Page 19 of Georgia On My Mind (Southern Promises)

Chapter Eleven

Gia shook her head disappointedly; only four students in her three-to-five-year-old class. Four. Back in the day, she would have had ten to twelve, easily, the studio space frolicking with small humans dressed in pink among giggles and music. She held her head high, knowing it didn’t matter if she had one student or one hundred; she would teach the class with enthusiasm and professionalism. These little girls looked up to her, and she wasn’t about to let them down. She was also indebted to their parents who still brought their little ones to this side of town for basic ballet training.

The mothers sat in folding chairs against the wall opposite the mirrors, fixated on their smartphones as Gia began the class. She had the girls form a circle, hold hands, and sit. When they were situated, she stretched her long legs out.

“Legs straight out. Let’s warm up our feet, okay? First, we flex our feet and say ‘hello’ to our toes.”

The little girls giggled following Gia intently.

“Now we point our feet and say ‘goodbye’ toes.” She pointed her seasoned ballerina feet toward the middle of the circle, the fundamental warm-up repeated several times before they raised their hands into the air reaching for imaginary stars.

As Gia raised her long arms toward the ceiling, she spotted the small disco ball and remembered the twinkling lights that had swirled in this very space, blushing with the memory. She recalled Hart’s gorgeous face among the colored orbs, his strong jawline, and full lips unforgettable. And what he did with his mouth…

“Let’s stretch our hips now. We’ve got jelly on the bottom of one foot and peanut butter on the bottom of the other. Let’s make a sandwich!” Pressing the bottoms of her feet together, she showed the girls how to rock back and forth with their soles planted together. Her concentration was way off as she rolled her hips, aware of her tingling insides.

Getting the girls up on their feet, they practiced hopping like bunnies across the space before doing their favorite—the princess walk. She encouraged them to walk on their toes with their heads held high carrying an imaginary princess crown.

“Don’t look down or your beautiful crown will fall off!”

The last warm-up was skipping, Gia showing them how to pick up their feet as they frolicked across the room. The exercises were essential elements of dance, helping each child with their motor skills. After a few passes back and forth across the expansive room, she had everyone use their imagination and play follow-the-leader, pretending to be wild animals leaping over streams and crawling under trees. The girls loved it, purring and growling in between their young laughter. Gia finally had them move right up to the ballet barre and got them settled into first position.

“That’s it. Bend your knees and keep your feet on the ground. Pretend like your little heels are kissing.” She walked by each student, slightly adjusting their tiny bodies, thinking about the kisses she’d received the night before.

As the class continued, her students practiced pliés and passés, bending their tiny bodies into basic ballet positions, all to the proud satisfaction of their mothers who looked on. The door to the studio opened, and Gia almost gasped out loud when she realized it was Hart who had entered. He offered her a gorgeous smile and waved, making her heart leap in her chest like a prima ballerina performing a grand jeté across a stage. She watched him politely say hello to the seated women who were looking him up and down with slight smirks on their faces before he sat in a folding chair next to them. The class was almost over, the little girls anticipating their favorite part of the hour—freeze dance.

Gia clapped her hands while walking briskly over to the sound system. “Okay, okay! Time for our favorite game before I pass out the stickers.” She turned on the classic Disney tune, Let It Go and encouraged the girls to dance however they pleased. She joined them, twirling and leaping, all the while glancing shyly at Hart who had a perpetual grin plastered across his face. Little girls grabbed her hands, pulling her around the room, taking turns twisting and swinging their arms. Gia loved engaging with her students, who were uninhibited by anything else during her time with them, totally focused on dance, lost in a moment of pure joy.

When the last note of the song played, the girls squealed and hugged Gia’s long legs tightly, showering her with affection. She patted their tiny buns while looking over at Hart, who was now standing with his hands on his hips, watching her every move as the mothers around him gathered their things. Two of the moms approached her with checks. She thanked them profusely, politely reminding them of the next class. Grabbing a basket of an assortment of pretty princess and ballerina stickers, each little girl eagerly chose a prize and politely thanked Gia before heading out the door.

Hart came toward her, the look on his face magnetic. She held up a Cinderella sticker. “Would you like a sticker too?” she asked sweetly.

His eyes were bright as he nodded. “Sure. What do you think would go best with my white shirt?” He was playful, and she loved every minute of it.

“Hmm. I think I have a Prince Charming in here somewhere…” She sifted through the basket until she found the sticker she was looking for. “Yep. This is perfect.” She held the sticker out for him and watched the sides of his mouth turn up into a broad smile.

“Prince Charming, huh? You set your sights high.” He peeled the backing off the sticker before placing it over his heart.

“Yes, I do.” She placed the basket on top of the piano. “What brings you out here today?” She was curious as to why he stopped by—and excited. For him to take time out of his day to check in on her was thrilling.

“Bye, Gia!”

Hart and Gia turned toward the door, both of them waving. “Bye!”

As the door shut and they were finally alone, she turned back to Hart and smiled. “Alone at last. Seriously, why are you here?”

He brought his hands up to her bare arms and ran them the length of her exposed skin. She couldn’t help but lean into his touch.

“I was in the area and had to see you again. By the way, you look sexy in this outfit.”

Her eyebrows rose as she looked down at herself, dressed in her standard ballet wear of pink tights and slippers, black leotard, and a short, black dance skirt tied at the hip.

“It’s my uniform,” she teased, looking back up at him through her lashes.

Licking his lips, he brought his thumb up to her mouth and gently rubbed it across her lower lip. Her eyes were fixated on his while she listened to the inner voice in her head screaming, “Kiss me! Kiss me!”

“What’s going through your mind at this exact moment?” he asked.

Gia exhaled and replied honestly, “I want you to kiss me.”

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