad," Clara beamed as Casimir hugged her close to his side.
"My pleasure, sweetheart," he replied, before turning his attention to Hutch. "As for you…"
"No need to say it. That was rough, I'm aware."
"Still not used to the music?"
"Amongst other things. It's been a bit of a year for me."
"Then it's a good thing it's almost over," Celina remarked, casually bumping her shoulder against his.
"She's right," Casimir said, glancing over at the clock on the far wall. "There will barely be enough time to fit in two more dances before the fireworks start. So, what do you say, let your old man take you for one more spin once the orchestra's back from break?"
"And have you starring daggers at Hutch the entire time because he's the only other person here you'll let mom dance with? Not this year," Clara replied, as she shifted around the table to Hutch's other side. "But after the fireworks, we will come find you."
"We?" Hutch questioned, as Clara grabbed him by the arm.
"Yes. As in the two of us. That's how that usually works," she replied, with a grin. "Anyways, I'm going to drag this one back up to the penthouse, so we can watch the fireworks from there, and I can get out of these shoes for a few minutes. We will be back down for the dessert bar though."
"You'd better be. I ordered those chocolate raspberry cheesecakes you like from Flora bakery, and if you aren't down here when they arrive, you're going to miss out," Celina warned.
"I'll make certain to bring her back as soon as the fireworks have ended."
"Enjoy the show. We'd join you," Casimir said, as he wrapped his arm around Celina's waist and pulled her to him, "but it's bad form to duck out on our guests. And the dance floor still has room for us."
"Have fun, you two," Clara remarked, as Hutch found himself being pulled away from the table, and back into the crowd. "So, how long has it been since you last saw fireworks?" she asked him as they made their way toward the exit of the restaurant.
"More than twenty years," he replied, doing his best to keep his voice low, not wanting anyone to overhear him.
"Then you should be able to enjoy them from the best view in the tower."
"Are you certain this is wise?" Hutch questioned, as they made their way outside of the restaurant and down the hall towards the main elevator.
"I'm not following," she replied, stopping in the hallway with him.
"Clara, did you think I hadn't noticed your friends-of-convenience watching us this entire time?"
"So, what if they were? Am I supposed to forgo having any sort of a life because of what they might think?"
"Of course not, but you can't be oblivious to how this might be interpreted by them."
"I'm completely aware," she replied, and continued walking. "Are you coming?"
Hutch sighed and followed her to the elevator.
"You know, they are going to gossip regardless. At least this way I know what they're going to gossip about. Even if we were just going up to the observation deck, they'd still make up a story about how we went up together and were alone in the elevator. Oh, the horrors. Such scandal. Stupidly rich heiress seen with her family's butler. I'm pretty certain if anyone writes an article about tonight, you dancing with my mother is going to be a prominent headline. CEO of Cascel Tower seen dancing with the family's butler at New Years Eve party, what could this mean for her marriage to mysterious billionaire husband? Find out more on page 2."