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“We agreed to do those ballroom dancing lessons together! I paid for everything and signed us up online. The first class is tonight.”
Ohhhh. Holy shit, this is happening.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize. Give me fifteen minutes and we can go.”
She pressed a hand to her head, pretending she’d been about to faint. “Oh thank God. I would’ve been upset to waste that money. It’s not like I’m rolling in it, and I keep bartering with people.” Quickly, she added, “Not that I regret those decisions, but—”
“Things are tighter than you expected currently.” She didn’t need to explain her situation to anyone, least of all him.
Her smile widened, showing a hint of dimples. “Yeah. I finally earned a payout from my shop, but it’s not much.”
“Yet,” he said.
“Anyway, I need to get changed too. Wait for me downstairs, okay?”
“Right, yes.”
Eli got ready quickly, dressing as he would for a date in dress shirt and slacks with shoes that he hoped were suitable for ballroom dancing. He tried looking it up on his phone, but the search told him all about dance sneakers, which he didn’t own. So he went with dark tennis shoes, hoping for the best. He found Iris in the front room, and oh lord, she had on the prettiest dress, all floral and swirly. Chunky, strappy heels on her feet, her hairtumbling around her shoulders, mink-brown shot with gold, and hereyes, gray as a stormy sea. His heart went wild in his chest, just gazing at her. Maybe she’d imprinted on him when he was young or something because nobody elseevermade him feel this way, and he hadnoidea what to do about it.
“Have fun,” Sally called. “I’ll make sure the old man eats something.”
“Don’t call me that. You’re not much younger than me,” Henry Dale snapped.
Leaving them to bicker, Eli grabbed his keys from the bowl near the front door and headed to his truck. He hurried to open the passenger door for Iris, not realizing it might seem strange until she shot him a weird look as she hopped in.
“Thanks?” Her tone made it clear she was confused, though.
Don’t mess this up.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax, offering a smile that he hoped didn’t look strained or nervous. Sometimes when he focused too hard on looking happy, it came out seeming more like a grimace of pain. Getting photos taken had been nonstop fun. He could still hear Gamma saying, “Eli, no! Stop making that face. You look like someone is pinching you.”
“Sorry, my brain wires got crossed. We’re both dressed like this, and—”
“Oh! Yeah, I can see how that would happen. It does feel sort of date-ish,” she said easily, buckling her seat belt. “Do you know where the community center is?”
“Not off the top of my head. Can you navigate?”
“On it!” Iris said cheerfully.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Iris hadn’t even known thatthe community center had a ballroom.
Well, it probably doubled as a studio, offering ballet or other types of dance lessons for kids. Not that she’d spent any time here personally—she’d just scoped the place out online when she registered for lessons. In any event, the space was perfect with a wall lined with mirrors and a gleaming wood floor. The other couples assembled were all much older, in their sixties or seventies, but the notice hadn’t said there were any age restrictions.
She grabbed Eli’s hand before he could chicken out, as he took a step back when all heads swiveled in their direction. Though she was nervous too, she’d made up her mind to try new things in this fresh start, not to let anxiety get the best of her. So nobody was reneging on this deal.
Not me. Not him.
The instructor was a lithe woman in her forties who clapped her hands in excitement. “There’s our last couple now. We were just introducing ourselves. I’m Norma Jean Martinson, and no, you can’t call me Marilyn.”
Everyone said their names again for Iris and Eli’s benefit, and Iris gave up trying to recall all the names halfway through. Only four of them stuck—Leonard, Gladys, Howard, and Hazel. Leonard was a tall distinguished man with heavy brows, broad shoulders, and silver hair, while Gladys was a small round woman with white hair and dark skin. She had the smile of an angel too. Hazel was plump with a puffy perm, while Howard was thin and lanky, peering at the world through horn-rimmed glasses.
“Good to meet you,” Iris said four or five times.
“It’s a pleasure,” Eli added.
“Likewise,” Hazel said. “Are you new to St. Claire? I don’t recognize you, and I know almost everyone.”
