She laughed, and saw how his expression instantly eased. “Hey, it’s okay. You’ll be fine.”
“Because you’re an excellent teacher, or so someone told me.”
He remembered that? Huh. “Well, it is true.”
“Guys, we haven’t started yet,” Ella complained, with an upheld hand. “Now, let’s run that again, then keep going. Ask Luc how’s he’s feeling, then tell him what you’re dancing this week, then get into it. Okay?”
Bailey nodded, Luc muttered a “yeah”.
Ben counted them in. “Three, two, one…”
Bailey clapped her hands together. “So, Luc, tell me how you’re feeling about dancing.” She did a little wiggle, which seemed to draw his reluctant smile.
Luc shoved a hand through his hair, and grinned awkwardly. “I gotta admit, this is something I never thought I’d do, and I’m trying not to freak out about it.”
She nodded, her heart filling with empathy. She could appreciate a man admitting to feeling vulnerable. “I think stepping out of your comfort zone for the sake of a good cause is a wonderful thing to do.”
His shoulders dropped a little. “My charity supports those fighting cancer, which is what my mom faced several years ago, so I’m prepared to look like a fool if it means we raise money for a good cause.”
She grasped his arm. “I’m sure your mom is very proud of you. And I promise that you won’t look like a fool. I think anyone should be impressed by the courage it takes to try something so different, so let’s go with that.”
He nodded, and she released her hand.
“As for looking like a fool, well, if you don’t want to look like a laughingstock, you’re going to have to prove everyone wrong and you’ll do that by following my instructions. To the letter. Got it?”
His face screwed up, as if in pain, then he nodded. “Deal.” He held out his hand.
She grasped it. Large, calloused, slightly sweaty. He was nervous. Her heart softened. For all his bluster and hugeness, the poor man really was anxious. What could she say to ease his nerves?
She squeezed his hand then let go. “Are you competitive?”
“I play pro hockey, so yeah.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I have to admit, I’m not familiar with hockey, and I don’t really know much about what you do. Actually, I don’t know anything about what you do at all.”
He slapped a hand on his big chest. “That cuts deep.”
She laughed. “But I guess if you’re a pro, you’ve had to fight your way to the top, right?”
“Absolutely. Peewee, Juniors, minor league, even training camp, it’s all about wanting to be the best.”
“Then I want you to think of this like training camp for dance. And we’re going to train you so you can smoke the opposition.”
He chuckled. “Did you say smoke?”
“Yes. Is that not the right word?”
“It’s totally the right word.”
She smiled at him, and he smiled back, then a cleared throat reminded her they weren’t alone.
Ella did a “cut” gesture, then turned to them. “Okay, the chemistry here is undeniable, so that’s going to shoot really well.”
“The what?” Luc asked.
“You two. You seem to have a thing, but don’t go having a ‘thing’, if you know what I mean.”
Oh my gosh. “You don’t need to worry about that,” Bailey rushed to assure. “We’re just friends. Not even that really. More like recent acquaintances.”
“Sure you are.” Ella did a “get on with it” gesture. “Now, back to the dancing. What is it you’re teaching him this week?”
Bailey placed cool hands on her hot cheeks, willing them to calm. “Um, okay.” She glanced at the cameras. They were still recording. Oh goodness. How flustered did she appear? “Um, right.”
“The dance,” Luc said, his deep voice focusing her.
She nodded, taking in a deep breath. Then straightened her shoulders and looked at him again. Luc now wore a small smile tucked up in the corner of his mouth. Cute. She blinked, refocused. “Okay.” She clapped her hands, just like she did for her tiny tots. Refocus time. “So, this week, we’re very lucky to be doing the foxtrot, which is one of ballroom’s most beautiful dances, and you’ll be pleased to know it’s not too hard.” A bit of a fib, but there was no need to further scare the man.
“Phew.” He wiped his brow in an exaggerated movement, no doubt for the sake of the cameras. “This is all hard enough as it is.”
She laughed.
“What?”
She pointed to a box sitting in the corner. “You say that now, but just wait until you get to wear your shoes.”
“My shoes?”
She nodded. “Dance shoes. You have to wear a heel.”
