Page 74 of Love Overdose: St. Louis

The woman beside her laughed.

“Journey.”

“I’m asking for clarification.”

“Move your body.”

I started the music. The bass rolled through the floor as I stepped right, brought my feet together, then repeated the movement to the left. Arms followed. Shoulders loosened. Hips joined the rhythm. Naomi caught on quickly. Her movements were solid and athletic, although her hips lacked the freedom of someone accustomed to dancing through a workout.

Journey began with certainty. She stepped right when we stepped right, left when we moved left, and added an unnecessary shoulder roll that made her smile at herself in the mirror.

Then the tempo increased.

I added a turn. Journey continued straight. She collided lightly with Naomi, corrected herself, and ended up facing the back wall.

“Where are you going?” I called.

“I don’t know!”

Laughter moved through the room.

“Turn around.”

“I’m trying.”

She completed a full circle and rejoined us two counts behind.

The warm-up ended, and Journey reached for her water.

“That was the warm-up,” I reminded her.

Her bottle froze halfway to her mouth. “Excuse me?”

“We’re about to start.”

“We haven’t started?”

“No.”

She stared at Naomi. “You brought me into a hostile environment.”

Naomi wiped beneath her eyes, laughing. “Drink your water.”

The next song began, and I led the class through salsa steps, knee lifts, and a sequence of hip movements that raised the room’s energy. Sneakers squeaked across the floor. Hands clapped overhead. Sweat began gathering across my chest and along my spine.

Journey lasted through the first chorus. By the second, she had abandoned her arms. By the third, she was marching in a simplified pattern while staring at the clock.

“Keep moving!” I called.

“I am moving!”

“Move more than your feet.”

“My arms are on break!”

The woman beside her nearly missed a step from laughing. I moved into the next combination, driving my knees higher and pumping my arms. Naomi stayed with me, her breathing heavier but steady. Journey bent forward with her hands on her thighs.

“Journey!”