🏁 Tetrology Of The Sea - Book 1: From The Sea 🪼🔨💻 💞 🔮

Twenty-Four

"So let me get this straight: Aylin wants you to seduce Shana because Shana is marrying Craig because Craig is guilty over something regarding Aylin but Shana doesn't love Craig but thinks Aylin needs friends and will suffer so now Aylin needs you to seduce Shana so that she won't have a life of Hell?" Josh said the next day.
"Pretty much."
"Huh, that's a turn of events. What you gonna do?"
"What do you mean? It's not like I can just go against everything I've put forth not to be with her to seduce her now."
"You can seduce her without going against your own standards."
"How is that? I told her I didn't want her to be part of Esper's life because Shana was hypocritical and now I'm going back on my word, in turn, becoming a hypocrite myself."
"No... Look, it's quite obvious that Shana never got over you when you told her you didn't want her in your life. It won't be hard for things to get rekindled. You don't have to do anything to her but be yourself. I have a feeling that she will be drawn to you whether you tried to seduce her or not. Just be yourself and don't try anything. Now, if things get serious because of it then so it is and if they don't then you don't have to be a hypocrite."
"But how's that going to work?"
"Travis, you still like her and you know it." Josh said with a look to him.
"I don't know what you mean."
"You haven't dated ever since you had Esper and you haven't even tried to kiss your dance partner or something. Usually dance partners have at least gone out with each other once in their lives. You're still as hung up on Shana as she is with you and you are subconsciously comparing women to her all the time."
"That's not true."
Josh gave him a look and crossed his arms.
"Oh really?"
"Yes."
"Don't flatter yourself, Travis. You still love her just as much as she loves you. If nothing else because she is the mother your child and helped you give birth to Esper. Plus, you would never leave her to Craig like that. Be a hero in shining armor and sweep that damsel off her feet."
"This isn't olden times, Joshua. I ruined my chances with her a long time ago."
"I'm telling you that you're wrong. Just be who you are; after all, that's what she fell in love with in the first place before you had sex, right?"
Travis thought about it for a moment and had to admit that out of everyone he knew, Shana had never downed him for his appearance or his actions, but embraced them. The situation was reeling in his head but he went to work that day anyway.

A couple of days later as Travis' class was showing everyone their dances, he heard the door open and looked over to see Shana standing there. She waved sheepishly and the rest of the class stopped.
"Who is that?" Adam asked with a smirk.
"One of my personal clients." Travis said with a look to the boy. "What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing. You just get a little happier when she comes in the studio when we leave and stuff."
"You'll be next if you don't hush." Adam shrunk back as Travis walked up to Shana. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Well... according to Craig, he wants me to take private lessons." She said, holding out some money. "This isn't a trick or anything."
Travis made a face and Shana made one back.
"What?"
"He said you needed more lessons?"
"Yeah, go figure."
"You? Out of the two of you, he's the one I can't take seriously."
"I know. But he seriously wanted me to so I'm giving you extra money for the extra lessons."
"I can't take your money, Shana."
"It's fine, Travis."
"Shana-"
"Please, Travis... Just take the money."
Travis sighed but grabbed the money.
"I'll just take you out for a nice dinner with it. There's no need to pay me for extra lessons. You don't really think I put up with Craig because of his money, do you?" he snapped, stuffing the money into his pocket.
Shana looked at him in surprise and he motioned to his class.
"Class, this is Shana Gray, an old friend of mine. She's going to sit in on our class today and watch you all as you show your performances for the contest coming up. She doesn't know how to dance, so show her that it's possible."
They both walked toward the rest of his class as she clapped at her and she sat at the end of the back row.
"Next up is Beatrice and Arlondo. What song have you chosen to do?"
"We chose 'Maria' by Ricky Martin."
Travis nodded and they turned the song on as they got into position. The music started and the two started. Shana watched in fascination as they seemed to be encompassed by the music and floated along the floor like they were floating on air. Shana was completely floored by their performance and wanted to dance that way. She wanted to dance like that with Travis.
She tried not to get too worked up over what could have been and what was as she watched the two dance. Once the song was done, they sat down and Travis clapped for them.
"Bravo, you two. Very nice. It looks like it's time for everyone to leave now. We'll pick this up later on and remember that the two weeks before the competition, we all are practicing every day so that we become flawless in our dances and make sure everyone get their outfits for it!" he yelled as they began to walk out of the room.
Travis began to pick up the chairs and move them as Shana stood and began to help him.
"You really love this sort of thing, don't you?"
"Dancing? It's a passion."
"You're very good at it and it seems like you have so much passion towards it. You really like your job."
"I can only do this during the summer though. I'm usually doing something else for the winter... Anyhow, when we get these moved out of the way we can start dancing. How are the moves coming along to you? Do you practice?"
"No... In truth... I don't like the song."
Travis looked at her as she rubbed her arm a little.
"I don't really want Train as a wedding song. I mean, I like them but I just don't think that way about Craig."
"You don't think very much of Craig at all, do you?"
"Are you trying to say I don't love my fiancé?" she snapped.
Travis gave her a look, not scared at all of her stare.
"Shana, if you love him as much as you say you do, then I was totally born from a woman and am completely human."
Shana glared at him with a hard stare that was a mix between hurt and amusement.
"Fine. I don't love him like that. I mean, I like him, but-"
"You hate his guts. He's stupid, arrogant, bullheaded, crude, and a beatnik. Seriously, Shana, does he even work?"
"No..."
"How did you get money?"
"That's my personal business!" she growled, unhappy about him meddling in her personal affairs. "I don't ask you about your personal business."
"Why not? I'll answer any question you've got for me."
"Puh, fat chance."
"Go ahead..."
"Alright then: did you ever love me?"
Travis chuckled as he leaned against the whiteboard.
"That's a stupid question when you already know the answer but for shits and giggles, yes. Always."
"What do you mean?"
"I loved you since middle school."
"Oh."
"Yeah." He said with a roll of his eyes. "Anyway, are you going to answer my question?"
"Uh... sure."
"What song did you want?"
"When I Fall In Love."
Travis smirked and nodded, going to his iPod that was hooked to the speakers. He scrolled through his songs and hit play. The song started and he pointed.
"This one?"
"Yes. But, it's too slow and sweet for him. Train is mainstream and he knows it best but... I like this one because it completes the moment. I've always wanted this song but now I guess I can have it for something else."
Travis walked over to the device and restarted the song. Shana sighed when Travis suddenly came up and grabbed her hands.
"You remember how to start out a waltz, right?"
"Y-yeah."
"Focus on the music and glide."
"I can't just-"
"Look in my eyes and think about the music."
Shana nodded as she looked into Travis' eyes. It was easy for her to get lost in his black eyes that were behind those rimmed glasses. They were so kind and unassuming; there was nothing scheming behind them and it was so nice to see that again. Without thinking, Shana put her head on his shoulder.
"I wish things hadn't gone the way they did. I wish I could have been there to watch our daughter grow and be with you... I wish that I just... I-"
"Don't talk, Shana. Thinking about it will only make things so much more worse. Don't' think about Craig or Aylin or anything else at this moment. Just you, me, and this song."
Shana nodded and they moved around the floor. Travis twirled her a little and when the song ended, he dipped her down and smiled.
"Not bad. That's high school child's play though."
"If you'd gone to prom, we could have done that."
"If I hadn't been pregnant, I might have gone if you'd have asked."
"Touche. So, uh, how did that happen exactly?"
"Details are none of your concern. Just know that-"
"Daddy- Hullo..."
Travis looked up as Esper looked at him with her huge stuffed zebra from the back of the studio.
"Hey, baby, what's wrong? Did we wake you from your nap?"
"No... Who's that lady?"
"This is Shana Gray. Um... Mr. Patchy Patch's sister."
"That's Captain Patchy Patch, Daddy. Captains don't like to be called mister." She walked toward them as she dragged the zebra by the tail. "You're his sister?"
"Um, who?"
"Captain Patchy Pathc, duh." She said with a look.
Travis set them upright and smiled.
"I would like you to meet Esper, my plucky and sometimes rude daughter. Capt. Patchy Patch is her name for Aylin."
Shana put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing hard.
"Is that so? You like Aylin?"
"He's my friend."
"He'd like that. He doesn't have too many friends."
"I don't either... Can he talk to fish?"
"I don't think so."
"Daddy can talk to fish and I can talk to fish. Can you?"
"No... I eat fish..." she said, unsure what to do.
Travis chuckled as Esper held up her zebra.
"His name is Bupple. Do you want to hold him? Daddy got him for me when we went to Disney World!"
"I've never been to Disney World."
"Daddy should take you!"
Shana smiled up at Travis and he shrugged.
"A mouse is a mouse whether he stands upright and wears pants or eats cheese and gets caught in traps. I hate mice."
"Daddy likes Dopey. He tackled him and got escargoted from the park!"
"Esper! Don't tell everyone that."
"You tackled Dopey?"
"I got carried away. Have you seen those ears? They're so floppy."
Shana laughed as Esper looked at Travis.
"Daddy, can we get food? I want a popsicle."
"You can't have popsicles for dinner. How about spaghetti?"
"Can Shiny come?"
"Shiny?"
"I think that's you." Travis whispered.
"Oh..."
"If Shiny wants to come."
"My lesson-"
"You have plenty of time. Let's talk a bit."
Shana nodded and they went out.