Page 8 of Last Call Lindy Hop
“You’re dancing again?” I asked. “I thought you said all the places out here sucked.”
“I did,” she laughed. “But that was the last time we talked about it, which was what… a year ago? This new place opened up and somebody clued me in. It’s great. Just the vibes you need: casual and welcoming. The only thing anybody cares about there is that you want to dance.”
“I… I don’t know…”
“Well I do. Your mom made it clear that I’m to take you out and have fun. You said that it had to be something that didn’t remind you of the asshole. Dancing is perfect. It’ll get you moving, which you know will make you feel better, and you can reclaim a passion that you gave up for him.”
“But…”
She rounded the couch and knelt in front of me. “Don’t do it for me Lance. Do it for yourself. We all know you’re still hurting, but at this point you’re letting him ruin your life.” She sighed. “What would you do if Connor…”
I flinched hearing his name.
Kenzie shook her head. “I’m not going to apologize for it. What would you do if Connor walked through that door right now and said that he was wrong and wanted you? Would you take him back?”
My hands shook as I thought about my ex-fiance and the final, blow-up fight outside of the chapel—before I’d had to walk back in and tell my mother that the wedding was off.
“You do know I’ll kick your ass if you say ‘yes’, right?”
I burst into tears, and Kenzie wrapped her arms around me.
“It’s time to reclaim your life,” she murmured against me. “Stop letting him run it from the shadows of your pain. Come dancing with me.”
I nodded into her shoulder, something inside me finally started to break free. “Ok.”
∞∞∞
“You ready?” Kenzie asked, squeezing my hand as we sat in her car outside what looked to be an old banquet space.
“No,” I muttered.
“Gonna do it anyway?”
I nodded. “I’ll try.”
“You’ve got this. Just try to have fun. Ok?”
“Yeah.”
She got out of the car, and I took a deep breath before following.
A sense of familiarity washed over me as I approached the building. I might have never danced there, but the vibes were the same. I recognizedMack the Knifecoming from the open windows, and people lingered just outside the door in an attempt to cool off.
It reminded me of a happier time. Unfortunately, there was a dark cloud between those halcyon days and the present.
I followed Kenzie inside, and mutely held out my hand as the person at the door stamped the back of it.
The old banquet hall was definitely outdated, but vibrant nonetheless. Benches lined the walls, and I could imagine tables in front of them. The dance floor was well-worn, but obviously loved over the years. It glistened with a coat of fresh sealant.
My hands shook. It was the most public place besides a grocery store that I’d been at in nearly two years, and I’d relied on delivery whenever possible to avoid even that.
“You can do this,” Kenzie murmured, giving me a side hug. “I’m right here, and you’re a fantastic dancer. No pressure. Just try to have fun.”
She guided me to some chairs at the far end of the hall, where there were fewer people. I sat and pulled on my dance shoes, but made no move to dance.
Kenzie changed her shoes, but just sat next to me.
“You should dance,” I said. “No reason for both of us to sit here like bumps on a log.”
