Page 63 of Time Served in New York
“I’ll come with you,” Rachel said. “I’m excited to try this ice cream that you say is so wonderful.”
“I’ll take cherry if they’ve got it,” I said as I leaned her way. I gave her a quick kiss and then whispered in her ear. “And get me a big bowl of that peach cobbler for us to take back to our room. I think I can think of an even better way to eat it.”
“Are we going to make another mess?” Brea whispered in my ear as I nibbled on her neck.
“Damn right, Pickle, and we’re going to enjoy the hell out of it.”
???
BLUE
“Okay, so you’ll lead, but remember, it’s two steps with your left, then one with your right. Just follow along with the beat,” I told my new dance partner, Tovah, one of the men from South Carolina who was in business with Frankie’s brothers.
“When do we get to the spinning part like they’re doing?” he asked, his eyes on August and Rodeo as she did the jitterbug in the middle of the dance floor.
“That’s a little bit above your skill level at this point,” I teased. “Let’s make it around the dance floor at least once, then I’ll teach you some of that.”
“Okay. I think I’ve got it. I’m ready when you are,” Tovah said with a firm nod. “I’m going to apologize in advance for any injury to your feet that might occur in the next few minutes.”
“You’re already forgiven,” I assured him. “Let’s go.”
Tovah took a second to gather his courage and then started moving us around the dance floor. He was concentrating so intensely that I couldn’t imagine he was having any fun at all, but he was doing really well, so I made sure to tell him so.
“You’re very kind,” Tovah said with a laugh right before he stepped on my foot again. “I’ve never really listened to this type of music before, and I’ve never been to a country bar, so all of this is new to me.”
“You’re doing great for a first-timer. I promise.”
“Have you had fun in New York?”
“I have! It’s nothing like the movies, though. I was sure we’d get mugged at least once but nothing. I should have realized that was all dramatization. Look at how they portray Texas most of the time.”
“Some of those Texas stereotypes may be true. It’s not hard to imagine a few of your family members being involved in a shootout at dusk,” Tovah said with a grin.
I laughed along with him and conceded, “I can see why you might think that.”
“I might have to visit Texas someday.”
“Hit us up if you do. We’ll hang out and do Texas things.”
“Shootouts in the street?”
“No, mostly cover yourself in bug spray and sit by the fire while you bullshit with your friends and bitch about how hot it was that day.”
“We do that at home too. I guess we’re not all that different, are we?”
“I don’t think we are.”
We made it all the way around the dance floor before the song ended, and I grinned at my new friend before I said, “Now you spin your partner once, sort of as a thank you for the dance.”
Tovah spun me around, and we laughed as the next song started. As soon as I heard the first notes, I told him, “Jude is about to steal me away.”
Tovah was apparently a quick learner because his movements were more smooth than before as he turned us around and moved us along the dance floor, “Why do you say that?”
“May I cut in?” Jude asked from behind me. “I’ll swap partners with you.”
“Tovah, right?” Pandora asked as she took his hand and stepped in front of him. “I’m Pandora.”
“Dance with me, Blue,” Jude said as he pulled me into his arms. “This is the first song we ever danced to in your kitchen.”
