floor I try to avoid Ellen but it’s too late now. Her hands are all over me and she seems to have lost all sense of decorum.
“Would you mind taking me to the lounge?”
Her eyes are glazed over and her mouth droops down. I want to stay in the dance hall and try to catch glimpses of Giselle. I need to know how she dances, how her limbs respond to beats like this, but I have to go with Ellen. It’s only common decency.
While we make our way out I search the room frantically for another sign of Giselle, but she seems to have moved on. I coax Ellen towards the lounge area and find her a space on one of the sofas.
“Don’t move.” I’m slightly annoyed by the situation, but I do realise that if I hadn’t seen Giselle I’d probably be amused by Ellen’s goofy drunkenness. “I’ll get you some water.”
Ellen grabs my hand and mouths ‘thank you’ and it makes me feel like a jerk. When I return with two bottles of water my heart stops. I only see their backs but I’d recognise that ash blond head of hair anywhere. It’s wild and unruly and probably dyed and it makes my heart thump in my throat. I approach and hear them talk in quick German with lots of giggles in between.
“Here’s your water,” I say casually and then mentally kick myself for saying it in English.
“I thought that was you, Ada,” Giselle says, her eyes shining brightly in the dimly lit lounge. Her body is slanted back on the sofa and one of her long legs is crossed over the other. This picture could be perfect, if only Ellen didn’t have a starring role in it.
“You can speak German if you like.” I try to look cool while sipping from my water bottle. They both glance up at me, their faces drawn into an amused expression. Giselle sports a lopsided grin edging between mockery and, I swear, flirting. Or maybe I’m just reading it wrong, even though wishful thinking is not one of my hobbies. I’m more of a doom and gloom kind of person. “I’m sure I’ll understand.”
“Don’t be silly.” Ellen shoots me a confused look and I wonder when the penny will drop. Or perhaps I’m the only one feeling the tension rise on our little corner island in the lounge.
“Do you come here often?” I ask Giselle, searching for the blue of her eyes and then steadying myself against the arm rest of the sofa to stop from metaphorically drowning in them.
“Maybe once a month. More often would take away from the magic.”
It’s the first time I hear a hint of an accent when she speaks and it sets my skin on fire.
“I’d better get back to my friends before I lose them. You know what this place is like.” Giselle pushes herself up and stands mere inches away from me. Because she’s wearing heels she towers over me a bit, sort of looking down on me, but her grin is anything but disdainful. “Hope to see you around,” she says and brushes past me.
I follow her with my eyes as she struts away, her long lilac scarf curling behind her. I crash down next to Ellen and sigh audibly before I have a chance to consider her feelings.
“Do you like her?” she asks and my cheeks flush instantly. “There was this vibe between you.”
I can’t look at her so stare straight ahead, to the spot where Giselle stood a minute ago. “She’s my teacher. You know how it is.”
“My students don’t tend to lose their nerve when I bump into them in a club.”
“You Germans are such cool cucumbers.”
Ellen bumps her elbow into my bicep. “And you Brits are the most passionate people on the planet.” She pats me on the knee. “At least now I know why I wasn’t getting anywhere with you.”
“What? No, no,” I start. “That’s not—”
“There’s no need to insult my intelligence as well.” She hoists herself out of the couch then shoots me a smirk. “Come on, we didn’t come here for a heart to heart. Let’s hit the dark room.”
It’s not a dark room as such, more like a maze with discreetly lit corners where
“Would you mind taking me to the lounge?”
Her eyes are glazed over and her mouth droops down. I want to stay in the dance hall and try to catch glimpses of Giselle. I need to know how she dances, how her limbs respond to beats like this, but I have to go with Ellen. It’s only common decency.
While we make our way out I search the room frantically for another sign of Giselle, but she seems to have moved on. I coax Ellen towards the lounge area and find her a space on one of the sofas.
“Don’t move.” I’m slightly annoyed by the situation, but I do realise that if I hadn’t seen Giselle I’d probably be amused by Ellen’s goofy drunkenness. “I’ll get you some water.”
Ellen grabs my hand and mouths ‘thank you’ and it makes me feel like a jerk. When I return with two bottles of water my heart stops. I only see their backs but I’d recognise that ash blond head of hair anywhere. It’s wild and unruly and probably dyed and it makes my heart thump in my throat. I approach and hear them talk in quick German with lots of giggles in between.
“Here’s your water,” I say casually and then mentally kick myself for saying it in English.
“I thought that was you, Ada,” Giselle says, her eyes shining brightly in the dimly lit lounge. Her body is slanted back on the sofa and one of her long legs is crossed over the other. This picture could be perfect, if only Ellen didn’t have a starring role in it.
“You can speak German if you like.” I try to look cool while sipping from my water bottle. They both glance up at me, their faces drawn into an amused expression. Giselle sports a lopsided grin edging between mockery and, I swear, flirting. Or maybe I’m just reading it wrong, even though wishful thinking is not one of my hobbies. I’m more of a doom and gloom kind of person. “I’m sure I’ll understand.”
“Don’t be silly.” Ellen shoots me a confused look and I wonder when the penny will drop. Or perhaps I’m the only one feeling the tension rise on our little corner island in the lounge.
“Do you come here often?” I ask Giselle, searching for the blue of her eyes and then steadying myself against the arm rest of the sofa to stop from metaphorically drowning in them.
“Maybe once a month. More often would take away from the magic.”
It’s the first time I hear a hint of an accent when she speaks and it sets my skin on fire.
“I’d better get back to my friends before I lose them. You know what this place is like.” Giselle pushes herself up and stands mere inches away from me. Because she’s wearing heels she towers over me a bit, sort of looking down on me, but her grin is anything but disdainful. “Hope to see you around,” she says and brushes past me.
I follow her with my eyes as she struts away, her long lilac scarf curling behind her. I crash down next to Ellen and sigh audibly before I have a chance to consider her feelings.
“Do you like her?” she asks and my cheeks flush instantly. “There was this vibe between you.”
I can’t look at her so stare straight ahead, to the spot where Giselle stood a minute ago. “She’s my teacher. You know how it is.”
“My students don’t tend to lose their nerve when I bump into them in a club.”
“You Germans are such cool cucumbers.”
Ellen bumps her elbow into my bicep. “And you Brits are the most passionate people on the planet.” She pats me on the knee. “At least now I know why I wasn’t getting anywhere with you.”
“What? No, no,” I start. “That’s not—”
“There’s no need to insult my intelligence as well.” She hoists herself out of the couch then shoots me a smirk. “Come on, we didn’t come here for a heart to heart. Let’s hit the dark room.”
It’s not a dark room as such, more like a maze with discreetly lit corners where
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