“Absolutely I would.” His heart trickled with excitement. He could get some training in, or fly to see his folks, then spend every night on dates with her. “Just don’t go getting too tangled in the tango, if you know what I mean.”
She laughed. “Well, while I’m being honest, I should tell you that they’ve also asked me to consider being involved in a dance pro tour in January next year.”
More time apart. But this wasn’t about him. “They had to ask you because you’re the best.”
“Oh, Luc. You’re sweet.”
No, he wasn’t. But he was trying to be kinder, to let God’s grace soften his tough heart. “I really appreciate you being honest with me. Please keep saying what you mean.”
“I’m going to try harder,” she admitted. “And I’m also trying to be more honest with my family.”
She was?
“I talked with my mom today. We both got pretty honest about things. And it felt good, really good. I even contacted Chrissy again.”
“I’m proud of you. That must’ve taken courage.”
“It did. But I’m trying to be braver. You help me to be brave.”
Her words, softly spoken, stole inside and clamped his throat. “I love you Bailey.”
She sniffled, like she might be crying.
“Are you crying?”
“No.”
Sure she wasn’t. “Are you telling the truth?”
“No.”
He laughed, and she did too, and at his favorite sound his heart eased for the first time in too long. “I miss you, Bails.”
“I miss you, too. Just hurry home, okay?”
Home. To Winnipeg. And Bailey.
CHAPTER 27
“Okay ladies, now we’re going to finish with your favorites: calf stretches.”
Good-natured groans filled the studio. This adult ballet class consisted mostly of women in their forties and over, some of them had danced when they were younger, but some were raw beginners, which meant a range of exercises suitable for all. Fortunately, everyone here could do this last exercise, which began the cooldown component of their class.
“Please take your position at the barre, and remember, this is good for your calves.”
She pressed play on the music, and the first sixteen beats began as they rose and lowered on their left leg. The barre wobbled a little as some of the ladies used it to hoist themselves up rather than let their feet and ankles do the work.
“Don’t forget this exercise is targeting your calves, so there’s no need to grip the barre so hard. Some of you who are more experienced should see if you can do it by holding on with just one finger.”
After counting to sixteen, they swapped feet, and did the same again. By now, some of the women liked to complain, but she encouraged them on. The biggest challenge was this next part, when they’d be doing thirty-two calf raises on already fatigued muscles.
She swallowed a smile as the usual ones complained, her mind flicking back to when she’d danced in France, when their teachers would work them so hard she’d sob for hours at home, with feet that were blistered so much she used to soak them in methylated spirits to harden her blisters into calluses. Now that was pain.
The music concluded, which saw a bunch of relieved sighs, then they stretched, doing a roll down until their hands were flat on the floor for the supple ones, or ankles or knees depending on their flexibility. Then the class concluded with the traditional side curtsy, followed by the other side, then they were released.
Bailey chatted briefly, but with a new client consultation coming up soon, she didn’t change from her pointe shoes, or linger as she might normally, instead gently encouraging them to move on by getting out the spray bottle of disinfectant and wiping down the barre, the cleaning seeming to remind the lingerers to go.
She cleaned, wondering about her next client. S. Zampa hadn’t filled out much information, just their age and that they were female, but had booked for a consult. She hoped it wouldn’t take long. Luc was due to get home from his road trip soon and she couldn’t wait to see him. She had her outfit picked out, and was due to the hair salon as soon as this was done. Tonight was going to be special. She was finally going to say those three words she knew he needed to hear.
Now that school had returned, and their classes were up and running, she and Poppy were working harder than ever. It wasn’t just the teaching either, but coming up with new content they shared on Bailey’s YouTube channel. The sharing of Dance Off videos had run its course, so to capitalize on their subscribers they’d decided to release one new instructional video on a particular style of dance each week. Sometimes it was a full dance, sometimes it was just a sequence from a particular style, but seeing there were so many styles to choose from with everything from ballet to tango, tap and jazz, it meant they had content for years to come. And the five-minute videos were pretty raw, especially in contrast to the Dance Off professional videos, but people seemed to enjoy them, and enjoy the interactions between her and Poppy, even though many of the comments asked to see more of Luc and Bailey dancing together.
Turning off comments on her Instagram had helped stop some of the more lewd suggestions, and she’d increased the privacy settings around her social media. Their glossy new website wasn’t shy about featuring Bailey’s Dance Off connections. All of this was exactly what Coco said she should be doing, but chasing likes and shares and subscribers and such things felt a little artificial. Especially when all she really wanted in her world was God, time with Luc, and dancing.
“Are you all good here?” Poppy asked, as she shut the door to the office.
Bailey nodded. “I just have one more potential client who’s running late.”
“Want me to stay?”
“You have to get ready for your date, right?”
Poppy grinned, and did a little twirl. “I do, but I’m happy to wait.”
Their safety system saw both of them stay at the studio until the last class was done, allowing for safe passage to their vehicles, especially during Winnipeg’s early dark nights. But this client was a woman, and Poppy had a date for the first time in forever, so who was she to hold her up? “It’s okay. This is just an initial consult, not a dance, so I’ll be fine. I’ll be home soon, anyway.”
“Okay, well, be safe,” Poppy warned.
