Oliver and Zoe Bradley came through the studio doors and Katie had to paste on a smile like her whole world hadn’t imploded on her four days ago.
She’d been careful not to be at the house when Roman was working and he’d been considerate enough—or pissed off enough—to be gone when she returned in the evenings.
Their unspoken agreement was working just fine, but the guilt and the emptiness inside her was slowly crushing her soul. This isn’t how she wanted things to be, but she’d made this mess and now she had to figure out how to proceed, considering he still had three weeks of work left to do.
Katie pasted on a smile and pushed her personal issues aside. Jasper was counting on her to teach this special class tonight.
Jasper. Another person she’d been dodging lately.
“Welcome,” she greeted as she crossed the floor to her guests. “You must be Dr. Oliver and Zoe. I’m Katie.”
Zoe smiled. Her jade green eyes literally had a sparkle to them as she slid her hand through her husband’s. “This is the best surprise. I had no idea we were coming for dance lessons.”
Oliver kissed the top of her head. “I wanted to surprise you for your birthday and I know you’ve been wanting to take lessons. I’m just glad our schedules worked out for this.”
Katie watched as the two gushed over each other. Their love couldn’t be more evident. Again, she had to push aside her own issues to deal with this dynamic couple.
Jasper had filled Katie in that Zoe was a hot air balloon operator, which was freaking fabulous, and Oliver was an oncologist. The two were busy with their jobs and their two kids, but when Oliver had called, he’d been adamant that the lessons be on this day to celebrate his wife’s birthday.
“Have either of you taken lessons before?” Katie asked.
“That’s a hard no from me,” Oliver laughed.
“I dance around the house or at weddings and that’s about it.”
Katie clasped her hands in front of her and nodded. “No problem. We have people all the time who have never danced.”
“I hope we’re dressed okay,” Zoe stated. She pushed a hand through her wildly curly blond hair. “I didn’t know where we were going and Oliver just told me to be comfortable but dressy.”
Katie took in Zoe’s simple red sundress and flat sandals. “You’re both perfect.”
“Does that mean I don’t have to wear spandex?” Oliver joked.
“Not unless you really wanted to,” Katie replied. “I’m sure we could find you something.”
He held up his hands. “Oh, I’m good. Thanks.”
Zoe swatted at his stomach. “Ignore him. Just tell us what to do. I promise he’ll be a team player.”
Oliver snaked an arm around his wife’s waist and tugged her against his side. “This is your night. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Zoe joked.
The tug of envy toward this couple hit Katie. What would it be like to have a man who would do anything for you? Who would take you ballroom dancing for your birthday as a surprise?
You had a man who would do anything for you.
“I worked on a routine with a fast, fun beat.” Katie moved over to corner with the computer and music system. “Unless you guys prefer something else.”
“I’m just excited to be here.” Zoe beamed. “Fast and fun sound just like us.”
Katie put on the salsa tune she’d chosen for this particular couple. Jasper had given her details about them that helped her choose the music, the dance, and hopefully set the right mood. She wanted this to be a night this couple remembered forever.
Once the catchy beat filled the room, Katie turned back to the couple. “Okay, what we’re going to do first is face the mirror. I’ll do a couple of simple steps and then you try them. Sound easy enough?”
Over the next several minutes, Katie showcased a few of the basic moves for a salsa. She wasn’t at all surprised how quick they picked up the steps.
Oliver and Zoe seemed to have their own silent communication. They’d catch each other’s eyes in the reflection, Zoe would smile, and Oliver would flash her a wink. Katie kept going with the lesson, but the longer the two hours went on, the more and more Katie wondered what it would be like to have someone that far into your life, you could communicate without speaking. She wondered if she’d thrown everything away by pushing Roman out of her life.
She feared she’d never find a man like him. Considering she hadn’t had another serious relationship in her life, she had to reevaluate what she truly wanted. Did she want someone who made her feel alive, who made her ache and long for a bond like no other? Or did she want to keep going through her life focused solely on dance?
Katie loved her job, loved the idea of opening her own place, but at the end of the day, who would she come home to? Who would she share her excitement with over teaching little ones a pirouette? Or who would help her set up props for dance recitals?
Who would she take with her when she took advantage of Zoe’s hot air balloon rides?
By the time the class ended and the happy couple strolled out the door hand in hand, Katie realized she was going to have to make a decision about the next chapter in her personal life. There was only one thing she could do. Go get her man back.