Love Without Rules (Contemporary Romance) (7 page)

***

“Alright, so what is this exciting news?” Sydney asked as she pulled open the door.

“Hi to you too.” Drew laughed as he pulled Sydney into his arms for a loving embrace. “Oh Sydney, why are you so adorable…”

Sydney blushed as they moved to the couch and sat down. “So?” she asked impatiently. Sydney hated being left in the dark, and wanted to know what the heck Drew was keeping from her.

“Alright so… I’ve signed us up for something. Something new. Something exciting. You’ll never guess. But you’re welcome to go ahead and try.” There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “No hints!”

“Um…” Sydney thought. “Skydiving?” Drew shook his head. “Figure skating? Hot-oil massage therapy?” Drew laughed this time before shaking his head “no.” “Okay, just tell me!”

“Salsa dancing,” Drew said. “For couples. My sister, Sarah, actually did the same program last year with her husband, and said she really liked the instructor! I think her name is Florence Flame? Great stage name. Sarah also told me that she’s very good at training newbies, which is me!”

“Alright, alright, I’m sold!” Sydney said as she laughed. “When does it start?”

“Very soon, actually. I managed to squeeze us in for the last two slots because another couple dropped out. So we’re lucky! The first class is tomorrow, so we should probably go and get some dancing shoes and clothes for salsa.” Drew kissed her on the cheek.

“We can go now!” Sydney said excitedly. “I’m sure the mall still will be open for another… couple hours or so?”

“Let’s go then.” Drew kissed Sydney deeply one more time before pulling her off the couch. It was obvious how attractive he found her, with her beautiful flowing hair and model-like figure. He couldn’t keep his hands off her, wrapping an arm around her waist as they headed into the elevator.

As soon as the elevator’s doors closed, Drew gently pushed Sydney to the mirrored wall and pressed his lips to hers. Sydney was completely taken by surprise at first, but began to enjoy it very, very quickly. She wrapped her arms around Drew’s muscular waist, pulling him in closer. The passion between the two was tangible as his hand moved down to her taut ass, squeezing it.

All too soon, there was a loud ding, which signaled the end of the elevator ride.

Drew pulled away, and adjusted his jacket. She fixed her ruffled hair in the mirror, and smoothed out her jacket. “What was it?” she asked, giggling with glee. They stepped out of the elevator, hands intertwined.

“Nothing. I just love you.” He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Now let’s go shopping.”

Love Doctor Tip #26:
To keep a relationship interesting and fresh, try new things! Don’t be afraid to take new risks. You just might find your new hobby. It’ll also keep you both on your toes, and keep a relationship from going stale like week-old bread.

Sydney and Drew walked hand in hand into the salsa dancing classroom. Sydney was very excited, but also a bit nervous. It was mixed class, meaning it had beginners and advanced dancers in the same room. Sydney had danced a lot as a child, being very interested in ballet at the time. But she had not danced in years, and was afraid of making a fool of herself in front of so many people. But Drew wasn’t really a dancer either. His parents had never allowed him to dance, seeing the act as too feminine for a male like him.

“Welcome, welcome! I’m Florence Flame, and this is salsa dancing! You can call me Flo.” A very pretty woman wearing a sexy red dancing dress stepped towards the couple and clasped her hands together. She had heavy makeup on, but it flattered her nicely. She looked rather young, probably in her mid-twenties, and Sydney thought it was impressive that she was an instructor at such a young age.

“You look familiar…” Sydney mumbled. “Have we met before?” She could almost swear she had seen Florence somewhere before, like in a picture or as an acquaintance but she just couldn’t put her finger on it.

“No, I don’t believe we have!” Florence smiled warmly. “But it’s nice to meet you now.”

“Oh, never mind then. I’m Sydney,” Sydney introduced. “And this is Drew.” Drew extended his hand and they shook hands.

“You two are an adorable couple! I’m so happy you’re joining us today. Please, get ready and join us on the floor. We’ll be starting very shortly!” She clapped her hands together happily before going to welcome another couple.

Sydney and Drew headed into the corner of the room, where she removed the pair of sweatpants that she was wearing over some new exercise leggings and a figure-hugging workout tank. She looked fit and ready to start. Drew looked equally as casual and fit as her, and they looked like quite the couple.

“Alright, class, we’re starting!” Florence smiled as she walked to the front of the room, right in front of the big mirror. She clapped her hands together twice to get the class’ attention. “In case you missed it, my name is Florence Flame, but feel free to call me Flo! Um… Now, I’d like to introduce my partner, David Blaine. He’s very good at what he does.” A man walked up beside her dressed in a very tight dancing suit. He smiled and waved.

 “Starting today, we’ll be spending a lot of time together. So we encourage you guys to get to know each other, and have fun!” David said happily as he swept Florence into his arms into a dramatic dancing pose. He did it effortlessly, and Sydney was amazed. “So, this is salsa dancing.” He pressed a button and sassy Latino music started.

For the next five minutes, Sydney felt like she had slipped from the dance room into a fairy tale. The way Florence and David moved in each other’s arms… It was obvious they had chemistry. Sydney assumed that they were romantically involved, just by the way they looked into each other’s eyes. The dance was so sensual. Sydney wanted to be like them, to have that kind of connection with Drew.

She clapped loudly when it was finished, like most of the other people in the class. Drew wrapped an arm around her waist. “We’ll be like that soon, right?” he whispered into her ear, half joking.

“Yeah, totally.” Sydney giggled as Florence and David bowed.

“That’s one of our more advanced routines, but don’t worry, I’m sure many of you will be able to do something similar after a couple months!” Florence smiled. “Today is just the first lesson, so it’ll be easier. She continued to talk for a bit more about class etiquette, and then the class officially started.

About an hour later, Sydney and Drew fell into each other’s arms, thoroughly exhausted. Florence had worked them to the bone with exercises, stretching them out, and making sure they were properly warmed up. She also kept insisting that it was just the first lesson, and was the easiest.

“If that’s the easiest lesson…” Drew murmured, “I don’t want to see what the hardest is.”

 “Great session, class!” Florence announced. “If you have any questions, feel free to come talk to me! If not, then I’ll see you all in a couple days!” There was class twice a week, once on Fridays and once on Sundays. Florence did a sweeping bow of some sort before walking off, towards Sydney and Drew who were near the door. “Oh hey, great work today!”

“Thanks!” Sydney managed to say through deep breaths.

“Oh, dear, you look tired.” Florence giggled in a very cute manner. “Don’t worry, I was like that when I first started out too! You’ll get used to it. It’s really not that bad!”

“Easy for you to say!” Sydney said as she groaned and clutched at her aching side. “But I have to admit, it was really fun.”

“That’s good. I’m glad you had fun! Anyways, I got to run, I have a date planned.” Florence winked charmingly. “See you next week!”

“Bye!” Sydney and Drew chimed in unison.

Drew turned towards Sydney after Florence walked away. “So, that was exciting, wasn’t it?” Salsa dancing had required them to get up close and personal to each other, and had only increased their connection to each other.

“You’re actually really good at this, Drew. I thought you said you couldn’t dance!” Sydney pulled on her sweatpants and her jacket. She took a great swig of water to quench the thirst she had worked up.

“Nah, I’m just quick on my feet. I’m sure if we keep practicing, we’ll both keep getting better.” Drew laughed as he kissed Sydney. “Now… How about dinner?”

***

For the next three weeks, Sydney found herself completely falling in love with two things. Drew, and dancing. Though she still believed that she was nowhere near an intermediate level, she loved to practice and looked forward to the classes. In fact, she wished that the classes would be more often than twice per week. Drew, being the attentive boyfriend he was, had already noticed.

Drew and Sydney were sitting on the couch, having just finished a movie on Netflix. It was still somewhat early in the evening, and Sydney was thinking about going out to dinner. “So, what do you want to do now?” she asked as she snuggled up to him, kissing his cheek.

“What time is it?” He checked his watch. “Hmm… It’s only five. Syd… Are you up for a little… dancing?”

“Huh? What do you mean? Our class isn’t till Friday. And it’s only Tuesday today.” Sydney’s brow furrowed in confusion as she rested her head on Drew’s shoulder.

“Well, you’ve been saying that you want to practice dancing more, right? And I’ve seen you twirl in the kitchen sometimes. Don’t deny it, you want to dance!”

“You’re right. How come you always see right through me?”

Drew smirked. “Special talent. I have organized something. So, do you want to go?”

“Yes. Yes! Let’s go.”

“Go grab your workout bag!” he said. “I’ll wait by the door.”

Sydney grinned as she ran into her room and grabbed the bag. They climbed into his car, and off he drove. Drew drove them to a tall building, and parked. “Come on, it’s just inside.” He led her into the building, up the stairs, and stopped at the door. “Close your eyes!”

“Fine.” Sydney mumbled as she shut her eyes. “I’m ready!”

Drew pushed open the door and brought Sydney to the center of the big room. “Okay, open ’em.”

“Wow!” Sydney gasped as she looked around the room. There was one wall that was fully mirrored, and it was completely clean. A huge stereo system sat in the corner, with several binders full of CDs lying in a shelf beside it. Sydney knew immediately that this was a very professional dance studio. “How did you get access to this place? It looks amazing!”

“One of my clients wrote a book about dancing and how to learn it. She used to use this studio to teach classes, but she recently moved to a new location and hasn’t decided what to do with this one yet. So when I told her how my
beautiful
girlfriend was becoming obsessed with dancing… She agreed to let me borrow it,” Drew said happily.

Sydney could not have been happier. “This is so perfect. Oh, I just want to dance already!” She hopped and twirled, her skirt fanning out in a circle around her. She looked graceful, and Drew felt like he could watch her forever.

He walked over to the stereo, and slipped in a salsa dancing CD. “Come on, let’s practice that routine Flo taught us.” Drew pulled Sydney into his arms.

“I really like Flo. Don’t you? She’s just so friendly.”

“Definitely,” he agreed as the two spun around the room, seemingly floating in each other’s arms. Sydney glanced in the mirror and had to admit that they were looking pretty good together. The couple continued to work their magic on the dance floor, and Sydney felt nothing but absolute bliss.

***

On Friday, Sydney was completely ready for class. She was already dressed in her workout gear, and had been doing warmups for the past half an hour in her apartment. Last week, Florence had told them that there was a special announcement that she was going to make today, and Sydney was so curious as to what it was. She checked her watch, and realized it was time to meet Drew downstairs. She rushed out of her apartment, and took the stairs instead of the elevator to get that extra exercise.

“Dang, Syd, you already look like you’ve already been to class.” Drew chuckled when he saw her. She had a nice rosy look to her cheeks, as she had just been half-walking, half-sprinting down the stairs.

“Oh, Drew.” She laughed. They exited the building and got into his car. He started to drive, and Sydney didn’t talk. She had a habit of letting the people who were driving concentrate, for her mother always sent her articles about how to prevent car crashes and other various safety precautions. Drew enjoyed the silence as well.

Luckily for them, there was light traffic and they made it to the classroom safely and quickly. “So what do you think Flo’s announcement is going to be?” Sydney asked as they walked down the hallway of the building.

“No idea. But I guess we’ll find out soon,” Drew answered as he pushed open the door to the studio.

“Welcome, Sydney, Drew! So nice to see you again,” Florence greeted them as she clapped her hands in glee. She did that a lot. “Excited for the big announcement?” She winked.

“Yes! So much.” Sydney laughed. Florence smiled warmly before curtseying and going off to greet Holly and Frank, another couple in the class.

It was fifteen minutes more until everyone finally showed up. Everyone assumed their usual positions, and so did Florence, at the front of the room. “So, everyone, I’m sure you’re all curious as to what this big announcement I told you about last week is!” There were many murmured yeses from the class. “Well… It’s better to show you than to tell you, I think. David?”

David stepped forwards and handed Florence a tight roll of paper. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Florence unraveled it in one large flourish. “Ta da!” The large roll unfurled quickly and at the top of it, in screaming letters, read ANNUAL FIREBALL AMATEUR SALSA DANCE COMPETITION. “This is a
very
fun competition! The first-prize winners get a cash prize, and they get to make a video with a professional dancer! It’s a relatively small local event, with… ten couples competing in total.”

“We were judges in a competition once, actually.” David grinned. “It’s a fantastic opportunity, and you can meet other people who are passionate about dancing. But… There’s a catch.”

“Yep,” said Florence. “See, it’s a competition where each dance school picks
one
pair to compete. So you can be sure that the other competitors, though they are technically ‘amateur,’ they are the best in that category. So, this year, I’m teaching two salsa classes, and so there are about… hmm… twenty possible couples. And there are many excellent dancers in both classes…” Florence smiled. “Any of you have a shot at it. I’ll be picking the pair in two weeks! Now… Let’s start class!”

For the entire class, Sydney thought about the competition. She really wanted to compete! “Do you think we’ll be the ones Flo will pick?” she asked Drew.

“Maybe if we practice enough!” Drew smiled. He saw that familiar glimmer in Sydney’s eyes, the one that showed just how much she wanted to be the chosen one.

Florence walked towards the couple, and clapped delightedly. “Oh, my, have you two been practicing? You guys are moving so well together! I’m very impressed. I can see a lot of potential here. Are you perhaps interested in the Fireball Competition?

“Oh… us?” Sydney giggled. “We wish. There are so many good dancers here, like Holly and Frank. But we’d be delighted to be considered!”

“You’re an excellent dancing couple, and I think you have a real chance. Keep it up!”

“See? We have a chance, baby.” Drew smiled as he twirled Sydney around.

Sydney didn’t respond. She was too busy picturing herself and Drew, dressed in snazzy outfits, winning first prize. They continued to dance, and passed by another couple. The woman, Christina, shot Sydney a dirty look. Christina could tell that Sydney was talented, and obviously felt a bit threatened. Her partner, a nice man named Ben, made a sheepish face. He probably wasn’t that interested in being chosen, but Christina obviously had a competitive spirit in her.

Sydney rolled her eyes. She had no interest in competing in petty blows with her. She would win by talent alone.

Florence clapped twice. “Good work today, everyone! It looks like many of you have been practicing in your own time, and it’s really showing! I’m so glad so many of you have taken such an interest in dancing. I’m interested to see how much you all will improve in the next weeks. I’ll be picking the couple that will represent our dancing school at the competition in
two
weeks! That’s not a lot of time, so be prepared! Class dismissed!”