“Oh, that was fun!” she called out.
“Oh… yes…” Gini said, never stopping her smile. She could feel the warmth of Laura Ann’s hand wrapped around hers and the love of everyone in the room. Although all the noises of the room were muffled and blended together, the sounds were joyous and happy.
Robert slowly walked up to Gini and put his hand on the back of her neck. He could tell by her vague look she was having a hard time concentrating, but the fact that she never stopped smiling let him know she was handling it.
“Thank you so much for bringing Gini, Dr. Young. This has been wild seeing everyone again.”
“My pleasure,” he said.
Everyone gently hugged Gini and said how great it was to see her.
“You let us know when that little girl arrives,” Laura Ann said.
“Jess… eeca.”
“We will,” Robert said.
After they got back to the table, Gini let out a long sigh. “Tire…”
“I know, baby,” Debbie said. “We should probably be going.”
“Oh… yes.”
Robert went to the back and opened the wheelchair, and Debbie gathered all their things and walked Gini back. Once out of the room, Gini sat in the chair, and Debbie put the bag with Gini’s things in her lap and her scarf on top, and they made their way to the elevator.
Outside the large room was a long, wide hall. Ric came walking fast toward the room, looking at his watch. Just as he got to the door, he saw Robert standing by the elevator, then Debbie, and Gini sitting in the chair. He stopped. The door opened. The three went inside the elevator without seeing him.
Ric put his hand across his mouth, then folded his fingers, pinching his lips. He closed his eyes, shook his head, opened the door, and walked into the room filled with lively music.
“Oh my gosh, is that Ric Santini?” Janet asked as she stood up and waved at him.
When he saw her, he gave a quick nod and wave and headed toward the table.
Janet had him sit next to her. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was so tall, so smartly dressed, so handsome.
“Ric,” Laura Ann exclaimed, “you’re here.”
“Sorry, my meeting ran way over. You’re a beautiful bride.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.
“Oh… well, flattery will get you everywhere. Have you eaten?”
“Don’t worry—”
“Please, bring this man dinner.” Laura Ann waved a waiter over.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What are you drinking?” Janet asked.
“I’ll get it; and you?”
“White wine.”
After he walked away, she turned to Jackie. “He is gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.”
“He is. I was always so jealous of Gini with two good-looking men always at her side in high school,” Jackie said.
Ric put a chardonnay on the table for Janet and a glass of bourbon—neat—for him. He unbuttoned his jacket, took it off, and hung it on the back of the chair, revealing the tight vest that showed his perfect, fit body. The waiter placed a plate full of food in front of him.
The classmates chatted as Ric ate. As soon as he was done, Janet grabbed his hand. “Come on, let’s go dance.”
The music was jumping, and the dance floor crowded. The band strummed up a jitterbug. Ric started twirling her out and pulling her back in, then he took her arm and pulled her around his body, his feet constantly doing fancy steps. She was smiling and marveling at his dance moves. The other dancers started pulling to the sides of the dance floor to watch the pair. He leaned her back over his arm, then pulled her from one side to the other, touching hips, then to the front, leaning her back, pushing her back, twirling her out, and ending up pulling her back in his arms when the music stopped.
He held her for a moment as they looked into each other’s eyes. Then he smiled, twirled her out, and bowed at the waist. Everyone clapped. The band started playing another song.
He took her hand and walked off the dance floor. When they got to the table, he took a napkin and wiped the moisture from his upper lip. He downed the last of the bourbon and raised the glass to the waiter walking by, indicating another and telling him what it was.
“Ric, where did you learn how to dance like that?” Janet asked.
He loosened his tie and slouched a little in his chair. “I bought an entertainment company. We do all kinds of special parties and balls. I decided I’d better learn how to dance so I could be cool.” He leaned closer to her and smiled. “So I took dance lessons for a year or so. I picked it up rather quickly, I thought, since I was so awkward as a teenager. I love to dance. And you? You are a good follower.”
“Follower!” She put her head back and started laughing. “You clearly don’t know me.”
“Okay, I meant following my steps.”
“Ric Santini, don’t you remember my mom had a dance studio in the neighborhood? All us girls went there.”
He sat again relaxed in the chair. She obviously didn’t recall how lost he’d been in high school. The last thing he’d know about was a girls’ dance studio.
“Sorry, that wasn’t too high on my ‘to know’ list.”
“Entertainment company. Weren’t you the next famous big-league lawyer in the making after high school?”
Ric started telling her his story of being married and his wife leaving after she had two miscarriages and how he bought the company that changed his life.
Janet pulled the corners of her lips down. “Oh, sorry, Ric. I had no idea.”
“And you, what are you doing?”
She told of keeping up with her mother’s tradition, starting a dance troupe in Atlanta,
