The Dance We Remember (Love and Other Dreams #4)

Chapter 36

Maxime

Alice ties her waist-length blond hair into a high ponytail. Her training outfit looks brand new, and she's wearing so much makeup on her face as if this were a competition and not a practice session.

She glances at me with a sly grin. "Nice that we're finally dancing together," she says with a sickly sweetness.

I nod curtly and begin warming up. "Let's start with the jive."

With fluttering eyelashes, she approaches me. "Whatever you want."

Is she flirting with me?

Even if she is, it won't entice me. "We'll begin without music. Get into position."

My arm feels stiff as I raise it and extend it toward her. She reaches for my hand with a conspiratorial grin.

"Turn on one," I say, my gaze fixed firmly on the mirror in front of us. "Six... seven... eight..."

With perfect timing, Alice spins. Her ponytail lifts in the breeze, and she has that radiant smile that every competition judge wants to see. Her steps are precise, her movements fluid, and her posture full of elegance. I expertly catch her and release her immediately.

"Basic step, open position," I call out to her.

Together, we start the lively sequence of the jive. I observe us in the mirror, and after just a few minutes, I have to admit that it could be going much worse.

"Lady’s solo with a flirt," I comment next, leading us into the first figure. "On seven... eight..." I raise my arm, and Alice steps underneath it. Her upper body brushes against mine as she gracefully moves to the side, executes a turn, and then comes back to me.

The jive is not danced in close contact, but her proximity still feels wrong. How will it be when we dance the rumba?

You're a professional, Maxime , I remind myself, gritting my teeth. After all, I'm doing this for Aurora.

Even without instruction, Alice returns to the basic step and even adds variations on her own.

I stop our dance. "Okay," I say curtly, walking over to the music system. "Now with music. We start as before, then continue with a stop-and-go sequence, followed by changes of places and link-and-whip elements."

Everything inside me resists admitting it, but this attempt also goes reasonably well.

"We'll sweep the competition off the dance floor in Lyon," Alice declares breathlessly after we've danced through the choreography three more times. "We've already got the spot in the TV show performance."

Did we just dance the same routine?

I take a sip from my water bottle. "We still need to refine many details." And we haven't even attempted the other dances required in the competition's specifications.

She pouts her lips. "Oh, the rumba will surely go smoothly from the start," she coos so sweetly that it makes me sick. It couldn't be any clearer. She wants me. Whether it's just for a hot night or for a relationship, I don't know, but it doesn't matter.

For a moment, I consider addressing it openly to clarify things. It wouldn't be difficult for me, but I decide against it. Too much depends on Alice and me getting along well enough to shine in the upcoming selection for the TV gala and serve as the academy's showcase.

"We'll work on those in the next training session," I simply reply with a sober tone. "Today, let's focus on the jive. That's more than enough to do."

She lowers her head and looks up at me with an innocent gaze. "As you wish."

"The timing in the link and whip needs improvement. We need to synchronize more precisely, become one." Which means I have to open myself up to her. We need to understand each other without either of us saying a word.

What was always natural for Aurora and me is now my biggest obstacle.

Alice claps her hands enthusiastically. "Then let's start slowly and without music, okay?"

"Right." I position myself in the center of the dance floor. She is immediately beside me, and a split second later, everything feels wrong again.

I glance at Alice. She adores me, yet I wish nothing more than for Aurora to be standing in her place, looking at me like that.

Wait a moment.

Why not?

What if I just imagine Aurora by my side? Pretend that I'm not dancing with Alice, but with her?

"Ready?" she asks, raising her perfectly groomed eyebrows.

I nod briefly, then I count the beat.

As I take the first step, I can hardly concentrate, trying hard to pretend that Alice is Aurora.

My footwork is sloppy, but the resistance within me lessens. And with each passing minute of the training session, I find it easier to let go.

During our final run-through, I even manage to enjoy the dance a little. Joy fills me, accompanied by the swift steps, perfectly synchronized with the music, a feeling I haven't experienced in a long time.

Inner peace.

Everything becomes lighter, with fewer worries, fears, and doubts. There is only the jive, the melody, and my Aurora, finally dancing with me again.

This is how it should be. Exactly how it's meant to be.

Even as the music continues to play, our choreography approaches its climax. Together, we hold the final pose with firm body tension. Breathing heavily. But radiantly.

"That was amazing!" Alice's words bring me back to reality abruptly. "We make a dream team."

I quickly distance myself from her so she won't get the wrong idea. "A good start, indeed. We'll continue tomorrow." Now that reality catches up with me, a sudden coldness spreads within, accompanied by feelings of guilt.

Is it okay to enjoy dancing without Aurora? Even though I only had her in my thoughts, it now feels as if I've betrayed her. Especially because Alice now looks at me as if I’ve just given her an orgasm.

"I'm looking forward to it," she says with a wink. When I don't react, she leaves the dance hall without making any further advances.

Relieved, I sigh, but the tightness in my heart remains. It accompanies me throughout the day. It's there in the shower, during dance classes, and even during the theory sessions that follow for the freshmen.

Only when I leave the academy exhausted in the evening do I realize what it signifies.

When I get home, Aurora will ask me how today's training went.

Should I tell her the truth?

I wanted to be completely honest with her, but what if my honesty hurts her?

Hands buried deep in my jacket pockets and my gaze fixed on the cobblestone pavement, I trudge through the streets of Paris. As I get closer to our apartment building, I have less and less of an idea of how to behave when we meet face-to-face.

Nonsense.

I will tell Aurora about Alice's intrusive behavior. And that it feels wrong to dance with anyone but her.

Determined, I enter the apartment building and climb the stairs to the second floor. Once I reach the door, my plan is set.

I won't hide anything from Aurora, even if it won't be easy.

Though I force a carefree smile on my face as I unlock the door, I still feel like I owe her an explanation. "I'm back," I call into the hallway but receive no answer.

Immediately, I'm worried.

How many times have I entered this apartment and found Aurora sitting on the sofa, lost in her thoughts, not even noticing my arrival?

"Aurora?" I hurry into the living kitchen, but she's not there. I search the bedroom, then the bathroom.

She's not here.

Is that good or bad?

Confused, I take off my jacket. Perhaps she's out shopping for my mother's Christmas gift. Or she's meeting up with Sky.

Yes, that's quite possible. Aurora is becoming more active again and no longer hiding in our four walls during her free time.

I hang the jacket on the hook. The apartment door opens at that moment, and a heavily panting Aurora in her running outfit stands before me. Her cheeks are flushed bright red.

"Hey," she says, pulling off her hood, revealing her sweat-drenched hair clinging to her temples.

"You went for a run?" Aurora hates jogging.

She ties her ponytail again. "My running shoes seemed so lonely this morning." She grins and pulls down the zipper of her bright yellow multifunctional jacket. "I just started running, and before I knew it, it was already dark."

What? She's been out all day?

"That's... wonderful." If she lost track of time, it probably means she's finding her old self again.

"I'll go jogging more often from now on." With those words, she plants a kiss on my lips with her flushed ones.

Still stunned, I watch as she takes off her shoes. There's something in her movements and her expression. Small changes, but I notice them clearly. Aurora is finding herself again. Until now, I couldn't be completely sure that she told the truth during our boat trip. But this is the proof. She desires this life, and fulfilling her wish was my best decision in a long time.

"How was your day?" she asks me now.

It has been so long since she asked me that question. The fact that she does it today is another sign.

Filled with all the hope and happiness of this moment, I step toward her and wrap my arms around her hips.

"Very good," I answer truthfully, without even having to force a smile. It happens naturally.