Equal Shares Ch. 08

The meal progressed. The menu atApricots was excellent and Stan enjoyed the meal. He had theChicken Supreme, which came with spinach, toasted pine nuts and cream cheese stuffing, wrapped in Parma ham. It was truly excellent. He noted that Anne had only eaten a small part of hervegetable gateaux. At his raised eyebrow she said,

"No, it's actually very good. But I won't be able to fit into dresses like this if I don't watch my diet a little, and Ilike puddings!"

"Ah, so another secret about the divine Anne comes out: she's got a sweet tooth!" he teased.

She looked at him from between the curls of her fine blonde hair. "And don't you ferget it!" she said in a mock western drawl. "Besides, have youhad the desserts here? They'rewonderful!"

The desserts came and went. Stan declined, Anne had anApricot and Almond Tart, and enjoyed it with obvious relish and they were into coffee when Stan heard music begin.

He looked around and saw that a trio had set up, and were just checking the tuning of their instruments. "Bass, keyboards and trombone – we're in for some jazz tonight it seems," he said.

Percy spoke up, "Yes, they've been running some live jazz music here for a while. We were a bit early, I'm afraid, but then we were quite lucky to get tables at all."

By the time the liqueurs had been brought the band was well into a groove. Stan was torn between the desire to look at Anne, the obligation to sit in his chair facing the table, and the compulsion to turn his chair around to watch the band play.

Anne sipped at her fruit juice. She looked to her right, behind Stan.

"I wish I could do that you know, but I never learned. There were formal dances and such at Talbot Heath, where I went to school, but I avoided them because I was too busy studying."

Stan turned in his seat, holding his whisky glass. A couple was dancing, rather well, to the music.

"They're quite good I think. This is a pretty slow number, it's a foxtrot. I never thought you could do a formal dance like that to jazz music, but I suppose the tempo and rhythm fit."

Anne looked at him as if he'd come from Mars.

"Oh no. I'm no expert," Stan denied. "I've just had a couple of lessons. It's just that both lessons were learning to foxtrot."

"You're taking dance lessons?" Anne asked. Stan confirmed,

"Yes, it's at a place calledYB Dance Studio. As I said, I've only had a couple of lessons at the beginner level, but I've enjoyed it."

Without thinking he continued, "Why don't you come along and learn with me?"

The words were out of his mouth before he could pull them back. Stan felt himself flush. How had he managed to saythat?

Anne looked thoughtfully at the dancers for a moment. She said,

"I've often wondered why I never learned, really. I mean it wasn't a compulsory class, and I always felt there were more important things, academically, that I needed to learn. But now when I see people dancing, I mean dancing properly like that, I wish I'd made the time." Turning to look directly at Stan she said,

"So yes. You can take me to the dance school. But first you can tell me all about it and how come you're going. Right after I've been to the Ladies."

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