Worth it All

Worth it All

Dancing for their lives

Just a short one. I'm trying to prepare for a 750 word project, so I had to start with something right at 2000 words. I know, I write longer stories, so sue me! No editor on this one either. All errors are my own.

Inspired by "I Love to Watch a Woman Dance" [Eagles; Long Road Out of Eden]

Relax; it's just a story, people.

I walked into the event completely out of breathe. The meeting I'd just left had started just after lunch and was one of the most important so far this year. The company I own - I'm James MacMillin, by the way - manufactures ancillary components for computers and smart devices. Today's presentation might translate into thousands of headphones purchased by our client, if they accept our proposal.

Being self-employed, and owning a successful company, while very good in some respects, comes with a definite down-side. The latter showed its ugly head within seconds of my arrival.

Scanning the room, I quickly found my wife, Hanna. She was on the dance floor. That wasn't completely unusual; in fact it wasn't unusual at all. Hanna loved to dance. This event - her company's - was both to celebrate a recent acquisition and merger, and since it was December, doubling as their Christmas party. I'd been so late getting home, cleaned up, and driving across town, that I'd already missed all the speeches, congratulations, and other rigor amole. Hanna, herself, was up for an award in merchandising, and if she'd been chosen, I'd already missed it.

What was unusual was Hanna's partner. Steve Ross had been Hanna's co-worker for nearly a decade. She'd never liked him, or so she told me. He was a horn-dog, a womanizer, and lately with the advent of catchy labels, a misogynist. He had an ego bigger Mount Olympus, which was also a place he claimed to hail from. His water cooler tales of conquest were unrivaled. Hanna had often come home to tell me 'what happened with Steve today.'

But now, she was dancing a slow number with the tall handsome scumbag. Red flags and other sorts of warning systems immediately manifested in my brain. Her head was on his shoulder. Steve's hand wasn't on Hanna's ass, but it was much, much closer than it should be, in the current setting or any other. The worst part was the look on her face - it was... contentment. She was content and happy and thoroughly enjoying herself dancing in his arms.

I knew we'd been slipping apart lately. She knew too. That slippage was never intended. Our oldest, Aubrey had gone off to Michigan State five months ago, and Zack our other child was in his senior year. Hanna and I were the very last things on his mind lately, and we felt that. The feeling of no longer being needed was hard for both of us, because we'd put an awful lot into those kids lives. At the same time both of our careers were ramping up. That part was expected but not necessarily welcome. Hanna and I had always planned our lives, and we expected to be there for each other as the birds left the nest. We'd decided we would reconnect, take some of our accrued vacation and go somewhere exotic.

Steve saw me first, standing there looking foolish with my mouth open. He softly whispered into Hanna's ear as his cheek warmly rubbed hers. If he was worried they'd been caught, he sure wasn't showing it. Hanna really surprised me, as she only gave a slightly perceptible nod in response to her dance partner. I'd seen enough.

Crossing the room at a brisk clip, I tapped on Steve's shoulder.

"Hey Steve," I said apprehensively, "I finally made it. Thanks for looking out for Hanna and keeping her busy."

"Glad you could make it, Jim," Steve replied, without stepping back or even stopping the dance. "This song's almost over, then she's all yours." He emphasized that part, as if returning a borrowed gardening shears at my front door. The cocky smirk almost made me want to hit him. Hanna didn't even look up at me.

I realized I was just standing there in shock, and after a second I slunk off, trying to minimize my embarrassment. I went to the bar where at least ten people stood in line before me. I turned to watch the remainder of the dance between Hanna and Steve. They seemed to be whispering sweet nothings to each other now. He was smiling that seducer's smile - the one that says, "I've got you now."

The song ended and Hanna slowly let go of his hand, as it almost trailed away. Steve wasn't keen on leaving it there. Just before the last of their two fingers parted, Steve reinitiated himself by pulling her close. The band started another slow number right at that moment, so it looked very natural. She was looking up at him then, Steve saying a lot to her as they both stared dreamily into each other's eyes.

I had no idea that anything had changed between Hanna and Steve. But just then I was wondering if her dislike for the man may have all been made up. They gazed at each other like lovers. She followed his lead very well, and his dancing style was much different from mine. I turned towards the bar and began to panic. There were still six people waiting. I didn't think I had that long. I stepped out of line and walked back to the dance floor.

"Okay, Ross," I almost barked, "I really must insist." With his additional three inches in height, Steve made an exaggerated look down his nose at me. Hanna's dreamy look didn't entirely fade away. Indeed, her lingering smile slowly drifted off as she came out of the trance she was in.

"Sure," he said nonchalantly, "I'll see you in a bit, Hanna." As he stepped away, I immediately took my wife's left hand in mine and danced her away from where her potential paramour stood. Nothing was said for a minute. I was trying to organize it all in my head, because when the dance ended, I'd have a hard time trying to talk to her without causing a scene.

"Do you remember our first time?" I asked softly as she adjusted to her new dance partner.

Finally she looked up and into my eyes. "Of course I do." She related. "It was right after a dance like this, at my senior prom."

I allowed it to sink in for a tiny bit. I had a bad feeling that Steve had her heart in his grasp, and that she may even leave with him, if I couldn't break this spell. I had to play my part perfectly.

"Yeah, me too," I replied. "I was so enthralled with you on that dance floor. I'd never felt closer to someone before that. But the night of Richard and Anna's wedding, that one took the cake."

Hanna put her head against my chest. "Well," she said teasingly, "that was the night you proposed to me on the dance floor, so we did end up with a cake."

"Of course," I continued down memory lane. "But you did have to say 'yes,' or there wouldn't have been a cake. Also no kids - or so many wonderful memories."

"Hmm," was her only response. She kept her head on my chest as we continued to sway more than dance.

"Do you remember that night in Cancun?" I asked. "Those two drunk guys that tried to impose themselves between us on the dance floor and feel you up?"

She only nodded without lifting her head. I'd almost gotten my ass beat that night trying to save her on our honeymoon. She'd told the story to family, friends and anyone who'd listen over the years. She seemed proud of me, but now? Did she even care anymore?

"I love you, you know" I said tenderly. "If you do this, I won't be there in the morning. I couldn't stand..."

Something horrible stuck in my throat just then, and I couldn't finish the sentence. I didn't want to anyway.

Hanna's head came slowly off my chest. Her eyes met mine, and she squeezed my hand a little tighter.

"I would never..." she said sadly. "Why would you say that?"

Her question was completely ignored, because it confirmed in my mind that she knew what I was saying. A wave of despair spread over me, as if my brain was announcing the out of control events about to take place. My breathing became labored, and my knees weak. It was good that the song was ending at that very moment, but Hanna understood my ire.

"James," she said, startled and worried, "let's sit down." She started leading me by the arm towards our table, until we both noticed Steve Ross sitting there, talking to some other associates.

"Over here," she blabbed, irritated it seemed. Maybe she wanted me out of the way. We did end up at an empty table in the back of the ballroom.

"You okay?" she asked as she pulled a chair up close, facing me. I nodded.

"James, you weren't here." She said that with a certain sense of finality. "Ross asked me to dance, and even when I blew him off, he kept at it. Finally, he changed his tack, and started asking where my husband was. When I explained, he made a big deal - a big show really - of telling me loudly that if he were my husband, he'd never leave me alone on my most important night. I did win Merchandiser of the Year, by the way."

She took a long breath, ready to say more.

Anyway," she continued, "He was starting to piss me off, but then I realized that you were too. The fact is you weren't here. I've always trusted you - you know that - but lately, there's this, I don't know - a stale kind of air between us. We're aloof together, not charismatic like we used to be. We're either distracted or going through the motions. I hate it, but I'm doing it the same as you.

"The next time he asked me to dance," she carried on, "an idea formed. I told him, I'd dance in return for a favor. His stupid little smirk told me I'd get what I wanted. I told him we were having some personal issues, without specifics, and if he wanted to dance, that he had to make it look like he was seducing me, when you arrived."

"You asked him to seduce you?" I asked incredulously. "Why Hanna, because I missed your award being given? Because you don't like our lives anymore? And then you were happy to have it happen here, in public?

"No," she said a little too loud for our setting. "I said he had to make it look that way. I know we've got things we need to work on. I love you very much, and I want to. I needed to see if you still felt the same. I'm sorry I did that to you, but I needed to see it and I did."

"So, it was some... joke?" I probably sounded confused because I was. "It didn't look like an act."

"An act for me," she replied. "When I told him, he laughed and said he'd do better, and actually seduce me on the dance floor. He said if he couldn't get me to leave with him right before your eyes, he'd never hit on me again."

"Did he win?" I asked slyly, now feeling a bit more in control.

"Well, he's over there," she giggled, "and I'm sitting here with you. And, James, I'll always leave with you, unless you don't want me anymore."

I reached for her small hand, and squeezed it tightly. I looked back over to the table Hanna had been occupying, and Steve Ross was looking right at us. He gave a slight nod, and raised his glass with a smile.

That night Hanna and I went home, and began a resurgence in our life and our marriage that I'd become tempted to believe improbable.

Steve Ross kept his word and never hit on Hanna. At least that's what I've been told...