Page 4 of Dance With Me
He pulled the covers over himself and tried to sleep, but it just wouldn’t come; all his thoughts from the day constantly ran through his head. He tossed and turned until he couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed his laptop, lined up the music for the tango and set to choreographing more steps for Clare and Joe. Maybe this would take his mind off things, and at least he’d have something more to teach them next week.
By two am, he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, and he set his laptop aside. He closed his eyes and prayed for sleep, but when it eventually came, the events of the evening crept into his dreams, not just the notes and messages, but Joe too. He dreamt it wastheirwedding, and they were both in black tuxes. Instead of a tango, though, a slow song played, and they gently swayed together, his head on Joe’s shoulder, their hands clasped between them. He smiled in his dream as Joe bent down to kiss him.
He woke with a start the following morning to the sound of Rocco barking. After a night of restless sleep, he felt no better that morning. He got up and made his way to the kitchen, needing his morning coffee. He stepped out of his room and noticed a large brown envelope on the mat by the front door. It just had his name on the front in an unfamiliar scrawl. He picked it up, surprised by its weight, and opened it, not daring to look inside but knowing he should.
A slew of photos fell out, and he dropped to the floor, surrounded by the offending pictures. They were all of him. Every. Single. One. Pictures of him at the studio, the park, The Coffee Mill. Him laughing with Dom and Hayden, teaching, walking the dog…
He put his hand to his mouth, stifling a sob as he picked up a few, panic and shock running through his body at the thought that he’d been so unaware, so oblivious. He touched them—as if the feel of them would help pinpoint who had taken them, but he just felt revulsion and disgust.
Knowing he probably shouldn’t touch them anymore, he stuffed them all back into the envelope and put it on the hall table, backing away from it.
This had gone far beyond notes or infatuation. The realisation hit him with a shudder, and he felt sick to his stomach. He folded his arms around himself. This was a matter for the police.
Chapter Three
Joe
Joe sat at his desk, the spreadsheet in front of him making no sense whatsoever. He’d been staring at it for hours, to no avail. He simply couldn’t concentrate. Joe had been working at Atkins and Partners for about twelve years now. He’d started as an Assistant Accountant and, over the years, had made his way to Senior Partner. He wouldn’t usually get involved with the day-to-day work on an account, but today, he’d been asked to take a look at this one. It was for a big client, and something just wasn’t adding up… literally.
Since meeting with Seb on Tuesday evening, he’d had trouble focussing. His mind constantly drifted to the sexy dance instructor.Urgh, what was wrong with him? He was getting married in less than three months and had no business looking at another person. Being bisexual, attraction to a man was not new to him, but it had been a while since he’d felt like this about one.
He was startled from his thoughts by the voice of his assistant, Hazel.
“Can I get you another coffee or some lunch, Joe? You’ve been staring at those accounts for hours now.”
He looked up as she put her head around the door.
“I’m good, thanks, Hazel. I’m probably going to head out to get some lunch myself. Do you want me to get you anything?”
She sat in the chair opposite him. “Are you going to that little sushi place I like? You can get me my usual. You know how I love the sushi from there.”
“I know you do, and sushi does sound good for a Friday lunch.” He sighed and stretched. His back ached after sitting at his desk for so long.
Leaning back, she looked at him, her head tilted.
“Is everything OK, Joe? You’ve been a little distracted lately. You know you can always talk to me.”
And he did know.
They’d been friends for about ten years, ever since she had joined the company, but they’d become closer when he made senior partner and she became his assistant. They’d often shared lunch, and before Clare had come along, he’d joined Hazel and her husband Dave for meals and barbecues at their house. Her twelve-year-old twin sons, Adam and Callum, called him Uncle Joe, and he never missed their birthday.
Hazel was a little older than he was and a bit on the shorter side at around five-foot-one. She had a blonde pixie cut and a pretty round face. She wore thick-rimmed glasses that regularly changed colour and often sat perched on the end of her nose.
Hazel’s inability to keep her opinions to herself had not endeared her to some of the partners, but Joe wouldn’t have her any other way. He loved her like a sister. She hadn’t hidden the fact that she didn’t think Clare was good enough for him and had respected his wishes and kept her mouth shut… most of the time!
He pondered the question, but he wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t want to trouble her with his doubts about his relationship with Clare until he was sure what he was feeling. So he lied.
“Probably just the wedding. You know Clare’s been busy trying to organise things and roping me in for all manner of meetings with the planner. We have a cake tasting later this afternoon, and honestly, I’m sick to death of trying wedding cake. Don’t even get me started on suit fittings.” Joe rubbed his face in frustration. “We should have eloped. It would have been easieranda darn sight cheaper.”
“You can’t blame a girl for wanting a big wedding. You’ve been together a while now, and she probably thought it was never going to happen. You certainly took your time proposing.”
From anyone else, he would have taken offence at that, but because it was Hazel, he let her off.
“For that comment, you can get your own damn lunch and mine while you’re out,” he quipped with a smile.
“No, your turn, it’s Friday.” She got up and walked out of the office. “Chop-chop. I’m starving,” she called out over her shoulder.
Joe shook his head.Bloody woman, he thought. What would he do without her?
