ephemeral [ Conrad Fisher ]

23

THE afternoon sun streamed through the grand windows of the country club, casting a warm, golden hue over the nearly empty dance floor. Deb practice was winding down, and I found myself in high spirits, joking around with Shayla and Nicole. The three of us stood in the center of the room, practicing the new steps we had learned today. We had started dancing in our heels today, and while I knew I could do these steps easily the heels were absolutely killing me.

"Shayla, you've got to lessen that spin at the end," Nicole instructed, her eyes fixed on on Shayla's feet "You can do it but if you over spin you'll roll your ankle. I did that last year and it made the rest of the rest of the dance absolutely brutal."

Shayla giggles as she shakes her head "Trust me Nic, I've mastered not rolling my ankles - it's just memorizing the steps that's kicking my ass."

"I can show you again if you want?" I offer softly, setting my water bottle down on one of the tables surrounding the dance floor "Only if you tell me how you survive wearing these damn heels without wanting to cut your feet off." I grin

Our laughters cloud the silent ballroom as the three of us shake our heads

"Okay, Lennox," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "let's give Shayla a visual on how it's done."

Shayla, intrigued and eager to learn, nodded. "Sure, show me!"

With an exaggerated flourish, Nicole extended her arm towards me, a mock invitation to dance. I couldn't help but play along, extending my hand to take hers as we stood several feet apart on the dance floor. Our laughter already echoed through the room as we began our pretend dance.

Nicole led with exaggerated grace, her steps overly dramatic, but her impeccable sense of rhythm still shone through. I followed suit, attempting to mimic her dance moves, and we waltzed around the floor in a comical fashion.

Shayla watched us with a mix of amusement and curiosity, clearly enjoying the show. As we twirled around and struck theatrical poses, I couldn't help but chuckle at how absurdly we were behaving.

Nicole then decided to take it up a notch. With a sudden, dramatic flourish, she dipped me backward. My heart raced with the thrill of the fake move as I arched my back dramatically, my hand placed dramatically on my forehead as if I were in a period drama.

The sight was so ludicrous that it sent all three of us into fits of uncontrollable laughter. Shayla clapped her hands, thoroughly entertained by our antics. We were a giggling mess, carefree and happy, as we revealed in the joy of the moment.

Once the laughter subsided, we stood there for a moment, catching our breath and wiping away tears of mirth. I couldn't help but feel grateful for these moments of silliness, moments that transcended the world of debutantes and etiquette and reminded us of the simple joy of friendship.

"Okay, okay," Nicole finally managed to say between giggles, "I think Shayla's got the idea now."

"Are you sure she's got it? Maybe I'd be a better partner to show Shayla how it's done." His voice, smooth and confident, sliced through the room.

My cheeks flushed with heat as I turned to face Conrad. Nicole glanced at me with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She knew precisely how much Conrad's sudden appearance had flustered me.

Conrad stepped closer, his hand sliding to rest on the small of my back. The contact sent a shiver down my spine, and my heart quickened its pace. He held me closer than I'd anticipated, and I could feel the warmth of his body against mine.

As we started dancing, I struggled to maintain my composure. Conrad's presence was entirely distracting. His hand, so assured and steady, guided me through the steps effortlessly. It was as if we were made for this dance, our movements harmonizing perfectly.