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seeing the bridegroom tonight?’
    â€˜He was in court today, but if he’s not held up by a client, I expect he’ll show up for the regular session at seven.’
    â€˜Ah. That’s good, then.’ From his 6' 4" (two inches of it heels) Jay beamed down on her. ‘Kay tells me you’re a quick study. Would you honor me with a dance before class starts?’
    Ruth blushed attractively. She’d been doing an inordinate amount of that lately. She flapped a dismissive hand. ‘Me? My gosh, I couldn’t!’
    Jay seized Ruth’s hand, tucked it under his arm and led her on to the dance floor. ‘Nonsense! Chance, cue up a waltz, will you, please?’
    Paul and I watched, open-mouthed, as my sister was whisked off in the arms of the handsomest man in the state of Maryland, twirling and swirling around the floor to the tune of ‘Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen’
.
    Holy cow
. If Hutch walked in right now, what would he make of the euphoric grin on Ruth’s face? And then I remembered Kay, pouncing on Hutch like a mother lion and carrying him off, a helpless cub, to her den.
    â€˜Well, dear,’ my late mother seemed to be whispering in my ear, ‘isn’t there an old saying? “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”’
    But I was thinking goose, hell. If this keeps up, before long the proverbial fur is going to fly.
    â€˜So,’ I said when Jay finally released my sister, ‘I’m dying of curiosity. What does he want?’
    Ruth shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. Probably hopes to sweet-talk us into signing up for another package.’ She grinned. ‘He is a charming son-of-a-gun, isn’t he?’
    â€˜I’d have thought you’d jump at the chance to continue taking lessons. I haven’t seen you so nuts about anything since you took up tie-dying broomstick skirts in the seventies.’
    Ruth frowned. ‘I do love dancing, Hannah. It makes me feel young and alive. But I have to be realistic. I’ve got Mother Earth to worry about, and the wedding.’ She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. ‘No, we bought the wedding package, and a couple of extra lessons, but that’s it. All the arm-twisting and charm in the world isn’t going to convince me to sign a contract for some overpriced lesson package that neither of us needs, or has the time for.’
    â€˜I’ve heard some of the major studio chains use high-pressure tactics to get you to join up, but Jay and Kay simply aren’t like that,’ I said. ‘According to the J & K brochure, the next level up is the 600 package: six privates, six groups, six parties, six hundred dollars. Sounds harmless enough.’
    â€˜I’ll tell you one thing,’ Ruth said. ‘I won’t do anything without Hutch. Can you imagine the creeps who show up for lessons with ridiculous comb-overs, bad teeth and damp hands wanting to dance with you? Ugh! Six hundred dollars sounds like a deal, until you realize that any serial rapist with six hundred dollars in his pocket could sign up for dance lessons, too.’
    Ruth grabbed my arm. ‘Hannah, you and Paul come along when he talks to us. Keep me focused. OK?’
    I laughed. ‘Oh, I think you and Hutch can take care of yourselves!’
    â€˜No, I’m serious. Remember the time we won a free weekend in Virginia and they practically locked us up until we agreed to buy a timeshare in their stupid resort?’
    I laughed, remembering how Ruth and I, in desperation, had staged a fight, screaming, swearing, name-calling and hurling abuse at one another until the salesman couldn’t show us the door fast enough. ‘It won’t be like that at all,’ I assured her.
    Ruth didn’t look convinced. ‘I have a hard time saying no to
telephone
solicitors, for heaven’s sake. In case you didn’t notice, Jay has oodles of charm. I might find him impossible