‘Grace! Please wait.’ Those were the words I heard echoing in my direction as I carried on sprinting. I was still running as I approached the building where the dance studio was and, as I got to the doors, I looked behind to see if Ben was anywhere in sight. There was no sign of him. Turning to open the door, suddenly there was Daniel, smiling at me.
‘Grace, it is so nice to see you and that you’re looking much better.’
‘Oh, hi Daniel,’ I stammered. ‘Yes, I am feeling much better.’
‘What brings you here on a Saturday?’
‘I could ask you the same question.’
‘Good point!’ he grinned. ‘It is nice to see you again, anyway. What are your plans for tonight? Do you fancy going out for dinner?’
‘That sounds like a lovely idea, but it will depend how I get on today, with Miss Hogg.’
‘Well, let me know. Here,’ he handed me a piece of paper, ‘I don’t think we exchanged numbers before.’ Even though we already had, bit weird but I didn’t say anything out of politeness.
Along with the paper was a single red rose, that I gladly accepted. No one had ever given me flowers before, and I was very touched by this. I smiled at him and all my thoughts of Ben vanished for that brief moment. Burying my nose in the flower, its scent was so lovely, and the tip of the petals felt velvety and soft.
‘This is beautiful, thank you.’
I gave him a gentle hug and he held me back, giving a slight peck on my cheek. His lips were cold, but perhaps he’d just come from out of the cold. I let go of him and took a step back.
‘Well I must get going but I will text you later, now that I have your number.’
‘Goodbye Grace. I hope to see you tonight.’
He stepped aside so I could enter. Walking along the corridor, I could feel his eyes were fixed on me. Grinning all the way to the dance studio, at the door. I opened up the slip of paper. Along with his number was this:
Table booked 7:30pm for 2
The Texas Ranch
Hope to see you tonight xx
I thought it was very sweet that he’d already booked a table and assumed I’d accept his invitation. But I was still in two minds about him, and… I liked someone else… But Ben hadn’t been the one to ask me out. The idea of being taken on a date, my first ever date, was really exciting. I felt a buzz as I wondered, what would I wear? Perhaps I could speak to Miss Hogg about this and get her opinion. She was an attractive lady so I was sure she must have had a few dates in her time, and hopefully I’d get some tips from her on what to do and expect.
Chapter 8.
A s I walked into the dance studio, I thought I heard a whispering of my name again, the same male voice. I glanced over my shoulder and saw a shadowy figure further up the corridor, looking into my direction.
‘Good morning Grace!’ Miss Hogg’s voice startled me, and I turned away from the mystery person.
She looked really happy to see me. ‘I am so glad you were willing to give up your Saturday to make up for the time you’ve missed,’ she said. ‘It is wonderful to see you are much better. I have had a few phone calls with your Grandmother. She has kept me up to date on your progress, and it seems like you had quite an horrific allergic reaction, which the doctors have not been able to figure out as of yet.’
I didn’t know if any of this was true or not but decided to play dumb and just go along with what my Grandmother had told her.
‘Erm… yes. But I was unconscious for quite a lot of it, so I am not fully aware of what is wrong with me.’
‘Oh, you poor thing! Well today we will catch up and please do not worry about your homework. Your friend Ben has been collecting anything that has been set, has he been around to pass it on to you?’
‘Yes, he’s been leaving it with my Grandparents. I’ve managed to do some of it over the past couple of days and I aim to crack on with more as soon as I can.’
‘Please don’t rush! I understand you have not been well. I want your main focus on coming up with a routine for the upcoming show in a couple of months. I will assess your routine at the show as this will help towards your final grade after the two years of your course, which is why I like to have all of my students perform at these shows every year.
‘What is the show all about?’
‘It is something the college has done for many years, and you are lucky as this will be a special twenty-fifth anniversary edition of the Show! Believe it or not, it was I who came up with the idea of a Christmas showcase when I started here, all those many years ago. I wanted to bring something fresh and exciting to the college that would show off all the great dancers here. Since then, the show has always been a great success. The tickets sell out every year.’
‘That’s amazing!’
‘The proceeds go towards trips for students, like to go and see a West End show.’
‘Wow, that’s great. I’ve never been to London before and always wanted to see a show on the West End.’
‘Well, as you seem really keen, Let’s get some planning sorted for your routine.’
I grabbed a mat and took it back over to where Miss Hogg was sitting, I emptied my bag and handed her my homework.
