Page 20 of Last Dance, Second Chance

She went to stand so she could help to clear the table. “Don’t you dare,” said Nathan immediately. “You know what the doctor said, you still need to be staying off it as much as possible for the first forty-eight hours.”

“I feel bad letting you do all the washing-up.”

“Well don’t. It’s fine. Most of it gets chucked in the dishwasher anyway. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

He opened the back door to let the dogs out into the garden — Monty having been permitted re-entry after a further talking-to.

“You can amuse me with tales from the ballet world while I scrub away at the fish pan.”

Jessica laughed. Nathan was so easy to be with and to talk to. She loved how she could relax with him, not having to keep up the facade she usually maintained. Most of the people she knew were in the business of ballet, and if she showed any weakness they would use it against her, or at least they had the potential to. Not that they were all bad people by any means, but they were working towards the same goal as she was, and they were very aware that they might not reach it. She could hardly complain; she was exactly the same.

“So there was one time in Paris...” she began.

* * *

They finished clearing up and Nathan made coffees which they drank while they chatted together at the table. He’d just finished telling Jessica about how he’d got Dennis from a dog rescue, when Jessica found herself thinking how handsome he looked. Maybe it was because he’d cooked for her and was looking after her so well... and they’d had that moment earlier, she mused.

“I had something that I’d planned to do last night, that I’d kind of like to do now,” Nathan said once the clearing up was all done. “But I’m worried you’ll tease me.”

Jessica’s cheeks flushed. Oh, for heaven’s sake, she told herself sharply — get a grip. He’s not talking about anything with you. Most of the time he’s spent with you recently was when you were either crying or covered in mud.

“What is it?” she managed to croak.

“Promise you won’t tease me?”

“I can’t promise that!” Jessica exclaimed. “It’s my moral duty as your friend to tease you if you’re doing something embarrassing.”

“We’re friends, then?”

“Of course we are. I’d feel really bad about taking over someone’s home and having them wait on me hand and foot if they weren’t even my friend,” Jessica quipped. She could feel her cheeks heating up again. “Anyway, stop changing the subject. What did you want to do?”

“Come through to the sitting room and I’ll show you,” Nathan said, before adding, “Carefully.”

Jessica had poked her head into the sitting room but hadn’t been in there properly before. It was nice — very clean and tidy like the rest of the house, and without much of anything personal in it.

There was a large cardboard box in the corner. Nathan helped Jessica get settled on the sofa and put cushions underneath her foot so it was elevated. When he was quite sure she was comfortable, he went over to the box and opened it up. The dogs sniffed the box, but decided it wasn’t anything interesting and both climbed up to sleep on the second sofa.

“I didn’t take you for someone who’d let his dog lie on the sofa.” Jessica laughed at how comfortable the dogs had made themselves.

“It’s his house as well.” Nathan shrugged.

“Fair enough.”

“Though in honesty, that was one of those pick your battles things. I was determined not to allow him on there, but he was more determined to be on there, so I gave in on that one.”

“I don’t think I could bring myself to chuck him off when he looks so cosy.”

“Exactly,” Nathan agreed. “So, do you like playing computer games?” he continued, pulling some leads out of the box.

“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever played a video game in my life,” Jessica said.

“Seriously? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just never had the time to.”

“Well, now you do.”

“My brother, Andrew, had a PlayStation, but I wasn’t allowed to touch it.”

---