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Ashok was curious but concentrated on the drink in front of him and his phone. There’d been no further contact from his family, not even his mum, but she’d said she’d be in touch and he had to believe she would. He just hoped she was safe.
He wasn’t a big one for social media, didn’t even have a Facebook account, but he had Instagram and followed a lot of dancers. It was there he’d found out about this job. A random post from a couple of dancers he followed, Natalia and Louis, and he’d put his fears aside and applied. Now here he was, hoping to start afresh, leaving his old life behind for good.
He tucked into the granola bar. It was good, better than he’d tasted before, but if he was going to watch some lessons next door, he’d best make a move. He got Hayden’s attention, indicating he was going next door. He nodded and carried on serving his customer.
Nervously, he entered the studio and stood in the foyer, listening. An upbeat nursery rhyme drifted through the door, and he walked over to it, peering through the small window. A dozen small boys and girls, no more than three or four, danced around to the music in their pink leotards and tights. Dom was at the front of the class, leading it, laughing and joking. He seemed to be the joker out of the two owners. Seb had appeared more serious.
Dom spotted him and beckoned him in, stopping the class mid-flow.
“Hey, this is Ashok,” he said to the class, throwing his arm around Ashok. “He’s our new teacher. Say hello, kids.”
A chorus of children sang out their greetings, and Ashok had to smile. They were all so enthusiastic, still dancing around even though the music had stopped.
“So, how about we show him what we’ve been working on? We’ve a Christmas showcase in a week’s time. They’ve been practising for ages to get this right.” Dom led Ashok to a chair and sat him down before turning back to the children.
‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ played out through the speakers, and Ashok watched with amusement as the children danced. They were brilliant. Not perfect, but brilliant. As the song ended, they all took a bow and both he and Dom stood, giving them a standing ovation.
“That was fantastic!” Ashok exclaimed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen dancing so good.”
They ran over to him, hugging his legs, and Ashok felt good. This made him happy, not working with his family. Working with children and sharing what he had to offer.
“OK, OK. Let’s get back to it. We’ve still got twenty minutes left, then you’re done and can go home.” Dom got them back to it, and Ashok watched the rest of the lesson, getting a feel for Dom’s teaching style and his personality. He was going to enjoy it here; he could tell.
After the lesson had ended and the children had gone home, Dom came to sit next to him.
“So, how grumpy was Hayden yesterday? He can be a miserable fucker at times.” He smirked as he spoke. Yep, he was a joker.
“He had his moments, but I think we’re OK. I’m cooking later to thank him for at least letting me stay. Soon, I’ll be moving on. I need to find a room or a cheap flat. I made the move to make it on my own.”
“And you’d still be doing that if you stayed with Hayden,” Dom answered. “You’ve moved here, and that’s the first step. Anyway, Seb will be here soon. He’s teaching the lessons tonight. It’s date night for Jacob and me. Abbie’s out with friends, so we have the house to ourselves. It’s been way too long, if you know what I mean.”
Ashok checked his watch. It was just after five, and he still had time to kill until Hayden finished work.
“I’ll stick around a while, if that’s alright. Hayden doesn’t finish work for ages yet.”
“Jacob can drop you back. It’s not out of our way, and you could ask Hayden for the key. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
That sounded like a better idea. He could get the meal started so it was ready for when Hayden came home, else it would be late when they ate.
“Are you sure?” Ashok didn’t want to put anyone out.
“Of course. He’ll be here in about five minutes, so if you want to grab your stuff…”
Hayden wasn’t around when he stepped back into the coffee shop, but the older lady pointed him in the direction of the office. He knocked and waited.
The door swung open. “You never usually knock, Angela. What’s Bonnie done now?” He stopped in his tracks. “Oh, it’s you.”
“I just wanted to pick up my stuff and see if it was OK if I had the key? I thought I could make a start on the meal.”
“Erm, yeah. Of course.” Hayden walked around to his desk and grabbed his keys. He took the house key off the ring. “No alarm, but you might have to jiggle the key a little. It’s a bit temperamental. I’ll carry these out for you.” He picked up the bags from the floor.
Ashok stepped back to let him pass, but a card on the noticeboard caught his eye. Why hadn’t Hayden mentioned this to him?
Room for rent, reasonable rate, call for details.
He took out his phone and made a note of the number. Maybe today was his lucky day. He turned to the door to see Hayden watching him, a strange look on his face. Was he annoyed again?
Dom was talking to Hayden when Ashok left the coffee shop, laughing and joking again, but Hayden wasn’t smiling.
