Total pages in book: 15
Estimated words: 14086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 70(@200wpm)___ 56(@250wpm)___ 47(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 70(@200wpm)___ 56(@250wpm)___ 47(@300wpm)
“Of course I read it.”
“So, you know what I am.”
“Yes. I absolutely know what you are.” I gently tilted up his chin with a fingertip, and when his gaze met mine, I said, “You’re the smartest, sweetest, most fascinating person I’ve ever met, Ryan, and I’d really like a second date with you.”
“But what about the thing I revealed in the letter?”
“That doesn’t change anything.”
He studied me closely, and after a moment, he climbed onto the barstool on the other side of our little table. Then he said softly, “I should have stayed and talked about it. I’m sorry for taking the coward’s way out.”
“You were worried about how I’d react. I get that.”
Ryan fidgeted with the items on the tabletop, just like I’d done moments before. “I was surprised you asked to see me again, right before I fell asleep that night. You were pretty clear about the fact that you were still getting over what your ex did to you, and that you weren’t ready to start dating.”
“That was fear talking. I was terrified of getting hurt again. But you know what I’m more afraid of? Missing out on something spectacular with you.”
His hands stilled, and he grinned a little. “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought about you a thousand times over the past few weeks.”
“I’ve been thinking about you, too.”
He asked, “So, what do we do now?”
“Well, after you destroy the competition at trivia, I hope you’ll let me take you to dinner.”
“Okay. And then what?”
“I have no idea, but I can’t wait to find out. It feels fantastic to find myself looking ahead for once, instead of looking back. But I need to know what you think about this, Ryan. Are you interested in taking a chance and seeing where it leads?”
He leaned across the table and kissed me. It was sweet and lingering, and afterwards I whispered, “That felt like a yes.”
His smile lit up the room. “It was.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
I stood poised on the stage, arms out, back straight, and waited for the music to begin. In front of me was a sold out audience. Fortunately, I couldn’t really see them over the glare of the stage lights. I was nervous enough as it was.
When the music started, I took a deep breath and threw myself into the number. Then, for the next three-and-a-half minutes, I leapt and swayed and used my body to convey the emotion in the lyrics.
The song was about love and loss. It was about being broken and learning to heal. When Dare chose me for the solo, he said it had to be me, because it told my story, and only I could do it justice.
I left everything I had on that stage. It was cathartic. It felt like physically shaking off the past and stepping into the future.
Afterwards, the theater erupted into thunderous applause. I held my final pose for a few seconds—body fully extended, arms reaching, and my face tilted upward, toward the light. My heart was racing as I gasped for breath.
Finally, I relaxed my pose as the rest of my dance troupe rushed onto the stage. Dare grasped my left hand, and another dancer grasped my right. Then all eight of us raised our joined hands in the air before bowing in unison. The audience was on its feet and still clapping as the house lights came up.
When the curtain came down, Dare grabbed me in a hug and exclaimed, “I knew you could do it, Rick! I absolutely knew it. Do you know what you did out there, and how special it was?”
“It felt good.”
I was still the king of understatements, even if I’d finally learned to let go when I danced. It had felt right, as if all those years, all those lessons, all that practice was always meant to culminate in those three-and-a-half minutes.
As we headed backstage, Dare said, “So, about this party tonight. How serious are you about all of us wearing costumes from the 1800s?”
“The theme is Around the World in Eighty Days, so costumes are mandatory. And before you start to complain, I happen to know your husband Skye already pulled together outfits for both of you. All you need to do is get dressed and show up.”
“Yeah, okay. Hey, don’t forget, that reporter still needs five minutes of your time. She said she’d find you after the show.”
I frowned at that. “Why, though? You already spoke to her for over an hour. Isn’t that enough for an article?”
Dare pushed his dark hair out of his eyes and shot me a look. “It’s the price you pay for being our troupe’s featured dancer.”
Predictably, backstage was pure pandemonium. I grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off my face as I made my way through the crowd. It seemed like the entire audience had gathered to congratulate us on this season’s opening night.