That Friday, after I finish my classes and get home, I start feeling very restless. I badly want to go to the studio and dance. I haven't been there in a long time, and at this point I crave it. I have the music on, I danced a bit at home, but the feeling is not the same. It's about seven o'clock so the sun is still out, even so, I'm scared to leave the apartment. I tell myself I am being irrational, there are people out, he can't hurt me. And I've saved up a bit of cash, I could catch a cab home. But I'm still scared.
We're supposed to do a performance in two days, I said I'd be there for it, Elias would take a day off his work and accompany Lara and I to the studio. That's the plan, we'll see if it actually happens. My group wouldn't be at the theatre today, just me. That's what I need, anyway. An open stage, music and freedom. I decide to be brave. I put on a moss green dress and flats, then throw the bag with my dancing gear over my shoulder. Finally, before leaving the house, I find the switchblade I purchased not long ago.
I've never walked faster in my life, being on the streets is uncomfortable and I just want to get to the safety of the theatre. Once I am there, I unlock the door and enter the empty stage. No dances going on tonight, just me left to my own practice. I do some stretches for warm up, then get straight into it, finally in my element. I start off with slow music, then gradually move to the faster routines. I really miss just moving with the rhythm. My muscles are still sore from that gym workout with Daniel, so it feels even better to stretch and challenge them. I don't know how much time passes, but when I'm finally feeling tired, I stop for a quick water break. I dig out the water bottle from my bag that I left in the corner, when a shadow of a movement catches my eye. I snap my head up, staring into the dark auditorium in front of me. I locked the door after me, so no one would have been able to get in unless they have the key. I feel my face pale when I notice a tall shadow standing in the darkness, far from the lit-up stage,
"Who is there?" I ask, my voice echoes through the empty theatre, no one responds for a long moment. I'm staring into the shadow, my heart about beating a million miles per second.
"You're so easily scared, yet you came here alone?" the voice, one that I immediately recognise, finally responds. Daniel steps forward into the dim light,
"What are you doing here?" I mutter, he walks even closer,
"Looking for you" he says,
"How did you even know where I am?"
"Your friend, Nina, is freaking out, worried about you. She called you a few times, and you haven't picked up"
"But... what time is it?" I push my hand into my bag searching for my phone, it's ten thirty, I've been at the theatre for over three hours, "oh, god, I thought it was only about eight..." I start texting Nina that I am okay, and apologising for scaring her, at the same time, I am still puzzled at Daniel's presence here,
"How did you know I was here?"
"I thought you're either kidnapped by the stalker, at your other friend's house, or at the theatre. Nina called your other friend, who confirmed you weren't with her, and then, hoping you weren't kidnapped, raped, or killed, I made my way here"
The three words said so casually; kidnapped, raped or killed, send shivers down my body,
"I am so sorry!" I mutter, "I didn't realise it was so late, I should have told someone" I realise that I have a bunch of text messages from Lara, too, and a missed call from Daniel. As I am texting Lara that I am okay, my phone rings. I pick up to an angry Nina, yelling at me for not telling her where I was. After apologising a million times over, she finally lets me go. I look up at Daniel, who is now standing right in front of the stage, leaning forward with his arms folded across the wooden floor, He's looking at me, his face betraying nothing, an enigmatic canvas offering no clues about what he's thinking,
"I'm sorry" I say again, uncertain if he's angry at me for wasting his time like that, he shrugs, again not giving much away, his eyes never leave me, though,
"How did you get in?" I ask, a question that has been bothering me since I saw him here,
"Through the entrance"
"It was locked. I locked it"
"Yes, it was"
"So how did you get in?"
"Through the door"
"You broke in?"
"No"
"Do you have the theatre key?"
"Why would I have that?"
"Then how did you come in?"
"You thought that door can keep you safe from your stalker? If he knew you were in the theatre alone, he would have been inside by now"
"There are cameras outside, and the door was locked"
"What's the point of cameras if no one monitors them?"
"But how did you get in, tell me honestly? Unless you broke the door down?"
"I already told you I didn't. This door has a simple lock, it's not hard to open if you know how"
"You picked the lock?"
"Yes"
"Can you pick any lock?"
"Not any. But most"
"And you think the stalker can, too?"
"I am not sure, but it's possible"
"Then nowhere is safe" I say quietly, I can feel my eyes tearing up, but I don't let them fall. If people can just pick locks like that, then how is even the apartment safe? How is it safe to go anywhere at all?
"And if he can't pick a lock, then he can definitely break a door down" Daniel adds, he rests his palms on the elevated floor, propels his body up, effortlessly landing on the stage, now fully illuminated by the stage lights. He walks over towards me, when he's standing right in front of me, he gently lifts my chin up with his fingers, getting me to look up at him,
"Now stop being upset" he says, looking into my eyes, "continue dancing like you were before you saw me" for a weird reason, my heart goes frantic for the second time this evening. Not because I am scared, but because he's standing so close to me.
"How long have you been here?" I ask, stepping back slightly to calm myself down, he releases his hold when I do so,
"An hour"
"A whole hour?" I ask, shocked,
"Maybe a little longer" he says when he glances at the clock behind me,
"And you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't want to stop you, you looked... captivated. You were enjoying yourself too much"
"You should have told me" I say, he shrugs, "you didn't even tell Nina" I realise,
"No"
"But she was worried about me"
"Once I realised you were safe, I wasn't too bothered about how Nina felt" he says, I bite down at my lips, looking up at his eyes, they're burning into mine, I find it hard to think straight. I swallow, taking another step backwards. I have to get away from him, my whole body is trembling in his presence. And I don't understand this foreign, crazy reaction.
"I... we should probably go"
"You don't want to dance more?"
"It's late?" I say, but it comes out more as a question,
"Is it?" he asks,
"Almost eleven"
"You have a bedtime?"
"No, but..."
"It's Friday, no school tomorrow"
"Yes, but..."
"Then dance"
"I think... I can't"
"Why not?"
"You're watching me"
"I was watching you for the past hour, you seemed fine then"
"Because I didn't know you were here"
"You dance in front of a whole audience"
"That's different"
"How?"
"Because... because it's different"
"Do I make you nervous?" a slightest smile forms on his lips,
"No" I lie,
"Then why are you slowly moving away from me?" he asks,
"I'm not" I say, but it isn't true, I've moved back a couple of steps since he walked up to me,
"Then how are we getting further apart? Thermal expansion?" He jokes,
"Maybe. Or maybe you're the one moving away"
"You think that's likely?" he has a visible smile on his lips now, and I realise he's definitely teasing me. I don't want to look flustered, so I force a smile, pretending I am feeling fully in control of myself,
"Possibly" I say, "and if you want me to dance, then you'll have to join me. Remember you said you'd do my routine if I do yours?"
"No"
"You said you would?"
"I was joking"
"Lying?"
"You can say that"
"Well if I did your stuff, you have to do mine"
"I can't dance" he smiles,
"And I can't box, but I did it anyway"
"You didn't get into the ring"
"And you don't have to dance in front of an audience"
"I'm not dancing, Sofia" he holds,
"How do you dance at parties? Or in clubs?"
"I don't"
"You don't dance?"
"No"
"Then what do you do when everyone else is dancing?"
"You really want to know that?" he asks with a teasing grin,
"Actually, no" I say, trying to imagine what he must be thinking when he's finding my question so amusing, "how do you dance at events? Like weddings and stuff?"
"Can't remember the last time I attended a wedding"
"But if someone was getting married, and you had to go. What would you do when the music starts?"
"Probably wouldn't go. Weddings aren't my thing"
"What if your friend was getting married?"
"They can get married without me"
"So, if Phil was getting married you wouldn't go?"
"Maybe I would. But I wouldn't dance"
"What when you get married? And your future wife wants to dance?" he doesn't respond straight away, instead his eyes are burning into mine so intently that I feel blood run to my cheeks,
"Okay. Show me. How would that dance at the wedding look?" he finally speaks, surprising me with his request.
"I can show you simple ballroom. It works with any music, you just change the speed so it fits the rhythm"
"Okay. I'm watching"
"No. You need to do it with me"
"Fine" he steps forward again, so that he's standing right in front of me, and I'm really questioning my decision to suggest teaching him anything. I didn't think it through,
"Okay..." I gulp,
"So? Show me what to do"
"Um... we'll need music" I say, just to give myself a reason to step away. I go to the radio and find an appropriate song, not too fast or too slow. I walk back to him, feeling a little nervous,
"Okay. So, I'll show you the basic box step. You do this dance with a partner. Put your right hand here," I tap my shoulder, tactically choosing the shoulder instead of the waist, he places his hand where instructed, standing even closer than before.
"Okay, your left hand needs to be extended, holding my right hand" I feel a rush of warmth when his hand rests on mine. Our bodies dangerously close. Normally, when I teach someone, I'd be looking straight at them, and instructing them to do the same. But now I can't bring myself to even glance up at his face.
"You have to follow my lead, okay?" I ask, I feel him nod without looking up, "now, we'll take a step forward with our left foot, then bring our right foot to meet it, like this" I do the steps, he follows,
"Now, step back with your right foot, then bringyour left foot to meet it" we move together, slowly, then we repeat the steps afew times, I can tell he's never danced before, his movements are very robotic,a little uncertain, but when I start slightly changing direction, he follows mylead well. We both laugh when he almost steps on my foot, not expecting him tolaugh, I look up, only to find him looking down at me with a smile on his lips.We sustain eye contact for the rest of the dance.