Chapter 42

Ibuttoned up my shirt in my room, preparing for my date with Mary Ellen. I almost never wore a shirt that required me to button it up. I was lucky if I pulled on a shirt that didn't have holes. That was usually my idea of dressing up. But tonight I was going to wow my girl.

I liked getting dressed up for her. I liked doing a lot of things for her. My dad was right. Mary Ellen made me a better person.

I heard the familiar sound of Cole's footsteps coming down the hallway. He leaned against the door with a big smile on his face. "What's got you in such a good mood?" I asked.

"Vinny came through for me," he said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Looks like I've got a job lined up."

I was proud of him. Cole had been through a lot and seeing him finally catch a break was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. "That's great news, Cole," I said, offering him a genuine smile. "I'm happy for you. It's all on the up and up?"

"Come on," he said. "I'm not trying to get locked up again."

"Alright, I'm just making sure."

"It's cool," he said. "Construction work."

"Hell yeah, man. Well done."

He nodded, his grin widening. "Thanks, means a lot coming from you."

"Do you need some cash to get yourself set up for the job?" I asked. "I can lend you some if you need it. I know some of those jobs require you to have your own tools."

"Seriously, man?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. I thought I caught a hint of guilt or something else before he quickly smiled again.

"Yeah, of course," I said. "I can go with you tomorrow to Home Depot or whatever. I don't know where people shop for tools."

"I think I can probably buy them used," he said. "Save some cash."

I nodded. "Alright. I'll pass you some cash and you can buy whatever."

"Thank you," he said. "I appreciate it."

I waved off his thanks, feeling a sense of satisfaction at being able to help out a friend. "No problem, Cole," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. "Just make sure you put that money to good use."

He nodded, his expression serious. "You can count on it."

Despite the challenges he had faced, he was determined to turn his life around. I was glad to be able to support him. I wanted him to stand on his own two feet. I just hoped he could keep it up. That was something else a lot of the guys struggled with. Working ten and twelve hours a day doing manual labor was no joke. Some of them thought the risk of easy money was worth it after breaking their back for peanuts.

I finished getting ready, splashing on a little cologne. I gave Cole the money I had in my wallet, a couple hundred bucks. "Thank you," he said again. "If there's change, I'll get it back to you."

"Don't worry about it," I told him.

I hopped in the car and headed out. I rang the bell and waited. Mary Ellen greeted me with an enthusiastic kiss. "Hi."

"You look nice," I said as I took in the jeans and blue blouse.

"You said comfortable, but now I see you've dressed up," she said. "I'll go change."

I chuckled. "I'm not dressed up."

"Dressed up for you," she said.

"Okay, that's fair," I conceded. "Are you ready?"

"Are you sure?" she asked and looked down at her jeans.

"Trust me, you are wearing exactly the right thing."

We walked to the car, and just as she was about to get in, she paused. "Where are we going?"

"Dancing," I replied.

"Dancing?"

"Technically, it's a dance class," I said.

Mary Ellen's smile turned into a horrified expression. "Dance?" she exclaimed. "Um, why?"

"It's for Jenny and Ward's wedding. I want us to look like we belong on the dance floor together. Plus, I want to enjoy the night with you and actually know what I'm doing. I can't just rely on my usual dance moves."

Mary Ellen arched an eyebrow skeptically, clearly not convinced by my explanation. "And what are your usual dance moves?" she asked, her lips quirking up in amusement.

I couldn't resist hamming it up a bit as I demonstrated on the sidewalk. With exaggerated movements, I mimicked the classic "shopping cart," followed by a comically awkward attempt at some disco moves, complete with finger pointing and hip swaying. Then came the "mow the lawn," a move I had picked up from a cheesy eighties movie, and finally, a laughable attempt at the moonwalk that had Mary Ellen doubling over with laughter.

"You definitely need this dance class," she said, giggling.

"The last time I went dancing I was twenty-one and at a club," I told her. "I'd happily grind up on you all night long, but it's probably not appropriate for a wedding. I should learn the usual stuff, you know, like waltzing and old people dancing."

"Old people dancing!" She burst into laughter again. "Get in the car. You're ridiculous."

I grinned as Mary Ellen playfully pushed me toward the car before getting in herself. The drive to the dance class was filled with light banter and teasing, setting the tone for a fun evening ahead. As we arrived at the studio, Mary Ellen eyed the building apprehensively.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.

I reached out to squeeze her hand reassuringly. "Trust me, it'll be fun. And if nothing else, we'll have a good laugh."

With a deep breath, she nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. We entered the studio to find a diverse group of people of all ages and backgrounds, mingling and chatting. The instructor, a vibrant woman with curly hair and a bright smile, welcomed us warmly and ushered us to a spot on the spacious dance floor.

As the class began, Mary Ellen and I followed along as best we could, trying to grasp the basic steps of a waltz. My feet felt like lead, but Mary Ellen's laughter beside me made it all worth it. All of her earlier uncertainty was gone. She had caught on quickly, her grace and natural rhythm shining through as we twirled around the room.

Dancing wasn't exactly my thing, but I liked moving with her, our bodies in sync. Mary Ellen had fire in her eyes, filling me with heat to match. I stepped on her toes, and she tripped over my feet more than once, but she was stealing my heart with every move.

"I doubt there's going to be an actual waltz at the wedding," Mary Ellen said when we sat down for a water break.

"But at least now we'll be prepared for any surprise dance numbers," I said, grinning at her.

She rolled her eyes playfully. "When in doubt, pull out your sweet disco moves."

I chuckled at her comment and shook my head. "Your friends aren't ready for my sweet moves."

"The world isn't ready for that," she said, laughing and leaning her arm against mine.

"I'll save it for our wedding." I froze when I realized what I had just said. From the corner of my eye, I saw her look at me with a big silly grin on her face.

"Our wedding? Is that a proposal?"

I groaned. "That came out wrong."

"Oh, did it? Because it sounds like you're already planning our wedding." She nudged me with her shoulder again, giggling. "I thought you'd wait until the fifth date to propose. Maybe I'm just old fashioned."

I shook my head. "Do you think the teacher is ready to start again?"

Mary Ellen laughed, completely tickled. "Not yet. You're not getting off that easy. Now tell me, what kind of flowers did you picture at our wedding?"

Contentment washed over me, even though she was relentless. Her joy removed any sting her teasing might have held. I could look into her smiling eyes until the universe ended. She mesmerized me.

"Alright everyone, gather ‘round!" The instructor's voice echoed through the room, prompting all of us to join her in the middle of the dance floor.

"I think most of you have the basic waltz steps down, so we're going to try something a bit more complex. Anyone familiar with the foxtrot?"

"Oh, this should be interesting," I muttered. "Does she need glasses? Has she not seen me out here like a giraffe on roller skates?"

"I'm sure your foxtrot will be better than your waltzing," she said. "It has to be."

I laughed. "Keep joking. It's your toes that are going to get stepped on."

We took our positions on the dance floor. As it turned out, the foxtrot was even more challenging for me than the waltz. My feet were constantly tangled in themselves. I had gone from a roller-skating giraffe to a blindfolded jackrabbit. I nearly toppled us both over several times.

But through it all, Mary Ellen merely laughed, her arms around me steadying us both.

"I'm a disaster," I admitted, panting slightly from the exertion.

"We both are," she said, her eyes sparkling. "But we're having fun, aren't we?"

I glanced down at her, her cheeks flushed from laughter and the physical activity. Despite my utter lack of dancing skills, despite the countless missteps and near falls, I was having the time of my life. Because I was here with her.

"I am," I confirmed. "I really am."

"Okay, everyone," the instructor said, clapping her hands. "Before anyone sprains something, we're going to calm things down a bit. I'm going to put some music on and I want you to just dance. Let your body move to the song. Don't focus on the steps. Just let your mind and feet connect."

"That's dangerous," I joked.

Mary Ellen giggled. "It's fine. You can't get the steps wrong if there are no steps."

A slow song filled the room. Mary Ellen and I tried our best to glide across the floor without tripping over each other. Our movements were far from the smooth elegance of the others, but there was a certain charm in our clumsy dance. We gave into the music and swayed together. I decided moving my feet really wasn't necessary.

It was the best dance of the night for us. Things flowed more easily when we didn't try to force it.

Eventually, the instructor clapped her hands together, signaling the end of class. "Wonderful job, everyone! Be sure to practice at home, and we'll try something new next week!"

Mary Ellen and I walked off the dance floor, both of us out of breath and grinning ear to ear. Sure, we may not have become master dancers, but in that moment, none of that seemed to matter. All that mattered was the laughter and the deepening bond between us.

"Did you have fun?" I asked her.

"I did!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I wanted tonight to be special."

She tilted her head up to look at me. "It was more than special," she said in a soft voice. "It was the best date I've ever been on."

"I aim to please," I teased with a playful smile. Leaning down, I captured her lips in a tender kiss.

"Thank you for thinking of something like this," Mary Ellen said. "I am not a great dancer, but now I feel better about it."

"You're an excellent dancer, and I'm not just saying that," I assured her. "I know a little something about terrible dancing."

She shrugged. "Once you did your own thing, it wasn't bad."