I'm Not Going To Teach Her How To Dance With You [Nick Jonas] [REWRITING]

Chapter 3 - Slow Dancing

Lynn

This is a disaster. What on Earth is she doing? Who does pirouettes like that? I look at Nick and he has the same expression of horror plastered on his face. Noticing that something's wrong, Nicole looks at both of us, expecting some kind of feedback.
"You're doing amazing, sweetie." 
I can barely contain my amusement. Realizing I have some serious work ahead, I stand behind her and fix her posture. 
"Keep your shoulders squared. Raise your head a little bit."
I should get one of those canes. I'd look badass with a cane. Nicole looks frightened enough but I kind of want her to suffer a little bit more. Once again, it's not like she doesn't deserve it.

"We're gonna do a song called Mirror Dance. I do something in the first measure and you have to copy it in the second measure. I usually do this with the little kids but..."
"Lynn..." Nick cuts me off, his eyes pleading mercy.

I sigh and walk to the stereo. Showtime.

***

At 5.30 Nicole was sweating through every pore in her body. Mission accomplished. I guide her to the dressing rooms and let her freshen up. When I come back to the studio, Nick is swaying in front of the mirror, his eyes closed, humming a tune. He doesn't notice me standing behind him, so I take the chance and decide to enjoy the view. God, I've missed him.

"Lynn! I didn't see you there." Do you even see me anymore?
"Nice moves. Sometimes I forget those legs can do more than sitting on a piano stool." I try to play it cool, but it comes out weird and flirty. He chuckles and I'm thankful he doesn't follow through with that conversation. Dodged a bullet there.

"So, listen" He whispers, coming towards me. "I could use some dance lessons, too. Slow dancing is not really my department."
Why do you hate me, God?
"Um...sure. Not sure you really need them, though."
"I don't want to let her down, you know? She has this idea that I'm some amazing dancer but all I can do is flips and kicks, basically."
"Don't sell yourself short. What I said earlier...you know it's not true. You're actually the best of the three." Stop throwing yourself at him, Lynn, you're making it weird.

He smiles, and I could swear that his cheeks are tinted in a darker shade of pink. 

"So, will you do it? Help me?" His eyes are wide and he reminds me of a lost puppy. How can I say no to that face?
"Alright, alright. How about a week from now, around 6?"
He nods and presents his hand to me. I shake it, and the second our fingers touch, sparks fly. It's a horrible cliché, but it's the truth. Of course, this is when Nicole decides to come back.
They talk to me for a while but I can barely understand them. My mind is somewhere else. They leave and I crawl into my bathtub upstairs. There's nothing a hot bath and a glass of red wine won't fix.

***

I gave Nicole two more lessons that week, and she was doing somewhat better. Of course, there is always room for improvement and she still has a long way to go. But today, I have other things on my mind. 

It's 6 PM and I'm pacing around the studio, nervously biting my nails. Mia would kill me if she saw me doing this. Any minute now, Nick is going to walk through those doors and I'm not sure I can handle it. There's no Nicole this time. It's just us. 

Fifteen minutes later, here he is. And he's holding a wedding dress. Color me confused.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to stop by Kevin's house to get Dani's dress."
Still doesn't explain it.

He looks at me and notices the probably startled look on my face.

"I wanted to practice not stepping on the dress. Nicole would kill me if I stepped on her Vera Wang."

I want to say something and my mouth is open but nothing comes out.

"Say something, please. You get kinda creepy when you do that." He pleads, and it works like magic. I take the dress and hurry upstairs so I can get changed. Before I go, I tell him to pick a song on my iPod, hoping that he doesn't pick a tearjerker. 

Putting on the dress is easy. Facing my reflection in the mirror is not. Look at yourself, Lynn Hudson. If there is something worse than being friend-zoned, this is definitely it. There's a tear rushing down my cheek but I choose not to acknowledge it. This isn't real. You're not getting married. 

I walk downstairs, trying not to trip on the steps. Although breaking my neck seems like a pretty good way to escape from this nightmare. Nick has his back turned towards me, but once he hears me he turns around and something happens in that moment. There's a glimpse of hope, so palpable, so real. He skips a breath or two, and it makes me blush. This was a bad idea.

"I uh..." He gulps and hesitates. "I chose Kiss From A Rose. Is that okay?"
"It's perfect." It's out of my mouth before I even realize.

He presses play and walks towards me. Slowly, perhaps a bit too carefully, he places his hands around my waist. My hands find each other behind his neck. Our eyes meet, and something clicks in my head. This is how it's supposed to be. This is how it's going to end.
I shake those thoughts away. I can't afford to be delusional right now. But then again, I have nothing to lose, do I?