“That’s it?”
She nodded. “Let’s do it again, okay?”
They did. Then did it again. And again and again, repeating the movement over and over as Lily counted from one to eight, and then a dozen more times, and then gradually speeding up, and then continuing without counting. They took a break, then started slowly from the beginning, gradually speeding up again. Once he felt he was getting the hang of it, Lily stopped and watched as Colin continued. “That’s perfect,” she said, nodding. “You have the steps now, but the real key to this is not to be so bouncy. Right now, you’re moving like a ruffian marching through the swamp. You want to be smoother, like a blossom slowly beginning to open. Keep your shoulders at the same height throughout the steps.”
“How do I do that?”
“Use more hips,” she said. “Like this.” As she showed him what she meant – gliding through the movements, her hips sashaying back and forth, her shoulders level throughout – Lily was right about the dance being sensual. From the corner of his eye, Colin noted that Evan was sitting up straighter and staring at Lily, though she didn’t seem to notice. “So now, let’s do the exact same thing again, this time with some music, and concentrate on being smoother.” She turned toward Evan. “Sugar? Would you mind starting the song over?”
Evan shook his head, like a man trying to wake up from a dream. “What? Did you say something?”
They danced for a little more than two hours. In addition to the basic step, Colin learned how to turn, and at that point, they began to dance together. Lily showed him where to place his right hand (on her upper back, just below her arm, he reminded himself), and she showed him how to lead her through three different spins by making tiny signals with his left hand, which required him to take slightly different steps before falling back into the basic footfalls again.
Through it all, she reminded him to glide and use his hips, maintain eye contact, keep in rhythm with the beat, stop counting out loud, and smile. It required more concentration than he’d imagined. Afterward, they put the furniture back in place and Colin made to leave. Lily held Evan’s hand as Colin stepped onto the porch.
“You did very well tonight,” Lily said. “You have a natural rhythm when it comes to dancing.”
“It’s a bit like boxing,” he observed.
“I surely hope not,” she said, sounding almost offended.
He smiled. “Tomorrow night, right?”
“Six o’clock sharp,” she said. She handed him a CD. “This is for you. Tomorrow, whenever you have extra time during the day, I insist that you practice your steps and turns and pretend to lead your partner through a spin. Concentrate on your hand signals, and try to be smooth. It would be most unproductive if we had to start over.”
“Okay,” he said. “And Lily?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you,” he said.
“You’re welcome, Colin.” She smiled. “I’d be remiss, however, if I didn’t take the opportunity to address another issue that has recently come to mind.”
Colin waited expectantly.
“Concerning your luncheon date tomorrow with Maria, I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that you’ll be meeting her in a professional setting, which requires a more formal manner of dress. Nor, I hope, do I have to remind you that as much as you love your car, there is nothing less inviting than a cluttered interior, or a car that won’t start. Am I correct in my assumptions?”
I’ve tried to fix my car for reasons other than Maria, but now that you mention it… “Yes,” he answered.
“I’m pleased,” she said, nodding. “A woman, after all, has certain expectations when it comes to courting. Now, as far as the flowers go… have you decided what to bring? Knowing that different bouquets might carry with them various assumptions?”
Lily sounded so serious that it was hard for Colin not to smile.
“What do you recommend?”
She raised a manicured hand to her chin. “Well, considering that the two of you are still getting to know each other, and that it’s only a lunch date, a bouquet of roses is far too formal, and lilies – while lovely – are much more suited to the spring. Carnations, obviously, convey nothing at all other than being an inexpensive choice, so that simply won’t do.”
Colin nodded. “Makes sense to me.”
“Perhaps a simple autumn bouquet, then? With a mixture of yellow spray roses, bronze daisies, and maybe just a stem of red hypericum?” She nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, that strikes me as perfect for this occasion. You’ll need to ask to have the flowers arranged in a vase, obviously, so she can place it in her office, but it’s clearly the right choice for this occasion, don’t you think?”
“Without a doubt.”
“And make sure to order them from Michael’s Florist. He’s really quite an artist when it comes to arrangements. Call him first thing in the morning and mention my name. He’ll know what to do.”
Evan smirked, clearly enjoying this and probably suspecting that Colin would be no different than he was when it came to Lily and her requests. And because Evan knew him better than anyone, Colin finally nodded.
“Okay.”
In the morning, Colin rose early and was pleased to find that the old Camaro started on the first turn of the key. He put in a hard workout at the gym – plyometrics and barbell work, jumping rope, and long intervals on both the heavy and speed bags. On the way back to his apartment he stopped by a Dumpster and cleared the clutter from his car. At home, with his muscles still warm and loose, he popped in one of Lily’s CDs and spent half an hour practicing his salsa steps, amazed that he hadn’t forgotten anything. He was surprised again at how much concentration it required.